“Baby, where are you ?” Her voice floated through the house soft, warm, and wrapped in the comfort only a mother’s call could hold.

She stepped out of the kitchen, a bowl of freshly cooked curry cradled carefully in her hands. Steam rose in delicate swirls, carrying the fragrance of roasted cumin and ghee through the air. Draped in a sea-blue cotton saree that brushed gently against the floor, she looked like poetry in motion. The saree hugged her graceful frame, its simplicity enhancing rather than hiding her beauty.

Her brown eyes held a quiet warmth, deep and expressive, the kind that could soothe storms. Long wavy hair cascaded down her back, slightly messy from the day’s chores, yet making her look effortlessly beautiful. She wasn’t the kind of woman who needed jewels to shine; she carried her glow within.

Setting the curry bowl carefully on the dining table, she wiped her hands on the edge of her saree pallu before walking toward her son’s room.

“Akku, dinner is ready, come, let’s eat,” she called again, her melodious voice softer now, almost playful.

The faint chiming of her silver anklets echoed through the hallway with every step she took. It was a familiar sound in the house like a rhythm that stitched together their evenings. As she reached the doorway, she paused for a second, leaning gently against the frame.

There he was, her little world.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, completely lost in his tiny universe of scattered toys, his brows furrowed in intense concentration as if he were solving the world’s biggest mystery. His cheeks were slightly flushed, hair falling over his forehead, unaware that someone had been watching him with a heart full of love.

A smile curved across her lips slow.She stepped inside, her anklets chiming again, announcing her presence.

“Akku” she said softly this time, He looked up.

For a moment, his eyes sparkled when they met hers. And in that one second, her entire exhaustion from the day melted away.she was his whole universe. And maybe she was.

“You know it’s a very bad habit ignoring your maa’s words,” she said, placing her hands on her waist and narrowing her eyes in exaggerated anger.

Her expression was stern, but her lips were trembling, struggling not to smile.

The six year old burst into giggles, his tiny shoulders shaking as if her scolding was the funniest joke in the world. He quickly abandoned his scattered toys and ran toward her, wrapping his small arms tightly around her waist.

“Baby is sorry, maa” he said dramatically, snuggling into her like a little kitten seeking warmth.

Her heart melted instantly.

“Oh really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, but her voice had already softened.

He nodded against her stomach.

She sighed in defeat and bent down, gathering him into her arms. His little hands clutched at her saree as she lifted him effortlessly. She pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead, her fingers gently rubbing circles on his back.

“My drama king,” she whispered affectionately.

Carrying him out of the room, she walked toward the dining table, her anklets singing softly with every step. The house felt alive in moments like this filled with laughter, warmth, and togetherness.

She settled him carefully onto his chair and took the seat beside him. Serving rice onto his plate, she poured the curry lovingly, mixing it gently so it wouldn’t be too spicy for him. Then she served herself.

“Maa” he called, stretching the word as he rested his chin on the table.

“Hmmm?” she replied, blowing lightly on a spoonful of rice before bringing it to his mouth.

“Can I play outside after dinner?” he asked, his voice turning syrupy sweet. His eyes widened, lips puckered slightly, and he folded his hands together dramatically, making the most exaggerated puppy face a child could possibly manage.

“No, no  playing after dinner? Absolutely not,” she said gently, though her tone tried to sound firm. “You have school tomorrow. My baby needs to sleep early.”

She brushed his hair away from his forehead, hoping he would understand without much fuss.

But he didn’t.

His tiny lips trembled. His bright eyes, moments ago sparkling with excitement, slowly turned glossy. He blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears. His nose turned pink, then red. He shook his head stubbornly.

“Maa please. Just for ten minutes,” he pleaded, his voice cracking in between. “I promise I won’t play more than ten minutes.”

He even raised both his hands dramatically, as if taking an oath in a court of law. The sight would have been funny if it hadn’t been so heartbreakingly innocent.

She looked at him ,That face, Those trembling lashes,That desperate hope.

“Only ten minutes?” she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly, He nodded quickly. “Promise?” she extended her hand toward him.

Without hesitation, he placed his tiny palm on hers and said loudly, “Maa promise!” .The sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten.

She sighed in surrender.

“Fine but only for ten minutes. Not eleven,” she warned softly, pointing her finger at him.

His tears vanished instantly, replaced by the brightest smile. It was as if someone had switched the weather inside his heart from rain to sunshine.

“Finish your dinner  now,” she said, nodding toward his plate.

He grinned and quickly stuffed a morsel into his mouth, chewing proudly as if he had won the biggest battle of his life.

She watched him quietly.

The way he swung his legs under the chair. The way he tried to eat fast but ended up puffing his cheeks like a squirrel. The way his eyes still shone with excitement for those precious ten minutes outside.

Her son.

Her entire world.

The only person she could truly call hers. The only reason she woke up every morning with strength in her bones and purpose in her breath. His laughter healed wounds no one else could see. His smile was enough to keep her alive.She didn’t ask for more from life. If he was happy she had everything.

And as she reached out to wipe a crumb from his lips, she silently thanked the universe for giving her one soul who belonged only to her.

Even if the world gave her nothing else he was enough.

The moment he finished eating, he jumped off the chair in a hurry, nearly toppling it in his excitement. He rushed to wash his hands, water splashing everywhere as he scrubbed them carelessly, his mind already outside with his friends.

Before she could even call him again, he dashed toward the door. “Wait, Akku!” she called, her voice firm yet warm.He halted mid-step and turned around dramatically.

She walked up to him and slowly crouched down to his level. For a second, she simply looked at him his messy hair, his shining eyes, the tiny smear of curry still lingering near his lips.

“Tch look at you,” she murmured softly.

Taking the edge of her saree pallu, she gently wiped his mouth with the same tenderness she had used since the day he was born. Her fingers brushed against his soft cheeks.

“Not more than ten minutes, okay?” she reminded him, her eyes serious but filled with love.She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his fluffy cheek.

He blushed instantly, his ears turning red. A shy smile spread across his face before he cupped her cheeks in his tiny hands and kissed her back once on one cheek, then the other.

“Not more than ten minutes, Maa. Promise!” he declared proudly.

And off he ran.

She stood up slowly, watching him disappear through the gate, his small legs moving as fast as they could carry him.

But just when she thought he was gone, He came running back with the same speed.She blinked in surprise. “What happened?”

Without saying a word, he tiptoed slightly, pulled her face closer, and kissed her cheeks again quick, soft, and shy. Then he ran away before she could react, his laughter echoing faintly in the evening air.

She stood there for a moment, stunned. Then a soft smile curved on her lips. Shaking her head gently, she watched his retreating figure until he disappeared at the corner of the street.

“My baby, ” she whispered under her breath.

After her son ran outside, his laughter still echoing faintly in the lane, she closed the main door gently and walked toward her room. The house suddenly felt quieter and emptier without his constant chatter filling the walls.

She locked the bedroom door behind her, intending to change out of her saree before finishing the remaining chores. The night  breeze brushed against the curtains, making them sway softly.

For a second, everything was normal and peaceful. She reached for the pleats of her saree, and suddenly the lights went out.

Darkness swallowed the room whole.She froze in her place . “What happened to the light?” she murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.

She fumbled toward the switchboard, pressing the switches repeatedly. On. Off. On. Off.

Nothing Before she could step back.A sharp crackling sound pierced the silence. In the next instant, sparks burst from the switchboard, Fire.

It caught so suddenly that she didn’t even have time to react. Flames licked up the wall hungrily, spreading with terrifying speed.

She flinched backward, her breath hitching in shock. Her foot slipped against the smooth floor, and she lost her balance, falling hard.

The impact knocked the air out of her lungs. For a moment, she couldn’t even process what was happening, The crackling grew louder.

The flames began climbing the curtains, devouring the fabric greedily. Smoke thickened the air, burning her throat.

Her hands trembled as she tried to push herself up, but fear rooted her to the spot. “Akku” she whispered, her voice shaking.

He was outside, Alone.Panic surged through her veins like ice. “He must be scared,” she thought desperately.

Using all her strength, she forced herself to stand. The heat was unbearable now. The door.She rushed toward it, But her heart dropped. The wooden door had already caught fire. Flames crawled across it mercilessly, blocking her only escape.

“No” she breathed, stepping back in horror. The room was no longer a room. It was a cage of fire.

She turned around wildly, searching for another way, but everywhere she looked, the flames had begun to spread across the wardrobe, along the bed sheets, climbing the walls like living monsters. Smoke filled her lungs, making her cough violently.

Her eyes burned. Tears streamed down her cheeks not just from the smoke, but from fear. She screamed. “Help! Someone help!” But the walls swallowed her voice.

Outside, children’s laughter still echoed faintly in the lane.

“Akku” she cried, her voice breaking completely now. Her mind was no longer thinking about herself. 

“Maa! Maa! Maa!”

His voice tore through the evening air like something wounded. “Someone save my maa! Please! Please save her! She’s burning! Please!”

The six year old stood outside the house, his tiny body trembling violently.Through the bedroom window, he could see it. Fire swallowed the curtains.Smoke choking the air.And inside was ,His mother.

He ran toward the glass window, his small palms slamming against it desperately.

“Maa! Maa! I’m here!” he screamed, his voice cracking.He banged harder, The glass vibrated but didn’t break.

Inside, through the smoke and fire, he could see her silhouette collapsing to her knees. “Maa!” His scream turned into something raw, something broken.

He began hitting the glass with his fists over and over again, sobbing uncontrollably. His tiny knuckles bruised instantly, skin tearing against the hard surface.

Blood smeared across the glass.“Open the door, maa! Please come out!” he cried helplessly.

His chest heaved with every breath. Tears streamed down his flushed cheeks, mixing with sweat and ash in the air. His nose turned red, just like it always did when he cried but this time, there was no mother to wipe it gently with her saree pallu. He turned around wildly.

“Help! Please help!” he shouted at the empty lane. “My maa is inside! She’s burning! Please!” His voice cracked again and again.

He ran back to the window, slamming his fists again. The pain didn’t matter. The blood didn’t matter.

If something happened to her .He didn’t know a world without her.

“Maa!” he sobbed, pressing his forehead against the glass, as if he could somehow reach her through it. Inside, through the thick smoke, she lifted her head weakly.

His tiny body shook uncontrollably. “Maa please come out I’ll never ask to play again I promise I promise, maa” he cried, his words breaking into pieces. The flames roared louder, greedy and merciless.

He hit the window again with all his strength, a scream ripping out of him that no child should ever have to make.

His tear blurred eyes fell on something lying a few feet away.A big stone It was old and rough, half-buried in the mud near the gate.

He rushed toward it as if it were his last hope.If he could break the glass he could save her.He bent down and tried to lift it.It didn’t move.

He tried again, this time using both hands, his tiny fingers curling around its edges. The stone was heavy too heavy for his small, trembling arms.

He pulled with all his strength. His breath came out in shaky gasps. “Why why am I a kid?” he cried to himself, voice breaking under the weight of helplessness. “If I was a big boy like others I could lift this stone I could break the glass easily”

His chest hurt. His hands were already bruised, red and raw from hitting the window. “How will I save my maa?” he whispered, staring at the house that was now more fire than walls.

Flames leapt higher, glowing against the darkening sky. Smoke billowed out, thick and cruel.  he felt something dangerous creep into his heart. Hopelessness.But then ,Through his sobs, he remembered what his mother used to say “my baby is a strong boy”

She always said that when he fell while running. When he was scared of thunder. When he cried over scraped knees. “You’re my strong boy, Akku.”

His small jaw tightened, He wiped his tears roughly with the back of his bleeding hand.

“But I can’t lose hope,” he muttered, voice shaking but determined. “Maa says I am strong I can save my maa” .With a cry that was half sob, half roar, he tried again.

He gripped the stone with both hands and forced it upward. His arms trembled violently. The weight dragged against his strength, but somehow he managed to lift it halfway.

His face turned red with effort.Just a little more.Just a little ,But his hands slipped. The stone tilted.

His tiny body lost balance, and he fell backward onto the ground with a thud, landing in the wet mud near the roadside. The stone dropped beside him.

Pain shot through his knees and palms as they scraped harshly against the rough ground. Blood oozed slowly from the fresh wounds, mixing with mud And he cried.

“Maa” he sobbed helplessly, clutching his bleeding knees. “Maa it’s hurting”There was no one to blow on his wounds.No soft saree pallu to wipe his tears.No gentle voice calling him brave.

He lay there in the mud, soaked, bruised, trembling while the house behind him continued to burn mercilessly.

But even through the pain,Even through the blood and fear,His eyes turned back toward the flames,Because his mother was still inside.

And as long as she was inside,He couldn’t stop trying, He lay there in the mud, trembling, his small body shaking with sobs that refused to stop.

Every time he got hurt before it never lasted long, Because she would come.

She would scoop him up into her arms like he weighed nothing. She would sit him on her lap, blow gently over his wounds as if her breath itself carried magic. She would clean the blood carefully, scolding him softly for being careless while her fingers trembled more than his.

“ My Strong boy” she would tease, wiping his tears with her saree pallu.And then without fail, she would make his favorite dish.Just to see him smile again.

He pushed himself up slowly, mud clinging to his clothes, blood trickling down his tiny legs.

“I’m not strong” he whispered brokenly to himself. “I can’t even save my maa”Shame mixed with fear inside his little heart. He felt small. Useless. Angry at himself.

If only he had grown up faster,If only he were taller,If only he were braver.

He ran toward the door  but the entrance was swallowed in fire. The wooden frame crackled violently as pieces began to collapse.

Inside, her scream echoed again,His heart dropped.

“No no no” he chanted under his breath, shaking his head frantically as if denial could undo reality,He looked around wildly for help.

“Maa!” he cried again, his tiny voice battling against the roar of the flames.

His small legs trembled, but he didn’t stop.Through the thick glass window, blurred by soot and firelight, he saw her.She was on the floor.Coughing,Crying.

“Maa! Maa!” he screamed, pressing both palms against the glass.“I am coming, Maa! I will save you!”.But she couldn’t hear him.

The glass was thick. She looked so close,Yet impossibly far.

He hit the window again, his already bruised hands reopening, fresh blood smearing against the heated surface. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

“Maa” he sobbed, wiping his tears angrily with the back of his shaking hand. “I will save my maa. I will.” His voice carried desperation. 

He turned and ran out of the gate, bare feet slapping against the rough ground as he sprinted toward the road.

The street that had been filled with evening chatter was now eerily silent.Deserted and Dark.

Not a single person or a vehicle.

Just shadows stretching long under the faint streetlight that flickered weakly,He stopped in the middle of the road, panting heavily, chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Is someone here?” he screamed, his voice echoing into emptiness. “Someone help me! Please! My maa is burning! Please!”

His tiny voice bounced off the silent houses and disappeared into the night. There was no one here ,The world felt cruelly empty, But he couldn’t lose hope,He wouldn’t lose hope.

He screamed again, louder this time, throat straining,“Help! Please! Save my maa!”

His voice broke halfway,No one came.behind him the fire was slowly engulfing the house.  

Suddenly,Through his blurred vision, he saw it.A pair of headlights cutting through the darkness. Hope ignited inside him, Someone was finally here.

Without thinking, without measuring danger, without understanding the consequences he ran toward the middle of the road, waving his tiny arms desperately.

“Help! Please” horn blared and the Tyres screeched against the asphalt.

But it was too late,The car couldn’t stop in time,The impact was sudden.

His small body was thrown backward, landing hard on the cold road. The world spun violently around him before everything went blurred,His fingers twitched faintly. His chest rose weakly.

“M -maa” he whispered, barely audible.

“Maa” he breathed one last time, the word breaking softly from him.

And then,his eyes closed.