Chapter 2 #2
"Bhayya, she wants you as her boyfriend.
Will you accept her?" Shaurya suddenly asked the vendor, embarrassing her instantly.
She coughed hard hearing him, and Shaurya patted her head to calm her down.
The moment she saw the vendor actually blush, she ran away from there, leaving the half-eaten plate behind.
Shaurya smirked at her and paid the vendor more than the actual bill.
"I was kidding. She is only mine, don't take it seriously," he told the vendor. Though there was a small smile on his face, a hint of possessiveness lay beneath his tone, and the vendor understood it.
Shaurya was a considerate, warm-hearted, gentle, and compassionate person, but he never knew how or why he became jealous and possessive whenever it came to Akansha. He often forgot the ulterior motive for being with her. His emotions became real, and he could do nothing to control them.
He ran behind her and finally caught up with her pace. He was about to say sorry, but instead burst out laughing on seeing her red face filled with embarrassment. She glared at him fiercely.
"Don't laugh, Shaurya... I'll thrash you right here," Akansha warned.
"I'm so sorry... But it's so fun embarrassing you," Shaurya teased again, earning more beatings from her.
Her daughter was exactly like her father when it came to embarrassing her.
Akansha shook her head rapidly, hoping the man's memories would disappear with the movement, but it seemed futile, just like every other time.
It had been five years since she left him, yet his thoughts had never left her.
They continued to haunt her even after all these years.
The mother and daughter reached the school. Akansha paid the auto driver while avoiding eye contact after her little one had made a not-so-little comment.
After that, they walked inside. Akansha stopped at the side of the main gate, the same place where she kissed her daughter goodbye every day.
"Siya bear... Wait," Akansha called. Siya turned and looked at her mother with big innocent doe eyes. Akansha bent down to her daughter's level.
"Won't you say bye to your mama bear?" Akansha asked softly.
"I will, mama bear... Bye... I lobe you mumma," the little girl said, hugging her mother and wounding her arms around her neck.
"I love you too, my baby bear... Have a great day ahead," Akansha said, kissing her cheeks and forehead.
"Mumma... But why do you kiss me hele? Why can't we hug inside the school?" little Siya asked innocently. Her mother kissed her goodbye away from the school gate, and inside the school, Akansha behaved sternly with her. Her little mind did not know how to properly voice her observations.
Because I don't want anyone to know you are my weakness, Akansha wanted to answer, but she did not. She only smiled at her daughter, shook her head as if to say nothing, and both of them walked in.
Akansha dropped her daughter in class before heading toward the staff room.
She did not want anyone to know how important Siya was to her and turn her daughter into her weakness. Instead, she had decided years ago that she would become stronger for her.
She wanted to hide her love for her daughter as much as possible, so no one could ever play with her love and emotions again. The blow life had given her had left a deep mark.
Akansha first went to the staff room to collect the textbooks she needed according to her timetable. Her fellow teachers were busy discussing their personal lives and how difficult it was to manage home and still report to work on time. She ignored them and walked to her classroom.
She did not trust people easily, so she always maintained distance, no matter how much time she had to spend with her colleagues each day. She gave short replies and spoke only when necessary. She did not mind being called rude, cold, or an emotionless rock.
Her colleagues still found it difficult to believe that a cold and rude woman like Akansha taught little children who needed someone kind and gentle.
What they did not know was that Akansha was the gentlest soul they could ever get as a teacher.
She was patient, extremely kind, and always smiling with her little students.
Those pure souls brought out the real Akansha hidden beneath the facade she wore to protect herself and her daughter.
Akansha taught the primary sections, and some colleagues from the secondary and higher secondary sections looked down on her without knowing her qualifications.
She was more qualified than many of them and had taught graduation and post-graduation students in the past. But because of the lessons life had taught her and the complications it brought, she had left all that behind.
@in staff room
"If Akansha is here, then Siya must be in school too... Come yr, let's go and meet her," Rathi, one of the primary teachers, said.
"Ah... That cute girl... God, how did you make that cute species? She is such a beautiful cutey pie yr... I am always ready to meet her... The whole day goes well after seeing her happy smiling face in the morning... I have never seen such a cute child," Shipra said.
"Yeah... Seriously... I wonder how she can be the daughter of Ms. Rude," another colleague commented.
"Siya must have gone on her father," Rathi said.
"True... If the kid version is this cute and pretty, I want to see the adult male version of this... God please make my wish come true," another colleague prayed dramatically.
"Siya's father would be a celebrity in my eyes for creating such a masterpiece," Shipra said, making everyone laugh, unaware that he was not just a celebrity in her eyes, but in the eyes of the world.
"But Akansha is a single mother. I think he left her because he couldn't bear her rudeness... So guys, your wishes can't come true," Bharti, a higher secondary teacher, commented.
Only if they knew who that so-called celebrity father of Siya really was... and who had truly left whom.
They all went to meet Siya, pinched her bubbly cheeks, played with her for some time, and enjoyed her cute little talks before dispersing to their classes.
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"Good morning, little fellows," Akansha greeted them with a sweet smile.
"Good morning, Miss..." her little students' voices echoed through the classroom. They were always excited to see her.
She chit-chatted with them for five minutes, giggled along with them, and sat among them enjoying their antics before beginning the class.
Every day, she tried new ways to involve her students in the subject.
She made sure to give them a short break every twenty minutes so they could relax, and that kept them excited to learn throughout the lesson.
She taught using fun examples and kept changing her tone to make everything more interesting.
"Okay... See you tomorrow, students," she said with a smile after finishing the class.
"Miss..." one student raised his hand, and Akansha mentally groaned. Not because she was irritated with the cute child, but because of his name. How could his parents give such a sweet child such a terrible name? she wondered.
"Yes, Sh... Shaurya..." she called out, forcing a fake smile. No matter how many years had passed, she still stuttered while taking his name.
"You didn't pinch my cheeks," he complained cutely, making the whole class burst into laughter. A small smile appeared on her face. During class, when she had gone to that row, she had affectionately caressed everyone's cheeks and forgotten his. Yet he had remembered it.
Told you he is such a cute kid, but his name... Akansha thought to herself before walking up to him and gently pinching his cheeks and ruffling his hair, making the child happy.
"Okay then, see you tomorrow, class," Akansha said, collecting her things.
"Miss... You forgot to give homework," one student reminded her, and everyone else groaned, making Akansha smile.
"I didn't forget, Ronit... There's no homework for tomorrow," Akansha said.
She did not believe in burdening children with homework.
Instead, she made them practice enough in school itself so that parents would not have to struggle too much preparing them for exams. She rarely gave homework, which was one more reason she was their favorite teacher.
"Okay now... Maintain silence until the next teacher comes. Bye," Akansha said and walked out of the classroom.
The moment she stepped out, the students began chit-chatting and playing with each other noisily.
She shook her head and stood near the door, keeping an eye on them so they would not hurt themselves.
At the same time, she wanted them unaware of her presence so they could enjoy their little break freely.
She finally left once the next teacher arrived. The rest of the day passed in classes and schoolwork. In the afternoon, after Siya's classes were over, Akansha brought her to the staff room. By evening, the mother-daughter duo left for home once Akansha's work was done.
"Mumma... Will licha aunty come hele to p...." Siya trailed off, unable to remember the word.
"Pick us up?" Akansha helped her.
"Yes... Pick us up? Will she come?" Siya asked with dreamy eyes. She adored her mumma's best friend, licha aunty.
"No baby... She is busy with work. We'll go ourselves. She'll meet us for dinner, chalo," Akansha said. Little Siya nodded with pouted lips.
"Haha... Don't get upset... We'll have yummy yummy food for dinner," Akansha bribed her daughter while helping her settle into the auto.
"Paattaaaa?" Siya asked excitedly.
"Yes... Pasta," Akansha said with a smile. Her little girl could barely eat two bites of it, yet she became so excited every time. In this, she has gone on me, Akansha thought.
They reached home, and Akansha helped her daughter freshen up and change clothes.
"Mumma... When will Licha aunty come?" Siya asked again.
"She is busy with work, Siya. She'll come as soon as she is done. But learn to say 'Richa,' otherwise your aunty won't stop crying about it," Akansha said teasingly.
"Licha," Siya tried.
"Richa," Akansha corrected.
"LLicha," little Siya tried again, stressing the L in an attempt to make it sound like R, but failing. Akansha laughed at her efforts.
"It's Richa... but no problem... you'll learn soon, baby," Akansha said, trying to suppress her laughter. But Siya noticed it.
"Mumma bad... you laugh at me?" she asked, puffing her cheeks and placing her tiny hands on her waist.
The pose made Akansha burst into laughter, which only made the little one angrier.
"Mummaaaa!" she screamed, trying to imitate Akansha whenever she was angry.
"Awe... my cute baby... Siya... Why are you so cute, baby?" Akansha said, hugging her daughter tightly. Siya started whining in protest. Her mother was supposed to get scared of her stern tone, but instead she hugged and kissed her.
"Mama bear... you should get scared," Siya said.
Akansha nodded dramatically and pretended to be afraid of her daughter, satisfying the little girl instantly.
The next few hours passed with the mother and daughter playing together and laughing to their heart's content.