The Misfit Fallen... One Shots.

One Shot 11♡

It was going to be a long day.
It was 14th June today.
Shikha's birthday!

A difficult day for Mayank and Aakash.
Normally, every year Mayank would spend the whole day alone, keeping himself busy at the office while Aakash would stay long hours in library and they both would show up at home only when it's almost the end of the day.

This year, it was going to be different because of the pandemic.

They were all locked in their houses and didn't have much to do.
Anamika was bewildered.
She didn't like to see any of her family members sad.

The house seemed too silent in comparison to everyday's hustle bustle.

Amrita tried to ignore the tension in the house but even she felt awkward.
She was okay with the fact that the two most important men in her life needed time to grieve today but it made her feel more uncomfortable especially when she went to Mayank who had that guilt in his eyes.

She didn't want him to feel that way. This was none of his fault.

It also made her think of Shikha. If she had been alive today then Amrita wouldn't have had any place in this house, in her son's life or in Mayank's heart.

It was almost afternoon and Mayank and Aakash were still in their room.

Anamika couldn't help and she finally asked her mother for the reason. Normally, Amrita would had ignored to talk about this topic but since the day at the party when Anamika had found about her whole past, she had promised herself that she would not hide things from her daughter anymore. She would be honest with her.

Amrita got up from her place and opened the drawer of the cupboard

She removed the picture and gave it to her daughter.

Anamika eyed the photo of a pretty lady with her father and big brother, Aakash who looked much smaller than she had ever seen.

They looked so happy together. She was confused.

Who was this woman?
Why was she standing so close to her papa?
And why did her mother gave this photo to her?

They looked like a family.
Like her family.
Only the difference was that she and her mother weren't in the frame.

And then it clicked.

She stared at her mother who nodded.

"She's your Papa's first wife, her name is Shikha." Amrita finally told her everything that now finally made some sense to her.

She knew why her mother was so hesitant at first.

Anamika was not a baby anymore. She was matured then most of the kids her age and understood how her mother was feeling.

"It's her birthday today." Amrita said before she fell silent.

Anamika gazed at the picture.
The woman was indeed beautiful and her papa looked so gleeful gripping his baby boy and his ex-wife close to him.

"If it's her birthday then why aren't we celebrating it? Birthdays are supposed to be happy, isn't it?" Anamika mumbled.

Amrita was awestruck at Anamika's words.

She couldn't believe that her daughter had just voiced something so wonderful even in her innocence.

After all, Shikha wouldn't had wanted to be remembered in sorrow.

From what she had heard about her, she was an ebullient and lively person who would have wanted nothing but a smile lingering on Mayank's and Aakash's face always.