Finding you in the crowd

As time passed, even though Deepika and Manish were meeting secretly and their bond had grown stronger, Manish began to feel something deeper.

He thought to himself,

"If I truly care about her… why am I hiding this? Why shouldn't I introduce her to my family, even if just as a friend?"

So one day, he gathered the courage and told Deepika, "I want you to meet my mom. I won't tell her everything, but just come over once with Renu. As friends."

Deepika was a little nervous but agreed.

Renu, as always, stood by her. She smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'll be with you the whole time."

⸻

The Visit

When the day came, both Deepika and Renu went to Manish's house. His mother welcomed them warmly and asked them to sit. She offered them tea and snacks like any typical Indian mom would.

But here's where things took an unexpected — yet sweet — turn.

Manish's mother, without knowing, thought Renu was the girl her son liked.

Why?

Because Renu, just like Manish, belonged to the same community — both were from the hills, spoke similar dialects, and had familiar cultural habits.

In her mind, it made sense.

"Maybe this is the girl Manish is close to," she thought.

She smiled more at Renu, asked her more questions, and kept watching her with interest.

All this while, Deepika quietly sat beside, a little confused.

Even Manish noticed his mom's assumption but didn't correct her immediately — he didn't want to create any awkwardness.

⸻

The Realization

As the conversation continued, something happened that changed everything.

Manish's mom casually said to Renu, "You and Manish look like a good pair. Both pahadis, both well-behaved… such nice children."

Renu laughed nervously and glanced at Manish.

Manish finally smiled and said gently, "Mummy… actually, Deepika is the one I'm close to. Renu is just our common friend."

There was a pause.

His mother looked surprised, her eyes moving from Renu to Deepika.

"Ohh… I thought…" she smiled, slightly embarrassed but not upset.

She turned to Deepika and said warmly, "You're very sweet too, beta. It's good to meet you."

That moment felt big for Deepika.

Not because it was a formal approval — but because it was the first time she had been seen as someone special in Manish's life by someone from his family.

They didn't talk about love or marriage, but something silent and honest passed between all of them.

⸻

After the Visit

Once Deepika and Renu left the house, the mood between them was light and full of laughter.

"I became your girlfriend for a day," Renu joked.

Deepika laughed, "And I got mistaken for the extra friend!"

They giggled together, like schoolgirls do — but inside, Deepika felt happy. It felt like things were moving forward, slowly but positively.

At home that night, Manish's mom didn't ask much, but she said one simple thing while giving him dinner:

"She's a nice girl, Manish. But remember… both of you should make your life first — studies, work, and then everything else."

Manish nodded. "I will, Mummy."

But deep inside, he felt one step closer to his dream.