'Baby Sitting'

One fine evening, walking towards home... It was a tiring day, listening to music, grocery bag in one hand and another hand just moving up and down, following the rhythm maybe. She was in her own world, enjoying her own company or maybe isolation was her new trend.

It was a Saturday night, she's 37, still looking pretty and bold like always, she has a packet of Maggi in her bag.

"Oh tonight's dinner is Maggi probably, Saturday night not partying? Eating alone?"

She was in her own lil world of happiness until, one tiny cute little hand touches her hand. It brings her into real world. She notices that a girl of age 12 or 13 is holding her hand. It creeps her out at first, it was 8 pm in the evening, where the hell did she come from?

She (trying to release the grip of holding hands): Kid, who are you?

Kid(she remained silent for some time and then said): I have something for you.

She: What? Do I know you? Do you live in the same neighborhood?

Kid: Dadda was right, you are restless.

She: Dadda? Who? (1000 of questions were popping in her head)Look kid, I had a terrible day, I wanna go home and relax, so please you too go to your place and stop playing jokes with me.

She started walking again towards her home, completely avoiding the cute lil gal, blah! That was not her mistake, everyone has done that, no one likes strangers and that lil gal could be a ghost too, you never know right!

Kid: 8866, I have something for you.

She(turned around in all shock, who is she, how the hell does she know about 8866? What the fuck!):How you know about 8866? Who are you?

Kid(hands over a letter to her):You can't open it now, tomorrow is Sunday, you have to baby sit me for tomorrow, when I leave on Monday morning you can read this letter. Not before that.

She: Are you insane? What the fuck is happening here? Go to your parents now, no more jokes at this hour.

Kid(Holds her hand): Dadda requested only one thing, please don't use f words in front of me.

She: Where is your Dadda? Go to him. Listen Kid, (with all love) you shouldn't be here at this hour, it's really late, go to your home. If you want, I can walk with you. Tell me where your Dadda lives?

Kid: You are babysitting me for tonight and tomorrow. So, I guess I have to go with you. Take the letter but you can't read it now, remember that.

She(holds the letter, that says "To, 8866, from- You will know"):Listen you are scaring me now, go to your home.

Kid: My Dadda says whenever fear tries to scare you, look up in the sky and you will realize, you are not alone.

She(remained silent for few seconds, she was in shock, it was like someone has played the video of past):

You, how do you know this?

Kid: I just told you, Dadda told me.

She: Who is your Dadda?

Kid: Can we please go to your place now? I had a very rough day at school too.

She: You are dramatic, so you sure you are coming with me? Your Dadda won't be worried about you?

Kid: He said no one can keep me more safe than you.

She: Walk with me. And you talk like adults. Now, tell me, what is your name?

Kid: My name? My Dadda calls me his 'life'. Once I asked my Dadda why he calls me that, he told me, he only loved two people in this world the most, one is me, and that's why I'm his life.

She: And another one?

Kid: I didn't ask.

She: Why?

Kid: I am just 12 years old, why do you expect me to know everything?

She(start laughing): Calm down kid, my bad.

Holding hands, they walk for another 10 mins, some sweet conversations and they finally reach.

She(Opens the door): Come in and don't complain, house is a bit messy.

Kid: That's fine, I'll help you clean. I help Dadda every Saturday.

She: You are a sweet kid, Your mom doesn't help your Dadda in cleaning?

Kid(start looking down and in a sad voice says):Dadda doesn't talk about her. He asked me to never ask anything about her.

She(walks towards her and hugged her):

Everything's gonna be fine soon.

Kid: Dadda says the same lines to me, whenever I cry.

She: Do you like ice cream?

Kid: If it's chocolate flavor then yes.

She: My favourite is chocolate too!!  Hi5, let's order pizza tonight? I don't feel like cooking.

Kid: You make the best Aloo Paratha, will you make that for me in the morning?

She: Who told you that now!! Okay, I'll make you breakfast.

Kid: pakka promise ?

She (starts giggling) : Pakka promise!!!

They ordered pizza, had ice cream, watched some cartoon. It was 12 am now. She looked at the watch.

She: Kid, let's sleep, it's too late.

Kid: Can I sleep with you?

She(not knowing what's going on here, still she says):Come, you can sleep with me.

They both slept together, it was a beautiful and peaceful night, sun came out and they both woke up.

She: Morning, sweets!

Kid: Morning mom!!

She(In her thoughts, what the fuck, who is she?): What did you just say?

Kid: Good morning!!! Please make me some breakfast, I am very hungry.

She: Get up, brush your teeth, and I'll make some breakfast and if you wanna call your Dadda, my phone is on the side table you can make call.

Kid: No it's fine. He knows I am safe.

She made Aloo Paratha for her, they both sat at the table.

She: Do you like some curd with paratha?

Kid: I hate curd! But I know you love it.

She: I love it, who told you that? Your Dadda?

Kid: Maybe, may be not.

She: You are too smart for your age.

Kid: Dadda says the same, can I get some tomato ketchup?

She: Gosh! You also like ketchup with Aloo Paratha?

Kid: Who else like that?

She: No one. Finish your breakfast.

Kid: Your husband didn't show up last night, is he out of town?

She: Gosh! You are just 12, you shouldn't ask people such personal questions. You are just a kid.

Kid: I apologise.

She: That's ok, I am not married. I live alone. Now finish it soon.

Kid: Okay.

She: Would you like to go out shopping with me?

Kid: You will buy me a Barbie and a bunny and a pink dress?

She(start laughing): You are so cute, yes I'll buy you everything you want.

Kid: Can I take gifts from you?

She: Off course you can. You are such an adorable kid, finish your breakfast, then we'll go shopping.

They both got dressed, called a cab and left for shopping. They had so much fun. They bought toys and clothes and after a very long time she was out on a Sunday. Usually, she used to stay in on Sundays. They had a lot of fun.

While having dinner in a restaurant.

She: When is your birthday?

Kid: When is your birthday?

She(started laughing again): My birthday was yesterday, when I met you. Now tell me when is yours?

Kid: Mine is today.

She: Why didn't you tell me, we would have celebrated it in other way.

Kid: I had my best birthday ever, you woke me up, kissed my forehead, made breakfast for me, took me shopping, bought this amazing dress and toys for me. I want nothing else, I feel so happy!!! I wish Dadda was here.

She: You miss Dadda? Take this(she gave her cellphone) call Dadda, I'll come in a second.

When she came back, she saw cellphone was on the table and she was eating her dessert.

She: Kid, I have something for you.

Kid: What?

She: A birthday cake.

Kid(started crying): Thank you, Dadda was right, no one can love the way you love people.

She walks towards her and hugged her,

She : Shh it's okay kid, don't cry. I am here. Whenever you need me you know where I live ok?, You can visit me whenever you want.

Kid nodded, they cut the cake, celebrated her birthday, had fun and returned back home. That night they both were hugging each other, in this short span of time she started loving the kid and the kid loved her too. They didn't want sun to come out, but you can't stop some things, time is one of that.

She: So are you leaving?

Kid: Yes, I have to.

She: Is it necessary to go?

Kid: Dadda needs me too. I can't leave him alone. Here, this is for you. You can read once I am gone.

She: How will you go?

Kid: Dadda is sending car for me, can you please walk with me till there?

She(tears in her eyes): Sure.

Car came and she saw her going, she keeps on looking at the window, she was waving at her, after sometime her wave disappeared. She came back home, cried for sometime, yes she's still emotional, she opened the letter.

Dear You,

In my whole lifetime I never wrote to you about anything, if you remember 8866, then you know who am I, I always loved you and I still do.

She's my daughter.

Sorry for inconvenience.

Love : 8866

She read the letter 100 times, few lines but that made her think, she was all into her memory lane, many years ago when she was 23 she had breakup with someone just because she asked for commitment and he was not stable enough to give her that. She kept the letter aside and start getting ready for the office, she was over him may be or may be she's still in love or may be she's still angry, many thoughts and one question, why he wants me to baby sit her daughter? Why the hell he did that? Does he want to prove something? Or it's more like I am happy and you are not! These questions killing her, she wants to talk to him, she loved his daughter though, she wants to fight with him for what he did to her but the question was no contact details. It's killing her. She walk towards the side table to get her mobile phone, she saw a paper and that has a note - Dadda no. 8476893476, please call. I love you. 

Now the bigger problem arise and in that confusion she went to office. She picked up her phone several time, should I call? No not needed, did this several times. Lunch time passed away, evening snack time passes away but confusion was still there. Unable to focus on anything and do any work. So she decided to call and end this for once. She picked up her phone, dialed the number, it rang, her heartbeats were faster then the tring tring sound...

He: Hello.

She (remained silent, tears start flowing, it's been 14 years)

He: Hello? 

She: Hey

He(knew it's her, the way she said hey, he knew, after 14 years finally heard her): I don't know what to say.

She(in anger): Talking to me after 14 years and don't know what to say?

He: Why are you crying?

She: I am not, I don't wanna talk to you at all. 

He(Laughs): Calm down, you haven't changed a bit. 

She: I want to meet you, tonight?

He(remains silent for sometime): Okay, I am texting you my address. 

He text his address to her, phone disconnects, she rushed and reach there, she was happy and nervous too. She had no idea what to talk about or anything. She press the bell, some one open the door and took her to his bedroom, she saw him sitting on the bed, room was smelling medicines, many machines, she saw all this and start crying all of the sudden.

He: Stop crying and please walk towards me else I have to get up from bed.

She(still crying and walking towards him): What happened to you? 

He: I am dying, diagnosed with cancer some years back.

She(shocked): What? That's not possible, you can't die. I won't let you.

He(Hugged her tight): Shh, calm down, it's not hurting now at all. Believe me, everything's gonna be fine soon.

She kept crying as she hugged him. It was difficult to believe what just happened. 

She: Where is your wife? She should be here to take care of you.

He: I am not married. 

She: What? I met your daughter yesterday. 

He: She's adopted, one day I was going somewhere, I found her there, she was few months old, I adopt her, she knows that, I told her everything, she just wanted to feel how mother love is, that's why I send her to you, sorry I didn't mean to hurt you, it's just she asked me with all love that she once want to feel her mom, she knows I am dying, she's so brave.

She(tears in her eyes): Why you didn't tell me earlier? Why you didn't come back? You know how much I love you, I always do you stupid. 

He: Shh, calm down. Everything is destined. You know it right?

She: Where will she go once you are gone?

He: Hostel, I ask her if she wants new parents, she denied. I told you she's being very brave.

She: She will stay with me, she's my daughter too. 

He(tears in eyes hugged her back): Yes she is. She's your daughter too. Maya is your daughter too. 

Maya came in the room screaming, Dadda, she saw her in the room as well. She was happy, she run towards her and hug her. 

Maya: Dadda, she came. I told you she will come. 

Dadda: Sweetie yes, she's here.

Maya: I am so glad you came aunty. 

She: Call me mom. 

Maya(tears in her eyes): Mom. Dadda is that true?

Dadda: Yes sweetie, she's your mom and I am your Dadda. 

They lived happily together for now.....