7 years in the future : 

Time turns quickly thought Vin. They stood in a line to accept their graduation certificate. They, the students came from many different parts of the country. This was a dream batch as their instructor had mentioned. He noticed Ashi infront. Till the last date she chased the fight. Now hopefully it will end. Yet they were not the batch of 2025. They were all fifteen at that time. Barring Jonaki, he corrected himself. Jonaki was fourteen. Now six years has passed. 

He was receiving his engineering degree certificate. The hall irrupted in wonder as he did a little dance. Then they laughed and clapped. 

"Vin.. well done." "Yeah .. Vin!!" 

They shouted their praises yet Vin looked for the eyes of the lady for whom he did the dance. Her graduation was still a year away. Medical she chose and then she wanted to become a heart surgeon. Far away from the plan his step mother had of making her the head of their business. Then life had not turned up as they had expected it to. Smooth life was afterall an overkill. They had themselves seen a lot that would be worth making into multiple mini series.

But where was she. 

Jonaki stood beside the first row. Who allowed her, Vin did not ask. He winked at her and she winked back. Her hand on her tummy indicated what he already knew. They had agreed to get the certificate today of marriage. The mistake was his and he had no excuse. He was not drunk, not under drugs or even over tired. But the moment Jonaki turned twenty one his basic self had screamed to make her, his and only his. 

Well this was it. She was his and there was a baby on the way. He nodded towards her as he climbed down the stairs. She was laughing, "Happy ? Engineer Vinayak Kumar ? " 

It appeared she had forgiven him for the mess he had created for her. He nodded and grabbed her shoulders and escorted her out, ignoring calls for meets etc. Behind them a woman caught up. "Wait for me, your idiots." Ashi joined them. Her mother came running. But she was also hand in gloves and collected all the gifts and touched their foreheads and walked away. 

Jonaki stopped on the track and asked, "Does she know.. that.." 

Ashi cut through the chase, "No she does not and she could not care less. Her daughter had stood first. Though by the applause one would think Vin stood first." She flicked her hair and walked ahead. 

Vin laughed and dragged Jonaki with him. He assured himself, "All will be well." 

He was going against the wishes of his entire family, but then he always had. He remembered listening in to their conversation, the first weekend when Jonaki came home. 

< Seven Years back.. 

"I want her to be not his friend too, beyond the basics. " Said his grand mother. He stood beside the door, wondering if this she was Jonaki. 

Mrs. Kumar his step mother kept quiet but from the side he could see her gripping the seat. 

"See Sobita, she is your best friend's daughter. We have no obligation to her. Let her stay this weekend but never return after this. Vin is just fifteen but there is no harm in him meeting Archana and others, one of them may be good enough for him in the future. But definitely not this girl. " 

In a quiet voice, his step mother asked, "Why is that the ask now?" 

His grand mother sat on the sofa, "For obvious reasons right. She was raped, gang raped. I know her father came and took her away. They say the army came and killed some people. I do not care. No girl who has been raped will become my daughter in law." 

"And what if she got gang raped, saving your precious grand child ?" The anger shook her step mother's voice.

But grand father joined in, "Sobita, we have spoken of this. My son should have stepped in earlier but he had not. He was busy otherwise.. hence.." 

But Sobita had something to add, "Yes very busy, can I ask doing what ? Was he not sleeping with all the secretaries and sending me bills of it ? I believe many of those are still with me for approval?" 

His grand father continued, "That is between you and him. I am speaking for my grandson. He should never be coerced into any relationship on account of what happened when they were children. That's my take." 

Before it went further Vin stepped inside. He looked at the adults with disdain. 

"I guess you all have forgotten that I am a human being with emotions and feelings. I have a view and you all will not discuss Jonaki like she was a third person and not someone who almost died in my place." 

His father stepped forward, "Vinayak, you know what her father believed. He always believed she was saved by us. She was alive and thriving. We will support her. We simply do not want to burden you. Archana reached out to me today in tears. I understand you have cut of your friendship with her for something she said to Jonaki. She is my best friend's niece. Let's not be hasty." 

Vin stood quietly as the words washed over him. Everyone was quiet. He then smiled and said, " Ultimately the business is ran by Mrs. Kumar. The marriage will be done by me. The initial capital came from my grand parents from my mother's side. You all returned to this house like a vacation home and start stating facts like you all love me a lot ? When is the last time we have met ? "

Mr. Kumar senior slapped Sobita shocking all. "You are responsible for polluting him against all of us." 

He raised his hands again but Vin stopped him, "Cool down Grand father. You may think it is easy to hit women but I believe you are the one who is easy. Easy to anger, easy to escape from responsibilities and it is your example that your son follows. " 

His father stepped forward anxiously and asked, "What do you mean Vinayak? Why are you talking like this today?" 

Vin looked at them and patiently reminded, "You all were back in this house eight months earlier when you all were travelling for a marriage. You have not called me for the last four months? Even the last time was when Mrs. Kumar insisted and I called you. You are busy in the city with temples or trusts or parties but what about this place?"

Mr. Kumar Senior raised his hand to him and then dropped it, "This is the outcome is it. You come with us Vin and we would take care of you." 

Vin noticed his grandmother shift in her place. He knew she was flying to meet her sister for six months soon and she was possibly visiting today for some papers that was here. 

He nodded, "Yes ofcourse. Grandmother will cancel her flight and plan ?" 

Some looks were exchanged between the elders, before his grand mother spoke, "To be fair it is all your life. I have done enough when I was young. I can not get involved in this mess anymore." Then she turned and walked away calling to her husband, "Tomorow morning we leave." 

His father stood there for the longest time before sitting down and saying, " Vin I do visit the city often but I do not usually stay in this place as it is so away from all the work. If I knew you were missing me, I would take you to a city school and we would have stayed together. Would you want to do that?" 

Vin laughed, "I was never looked after by you all father. After mother's death of which I have no memory, it was nurses till stepmother came. I hate her a lot as she chose to send Jonaki in my place, but she was the only one who brought me up. Not you and definitely not my grandparents. " 

Sobita turned to Vin and started to say something. He ignored. 

"I will reclaim this business when I grow up from her as I should. But I will not stay with you all, because you never had time for me. " 

Tears formed in his father's eyes. "Vin.. grand parents were always like this. When we were small we were also brought up by nannies only. Please do not think they dont love you. They are just not visibly loving. I accept my parts and I will be home soon and more often." 

Vin nodded. It would not be so, he knew. His father was an addict, something Sobita had to show him once for him to believe. But then while may be his grand father was accurate when he blamed Sobita, his step mother, for the way he was. It was a way his step mother ensured, he followed her words and studied and grew up to be an efficient and useful person. He hated her with his heart but atleast she was predictable and when required or not, she was always there. 

He caught the shadow of Jonaki behind the door.