Part 1: Why now?

Astha practically ran across the empty corridor of the school. Aru's strained "Maa" on the phone was still ringing in her ears. She knew she was panicking for no reason, that her daughter was fine and the cramps caused by her first periods had made her whine on the call, but she couldn't help it. Aru and Akki were all that she had after Peeplika had left. Brushing her thoughts aside, she smiled formally at the clerk and told her reason for being there. "My daughter, Aru Kapoor, called. She is unwell and wanted me to collect her." 

The clerk nodded, and the two left for the medical room.

"And then I ate the goddamn pancake. You should have seen his face." 

As they neared the medical room, the voice she heard from within the room slowed her down. It was her, but, it couldn't be! She mentally screamed at herself. It was as if Peepli was in the room across the wall, narrating the story about the one time she had eaten an entire pancake to piss off her father. She knew the story; she knew it like the back of her hand because it was one of Peeplika's favorite childhood memories. The clerk raised her eyebrow at her, and Astha shook herself, following her into the room.

"Maa," Aru smiled brightly at her, and the woman with her turned slightly.  Astha felt her heart drop to her stomach. Peeplika's brown eyes looked into her own, but without any shock in them, just plain tears.

"Maa, this is Peeplika mam, our substitute art teacher."

Peeplika seemed to have broken out of her trance. She nodded at her, but Astha hadn't had the time to process anything. Her heart was still beating fast, and her breath was getting shallower. It was as if her brain had shut down.

"You ok, Maa?" Aru's worried voice broke through her foggy thoughts of Peeplika's kisses and tears.

"Yeah," she muttered. But she wasn't. She wasn't. She wanted to run away, run away from her ex, her daughter, and the life she had created and left behind. 

"Maa?" Aru mumbled, closed to tears. 

"Snap out of it!" Peeplika's voice came crashing down on her. She focused her attention back on her daughter.

Right, this wasn't the time to have a panic attack about her ex while her kid was sick.

"Yeah, baby, I am good." She kissed Aru's forehead, for a good measure, her eyes locked with Peepli's expressionless ones.

"Thank you," she muttered to her, knowing that she needed to act. Like she had acted when she had been with Hemant, in her old life.

"The auto driver wouldn't wait, so I'll get another auto. Till then, wait here," she instructed her daughter and turned to leave. The clerk must have left ages ago while she was having a mental breakdown.

"I can drop you guys," Peeplika said, making her turn so fast that she felt giddy.

"I mean if you want. Aru hasn't been doing well, her cramps are bad, and she said her head was aching," she shrugged. How could she? How could she be so casual?

"No, thank you, mam," Astha said, anger rising in her. The anger was baseless because Peeplika hadn't left her; Astha had chosen to stay back and end their relationship

"Maa, please," Aru whined from her side, her head on her shoulder and arms around her. Peeplika looked at Aru and then at her.

"It's for the kid, not for you," she spat harshly, making Astha gulp her anger down and nod.

The drive back home was silent for the most part. Aru and Astha sat in the back seat, Aru resting her head on her lap, as she ran her fingers through her daughter's untied hair.

"Did you tell Hemant? As far as I know, girls getting their first period is a pretty big deal in India, no?" Peepli asked, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

"No," she replied in a raspy voice. Just don't talk, she wanted to beg Peeplika. Just drop us and leave, leave from my life.

"Why not? A couple's quarrel?" she asked, and Astha didn't miss the smirk on her lips. That smirk that had once made her kiss Peeplika senseless only filled her with bitterness now.

"We divorced, three years ago," she looked at Peeplika's reflection. "After you left."

"Huh!" was the only response she got.

She woke Aru up when they got closer to her apartment. Aru thanked her teacher with a smile on her face. 

"Would you like to join us for lunch?" Aru asked, still sounding weak. Peeplika smiled and declined the offer politely.

"Take care kiddo," she waved at Aru and changed the gear, driving off.

"I like her," Aru said as they watched the car driving away. Astha couldn't help but smile. Peeplika had that effect on people.

Beta read by: LizzieBennett