Shots Pageant

Shot 13: A Second Chance?

I knew she was worried about how'll I manage both the kids, "That completely alright, Miss Nanda. I'll be taking care of everything"

"Thank you", she smiled.

I nodded, "Can we just take the kids on a play date. Anisha wanted me to ask you about the same", I recalled the conversation I had with my daughter yesterday night while I was telling her bedtime stories.

Usually, it is either me or Miss Nanda who takes the kids on a day out. We had never gone together. This time, I wished if she could join us or I could join them.

"Yeah, me or you?"

I scratched my temple, "We"

She smiled and nodded,

"Sunday?", I asked.

"Okay then", she replied, "I need to reach the office. See yaa"

"Good Bye", I replied and she went away taking her car.

Sunday

Me and Anisha reach play area where kids always wanted to go. Its newly open and the premises are grand. Miss Nanda and Samarth were already there when we got there.

After exchanging the greetings, we goes inside. Blunder! There we got to know that parents aren't supposed to accompany their children. The kids will be there inside, alone with the staff members taking care of every possible thing.

"What are we supposed to do now?", Miss Nanda asked.

"Umm, I think we can leave the kids. There isn't any harm. Still in case, I'll call one of my bodyguards to keep an eye on them", I suggested.

"Okay", she smiled faintly.

I called upon a guard to keep the children safe. Me and Miss Nanda left the area.

"Coffee?", I asked. Okay, confession time. I feel a kind of attraction towards her. I mean, both if us are quite similar, suffering through similar conditions, we are single parents.

She willingly agreed and we walk to a coffee shop, right opposite to that of play area. We ordered our meals and coffee.

"So Miss Nanda--"

"It can be Annika", she told.

I smiled. I did wanted to do that dor long but our conversations never reach that point.

"Then its Shivaay for you"

"Okay Shivaay"

"So Annika, can I ask you something?", I was willing to ask about her personal life.

"Ya", she took out her phone from her bag and kept it on the table in between us.

"Sam's father, what went wrong with him?", I wanted to ask that for long.

I could see ber hesitating a lot. She bit her lips. I kept my right hand over her left one and felt that it was sweaty. I offered her a glass of water and she refused.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you", I could sympathise with her condition as I used to feel the same during initial couple of years when Anisha's mom left.

"That's alright. I can share", she relaxed, "He was returning from Surat. It was my due date and I was in the hospital. Mumbai rain and slippery roads led to road crash and Samarth died instantly", she told. She didn't cried.

"His name was Samarth?", I was confused.

"Yeah"

"What an interesting fact. Infact, Anisha's mom's name was also Anisha. She passed away during her birth", I told her. My late wife was Anisha Wadhwa. While my daughter was born, my wife passed away. That is why I named her as Anisha.

Same was the story with Annika. Her boyfriend, Samarth died the same day her son was born. So, she named her son as Samarth.

Our order came and we begin having it.

"I am so sorry to hear that Shivaay", she told me. I could feel the same pain in her eyes. She pressed her palm against my hand.

"Well, Anisha told me about Sam's birthday next month. She'll also be turning five next month", I told.

"Again a co-incidence. They share same birthday months. Samarth's is on 7th"

I laughed, "Anisha too", means our kids were born on the same day. We lost our partners on the same day. We lost a part of us on the same day and got a part of us on the same day.

She smiled, "Seems like our faiths are interconnected"

I smiled too, "Maybe, for good", I held her hands in between mine.

She smiled more widely, "Yeah"

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So, I am thinking to keep it as an open ended shot. What do you think?

Not to forget, I just watched the whole NKYBF2 today side lining my chemistry books.