RISHTA DILON KA

Chapter 5: Their Life

(After 3 years manik came in Kavya's life)

It's been 3 years Malhotra family living in the colony. Many things changed, Kavya legally adopted Manik. It was difficult, with Kavya being divorced without any financial help, but with the help of  Renuka( SI) and some people from the colony, Manik officially become Manik Malhotra, son of Kavya Malhotra.
Manik is now 7 years old, and he knows that he is adopted but ok with it, more precisely happy with his angel maa and naughty bub.
For Kavya Manik become her gem, her mani and for Manik, she become her Angel Maa.
Kavya is now working in near by music school and  after that in a shop near by.
Yes Kavya is a trained classical singer.
Her passion was always music but after marriage, everything changed. Her life changed, her life start and end with her husband and children only.
But now she is happy that atleast she can sing and teach others who is intrested in music. In all this she find another intresting thing, her Mani has magical voice. Yes he is not trained but gifted. It's like he is born to sing, just like his mother.Kavya knows one day her Mani, her gem ,gonna dominate whole world with her soulful voice. And Kavya is the first and hard-core fan of Manik's singing or maybe second. First will be his naughty bub, Rishi Malhotra.

Here comes Manik, a boy of 7 years who is more mature than anyone of his age, Yes for Rishi, Manik is his baba, his dad, that is the first word of rishi, and for Manik, Rishi is his son not brother.

Sometimes when Kavya misses his elder children, which Manik knows , Kavya herself told about,  Manik becomes her Baba who wipe her tears,
Cheer her with Rishi and pamper her like a father. He will make her eat food from her small hands with Rishi, sing for her, and make her sleep patting her head . But in all this they have to face the wrath of little Malhotra, who is really possessive for his Baba, and can't share him with anyone not even with their mother,  but Manik know how to handle his chota packet.
With both the work it is difficult for Kavya to spend time with her children but glad that Manik will take care of Rishi, and hoping that her elder children ( obroi brothers)also happy with each other.
In all this the only complaint or worry that Kavya has, is Manik, who never enjoy his childhood, who always act maturly. She always wish to see Manik who like any children at his age, make demands, prank each other , make friends, but her gem is the mature than her also.
Eventhough she gets little time with her children, Sunday is a specially for enjoying with children. They cook, play, sing and enjoy with each other, just them in their little heaven.
In other days Manik day start with his naughty bub sleeping above him, after making him ready and himself freshen up and after breakfast, with his mother goes to each other school, that time rishi will be with their Sudha kaki, who helped them from start, be it home or taking care of rishi in their absence.
After coming back from school in afternoon and doing homework, Manik with Rishi go to near by tea shop where Manik works, yes Manik works in a tea shop in colony.
The first time when Manik said about this to Kavya, she first time scold her in her life, but after a lot of pestering even with the help of the  tea shop owner madhu Kaka, for whom manik and rishi is like his own sons, and his puppy eyes , that no one can resist , specially his Angel maa , she agreed with a condition that, if something happened or someone said something , he will inform her and leave his work. But she also knows that no one can scold him. One , he is everyone's favorite in the colony. He literally grow up as their son, not only her. And second, if someone said anything to Manik, they have to face Chandra tai , and none has the guts to do it.
In this 3 years everyone saw Chandra tai  smiling and laughing and the reason is our own Manik Malhotra. They become best friends. Chandra tai become Manik's sweet tai . Ofcourse no one can resist Manik Malhotra's charm and innocent eyes.
For whole colony manik is their laadla who help them, be it going to store, or taking water from well or taking care of their child. He is member of everyone's home with his baby.
And here comes Manik's naughty bub, The great Rishi Malhotra-or baba's Rishi , that is what he called himself. He is now 3 years old and just like Manik he is also everyone's favorite in the colony.
From morning waking up from his baba's chest and sleeping their in night his day and night was with Manik only. With Kavya being in work most of the time Manik and rishi spend with others in the colony specially with Sudha Kaka and Chandra Tai.
After going tea shop with Manik, rishi like a good boy will sit in the corner watching his baba work. And almost 6'o clock they will comeback and freshen up, and then they will wait for their Angel Maa in Chandra tai's home, where she tells stories for them, with her mouth watering sweet dishes.
In 7.30 Kavya will come back and cooks where Manik help her and tell her about his full day and Kavya also tell her full day to her. After dinner Manik with rishi and angel maa come to hall were he sings for both of them sometimes Kavya also join him, which not only them but whole colony wait to listen his soulful voice.
This is their routine. Many things changed in these 3 years, their life, their bond everything. It is not easy to live in a society with two children without a man's support. But she is ready to fight. And she will.
And Kavya knows that God is not always cruel to her , when looking at her both children, Rishi sleeping above Manik, lightly snoring and Manik sleeping with a small smile, keeping her one hand on Rishi's head and another in back holding him protectively, just like first time he held her belly and many other times.
She kissed their forheads and prayed for her four children happiness like every time.
Life is not always give you sadness, Just like happiness, sadness is also temporary.