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"Sometimes, destiny doesn't knock on your door. Sometimes... it bumps into you twice in a single day."
Rudra's POV
Ever since that little boy walked away...
I hadn't been able to focus.
The board meeting that usually occupied my mind had completely disappeared.
Instead...
A pair of bright grey eyes.
Messy curls.
A cheerful smile.
And a tiny hand offering me half a chocolate.
I glanced down at the crumpled wrapper resting in my palm.
A faint smile unknowingly found its way to my lips.
"This is compensation."
His innocent voice echoed inside my head again.
I shook my head slightly.
"What is wrong with me?"
I had met the child for barely ten minutes.
Ten minutes.
Yet...
For reasons I couldn't explain...
There was something incredibly familiar about him.
It wasn't his face.
Nor his smile.
It was...
A feeling.
As though I had known him long before today.
Ridiculous.
I looked down at the chocolate in my hand, then without thinking too much about it, unwrapped it and took a bite.
The sweetness melted on my tongue.
For some strange reason, it felt oddly comforting.
I slipped the wrapper into my coat pocket before leaning back against the leather seat.
The city rushed past outside the tinted windows.
Normally I would already be replying to emails or reviewing tomorrow's presentations.
Today...
I couldn't bring myself to open my laptop.
Instead...
My thoughts wandered back to the school.
Back to Ivan.
His fearless attitude.
His innocent honesty.
His dramatic expressions.
And that ridiculous nickname.
"Mr. Handsome."
A faint chuckle escaped my lips.
Only one person had ever called me that before.
Tara.
Six years.
Six long years.
Yet somehow...
One innocent nickname from a five-year-old had reopened memories I had spent years trying to bury.
The image of Tara laughing flashed before my eyes.
"Mr. Handsome..."
"Itna serious rehna sehat ke liye achha nahi hota."
(Mr. Handsome... Being so serious isn't good for your health.)
I closed my eyes.
Why today?
Why now?
Why did everything suddenly remind me of her?
The car came to an abrupt halt.
I opened my eyes.
The driver glanced nervously through the rear-view mirror.
"Sir..."
"There seems to be a traffic jam ahead."
I looked outside.
Rows of vehicles stretched endlessly across the road.
People impatiently stepped out of their cars.
Street vendors wandered between vehicles selling water bottles, snacks, and little treats for children.
I exhaled slowly.
"How long?"
"Hard to say, sir."
I nodded once before opening the door.
"I'll get some fresh air."
"Yes, sir."
The warm Mumbai breeze immediately greeted me.
The evening sun had begun sinking behind the buildings, painting the sky with shades of orange and gold.
I loosened my tie slightly.
Perhaps the fresh air would clear my thoughts.
I walked a few steps away from the car.
For the first time in years...
I wasn't thinking about business.
I wasn't thinking about profits.
Or meetings.
Or expansion plans.
I was thinking about a little boy...
Who had somehow managed to leave a strange emptiness behind after walking away.
Ridiculous.
I almost laughed at myself.
Suddenly—
Something small crashed directly into my legs.
"Oof!"
A tiny body stumbled forward.
Time seemed to slow.
Before the child could hit the ground...
My hands instinctively reached out.
I caught him securely against my chest.
For one terrifying second...
My heartbeat stopped.
Only after feeling the little body safely in my arms did I finally breathe again.
"You should be care—"
The words died on my lips.
Messy curls.
Bright grey eyes.
A school uniform.
A tiny tie slightly crooked.
Shorts.
White socks.
And polished little shoes.
It was...
Ivan.
The little boy blinked up at me in surprise.
For two whole seconds...
Neither of us spoke.
Then recognition dawned on his tiny face.
His eyes widened.
"You!"
He pointed an accusing finger at me.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Me?"
Ivan immediately took one step back, folded both his tiny arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Were you following me?"
I stared at him.
"...What?"
"You heard me."
His tiny face was full of determination.
"Were."
"You."
"Following."
"Me?"
I couldn't help blinking.
In twenty-eight years of my life...
People had accused me of many things.
Being strict.
Being arrogant.
Being emotionless.
Even being intimidating.
But never...
Never had anyone accused me of following them.
Especially not...
A five-year-old.
"Why would I follow you?"
I asked, genuinely curious.
Ivan looked around dramatically before lowering his voice.
"Don't pretend."
"I'm very smart."
I folded my arms.
"Is that so?"
He nodded proudly.
"The smartest in my class."
Then he leaned even closer.
"I know why you're here."
"Oh?"
"You're going to complain to my Mumma."
The statement was delivered with complete confidence.
I frowned.
"About what?"
Ivan looked at me as though I had asked the world's most obvious question.
"Because..."
"I didn't say sorry."
Realization finally struck.
I almost laughed.
Instead...
I asked seriously,
"So that's what you think?"
He nodded repeatedly.
"I gave you my chocolate."
"So now we're equal."
"You don't need to complain."
I looked at the tiny lawyer standing before me, confidently presenting his case.
Somewhere behind me...
I heard my driver cough.
No.
He wasn't coughing.
He was trying not to laugh.
Ivan suddenly pointed a tiny finger at me again.
"And don't try to fool my Mumma."
"She knows everything."
"I'll tell her first."
I couldn't remember the last time someone had threatened me so fearlessly.
Board members hesitated before disagreeing with me.
Senior executives carefully chose every word in my presence.
International investors respected me.
Yet here stood a little boy—
Barely reaching my waist—
Still in his school dress—
Looking at me as though he was the one in charge.
And strangely...
I didn't mind it at all.
Before I could say anything else, Ivan's gaze suddenly drifted past me.
His expression changed instantly.
The suspicion in his eyes faded, replaced by wide-eyed curiosity.
I followed his line of sight.
A cotton candy seller stood a little distance away, his cart glowing with pink and blue clouds of spun sugar.
Ivan's mouth parted slightly.
He stared at the cotton candy as though it had personally called out to him.
I looked back at him.
Then at the cart.
Then at him again.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
"Want one?"
Ivan blinked, as if he hadn't expected me to notice.
Then he slowly nodded.
I glanced at the seller and motioned him over.
Ivan's eyes lit up immediately.
For a moment, he forgot all about accusing me of following him.
He forgot about his serious little warning.
He even forgot to keep his arms folded.
Instead, he looked up at me with a tiny, hopeful smile.
And then, in the most matter-of-fact voice possible, he said,
"If you buy me cotton candy..."
"I can be your friend."
I stared at him.
Then, despite myself, I laughed.
A real laugh.
One that came from somewhere deep and long forgotten.
Ivan looked pleased with himself, as though he had just made the most sensible offer in the world.
And perhaps...
For the first time in a very long while...
It actually felt like one.
The cotton candy vendor pushed his cart closer.
Long wooden sticks decorated with fluffy pink and blue clouds swayed gently in the evening breeze.
Ivan's grey eyes sparkled.
He looked at the cotton candy.
Then at Rudra.
Then back at the cotton candy.
As though he was making the biggest decision of his life.
Rudra looked at the vendor.
"One."
The vendor smiled and quickly handed over a large pink cotton candy.
Before Rudra could give it to Ivan...
The little boy suddenly raised his tiny hand.
"Wait!"
Rudra paused.
"What happened?"
Ivan looked unusually serious.
"I have to check something first."
Rudra frowned.
"What?"
Ivan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"You aren't trying to make me your friend so that you can complain to Mumma later... right?"
For a second...
Rudra simply stared at him.
Then he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I promise."
"I won't complain."
Ivan studied his face carefully.
As though he possessed some secret lie detector.
After a few seconds...
He nodded.
"Okay."
"I believe you."
Only then did he happily accept the cotton candy.
The moment he took the first bite...
His entire face brightened.
"Mmmmm..."
"It's so good!"
His cheeks puffed adorably as he spoke with a mouth full of cotton candy.
Rudra couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face.
"When was the last time your mother bought you one?"
Ivan froze.
Then looked down guiltily.
"Mumma doesn't buy me these."
"Why?"
"She says too much sugar is bad."
Rudra nodded thoughtfully.
"She's right."
Ivan sighed dramatically.
"I know..."
"...but sometimes Mumma forgets that children also have feelings."
The sentence was delivered with such sincerity that Rudra had to look away to hide another smile.
"You sound very experienced."
"I am."
Ivan replied proudly.
"I've been five for a very long time."
That did it.
Even Rudra's driver burst out laughing.
Ivan looked between the two adults in confusion.
"What?"
"I said something intelligent."
"You did."
Rudra agreed.
"Very intelligent."
Satisfied, Ivan resumed eating his cotton candy.
For a while...
Neither of them spoke.
The evening traffic continued crawling slowly.
People walked past without paying much attention to the unlikely pair.
A billionaire businessman...
And a five-year-old boy.
Standing on the roadside.
Sharing comfortable silence.
The chocolate Ivan had given Rudra earlier was already gone, but the empty wrapper was still folded in Rudra's hand.
Ivan suddenly noticed it.
His eyes widened.
"My chocolate!"
Rudra looked down.
Without realizing it, he was still holding the little wrapper from the chocolate Ivan had given him earlier.
"I thought this was compensation."
"It was."
Ivan nodded.
"But now we're friends."
"So you can give me that."
Rudra smiled faintly.
"The wrapper?"
Ivan thought seriously for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Friends share little things."
Rudra looked at the wrapper.
He had no idea why he had kept it all this time.
Slowly...
He extended it toward Ivan.
Ivan accepted it with both hands as though it were a priceless treasure.
"Yay!"
"I got my chocolate back!"
He immediately folded it carefully before slipping it into his pocket.
"I'm saving it."
"For your Mumma?"
Rudra guessed.
Ivan shook his head proudly.
"No."
"For tomorrow."
"So I can remember today."
Rudra chuckled.
"She's teaching you well."
"My Mumma teaches me everything."
There wasn't a hint of hesitation in his voice.
Only admiration.
Only love.
Rudra noticed it instantly.
"You love your mother very much."
Ivan looked at him as if the answer was obvious.
"Of course."
"She's my Mumma."
"If I don't love her..."
"...then who will?"
Rudra smiled softly and asked, "What about your father?"
Ivan's expression changed for the briefest moment.
Then he answered in a small voice, "Mumma says Papa is stuck in his work, so he is late."
He looked down at the cotton candy in his hand before adding, almost matter-of-factly, "I miss him."
Then, after a tiny pause, he said even more quietly, "But I never say it because Mumma gets sad whenever I ask about Papa."
Something tightened inside Rudra's chest.
He had seen children demand toys...
Throw tantrums...
Complain about their parents.
But this little boy...
He spoke about his mother as though she was his entire world.
Before Rudra could say anything...
Ivan suddenly extended his tiny hand toward him.
"Will you be my friend, Mr Handsome?"
The nickname made Rudra blink.
Then a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"You've got quite a mouth on you."
Ivan grinned.
"I know."
"So..."
Ivan asked expectantly.
"Will you be my friend?"
The question was so pure...
So innocent...
That saying no never even crossed Rudra's mind.
He nodded.
"Yes."
For a heartbeat...
Ivan simply stared at him.
Then—
"YAYYYYY!"
His excited shout echoed across the road.
He began hopping around Rudra in tiny circles, waving the cotton candy in one hand while clutching the football under the other arm.
"I have a new friend!"
"I have a new friend!"
Several pedestrians turned around to see what had happened.
One elderly couple smiled seeing the antics of father son duo.
A little girl giggled.
Even the cotton candy vendor laughed.
Rudra simply watched.
For reasons beyond his understanding...
Watching Ivan celebrate felt strangely... fulfilling.
It had been years since something so simple had made him smile.
His driver walked closer and spoke respectfully,
"Sahab..."
"The traffic is starting to clear."
Rudra glanced toward the road.
Cars had begun moving again.
He looked back at Ivan.
The little boy had finally stopped dancing.
He was slightly out of breath...
But still smiling from ear to ear.
Rudra reached out instinctively.
His fingers gently ruffled Ivan's already messy curls.
The little boy didn't protest.
Instead...
He leaned into the touch for the briefest moment.
A gesture so natural...
Neither of them consciously noticed it.
"I should go."
Rudra said softly.
Ivan nodded.
Then suddenly remembered something.
"Oh!"
He pointed excitedly.
"Bye, Mr Handsome!"
He waved both hands enthusiastically.
"Kal school mein milna."
(Meet me at school tomorrow.)
"I'll wait for you!"
Those simple words lingered in the air.
Rudra looked into the hopeful grey eyes staring back at him.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
He found himself answering,
"I'll try."
Ivan smiled so brightly...
It felt as though the evening itself had become warmer.
As Rudra walked back toward his car, he could still hear the little boy happily humming behind him.
He didn't look back.
Because somehow...
He knew if he did...
Leaving would become just a little more difficult.
Author POV:
After sometime Tara arrived there searching for Ivan .
"Ivan" she tightly hugged the little boy and calmed her racing heart . Tara panicked not seeing Ivan with her sensing her distress Ivan hugged her back.
"Kitni baar kaha hai Ivan Mumma ko bina bataye kahi nahi jaate but tum meri baat kabhi nahi sunte"
(How many times have I told you Ivan not to run away without telling me but you never listen to me)
Tara's eyes went to Ivan's lips which had become pink because of cotton candy. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Kisne Dilayi"
(Who bought you that)
Ivan trying his best to act innocent replied "K...Kya Mummaa"
(W...What Mumma)
"The cotton candy who bought you that"
"Mr Handsome bought it , you know I really tried to deny him but he bought it to do friendship with me. "
"So now he is my new friend" Ivan said happily.
Tara didn't know who this Mr handsome really was but she was sure of one thing that the man's life was going to turn upside down by arrival of this new friend.
Tara's POV
The auto-rickshaw came to a stop outside our chawl.
The evening sky had already turned a beautiful shade of orange, with the first stars beginning to peek through the fading daylight.
Beside me, Ivan was unusually quiet.
Which, in itself, was suspicious.
"Mumma..."
"Hmm?"
"I didn't do anything."
I looked at him.
"I haven't even asked anything yet."
"I know."
He replied innocently.
"I was just telling you in advance."
A smile escaped my lips despite the exhausting day.
Sometimes I wondered if this child was born to test my patience.
Or to heal my heart.
Maybe both.
We climbed the narrow staircase leading to our apartment.
The neighbours were busy with their evening routines.
Children chased one another through the corridor.
Someone was arguing over whose turn it was to fetch water.
The aroma of freshly cooked dal drifted from one of the nearby homes.
It felt...
Like every other evening.
Until we reached our floor.
The corridor was empty now.
The confrontation with my parents earlier that afternoon kept replaying in my mind.
Their faces.
Their words.
The guilt they tried to place on my shoulders.
And finally...
Papa's last sentence before I had walked away.
"Tumhari Dadi tumse bahut naraz hogi."
(Your grandmother must be very upset with you.)
That one sentence had broken something inside me.
Because out of everyone...
She was the only one who had never judged me.
The only one who had loved me without conditions.
I unlocked the apartment door.
Ivan rushed inside.
"Mumma, I'm hungry!"
"Of course you are."
"You've been hungry every two hours since the day you were born."
He giggled.
"Growing boys need food."
"So they do."
Within minutes, dinner was ready.
Simple dal.
Rice.
Aloo fry.
Nothing extravagant.
But enough.
Ivan happily ate while narrating another exaggerated story about how his class teacher had "declared war" on talking children.
According to him...
Talking was an important life skill.
His teacher clearly disagreed.
By nine o'clock...
After brushing his teeth with great reluctance...
Ivan finally climbed into bed.
"Mumma..."
"Hmm?"
"Story?"
I smiled.
"Only one."
He nodded enthusiastically.
I told him one of the fairy tales my grandmother used to tell me.
A brave little princess.
A magical forest.
A dragon who secretly loved sweets.
By the time the princess defeated the dragon...
Ivan had already fallen asleep.
His tiny fingers still loosely holding the corner of my dupatta.
Carefully...
I tucked the blanket around him.
Brushed away the curls falling over his forehead.
And kissed the crown of his head.
"Good night, my sunshine."
He murmured something unintelligible in his sleep.
Probably still arguing with his class teacher in his dreams.
I smiled to myself.
Then quietly walked toward the balcony.
The city looked different at night.
The constant noise softened.
The cool breeze carried the distant sound of local trains.
Above everything...
The stars shone quietly.
I settled onto the old wooden chair.
In my lap rested a faded brown teddy bear.
Its fur had long lost its softness.
One eye had been stitched back on.
Several patches covered tiny tears.
Anyone else would have thrown it away years ago.
I never could.
Because it wasn't just a teddy.
It was the last gift my grandmother had ever repaired for me.
My thumb gently traced the uneven stitches.
And just like that...
The years melted away.
I was five.
Barefoot.
Crying.
"Dadi..."
I sniffled.
"They scolded me again."
My grandmother looked up from her sewing machine.
The moment she saw my tear-stained face...
She opened her arms.
"Aao meri pari."
(Come here, my little fairy.)
I ran straight into her embrace.
She hugged me tightly before wiping my tears with the edge of her saree.
"Kya hua meri pari ko?"
(What happened to my little fairy?)
I hiccupped between sobs.
"Main toh bas Arush bhaiya ko dekh rahi thi..."
(I was only watching Arush bhaiya...)
"...phir woh ro diye."
(Then he suddenly started crying.)
"...Mumma ne mujhe daant diya."
(And Mumma scolded me.)
Dadi sighed.
Not because she was surprised.
Because it wasn't the first time.
She gently kissed my forehead.
"Meri bacchi ki galti nahi thi."
(It wasn't my little girl's fault.)
Then she lifted the teddy bear.
"Dekho."
(Look.)
"I fixed your teddy."
My tears disappeared instantly.
"You fixed him!"
She laughed.
"Of course."
"How could I let my princess's best friend stay hurt?"
I hugged both her...
And the teddy.
"Thank you, Dadi."
She kissed my hair.
"You don't have to thank me."
"I'll always be here."
As I grew older...
Nothing changed.
Whenever Papa ignored me...
Dadi stood beside me.
Whenever Maa compared me to others...
Dadi reminded me I was enough.
Whenever I secretly dreamed of becoming something in life...
She believed in me before anyone else did.
Sometimes she would quietly press a few hundred rupees into my hand.
"For ice cream."
She would whisper with a wink.
I always knew...
It wasn't really for ice cream.
It was simply another way of showing her love.
She used to call me...
"Bhagwan ka sabse sundar tohfa."
(God's most beautiful gift.)
Every time she said those words...
I believed them.
Because she believed them.
Then...
Everything changed.
The day my family learned I was pregnant.
The shouting.
The accusations.
The humiliation.
The slammed door.
I remembered turning around one last time.
Dadi was standing inside.
Crying.
She wanted to come after me.
They didn't let her.
She somehow reached me later that night.
Only for a few minutes.
She held both my hands tightly.
"Tara..."
"No matter what happens..."
"...never go back."
Her voice trembled.
"They didn't stand beside you today."
"They don't deserve you tomorrow."
I cried harder.
"I don't want to leave you."
She smiled through her tears.
"My blessings will always find you."
Then...
She made me promise.
I promised.
That was the last time I saw her alive.
A few months later...
She was gone.
A warm tear rolled down my cheek.
Then another.
I looked toward the brightest star in the sky.
"I hope you're at peace, Dadi."
"I kept my promise."
"I never went back."
"I hope..."
"...I made you proud."
The breeze answered by gently rustling the wind chimes hanging beside the balcony.
A tiny voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Mumma..."
I turned around.
There stood Ivan.
Half asleep.
His dinosaur night suit was completely crumpled.
His curls pointed in every possible direction.
One tiny fist rubbed his sleepy eyes.
The other still clutched his favourite dinosaur.
"Mumma..."
"You weren't there."
I smiled through my tears.
"I just came for some fresh air."
Without another word...
He slowly walked toward me.
Climbed onto my lap.
Curled against my chest.
And within seconds...
He was asleep again.
I wrapped my arms around him.
Carefully brushing his messy hair away from his forehead.
Then I placed the softest kiss on the crown of his head.
"My brave little boy..."
"You have no idea..."
"...how many pieces of my heart you carry."
Above them, the stars shimmered silently.
And somewhere beyond the night sky...
If souls truly watched over the people they loved...
An old grandmother smiled.
Because the little girl she had once called her "princess" had become a wonderful mother herself.
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