Arjun was a single father, raising his two young daughters, Aisha and Meera. His wife, Sita, had left a few months ago, chasing her dreams of a solo journey across the world. Since then, Arjun had taken on the overwhelming responsibility of caring for his girls, juggling his full-time job at an IT company, household chores, and managing the small apartment they lived in. Despite the exhaustion, his love for his daughters kept him going.
Every day, without fail, Arjun woke up early. His first task was always to wake up Aisha and Meera.
On that particular morning, just like every other, Arjun gently called out to his girls, “Aisha, Meera, time to get up, beta!”
Aisha, the older of the two at 6 years old, stretched and rubbed her eyes. “Good morning, Papa,” she said, her voice still sleepy.
Meera, just 5 years old, mumbled from under her blanket, “Papa, five more minutes... I’m tired!”
Arjun chuckled softly and shook his head. “Come on, Meera. We have to get ready for school and daycare.”
After a little coaxing, he helped them get dressed. Aisha chose a bright pink salwar kameez with embroidered flowers, while Meera picked her favorite dress with the cartoon characters on it. Once they were ready, they headed downstairs, but there was something unexpected waiting for them in the kitchen.
As Arjun entered, ready to prepare the usual breakfast of poha or upma, he froze in surprise. On the table, neatly arranged, were three plates of hot, freshly made cheela (savory pancakes), garnished with coriander leaves and served with chutney on the side.
“Girls, look at this!” Arjun said, his voice laced with confusion.
Aisha’s eyes grew wide. “Wow, Papa! Did you make these?”
“No, I didn’t,” Arjun replied, furrowing his brow. “Maybe it’s Didi (his sister) who came by early?”
He quickly picked up his phone and dialed Priya, his younger sister. “Priya, did you come by this morning?”
“No, why? Did something happen?” Priya’s voice sounded puzzled.
Arjun hung up, still confused. He checked the locks on the door and windows, but everything was secure. No sign of anyone breaking in.
“Papa, are they safe to eat?” Meera asked, eyeing the cheelas with a mix of curiosity and caution.
Arjun hesitated, then took a small bite. They tasted perfectly fine, just like his mother used to make. “I think they’re fine. Let’s eat.”
The girls, relieved, dove into their breakfast, savoring every bite. But Arjun couldn’t shake the strange feeling that someone had been in his house while he was sleeping. He wondered who had left the cheelas on the table—and why.
After dropping Aisha and Meera off at school and daycare, Arjun couldn’t stop thinking about the cheelas. His mind was buzzing with questions. Who made them? Why didn’t they leave a note? He had no answers, and he tried to push the worry aside as he went about his workday.
That evening, when Arjun returned home from the office, he was greeted by another surprise. The small garden in front of his apartment, which he had been meaning to tidy up for weeks, was freshly cleaned. The grass had been neatly trimmed, and the small bushes were pruned.
Arjun stood in his yard, scratching his head. “This is getting strange,” he muttered to himself. He checked the apartment again, but everything appeared in order. He felt an odd mix of gratitude and unease.
The next morning, Arjun decided to get to the bottom of it. He woke up earlier than usual and quietly hid behind the kitchen door, peeking through a crack in the frame. At exactly 6 a.m., he saw someone climbing in through the window.
A woman, wearing old, faded clothes—almost like those of a domestic worker—was quietly entering through the window. She looked around quickly, as if making sure no one had noticed her. Arjun watched her for a few moments, his heart racing. The woman then started to wash the dishes left from the previous night and pulled out some batter to make more cheela.
His stomach growled loudly. The woman turned around at the sound, startled. She froze, her hand still on the stove. Then, as if realizing she’d been caught, she moved towards the window, as if she might escape.
“Wait! Don’t go. I won’t hurt you,” Arjun said, stepping into the kitchen. “You made those cheelas, didn’t you? Please, tell me why you’re doing this.”
The woman paused, then slowly turned to face him. She looked familiar, but Arjun couldn’t place her.
“Have we met before?” Arjun asked, confusion evident on his face.
The woman hesitated, then nodded. “Yes... we have.”
Before Arjun could ask more questions, Aisha and Meera’s voices came from upstairs. “Papa, where are you?”
Arjun glanced at the stairs, then back at the woman. “Wait here for a moment. I’ll bring the girls down,” he said quickly.
The woman seemed unsure but nodded. “Okay.”
Arjun rushed upstairs, his heart still pounding, and called for the girls. “Come on, Aisha, Meera, we have a surprise guest downstairs.”
The girls followed him eagerly, their faces curious. When they entered the kitchen, the woman was standing by the window, still looking uncertain.
Aisha, as always, was the first to ask. “Who is she, Papa?”
Arjun looked at the woman, then back at his daughters. “Let’s find out together.”
Turning to the woman, he said, “Please sit down. Would you like some chai?”
The woman hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
They all sat down at the small kitchen table. Arjun introduced himself and his daughters. “I’m Arjun, and these are my daughters, Aisha and Meera. You’ve been helping us in ways I don’t understand, and I want to know why.”
The woman took a deep breath, her hands shaking. “My name is Suman. Two months ago, you helped me when I had nowhere else to go.”
Arjun frowned, trying to recall. “Helped you? How?”
Suman’s voice trembled as she spoke. “I was on the street near the temple, hungry and weak. I had no family here, no one to turn to. You saw me sitting there, and you brought me food. You even gave me money for a bus ride. When I tried to find you again to thank you, you were already gone. But I remembered your car number. I found your address and decided I would repay your kindness by helping you.”
Recognition slowly dawned on Arjun. “You... you were the woman by the temple that day. I couldn’t just leave you there.”
Suman nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “I was alone. My husband had abandoned me and left me penniless. But you gave me hope. And since then, I’ve been working at a small shop. I even found a place to stay. But I wanted to help you in return. I saw how tired you looked, trying to raise your daughters alone. I thought I could help in small ways—making cheelas, cleaning the garden. Just small things to make your life a little easier.”
Arjun was deeply moved by her words. “Suman, I appreciate what you’ve done, but you can’t just come into our house like this. It’s not safe, and it scared me.”
Suman looked down, embarrassed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just wanted to help.”
Aisha, who had been quietly watching the exchange, reached out and touched Suman’s hand. “Thank you for making the cheelas. They were yummy,” she said sweetly.
Suman’s face softened, tears welling up. “You’re welcome, beta.”
Arjun took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. “Suman, let’s do this differently. No more sneaking around. How about you come over for breakfast once in a while? We can get to know each other better.”
Suman’s face lit up. “I would like that very much, Arjun. Thank you.”
The morning passed with warm conversation and laughter as they shared breakfast together. Suman told them more about her life and how she had slowly rebuilt it after everything had fallen apart. Arjun realized just how strong and resilient she was, and he admired her for it.
As they cleaned up together, Arjun smiled at his daughters. “Thank you for sharing your story, Suman. Let’s help each other from now on.”
Suman nodded, a grateful smile on her face. “I would love that, Arjun. Thank you.”
And so, a new chapter began for both their families—one of kindness, mutual support, and the hope of better days ahead.
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