*Forever : Love Or Friendship* [Part-12]

~"Some words are better left unsaid, because they then become the biggest regrets of our lives."~

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I went upstairs at almost 1:45. I didn't want her to wait. I couldn't wait to finally talk to her. I missed her presence so much in my life and now that she is around I sense something wrong. I hope my girl is fine. It seems as if her smile has faded. Her face without that million dollar smile was looking dull. I had to unlock that mystery. The clock was ticking. She still wasn't there. I just hoped that she hadn't forgotten about it. 

I just couldn't stop myself from looking at my watch. At around 2:25 I heard footsteps approaching the terrace gate. I knew it. She was late but the happiness inside me couldn't be controlled. I stood at the side of the wall so she couldn't see me. 

She came up and started looking around. Little did she know I was hiding at the other side. Her face was showing her anger. I heard her mutter something too. She looked so cute. The moonlight shone on her cute face and it was intensifying her beauty further.

And finally she was coming towards me. And as she approached I pulled her towards me. She was surprised. Her eyes suddenly widened. I was holding her tight. The moonlight was making our eyes look more brighter. She was about to say something when I just kept a finger on her lips. Her eyes showed some sort of restlessness. She wanted to say something. But before that I hugged her tight and whispered right into her ears, "I Missed You so much."

I waited for her to react but she didn't. I waited for her to tell me how much she missed me all this while but she didn't. All I got was a breath crushing hug and maybe it was enough. But her silence was somewhat pricking me to the core. 

All of a sudden she forced herself out my arms. 
And she said, "We need to stop Aryan. We don't have any future together. Even you know. Then why all this. These dreams of ours would never be fulfilled. So it's better we stop right here rather than getting more hurt in the future."
I could see tears brimming in her eyes. She was controlling herself.

I pushed her to the wall and kept my arms around her neck so that she couldn't escape. She closed her eyes. We could actually feel each other's cold breaths. All which was heard was the loud silence. 

I looked straight into her eyes and said,
"You would see and so would the world. We are meant to be, forever is our destination. I'm not giving up. And I even won't let you, no matter what you do. Do you hear that?"

And the distance between us decreased. I went closer and closer. And I whispered in her ears, "Stop being afraid of the world Saanvi. Over the years you would realize. But don't worry I'll still be here. I would love you always. Remember this."

And I was about to kiss her on her lips but then I planted a soft peck on her forehead just to tell her how much she means to me.

I wished her goodnight and went downstairs. I knew a tough battle lay ahead of me, but I was ready.

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Yes I was ready. They say right, when you love someone it's a constant battle against the world. And I was ready, I still am. 
I was surprised at how my life had become after that day.

*Forever : Love Or Friendship* [Part-11]

~"People say they are lost, lost in the darkness of the world, but the truth is they just want to be found by that one person who means the world to them."~

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Delhi brought a change in my life. A big change. College, then work back home and going to our Delhi office, it all used to keep me busy. I used to miss it back home. But somehow I had finally learnt about my priorities over the time and was now getting used to it. It had been almost 7 months that I had been home. With time my interactions with Saanvi decreased too. Maybe it was because of the distance or maybe it was that we both were getting used to our busy schedules. And somehow it was affecting me but everything was going on such a fast pace, I didn't know how to sort it out.

Finally I was going back home. I was both happy and sad about it.
Happy to go back home, undoubtedly do other place could give me that 'Homely' feeling than this place.
And sad because a lot of things had changed and had been changing with the course of time, and all I could do was nothing. I couldn't question that change because it is bound to happen. All I could do was move my life ahead. But surely I needed some answers.

Mom and dad used to be around me in Delhi. All those years I had always seen very less of both of them, it was like being compensated now. And how dad was helping me to learn the tactics and ways to handle business, I really loved that change.

I missed Di and Dadi a lot. They were so happy to see me. I had been with them almost all my life and now te sudden distance, it made me realize how both of these ladies have made me up for who I am today. 

And Saanvi, well, I didn't know. Yes, I do love her. But there was something in her that was making me restless. Either she was hiding something.
I guess there was something wrong with her and she just didn't discuss that with me yet. It's so typical of her, keeping things to herself. She won't tell you unless you force her to. I knew something was wrong with my girl. Her behaviour was showing it. I just hope she is alright.

It was great to get back home. In the evening, I saw Saanvi returning back from her college. I didn't mention to her the last time we talked about my coming back home. So it was a bit of surprise for her. 

She came towards me the moment she saw me. She was about to hug me but then something stopped her. Maybe because, everyone was around. She was getting prettier day by day. That kajal in her eyes was complementing her beautiful face. I could see some sort of tension in her eyes. No matter how much she tried to hide, I could always read what's going on just by looking into her eyes. And we talked for a while. Her face was giving a look as if she has been really tired. 
I wanted to hug her tight and tell her everything would be okay, whatever the problem is. 
But it was like she had built a wall up around her. It was as if her heart is a garden whose walls were up too high.

I knew something was really wrong. And I needed to know it. I waited for everyone to finish their dinners and get back to their rooms.

I passed on a paper slip to her, on which it was written,
"2 A.M. , our place, would be waiting for you.
Love,
Aryan."

*Forever : Love Or Friendship* [Part-10]

~"Distance, it can either break apart two hearts or either it can bring them so close that they can never even think of being apart, it has it two opposite sides."~

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It was decided. I was going to Delhi. Everything was set. I was going to study in one of the most prestigious colleges and mom and dad had been really happy with my score and my admission that they gifted me a luxurious apartment. I mean I really couldn't have had asked for more. I worked hard to achieve it all and when dad said I did better than he had expected, it was as if I got satisfaction and success from all the hard work I had put up.

Followed by my extreme happiness, was an uncanny sadness. Sadness of leaving my home, my family, my city and most of all Saanvi. She wouldn't be near me all the time. She got admission in a good college here in Mumbai only. I was happy for her and more than that she was happy for me and my achievement. 

She never showed me that she would be sad or she would miss me. All she said was I have a great life ahead, I just needed to be on the right track. I wish at that moment I could tell her that she is my path and whenever I will lose my way, she would be there, my guardian angel.

My last few days were busy packing and collecting stuff I would be needing there. Mom was with me. I got less time to spend with Saanvi. 
Damn!
I was gonna miss this girl so much. I wish I could marry her at this moment and make her mine officially and take her along with me. But I couldn't. I sometimes used to laugh at my helplessness.

Very often, we had some talks and she used to give hints how she was going to miss me and my presence.
My silly girl!
She never said that directly but the way she used to say it, I got what she meant. 
And she often teased me about now falling for any punjabi girl over there and that spark of jealousy for her, it used to make me fall for her more and more.

And before going, exactly one day before, I called her to *Our Place* which was near the water tank at the terrace of my house. It had been our place since we were little kids. It had our special memories, we were connected to it.

And when she came there, I wish I could have her with me, forever. I looked into her eyes as she tucked the strand of hair which was falling on her face.
How pretty she was!
And she finally confessed that she was going to miss me. And all I did was big her tight. It was like a breath crushing hug. We didn't want to let go of each other and I promised her to get back soon. 

And to my surprise she had brought a gift for me. It was a diary. She told me to pen down all my thoughts in that diary whenever I would miss her and make her read afterwards. And I promised to that and kissed her soft hands. 

I was going to miss her, badly! 

*Forever : Love Or Friendship* [Part-9]

~"Loving someone truly literally means giving away your soul. The problems, obstacles and the sacrifice all come your way and the strong ones stand tall till then end."~ 

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As Radhika Di promised me, she did talk to Saanvi. And being the more understanding and the practical one, she knew what Di meant and she totally agreed with her.

On the other side, even though I accepted this but I wasn't just happy about it. She would be near me all the time and its so hard to focus on anything. I was fussing about this idea all the way over to her. But she said we would still be the best of friends no matter what happens. The best part of our relationship was that more than that love, our friendship stood tall. She was and still is the bestest best friend i would have ever got. And I was so lucky. But my crazy heart was just not ready to accept this.

But she was calm and understanding. She knew I was not at all happy with what was happening. She made me understand. I wonder how I used to behave like a little child and she used to care for me in just the same way. And I just loved that.

With every passing day, no doubt I did miss her and the endless talks we used to have, but the thing was whenever I needed her she was always there. She never made me feel alone. She was always my pillar of strength, there to hold me whenever I needed her. 

And that time somehow passed. We were done with our board exams and were waiting for the result to be out soon.
My parents had plans to send me to Delhi. Saanvi was off to her village for some function in their family. I know she would be happy but still we would be separated for a while. That thought was pricking me. But I had her through thick and thin so I knew everything was going to be alright till the end.

Maybe our paths will change, maybe the distance would increase the distance between us, but this bond was going to stay the same, always, I was sure of it.

*Forever : Love Or Friendship* [Part-8]

~"When you love somebody, it isn't just your life anymore, it is attached with your partner, just as your soul is attached to its eternal mate."~

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"Only once in your life, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you.

When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around.

You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face.

In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do."

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I was deep in those thoughts. I was literally daydreaming. Saanvi was someone I had only dreamt of and now I had her for real. It was night time and I was really missing her. I wished to have her by my side right now but I knew it wasn't possible as she had gone to her village along with her family. But the best part was that she was about to come in another two days. And I couldn't just wait to see the love of my life after 20 days, long time it was for us.

For me, even a single day without her was quite impossible so 20 days were quite a mess. She was my saviour, the one I owed my life to. Maybe she wasn't as crazy as me but at times when she expressed her love for me, I felt as if I was the luckiest guy alive.

I felt a knock on my door.
It was Radhika di, there was something about her, her calm face and peaceful nature always brought me to ease. And she said she was there to discuss something serious with me.
My family wanted me to get a bit serious with life, well yea I was with Saanvi, but they wanted me to make a life apart from her. We had a big business empire, built by the extreme hardwork done by both my parents and they wanted me and Radhika di to join them. And Di was doing great, she was in one of the best colleges of Mumbai University and now the same was being expected from me.

They wanted me to keep a little bit of distance from Saanvi, to be with her but not to dwell in her so much that I lose everything else in life. Radhika Di promised that she would make Saanvi understand this because all this was just for a better future for me, my family and even for her. And I'm sure she would understand and make me understand it too.
I knew she would approve of this decision because out of both of us, she had always been the practical one and I was more of a dreamer.

And all I know was a little bit of sacrifice and a whole lifetime together. We could do it, together.

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I was wondering how time just flies away. Only yesterday was the time of our lives and now we had changed so much that our life had taken a different turn, maybe destiny or maybe it was all our deeds.

*Forever : Love Or Friendship* [Part-7]

~"Sometimes we want to freeze time, not just because the moment is perfect, but because we want to capture every little detail, even the minute ones, and store them inside us, forever."~

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She was a breath of fresh air. She really was. As I was walking down the streets of New York, seeing couples together, hand in hand, hugging each other, I got an urge to talk to her. I wish I could just run to her and take her in my arms, only a wish.

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Everything was set. I was literally jumping with excitement, I had done that all by myself and with a little help from Radhika Di. I was sure she was going to love it. Well Saanvi wasn't a romantic girl but at the end of the day even she had wishes which I was ready to fulfil.

As per the plan, I took her out making an excuse that it's our birthday so we needed to celebrate. She kept on asking what it was but I didn't tell her anything. All along the way she was curious to know and seeing the level of my excitement she was getting excited as well.

And finally we were there, at the cottage. The cool breeze blowing was playing with her hair. Her eyes were curious to know the surprise. And as a part of it, I blindfolded her. Her excitement level rose now and she held my hand. It was as if someone gave me an electric shock the moment she touched me with those soft fingers of hers.

I took her inside and opened the blindfold. She didn't leave my hand. And she was awestruck. She had no idea what was about to happen. She looked around her. Rose petals, balloons and some of her pictures on the wall, the decorations were perfect. She walked a few steps, still not leaving my hand.

A chocolate cake lit with a beautiful candle was waiting for her. And I stepped along with her and took her to the table. And she looked at me, that moment, I swear that moment was enough to give me the satisfaction of worldly happiness. And I made her cut the cake, still her hand was in mine. I wish to stay with her like that forever. I could sense her happiness as she was out of words. And we both made each other eat the cake.

"I don't know what to say Aryan. This is so special. Thanks a lot.", she said and hugged me tight. And I hugged her back, I wanted time to stop at the moment.

I brushed the hair off her face and our eyes were locked.

"I love you Saanvi.", and I held her tightly.

"Really Aryan? I mean how is this possible? I liked you all this while, really, how it be, you too?", she was so happy at the moment. The glitter in her eyes was beautiful.

I kept my hand on lips and said, "Ssshh! I know you do. And I do too. Calm down."

And she buried her head in my chest. She was resting in my arms and I could feel her breath. That was the moment I got a life with a meaning, the moment she held my hand. And I made a promise to myself, to love her till the end of time.

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I was so lost in those moments that I didn't realize I was standing in a busy street and the car on the other side was honking, since I don't know when, and I was there standing like a fool in the middle of the road. I apologised to the driver and moved on.

*Forever : Love Or Friendship?* [Part-6]

~"Some ties that bind us are simply impossible to explain. Some bonds defy distance, time and logic, because they are meant to be.
But are they meant to be, forever?"~

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And her smile that day, that smile was enough to ease the thousands of emotions jumping inside me, they needed to settle down, they wanted solace, and their solace was Saanvi. The more I went on with her, the better my life became. Every moment was no less than a magical spell.

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"Radhika di, di, listen, I need to talk to you. Something is really strange Di. I need to share it with you. Only you can understand.", I went in her room.

"Only I can understand your love for Saanvi? Really? Is it so?", she said.

"How do you know? I never even told you!", I was shocked.

"I'm your sister, i know you very well, i am noticing this from the past few days my dear brother.

And it felt so nice. Sharing everything with someone, everything that has been locked up inside you, your feelings. I was so glad I had such an understanding sister.

Days were passing And my feelings were getting stronger. I was sure of it. This was what love was. I was waiting for a day, a chance, when I could express my feelings. And according to Radhika Di's suggestion, I was waiting for my 17th birthday.

Everything was set up. Di helped with it. I planned a little surprise for her. I'm sure she was going to love it. I had my fingers crossed. I was going to take her to the little cottage my family owned in the outskirts of the city.

I went there a day before just to do all the decoration. It had to be special, more than special. It was our birthday and one of the most important days in our lives. It had to be way special.

I decided to put up rose petals on the floor along with balloons. Dim light with candle glow, a cake which I was going to bake for her, a scrap book of our memories together. It was time consuming, it was hard, but the very thought of her smile, and it was all to take my breath away. Radhika di helped me with the gift. I bought her a pretty black dress which I decided to give her before so she could wear that on our special day. The very thought of it was exciting me to the core. I couldn't think of anything else. Everything was going to change tomorrow, and I wanted tomorrow to come soon.

I wished her at 12. We both cut a small cake that Dadi got for us. And I was trying to hide my excitement but I couldn't. Everyone was nudging me about it but I didn't know what to say. And I gave her the gift and told her to be ready by 12 tomorrow. She asked about the plan, but I didn't spill the beans.

I just said, "Wait for it Saanvi. It's a surprise."

And she was excited about it, but more than her, I was.

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And indeed, it was such a good day of our lives. I still remember every single moment of that special day that belonged to us. 

*Forever : Love Or Friendship?* [Part-5]

~" We don't choose whom we fall for, we just do, at the most unexpected and twisted times of our lives, with that one person we never expected and suddenly our life starts to mould according to them."~

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With every passing day, as I was growing up to be a young teen, the seed of love of Saanvi was planted in my heart and having her close, right next to me was nurturing it further. She was a breath of fresh air. My best friend, my first crush, the one I love, the one that makes my heart skip a beat, even today.

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"Aryan, Aryan, where are you? Aryan?", the guy sitting right next to me was nudging me. Can't he see I'm a bit busy adoring Saanvi at the moment. But he didn't stop.

"What?", I furiously asked him.

"Dude? You alright? The teacher called your roll no twice and you didn't respond, you seem to be lost, smiling like an idiot sitting here. What's up?", he asked me.

"I was just wondering something. Nothing much."
I was kind of ashamed that I was so lost in my daydreams while the teacher had called me up twice. Such an embarrassment.

But she was Saanvi. My best friend, the one controlling my heart at this moment. Since the past few days I'm observing her in a different way. What the hell was wrong with me. I had no idea. But she was making me go crazy and I was liking every single moment of it. She didn't even have any idea, not even a bit, my innocent stupid would think I'm teasing her if I told her this. Umm, I should give her time. We would be perfect together. Yes! I was falling for her.

I saw her standing at a distance, her rosy cheeks.
Her black eyes.
Those silky hair.
Her attitude.
Her personality.
The way she is.
She is perfect.
Man! I'm falling for her.
So that's why they say the feeling of first crush is beautiful.

God! Now I'm smiling like an idiot. She is coming this way. She makes this whole world a better place to live. Her presence only makes it a whole new phase which I want to discover till the very end.
Her fragrance, it always lingers around me.
How can she be such a sweetheart!
She never fails to surprise me.

And someone slapped me on the head. I was lost, I didn't even realise.
It was Saanvi.

"Oye. Where are you lost? I am seeing you since the last 10 minutes and you are so lost, smiling like an insane guy. Idiot you are!", she said.

"Arey no. I was just thinking.", I smiled and replied.

"Looks like you are in love.", she said, she was teasing me.

And I froze. It was as if she read what all was going inside me. Did she knew it?
Does she feel the same?
A thousands questions started creeping up inside me. A vague happiness filled me up. Oh god! Help me.

"Nai. Pagal hai. Me, me, me aaannd love?", I was stammering.

"Chill na. I was pulling your leg. Chal let's go I need to get this file.", she pulled me along.

She asked me why I was stammering but then we brushed off the topic.
I was so happy being next to her, always. But I had to tell someone about this.
Radhika Di, she was the only person I could trust. My guardian angel, she could help me out.

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Those memories of my teenage were really innocent. I guess that's what happens when you fall for someone like her. 

*Forever : Love Or Friendship?* [Part-4]

~"There are times when nobody understands us, not even a bit of what we feel inside, all the sadness accumulates inside, and all we get is dejection."

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I remember growing up without my parents. They were always busy in making money. But with passing time I was used to it, and so was Radhika Di. But somehow they had a control on us.

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Radhika Di had called me up and told me that mom dad are going to come back home. But I wasn't willing to leave Saanvi alone in that condition. She was conscious and a bit better but still leaving her like that was something which I didn't want to do. Mom and dad usually used to come after 10, whenever they did, so I thought it would be safe to go somewhat around 9. I didn't want to, but I had to.

But that day, they had come up early and they were quite angry at me for being at the hospital while I should be at home. Dadi and Di knew it because they knew about me and Saanvi's bond. But mom and dad were quite reluctant over it.

The moment I reached home, I found my mom angry. She was screaming about how nobody is taking care of me back home. It was quite funny though how she and dad were never around and still wanted things their way. I knew trouble was on its way.
And when I stepped inside her room, she said, "Here comes Aryan."

I was scolded a lot that day. My parents were not liking my friendship with Saanvi. It came as a shock for me. Shouldn't they be happy seeing their son growing confident from a loner who used to suck big time. But no! Mom wasn't ready to listen.

All I got to hear was,
"She would take advantage of you son, be careful."
"It's your study time, not time to go pass time in some hospital where you might get sick as well."
"If you want to waste time, why don't you go out with Radhika."
"Don't you understand what your priorities are."
"We don't want you to disgrace the name of our family son."

Well at some point mom was right. I was sacrificing my studies but I somehow managed to cover them well on time. And they always used to think Saanvi as someone who was selfish whereas she wasn't. It wasn't even their fault. They had never been around much so they had never seen us and our bonding. So there was no point arguing over that matter.

Moreover, mom and dad were about to leave soon because of our major business portion was being shifted to Delhi. I tried to explain how close we were. She agreed to me somehow, but on the other hand she told Radhika Di to keep an eye on me and my studies. Radhika Di was someone who I adored completely. Even today she is my pillar of support.

With passing days, mom used to come back frequently. She was worried for me. But seeing me doing good, she was relieved.

And after three weeks Saanvi was finally coming back home. She was all fine now. My happiness knew no bounds. I was a different kind of excited. Things were great, having her back home was great.

After some days, mom was back home and I had gone to the mandir with Radhika Di and Dadi. When I came back, I saw Saanvi standing in mom's room and she was saying something to her. I crept near to the door and tried to listen what she was talking about. All I could make out was that mom was telling her how sensitive I was and how I had never had good friends, and knowing about her friendship, mom wanted her not to hurt me, ever. She made her promise that. Saanvi never mentioned about it to me, neither did mom. Neither did any one of them had any idea that I knew. I was happy that mom was understanding me, finally.

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And she was my Saanvi. How could she ever hurt me. That was all I had in my mind and a smile lit up my face.

*Forever : Love Or Friendship* [Part-3]

~"The innocence of life is lost when we enter teenage, they say. But I think it is one of the most beautiful periods of life, it is actually the time when we rise or fall, and we make our own identity."~

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I was seeing those pictures, that took me back to the time. Eyes full of tears, thousand unanswered questions inside me and I still smiled, because all that meant a lot for me. Saanvi meant a lot for me. And a photograph of both of us, where I looked like a guy in his growing up stage and Saanvi was still looking like a cute child, with her big smile. She looked weak in that photograph, because it was taken a few days after she just came back from the hospital.

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We were growing up, we were getting closer day by day. School, tuitions and back home, we were together for almost all the time. I liked sharing stuff with her. And I liked how she helped me.

I was often the targets of the bullies, as I was someone who would get suppressed easily and would be the victim. With passing time, Saanvi pulled me out of it. Very bravely, she took a stand for me. If someone tried to say something against me, she turned to be like a wild animal, ready to tear off flesh. She often fought with our classmates and then there came a time nobody said a word to me.

I used to feel great. She made me stronger and made me believe there is someone who would be always standing by my side.

But when we turned 14, I don't exactly remember what happened, but she was growing weaker day by day. She would often faint and her fever won't go. It had been 6 days. Dadi told Pandey Ji to take her to the nearest hospital. Pandey Ji didn't have that amount of money, so Dadi told him to take her to the best doctor and she would take care of the rest.

We got to know that she was suffering from malaria and she had to get admitted. I was more than worried for her. I was in tears seeing her getting injected, her body lay connected to machines and she lay lifeless. It all made me cry seeing this condition of hers.

I would often spend most of the time in the hospital near her. She was getting better and it was a sign of relief. I got Radhika Di's call. She told me mom dad were coming back home from their business trip, and she wanted me to come back home. But I wasn't ready to leave Saanvi alone.

I remember going back home by 9 that day and mom and dad were seeing me after almost a month.

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My thoughts were playing games with me. What all had happened in my life, I still couldn't figure it out. Was it my fight with destiny? Or was it something which was bound to happen.

*Forever : Love Or Friendship?* [Part-2]

~"No matter how much we move on or try to move on, a part of us is always stuck there, stuck in memories and stuck in the moments we want to replay."

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My thoughts took me back to the days I had left long back, because there was no point left to dwell in them and make my life more miserable. I had already had my share, and hers as well.

Memories often tend to play games with us, and my memories took me back to my 11th birthday. The first time I saw her, I turned 11 that day, and I didn't know it was her birthday too. All I knew was Pandey Ji, who had been serving our family since the last 17 years, who was more of like a family member to us now, was coming back from his village and was bringing his family along too. With mom and dad always busy with business trips and meetings, Dadi, Radhika Di and Pandey Ji were the people I usually saw around me and he often told me about his family back in the village and he never forgot to mention his daughter who was of the same age as me. Saavi, Saani, Anvi,What was her name.

I was about to cut the cake, that was when Dadi said, "Wait Aryan beta. It's Pandey Ji's daughter's birthday as well today. Why don't you share this cake with her?"

Pandey Ji's face lit up. I was a bit reluctant to share my cake with someone but Pandey Ji had already told her to come forward and cut the cake with me. He said, "Saanvi Beta, go near Aryan Baba. You both share the same birthday.

A short girl with big black eyes, hair tied into two ponytails, wearing a pink frock took baby steps towards me. And I was there not willing to share my cake, infact with that girl, I finally got to know her name, Saanvi it was.

She came and said, "Aryan Baba, Happy Birthday to you", and extended her hand to shake hands with me.

And I said, "Same to you. Isn't it funny saying Same to you when someone says Happy Birthday."

And she giggled.

And I remember cutting the cake with her. And Dadi told me that she would now be studying in my class and I need to help her out with stuff. And she told her not to call me Aryan Baba, and just Aryan instead. I had been quite a loner when it came to friends. So I was happy that now I would have someone to share everything with, including my birthday.
I was happy that I had Saanvi.

With the sharing of birthday and sharing the same class, we started sharing a beautiful bond of friendship.
And we'd say
"Saanvi + Aryan = Friends Forever."

__________________________

Tears were trickling down my face. I turned on my laptop. It had me and Saanvi, our pictures, our childhood and our teenage and everything. I saw that picture clicked on our 11th birthday. It had me, Saanvi, Dadi and Radhika Di. I controlled myself. Time took me back to those days.
Saanvi and me, friends forever, our friendship was meant to be and we both were there, for-ever.

*Forever : Love Or Friendship?* [Part-1]

~"Sometimes we build walls around us because there is no more left for us to get hurt, all of it inside us has been destroyed, completely."~

___________________________

Aryan
New York, U.S.A.

I stood there in the balcony of my hotel room, facing the afternoon busy life of New York City. The fast pacing life, tall skyscrapers, it was as if they were symbolising my life. My ever busy and fast moving life, and all the efforts I had put in to reach the heights, and now I was there and I totally deserved it. The multi cultured people filling up the streets, buzzing here and there, what the other one is upto, seems quite insignificant to the other, exactly like me. I wasn't even bothered about anyone else and what they were upto, except my family. I had changed over time. The old monuments and famous museums of the city, they held secrets, the same way I had buried up the secrets of my life all inside me. And when the dark night sky takes over the sun, still the city never sleeps, just like the thoughts that have captured my mind, no matter what happens, they are all stuck there, right there, often at nights they overpower me. The morning sun, welcoming a new day, and for me it was like welcoming another challenge, many new challenges and the old ones that often come up every now and then. The sounds coming from every corner, it all comes to me as something I need to conquer yet.

Mystery, that's how my sister describes my life. And all that I do is, laugh it off as a joke. But inside, every part of me knows what the truth holds for me.

I was so lost in my thoughts, just when my phone started ringing. The number on the caller ID showed that it was from India. It was 2:30 in the afternoon here, why the heck is somebody calling me up, while it is 12 at night back home.

I answered the call.

"Happy birthday Aryan. It's your day today. Many many happy returns of the day. Congratulations.", that's what she said.

It was Namya, the girl my parents want me to get married to and I often tend to change the topic.
And I had totally forgotten its my birthday. And I didn't want to be reminded of this day.

"Thankyou Namya. That's really sweet of you to wish me exactly at 12 according to Indian time.", that was all I said.

"You are welcome Aryan. And how long is your business trip? Come back soon. Everyone is missing you here.", she said.

"Just a couple of days left", I said hiding the truth.

And soon after that, I got a call from my family and a few close contacts, and all of them had the same thing to say, "It's your birthday Aryan. Come back home."

"My Birthday", the day I hated the most. I sometimes wish that there where just 364 days and this day should have been eliminated. Everyone wants me back home. But I wish I could tell them my meetings were over, two days back, I just didn't want to go back and see everyone celebrating my birthday. This day, I didn't need any wishes, any gifts or people wishing for me to live long, this day I needed some time alone, far from everything else. I totally understand that my friends and family want to be with me on this day, because they think its a special day for me. But then, this day, it's better to leave me and my sane thoughts alone.

This very day, the worst day of the year, when everything comes back to me again, it often does, but on this day, it affects me a lot more than other days.
When everything buried inside me, makes a way to the surface, why would I celebrate, I'd rather sit back, play with my thoughts, find a way to counter them. And then sometimes I feel I have taken over them, but I'm a fool to think like that!
And with every passing year, this day haunts me more and more.