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“I asked you to take some food to Jhankar Madam. Did she eat?"

Radha looks visibly nervous. She had gone to Vikrant’s room behind his back, a bold move he usually doesn’t appreciate. But since Sharda is asking, she knows she must answer honestly.

“Madam, I had taken the food upstairs after informing her. I left the tray in her room. But when I went to check after three hours, the food was untouched... she hadn’t eaten anything. She was still busy with her work.”

Sharda sighs deeply. “That girl hasn’t eaten anything since morning. Amazing. Her focus is entirely on her work. Vikrant, let me speak to her mother.”

“Maa, there’s no need to worry unnecessarily,” Vikrant interjects. “She’ll eat when she’s hungry. She’s studying right now, maybe she just isn’t hungry.”

Sharda’s expression doesn’t change. “As far as I remember, I said I wanted to talk to Jhankar’s mother. That’s all.”

Vikrant immediately takes out his phone and dials the landline number of Jhankar’s house, which he had carefully saved. After a few rings, Raghunath answers. He hesitates for a moment, unsure what to say, but finally speaks.

“Good evening, sir. This is Vikrant. My mother would like to speak with Jhankar’s mother.”

Raghunath is silent for a few moments, then calls out.

“Chitrali, come here for a minute; they want to talk about Jhankar.”

Vikrant listens attentively. Sharda gives him a sharp look before instructing.

“Put the phone on speaker so we can all hear clearly.”

He obeys. A moment later, Chitrali’s gentle voice comes through, soft and a little cautious.

“Hello…”

“Hello, I am Sharda,” she replies warmly. “Vikrant’s nanny.”

As soon as Vikrant hears this, his eyes widen, and he turns toward Sharda in surprise, but she ignores his gaze and continues.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Jhankar. She had breakfast with us in the morning, and I asked the staff to take food to her room in the afternoon. But she was busy studying or maybe working and didn’t come to the table. Even now, she hasn’t eaten. I just wanted to ask about her food preferences so I can make something she would like and ensure she eats properly.”

On the other side, Chitrali fights back tears upon hearing someone speak so kindly about her daughter. But she smiles through them and steadies her voice.

“Jhankar loves all kinds of food. She doesn’t fuss. But... she forgets hunger, thirst, and even time when she gets deeply involved in something. Whenever she became deeply involved in something back home, I would go and feed her with my own hands. She would always say, “If I get up for even a few minutes, I’ll miss out on too much.”

Sharda nods slowly. “She seems extremely focused. Is she preparing for an exam or something important?”

“No... her exams are over. She got an amazing job through campus placement. She was supposed to leave on the 7th of June to join. It was her dream job, but... she couldn’t leave because…”

Chitrali trails off, her voice trembling. Sharda looks at Vikrant with sharp disapproval, but he immediately turns his head away, avoiding her stare. Taking a breath, Sharda replies.

“You don’t need to worry about your daughter. She is completely fine here. It’s true she hasn’t eaten all day and is still working, but now that I know she’s not particular about food, I’ll make sure she eats. Just know that a mother is watching over her.”

Only Chitrali’s muffled sobs can be heard from the other end now. Sharda, unable to bear the sound of a mother’s suppressed pain, ends the call quietly.

~~~~

Back in her room, Jhankar is still browsing job vacancies when a piece of bread suddenly appears in front of her. Without looking, she takes it absentmindedly, smiling faintly, and continues working. After two or three bites, a realization dawns on her that she's not at home, and her mother isn’t the one feeding her. She pauses, turns her head, and is startled to see Sharda standing beside her.

“What are you doing here? You should be resting. I wasn’t even paying attention, I thought my mom was feeding me,” she says softly.

“I am also your mother now,” Sharda replies gently.

Jhankar falls silent, her eyes locking onto Sharda’s. Unexpectedly, her eyes well up with tears, but she quickly blinks them back, composing herself. She closes her laptop and beginsto take the plate from Sharda’s hands. Sharda firmly holds her hand, shakes her head, and speaks with warmth and authority.

“Today, I will feed my lovely daughter. And I definitely want to know what’s kept you so busy.”