There was a crowd outside the house in Malviya Nagar, Bhopal. Savitri Devi had passed away this morning. Her only daughter Meera Rajput was alive in the family. Savitri was suffering from a serious illness for the last several years and today she breathed her last and said goodbye to the world. Meera was 21 years old and was in the final year of college.

Savitri's lifeless body was lying in front of her eyes, covered with a white sheet! Tears were flowing from Meera's eyes! The women sitting nearby were consoling her, but only Meera could understand the pain of losing a mother! She was the only one in this world whom she could call her own!

Savitri had sent Meera to Indore for her studies, the reason for which was known only to Savitri! In Indore, Meera studied at National College and lived in a hostel of the same college! Meera is a very soft spoken girl, she used to spend most of her time in books! She had only one friend in college.

"Nidhi Vyas" who lived in Indore with her family! Nidhi and Meera were very good friends, they had completed two years of college together but Nidhi knew very little about Meera now, the reason being Meera being an introvert or maybe circumstances made her mature before her age! This time Meera had come to Bhopal without telling Nidhi!

The preparations for Savitri's last rites were complete. When her body was being taken away, Meera started crying loudly! The women tried to console her but no one could stop her. She ran out and said, "We will also go with you!!"

"Daughter, women do not go to the crematorium!" said an old man standing there.

"I don't want to hear anything, I will go with you too!" said Meera

"Let it go uncle, it is important to have someone close to perform the last rites! And these days it doesn't matter whether it is a boy or a girl, let it go!", Vishwanath standing nearby said to the old man.

Everyone left from there carrying Savitri's dead body. With tears in her eyes, Meera was walking holding the fire vessel in her hand! It was as if there was no courage in her lifeless legs. She had spent very little time with her mother. Who knows what was the reason that her mother always kept her away from herself! Thinking and remembering the past, the crematorium had arrived! Savitri's last rites were performed. Being the only heir, she also lit the funeral pyre!! It was very difficult to control Meera in those moments! The eyes of everyone present there became moist!

After a month Meera came to Indore. She changed her clothes and picked up her books and came to the college. After coming to the college she talked to the principal and told him about her mother's death. Since Meera was the most promising student of the college, the principal agreed to her one month leave. Meera came out after thanking the principal. There was still time for the class to start, so she came and sat on the bench and started looking at the ground with sad eyes. Just then a familiar voice came in her ears, "Oh Madam ji, where were you all these days, no call, no message, what is going on in your mind?

Meera turned towards the voice and found Nidhi standing in front of her. When Meera did not respond, Nidhi sat beside her and said lovingly, "What happened Meera? Is everything alright?" Hearing Nidhi's words, Meera's eyes welled up with tears. She looked down at the ground and said, "Mother is no more, Nidhi!" "What? When did this happen? And why didn't you tell me?" Nidhi said, shocked.

"What should I tell you Nidhi? I myself did not know what pain my mother was going through. So that I could not know anything, she always kept me away from herself and see, she went away from me forever", saying this, Meera's eyes filled with tears.

Nidhi took Meera's hand in hers and looking into her eyes said, "You are not alone Meera, I am with you! Don't say such a thing again!"

Meera hugged Nidhi! Nidhi kept encouraging her! When it was time for class, both of them got up and went to class!

Nidhi went home after telling Meera to take care of herself but today she was very sad and kept thinking about Meera! The next morning the hostel warden asked Meera to vacate the room! Her room rent had not been paid for the last one month. Meera asked for permission for a few days but the warden clearly told her to vacate the room!

No one helped her, Meera gathered her things and started putting them in her bag. The money she had was spent on her mother's last rites and the subsequent work. Whose help should she take in an unknown city? Meera was a very proud girl and so she did not tell Nidhi about her problem. Meera had no other option but to go back to Bhopal. She left the hostel with her bag.

When Nidhi came to college and did not see Meera in the class, she asked Ragini who was sitting next to her and who lived in the same hostel. "Hey Ragini, where is Meera? Why didn't she come to college?"

"Hey, don't you know? Today the warden madam expelled him from the hostel," Ragini whispered

"What? But why?" Nidhi said in surprise

"Because she didn't pay the hostel room rent! Now don't disturb me, let me study", said Ragini and buried her eyes in the books.

When Nidhi heard this, she started thinking. "All this happened and Meera did not even tell me, this girl is really difficult to understand! I don't know where she would be at this time? I have to go." Nidhi picked up her bag and books and went out of the class! She came straight to the hostel from college and asked Meera's roommate!

The roommate told that Meera was talking about going back to her home! Nidhi left from there and immediately came to the railway station! The train had left! Nidhi became dejected, she looked at the train with sad eyes and as soon as she turned to go back, her eyes fell on Meera sitting on the bench!

Nidhi came running towards her happily but the very next moment her happiness turned into anger and she said, "What do you think of yourself? And where are you going hiding your face like this?" "I had told Ragini that I was not going hiding my face", Meera said in a low voice, "And you think I will let you go like this!" Nidhi said angrily. "But what will we do here now? The warden has also expelled us from the hostel!", Meera said.

"That stupid warden I will definitely kill her .... Tell me why didn't you tell me?" Meera became silent on this question of Nidhi.

Nidhi sat next to her and said, "Meera, you are not my friend just for the sake of it. There are many girls in the college but I chose you as my friend. You know why. Because you are very good and intelligent too. You are a very strong girl, Meera, then how can you go away like this? How can you forget aunty's dream? You have to study and become a big officer. How did you forget this?"

"Nidhi, I have not forgotten anything. I remember everything but I have learnt one thing from this city that if you want to live, you need money and I don't have that Nidhi! I will go home, at least I have my own house to live in there!", Meera said sadly. "Enough of your idealistic talk, let's go!" Nidhi said while getting up.

"Where are we going?", Meera said. "No questions, get up and let's go" saying this Nidhi picked up one bag herself and handed the other to Meera. Both of them came out, Nidhi brought her scooty from the parking and left with Meera.

Hundreds of questions were troubling Meera's mind, who was sitting behind Nidhi. Whenever Meera thought of leaving this city, this city would pull her back to it. There were many questions but no answers. She had no idea where Nidhi was taking her. While driving the scooter on the road, Nidhi suddenly applied brakes and took a U-turn.

"What happened? Where are we going?" asked Meera sitting behind.

"No questions, get up and let's go" saying this Nidhi picked up one bag herself and handed the other to Meera. Both of them came out, Nidhi brought her scooty from the parking and left with Meera.

Hundreds of questions were troubling Meera's mind, who was sitting behind Nidhi. Whenever Meera thought of leaving this city, this city would pull her back to it. There were many questions but no answers. She had no idea where Nidhi was taking her. While driving the scooter on the road, Nidhi suddenly applied brakes and took a U-turn.

"What happened? Where are we going?" asked Meera sitting behind.

"Hostel!" said Nidhi.

“But why?” said Mira.

"You come, I'll tell you!" saying this Nidhi increased the speed and after some time both were in front of the hostel! Nidhi parked the scooty on the side. She held Meera's hand and took her inside! The warden was standing right in front of her. Nidhi came in front of her, took out some rupees from her pocket and giving it to the warden said, "Keep your money and from today onwards don't expel any girl from the hostel like this!"

"If the rent is paid on time, why would anyone leave? But these girls waste their family's money on luxuries and then start crying when it comes to rent!", said the warden while counting the money with a wry face.

"Witch! How dare you say such a thing about my friend? I will tear your face apart!" Nidhi said while arguing with the warden but just in time Meera stopped her and said, "Nidhi, what are you doing? Leave them!"

"I will break her face, no matter what the girls of this hostel do, you are not like that", Nidhi said angrily to Meera.

"Please let's go from here, please!" Meera said almost pulling Nidhi. When Nidhi left from there, Meera came to the warden and said in a very low voice. "Ma'am, I apologize for what Nidhi did. One more thing, not every girl comes here to enjoy."

Saying this, Meera left from there. When she came out, she saw Nidhi was angry. As soon as Meera came to her, Nidhi said, "Are you really from a Rajput family? Means she told you all this and you listened to it and came back without even saying anything!"

"It was my mistake. If I had paid the rent on time, this wouldn't have happened", Meera said in a calm tone.

"Ohh Goddess of Principles! Stop it, if you keep on being like this, anyone will sell you off!", said Nidhi with folded hands in front of Meera. "Nidhi, it is not like that! I have been here for the last 3 years, I do not want my mother to be embarrassed because of me! It is also important to maintain the respect of the surname I have got!" Meera said. "This is how you will maintain the respect, if someone says anything, listen to them quietly and if possible, apologize yourself!" said Nidhi.

"I won't be able to make you understand!", said Meera while picking up the bags.

"This is good of you, well forget it, come sit, let's go, it is getting late!" said Nidhi while starting the scooty. "Where do you want to go now?" said Meera. Nidhi smiled and said. "There where all your own people are!" As soon as Meera came and sat, Nidhi moved the scooty forward. Both came to Shivaji Nagar. After coming to Indore, Meera saw this city for the first time. Clean roads, big tall houses, she was looking at all this with unblinking eyes. Nidhi was driving the scooty at a speed.

"Nidhi Vyas" was everyone's darling in her family! She met Meera in college and she liked Meera's calm behaviour at first sight but she herself was not at all calm! She was always laughing and giggling! She was her darling so she was never told no for anything! Nidhi stopped in front of a big house with Meera! She parked her scooter on the side and took Meera inside! Meera's eyes fell on the name plate on the door of the house "Vyas House" Meera came inside holding her bag! As soon as she came inside Nidhi shouted - Mumma Papa, Dadu Dadi, Bhaiya, everyone come in!

Everyone came out as soon as they heard Nidhi's voice! Seeing an unknown girl with Nidhi, everyone had a question mark in their mind which Nidhi removed the very next moment and said, "Grandpa, this is my friend Meera!" And then turning towards Meera, she said, "Meera, this is my grandfather Shri Nath ji Vyas and she is my grandmother Surekha ji Vyas"

"Namaste!" said Meera with folded hands.

"This is my father Vijay Vyas and this is my mother Radha Vyas" Nidhi said pointing towards her parents. Meera greeted them and both of them smiled in response. Nidhi came to her brother and said holding his hand, "This is my elder brother Arjun!"

"Hello!" Arjun said smilingly and Meera also replied with a namaste. After introducing everyone, Nidhi came back to Meera and said, "This is my sweet family (she remembered something and said while looking around) where is Akshat Bhaiya?