Marriage Under Repairs

Chapter - 18

"This time you clearly surprised me." Sanskar praised. "I have never tasted so delicious fish fry till today."

"Shh... someone will listen." Swara put her finger on his lips checking their surroundings.

Both were returning from their dinner out as it was Friday. This Friday, it was Swara's turn to pick the restaurant. She had picked up a small family owned restaurant cum dhaba in the ourskirts of their city.

"Dida used to take me there. It was my and her secret place to visit." She remembered her deceased grand mother. Sanskar wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her in side hug.

"You have really raised the bar so high, Mrs. Maheshwari." He raised his free hand and continued making a note for himself, "I have to buckle up for next Friday." He teased cheering her mood up.

She smiled looking at his antics.

Both were climbing stairs when they heard sobbing sound. When they searched for the source, they saw one small figure was sitting behind the pillar. They took careful steps towards shadow drawned in perplexed state. They both dropped their shoulders looking at little Mishka.

"Mishka" Swara called her out going on her knees from back.

Mishka startled with voice. She immediately wiped her tears before turning back to Swara.

"Hello Swara aunty." She tried to put a fake smile on her face. Little girl's struggle to hide her pain, gave a pinch to their heart.

"What are you doing here, Mishka? Dear, it's 11:30 almost." This time it was Sanskar. He had also bent to her level going on his knees.

"I was going to my room only..." girl lied back staring at the floor.

Both shared a quick eye lock looking at her miserable state.

"Why don't we three eat ice cream?" Swara thought to lighten the thickness of the environment.

"Ice cream?" Mishka's eyes brightened instantly.

"You and Sanskar go to our room, I will get us ice cream for all thress of us." Swara felt light when gloominess left little girl's face.

Swara headed towards kitchen where as Sanskar took Mishka to their room.

Swara brought three cups filled with ice cream and they three settled inside their room to relish the cold sweet dish.

"What happened Mishka? Why were you not sleeping? It's quite a late." Swara asked tenderly, caressing her hairs.

"Nothing. Just like that." Mishka replied bending her head, revolving her spoon in the bowl.

"If you tell us, I promise, it will be our little secret." Sanskar promised raising his pinky finger. He had already observed her hesitance over her petrified face.

Mishka remembered, from last one week, she was asking Laksh and Ragini to take her to hospital to see her father, who was in coma. But they both were busy with their errands.

Today, when again she tried her luck, Laksh bombarded his frustration of not finding an investor for Badi's project where as Ragini bursted out her anger over her, as her request for evening dinner out was flatly refused by her husband.

"I... I was... I was missing my Papa." Tears welled up in her eyes. "It's been long time I have went to meet him." Mishka purposefully avoided to mention about the harsh words she had to hear few hours back from her soon to be parents.

But she was not aware about the two sitting in front of her, they knew their siblings in and out. Both shared meaningful stare before concentrating back on the girl.