Chapter-3 Ruhi

Udaipur, India

Author's pov

A beam of sunlight coming through a glass window and falls on a sleeping girl, her hazel eyes covered with her heavy black brows, and her round face with pink lips glowing with a beam of sunlight, her black voluminous straight hair which had scattered on her pillow, and she had covered herself from her duvet.

A middle-aged woman, who continuously patting her shoulder and calling her by her name - "Ruh...Ruh...Get up dear"

(Ruhi Bansal, 22 years old, elder daughter of Bansal house. she is pursuing her graduation in English Hons in her third year. She is the daughter of Gauri Bansal. She is an introverted, kind-hearted, shy, calm, and ambitious girl)

As she opens her eyes, she saw that lady in front of her and waked up hurriedly and sat while leaning on the headboard.

"Choti maa, you, What happened?" she said while rubbing her eyes like a child, "Why have you woke up early today?"

(Her name is Reema Bansal, Gauri's real sister, and teacher in the primary school. She loves Ruhi more than her daughter Riya. She has been pampering her since childhood and is always worried about her, for her naive nature as her own daughter has been taking advantage of her.)

"Ruh, I've woke up on time as forever", she said while keeping her hand on her chin, "but why are you not get up yet, and what happens to your eyes?"

"What happens to my eyes, Choti maa?" she asked.

"Your beautiful hazel eyes seeming puffy and tired and your face is also looking pale...Why Ruhi...Ain't you feeling well?" she asked in a worried tone.

"No Aunt, I'm fine...Actually, I was reading for exams till late at night, so perhaps..."

"But you always ready for your exam, ain't you?...so you don't need to wake up at late night," she said as she keeps her hand on her head with love.

"Choti maa, yesterday I came to know from Kavya (her best friend), that I had left a topic mistakenly so I just preparing for that," she said as she getting up from her bed and hold her duvet to fold.

"But it never happened with you before Ruhi, Isn't it?" she asked as staring at her surprisingly.

"Hmm, But actually last month, when I was ill, maybe that time I missed it," she replied as she folding her duvet.

"Ok," but somewhat she was not satisfied with her answer and said as holding her duvet, "Leave this, Go & get fresh-n-up and go downstairs....I'll fix your room."

"No Choti maa...You go...I'll do it," she said as still holding her duvet.

"No, you go...Go & get fresh-n-up and have some breakfast downstairs," she said as still holding her duvet.

"But Choti maa--

"No"

Hehehe.....both laughed looking at each other, at their stubbornness as both not ready to leave that duvet.

"Go Ruhi...After fresh-n-up, have some little breakfast...It's already been a long time. It's 9:45 am and I have to go outside too for some work, so hurriedly go & get fresh-n-up." she said.

"Ok Aunt," she said as she starts going towards her cupboard but abruptly, she turns and hugs her aunt and tears escape from her eyes.

"Ruh, what happens?...why are you crying?... Do you want to fix your room own? that's why you are crying...Huh? pls tell me and don't scare me," she said while patting her back.

"Ch-oti Ma-a, yo-u a-re th-e o-n-ly on-e, wh-oo tr-u-ly c-ar-e fo-r m-me," she said while sobbing uncontrollably.

"Oh God! that's why you are crying...my innocent Rooh...whether someone loves you or not, you will always be my lovely elder daughter," she said wiping Ruhi's tears, "tell me Ruh, if I'll not care then who will care you?"

"That's why you'd always be my lovely Choti maa," she said as giggling.

"Well, now go," she said as pinching her cheek.

"Ok," she said as she turns to her cupboard and takes her yellow suit, and goes to the washroom.

But abruptly she remembers that her shower was not working so she asked, "Choti maa, can I use your bathroom as my shower is not working?"

"Of course dear," she replied.

Then she goes outside.

As Reema folds her duvet and fixing her bedsheet, then she noticed a page is lying near her study table. She picks up and reads it - "Assignment: Bcom Business Management 1st year" and that assignment had written in Ruhi's handwriting, and she noticed a pile of paper aligned on her desk behind her books.

Then she comes to know all truth, why Ruhi had woke up till late at night and what was she doing?

Her face turns red in anger. she wants to yell at her as, why she waked up late for Riya's assignment while her exam is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, she heard a voice,

"Ruhi...Ruhi...Have you completed my assignment or not?" the girl said while entering Ruhi's room, "Look Ruhi, I have no time...so pls give it to me quickly as I have to submit it by today...As you know today is the last day so pls give me."

she doesn't notice Reema in her room but Reema has heard her and saw her while entering her room.

"Riya what are you doing here?" Reema yelled at that girl means on Riya," why are you still here? why you have not gone to college yet?

"Mumma, Actually I have forgotten my assignment last night in Ruhi's room.so--

"Riya," she yelled at her loudly, "How dare you to call her Ruhi...she is 2 years elder than you so behave yourself as I told you earlier call her Di, Didi or sister...Got it."

She got flinched to hear her mother yelling voice and said, "Mumma, I just come here to get my assignments what I'd forgotten in her room...or else I have nothing to do with her."

"Well, Is that your assignment," she said as indicated on the study table.

She goes there and lifts them, and she becomes very happy as she saw them.

"Well, this Assignment has made by you Riya? Isn't it?" she asked as she saw her very happy.

"N-oo, I mean...Of course mom, she replied as staring at her assignment.

"Well, Don't try to lie...as I don't know whose handwriting is it?" she shouted.

"Mumma, actually Ruhi's, I mean...Di's handwriting is pretty nice that's why I told her to write my assignments so I can score extra marks than my friends, and she hadn't refused me too," she said in an annoying tone.

Hearing her words she got provoke, "Well, she hadn't refused you or you hadn't given her a chance to refuse you?" she questioned as walks towards her.

"No mama, I'm telling the truth... you can ask her," she replied.

"Don't worry I'll ask her definitely, that you are saying the truth or not ... now you go, you will be getting late for your college." She said.

"Mumma, why don't you believe me ... sometimes I feel that truly I'm your daughter or her ... always Badi Mumma and Dadi cares for me instead of you", she whined,

"you always behave like as I'm not your real daughter, and she didn't get love from her mother so she is taking you away from me that's why I truly hate her."

"It's not like that dear, as you already know, Ruhi's 3rd year exam is still ongoing and this is the last year of her graduation and you asked her to prepare your assignments which is wrong ... that's why I was angry with you." she said as holding her face," as you both are my lovely daughters."

"But Mumma, she has prepared only one assignment, and you are making a fuss over it and Here, I've prepared my rest assignments already as those subjects are beyond her comprehension. I mean ... it's all Greek to her." She said in mocked tone.

To hear her words, she hurriedly removes her hands, and stared at her, and said, "You ain't even a little bit ashamed to say whom are you mocking? that girl has been a topper since her childhood, and she is still pursuing her graduation in English honors with her scholarships.

"Whereas you have always passed with grace marks since your childhood that's why your father had taken a loan from King Surya Rajput for your admission so that we can get your admission in a private college, and you are mocking on her like she as is in your stream.

"And remember that she will top her college too and later, will become a great professor as her dream. She is diligent, ambitious, and very honest towards her work, and earns some money with her tuitions for her little bit expenses, that's why I like her more... she appreciates peoples...but you...let it be...but one day you'll definitely care her too, so always think before you speak, whom are you talking to."

She said, "Mumma, I didn't mean it but I'll not care for her...she just wants sympathy, that's all."

"I know what you meant, and I don't want to argue with you anymore so just go," she said as she turns away from her.

Riya goes from there angrily... and Reema thinks, as she starts fixing her room again that Riya is such an ill-mannered daughter, she was making fun of that girl rather than appreciating her.

After a while, Ruhi enters her room as she drying her long black hair and saw Reema again who had lost in her thoughts, and said, "Choti maa, you didn't go yet? Weren't you about to go outside--?"

"Ruhi, why you didn't tell me the truth that you woke up at late night to prepare Riya's assignment?" she questioned.

"But, how did you know, Choti maa?" she asked.

"A while ago, Riya had come here for her assignments and I noticed that assignments had been written in your handwriting." She replied."So pls tell me the truth dear, had Riya asked you to prepare her assignments? And why hadn't you refused her?"

"Choti maa, Riya told me that today is the last date for her assignment submission and she has to complete her other assignments so I haven't refused her, rather I helped her to complete the assignment and that was the theory subject so I prepared it easily as mainly the definition was asked in assignments." she replied while drying her hair, "It is better to help your sister in a hard time...isn't it?--"

"No, she was fooling you Ruhi, she had already prepared her assignments, that was the last assignment which you had prepared last night...she just wanted to annoy you...Nothing else," she sighed.

"It's Ok Choti maa, she's still a baby girl, and my little sister, and she'll become mature ahead," she said as smiling.

"Hope so," she sighed, "Look while talking, I've completely forgotten your tea which has become cold tea from warm tea, so you study here while I go downstairs and bring your breakfast with warm tea," said Reema as smiling

"Wait Choti maa, today you didn't go to your school?" she asked.

(Reema is a primary school teacher)

No, I'm on leave coz I have to go bank for your Chote papa's work.

"Ok then, I also come with you downstairs," she said.

"Ok, let's go," Reema said.

"After downstairs, Ruh you sit there on the dining table, I bring your breakfast," she said.

"Hmm" as she sits down on a chair and waits for her while reading a newspaper.

Reema brings her breakfast with tea and sits down beside her.

"Eat your favorite breakfast 'aloo paratha' which has especially been made by me," she said as chuckling.

"Thank you so much for it, and It's very tasty Choti maa," she said as chewing her morsel, where is Riya, Choti maa? has she eaten her breakfast?

"She would be gone already to her college as today is the last day for assignment submission," she said. "Don't worry she would have already eaten as she can't stay hungry for a minute."

"Hmm, Choti maa you were too going outside? isn't it ?" she said.

"Oh God, I completely forgot, are you want to come with me too?" She asked while carrying her bag which was kept on the table.

"No, I've to revise still some notes," she said.

"Ok, take it easy...Bye Ruh," she said as stands up at the main door.

"Bye-bye Choti maa," she said too.

When she picks the newspaper again while eating, she heard a stiff voice.

Have you a little bit shame or not?"

Hello lovely Readers

Choti maa means Aunt.

Could anyone tell me who is that lady?

And Why she was talking to her in a rude voice??

I hope you'd like it?