That story it seemed had already been written and set into play by fate, the master storywriter, drawing her into the father’s and son’s lives.
Marissa, though, had her doubts of anything happening between her and Aditya other than being friends.

“You can’t know that!” Cindy voiced strongly.
“I have seen close up the grief he is still battling with and the concern for his son’s wellbeing,” Marissa explained to her colleagues.

“Well, that’s how it began,” Shivanie stated, “and the story continues.”
Marissa shook her head in mock exasperation, knowing she couldn’t dissuade the two of them from how they were seeing things. She knew he felt this appreciation and blissful relief because his son had found warm comfort with her being his teacher.

“And that’s the role I’ll play in his young life unless something changes.”
Aditya went back to his mining businesses and said to her that morning as he left her classroom, “I’ll be gone for two weeks.”
She sent him regular updates on Aryan, noting he was doing fine except for a few moments during the day, a fleeting sad look in his eyes.
“He’s missing you,” she told him, “but he’s being a brave boy now.”

“I know and I’m very happy he’s learning to cope,” he replied.
He asked her how she was doing and confessed, “You know I actually miss talking to you at school. It somehow add some enthusiasm in my day that before had been somewhat dull.”
“I’m happy to have helped in some way.”

“You have, guess I needed true kindness and compassion in my life after you know…”
He left the sentence unfinished because of the pain she knew he felt every time he mentioned his wife’s death.
One morning as she was marking the register, noting Aryan hadn’t come to school, his grandmother came in with him. It was the first time she had brought him to school and she apologised, “Sorry for being late, he didn’t sleep well last night, was quite restless.”

“Ooh,” she expressed to the child with concern, “Are you okay, now?”
He nodded and she put her arm gently on his shoulder, saying in a gentle tone, “You can take your seat.”
He moved closer to her instead and buried his face in her bosom as though seeking comfort. That took Marissa by surprise a little though she knew, the desire for comfort was a norm for little children. For Aryan it was deeper.

She noticed the displeased look that flashed across the grandmother’s face and she motioned to her to sit as she settled the child at his desk.
“Why was he restless?” she asked her.
“It’s how it’s been since his mother died, though we’ve been trying to give as much comfort and care as we can.”
Marissa sighed, looking at the child, “I guess it will take some time.”

The grandmother sighed also, shaking her head a little exasperated, “It’s been really tough on everyone.”
She left abruptly and Marissa thought, “She seems a bit upset but I guess the situation she is in isn’t easy.”
Aditya came back after two weeks and on his first morning at school with Aryan, he said to Marissa, “As promised, not a day late.”
“That’s good.”

“And…” he paused and said with a casual smile, “It’s nice seeing you.”
Words that add to the new feeling within her for she was happy to see him too.

He did not bring Aryan to school every day, busy on a new project but they spoke regularly for short periods on the phone. He came by on Friday, but she had been called into a meeting with the headmistress whilst another teacher held her class. So he left a note for her inviting her out for dinner on Saturday night at Bistro. She was uncertain but accepted when he told her, “It’s unofficial, just a way to say ‘thank you’.”

He wanted to pick her up but she politely declined and when she got there, he was waiting at a reserved table with a bottle of wine chilling.
“Nice,” she remarked.

He was dressed in classy casual wear and confidence in his smile as she inwardly battled a nervousness, given it was their first date. She was dressed in a simple, short floral dress accentuated by locally made jewellery in neutral tones, her curly hair falling to her shoulders.
“I like that,” he said with an admiring smile.

“Like what?”
“Your simplicity.”
He lifted her glass and cheered with her.
“To our first, unofficial date.”

Dinner was a nice affair as they enjoyed a sumptuous meal and chatted about little things of interest.
“Why do you work so hard?” she asked after he told her about his new project.
He took a deep breath and poured a glass of wine before answering.

“It was a plan actually to lay a foundation for the future early but then things got derailed. Now I have to work to keep my mind on something other than that.”
She realised from the slight change of tone in his voice that she had touched a sensitive spot and apologised.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
“That’s okay,” he smiled, “It was a fair question.”
And after dinner, as they were having dessert, he said to her, “You know Aryan really likes you, he mumbles your name in his sleep sometimes.”
“He’s such an adorable child,” she responded.

That dinner date started a beautiful relationship that grew, though still somewhat casual because of Aditya’s family and in-laws. The two families were wary of someone new in his life because of the child’s well-being.

He was reminded in a cautionary manner, “Sandhya and our families are from a different culture and religion.”
“I am well aware of that,” he stated, “Don’t you think I also care about my son’s wellbeing?”

“Then why are you seeing someone completely different from the mother who cannot replace her in the child’s mind?”
“It’s for him to recognise, isn’t it? For as an innocent child, his heart would speak to him when he meets someone who has the same warmth and comfort like his mother. It’s what he needs.”
No one accepted that explanation and Aditya took a deep breath to control his mind as to not speak harshly.

After a long moment he said, “Fine, you don’t want me to see the young woman anymore because you think she can’t replace Sandhya, I will not take the relationship further because I don’t want to create tension and conflict. We had stood strong with each other when that tragedy happened and I don’t want to disrupt that.”
On his way to meet Marissa that night, he felt torn between his family and her, “What do I tell her?”

To be continued…