"Looks like you own this place as well as me; you dumba$$! Never again dare to call me a low scum ever otherwise I'll beat the shit out of you"she replied confidently tossing her phone in her handbag finally breaking the long and uncomfortable silence that has been pursed between them.

Before he could utter a single word against her, she was nowhere in sight. She has left the cafe instantly after winning her little debate session.

"What?! What are you staring at,huh? Keep the coffee on my table and leave!!",he yelled over the waitress that has brought another cup of coffee for him, penting up his whole frustration on her after he couldn't win a simple argument with the so called low scum, well according to him.

"Ma, take care of your health, na! You're sugar level always rises. It means you don't take your insulin doses on time. I won't tolerate this careless behavior of yours. Take your medicines on time, okay?",Aranya reprimanded her mother after checking her this month's Insulin report that was mailed to her by her younger brother Neel.

"Aranya...",her mother's weak and faint voice came from the other end of the call.

"Ha ma? (Yes mom?)"

"Y-your father will be freed from...from the jail today!",her mother hesitantly replied.

There was a long moment of pause before Aranya finally spoke "Oh!"

"This is all you have to say after I told you such big news Aru?",her mom said anxiously, getting quite upset after listening her daughter's emotionless reaction...

"What do you expect me to say ma? The man you're referring to as my father has left us long ago. Long enough to forget his face even!",she replied blankly.

"It's my mistake that I raised an emotionless witch like you! You're not my daughter but a pure devil in disguise. Your father was framed for killing that man Ajay Malhotra. Even though your father was innocent, he was sentenced to straight 12 years of prison and we couldn't save him became we were financially not powerful enough to pay the procecuter's fees each time the case was terminated. I had taken great pains in raising you and your younger brother as a single parent but I've never imagined that you..."

"Sorry ma but I'll talk to you later about this. I'm hanging up right now, take care; bye!",she replied hurriedly hanging up the call and slumped her body against the wall, not being able to contain her tears anymore.

Her body started shaking convulsively from the jolt of different emotions that kept hitting her body and soul from time to time while tears of pain and aggression started rolling down her cheeks. She started feeling pathetic all of a sudden; the feeling she despised the most in her life. Her walls of strength has now collapsed. What an irony of life that the man she has always craved to see and spend time with; when has finally again appeared in her life, she doesn't feel like facing him anymore. All she is feeling right now is everlasting numbness and agony.

"Why do you act like you don't care about your father though your eyes portray too many emotions for him", kavya asked caressing her tear stained cheeks and embraced her body tightly against her chest in a sisterly hug.

She didn't said anything and kept sobbing silently in her embrace till she fell asleep.

Kavya silently detached her head from her lap and placed a pillow under her head so that she could comfortably sleep.

***The following day***

"Wake up sleepyhead! Don't you have an office today?", Aranya said yawning loudly; walking over to her bed where kavya was sleeping like a bear hugging her pillows tightly.

"Oh my god!! You're burning like hell kavya",Aranya exclaimed with shock after touching her forehead. She immediately rushed to her kitchen and brought an icepack from the fridge and placed it on her forehead.

"T-thanks",kavya replied in a low croaked voice coughing badly while attempting to raise her body against the headrest.

"Thanks my foot!! Who told you to finish the whole tub of icecream yesterday? Can't you wait till morning? It was for you only to eat! Oh...I forgot that I'm talking to a small kid who cannot resist her midnight cravings. Now suffer it's after effects", Aranya said glaring at kavya who was busy in wiping her runny nose with the tissue.

"Okay baba sorry! Now don't act like my mother",kavya said pouting her lips.

"Why God why? Why such crackhead nut happened to be my roommate?",she said fake sighing.

"Done or something's still left?",kavya asked throwing away the tissue in the dustbin. Aranya shook her head in negative.

"Hm...so listen now. I need a favour from you. Can you please handover this file to his office. I'll talk with the manager about you coming instead of me, please...",she said in a pleading tone to which Aranya straight forwardly denied.

"You can submit this tomorrow. I don't have spare time"

"You don't understand! He has an important meeting to attend in the morning and the file is utmost important. If I would have been fine that I would never approached you. Please Aranya... please. You're my lil sister!"she again pleaded which made Aranya to agree to do her job.

"Fine but I have a condition!"

"Go on! I'm listening",she indicated Aranya to put forward her condition.

"You'll have to give me a treat afterwards at my favourite restaurant", Aranya said smiling mischievously to which Kavya nodded; not being left with any other option than to agree.

"Where the hell are you? I've been waiting since last half an hour and you're still nowhere in sight! I have to leave urgently for the meeting!!",Mr. Malhotra yelled over the call not listening to the person speaking on the other end of the call.

"S-sir! Actually I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I'm sending my friend Aranya instead of me to handover the file ",kavya replied everything in one breath.

"Your friend? Are you sure she'll reach on time before the onset of the meeting?",Mr. Malhotra questioned her back.

"Y-yeah sir!",she hesitantly replied which somewhat made Mr. Malhotra suspicious if she was lying.

"Okay I'll see. Get well soon",he replied and immediately hung up the call without even properly listening to her thank you.

The receptionist heard his voice over the intercom, ordering her to send visitor named Ms Aranya straight into his cabin.

"May I come in Sir?",a young melodious voice came from behind the glass doors followed by a soft knock.

"Yes!",he replied not paying attention to the girly figure that has just entered inside his cabin.

"Good morning Sir. Your PA Miss Kavya Shukla has sent me instead... You???",her shocked voice drew the attention of Mr. Malhotra who was busy in analysing some reports kept on his table.

His face immediately snapped in her direction and in seconds his calm demeanor changed into a ferocious one.

"Yes me",he replied gritting his teeth while plasterin an evil smirk on his face which made her audibly gasp.