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"Arnav, do you remember her?"

"I do... Her face may not be clear anymore but memories spent with her are always with me." He tightened his arms around me.We were still in the cemetery. The silence was peaceful. I was wrapped in his arms and I liked it. It was perfect and comforting to rest my head on his kind heart.

"I wish I could have met her, the woman who gave birth to a genius and not to mention an arrogant fool" I smirked. I was teasing him to lighten up the mood.

He pulled me back to look at my face. His raised his eyebrows in mockery. "Oh! Genius and Arrogant fool in the same sentence. Someone wants to be punished" His face suddenly changed into an evil grin.

I looked at him scared." wha-" I couldn't complete the sentence as I was bombarded with tickle attack. I had a bad case of tickling.

"Aahh! Sto-op!"

"Nope! This is your punishment miss Aesha" Arnav was too laughing.

"Pl-pleasse!"

He didn't hear my plea and continued ticking. In order to stop him, I grabbed his shirt and suddenly the mixture of mine tickle reaction and action made us both fall down on the grass.

He was right on top of me. The tickle war forgotten and we were closer than ever. His eyes solely focused on mine, so did mine on his. The cool air of cemetery had no effect against our warm breath against each other. His eyes flickered towards something else and he leaned closer, eliminating the little space we had.

I wanted to see in the depth of his eyes but my eyes betrayed me as they closed on its own. Few seconds passed,the moment was like from any romance book except the books didn't have my all the time except now dearest Cell phone.

The sound of cell phone startled us, pulling us apart. Arnav looked here and there, avoiding my eyes. I stumbled around to grab my phone that was placed forgotten on the soil.

I looked at the caller id. I was a little disoriented from our recent event. It was Nina calling.

I slide the answer option and placed the phone on my ears.

"H-h" I cleared my throat "Hey Nina"

"Aesha, where are you?" She asked a little tensed.

"I am with Arnav, what happened?" I asked, now alert.

"Actually, Dee called and they are worried about you. Its really late now and your phone was out of reach. I told them that we just got busy in talking and you were just leaving my house. I am so relieved that your phone worked." She explained

"Thank you, Nina. Don't worry, I will be going back now." I assured her. She was the best friend ever.

"Okay. Sorry to disturb you, love birds" She giggled and disconnected the phone. Okay, she was the worst friend ever. I blushed remembering what happened.

I looked at Arnav. He was already standing. He took a breath and then stared at me.

"I-I have to go"

He nodded. He held out his hand and pulled me up. He didn't leave my hand till we reach the car. I guess we were one step more closer.

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It was Thursday and all our family members including Papa were coming back to our house to attend the engagement ceremony tomorrow. Even though the situation were not right but we still proceeded with the ceremony. It would cheer everyone and let everyone focus on something else for now.

I knew my Dadu will be too happy to see Sonal dee's marriage. He always said he wanted to meet his grand daughter's better half. I was not in any way prepared to meet him but I knew only time could tell. I wasn't going to make him sad.

I couldn't sleep properly last night due to my brain overworking. So I had a terrible headache and I decided to not go to school today. I had already called Nina and asked her to inform my teacher. My teacher knew about my Dee's engagement so I wouldn't be in much trouble.

I decided to call Arnav and inform him too.

After a ring or two, he picked up.

"Hey" He greeted before I could.

"Hi" I replied my voice was a little unclear.

"Are you not coming to school today?" He asked. I wondered how he could read my mind?

"Yes, but how did you know?"

"I guessed. If you had something to say then you would have preferred to talk face to face rather than on phone. I have come to know a lot about you Aesha." How sweet! I smiled.

"Yes, thats correct. I couldn't sleep last night and so I am with a headache now."

"Were you thinking about me, Miss Aesha?" My eyes widened in shock. Was this really Arnav?

"Wh-what?"

His laughed boomed across the phone.

"Who are you and what you did to my Arnav?" I demanded.

He stopped laughing and took a breath.

"So, my Arnav... Huh?" He spoke seriously or was he teasing again?

I blushed.

"Umm... I will see you tomorrow at Dee's party. You must be getting late for school. Bye" I spoke with a speed of bullet train and disconnected the call without waiting for his reply.

What a dumbo I was! No matter whatever fantasy I had in my mind, I shouldn't tell him that. Pagli Aesha!

I chose to spend rest of my time with my Dee and maa. We were checking for the last time about the arrangements.

Dee was choosing a necklace to match with her saree for tomorrow. The Saree was so beautiful. It was purple coloured with golden print on it. She chose traditional rather than fancy.

Maa was helping Dee in it.

"What do you think?" Dee showed a pearl necklace to me.

"Its nice but doesn't match with the Saree."

"I guess I will choose something from the gold ones." My dee loved to dress up on occasions and it was her day after all.

"I acted so brave but right now, I am dreading the moment when they will arrive. I don't know what to say first!" I exclaimed.

Dee looked at me and maa sighed.

"We too don't know Ashu. Guess we will know when the time comes." Dee sighed.

"No matter what we will not let him be sad and I know my princesses are amazing at that." Maa smiled.

"Arnav said that too. He said to fill Dadu's life with happiness." I whispered.

"Poor boy! Life showed him a lot at so young." Maa's words had motherly love. She had come to feel motherly towards Arnav. I wanted Arnav to have love of everyone that he deserves.

After an hour or two, the door bell finally rang increasing my heart beat ten thousand times.

"They are here" I whispered afraid. How amusing it was that I was afraid to meet those people that I loved.

Maa and Dee got up and went out to open the door. I was still siting on the best like a statue.

"Aesha, come on" I looked up to find dee back in the room.

It was time for me to put on the brave and smiling face. To act like nothing was wrong. It was time prove my words.

I stood up and followed dee downstairs.

Dhak-dhak-dhak-dhak...

The sound of my heart beat could deafen the neighborhood. Each step I took was thousand times difficult.

Finally we were in the room and there he was, looking like the same old man that I looked up to. I realised at that moment, how silly I was to be afraid. He was the same person, cancer or not. The man smiling at everyone was Dadu. He was my Dadu.

As if he felt our presence, he turned to our dircetion.

"Chotu...Sona..." He smiled the biggest he could. There were glistening tears in his eyes. Same was with my Dadi.

"Dadu!..." Sonal dee and me shouted at the same time. We ran together to his waiting arms and hugged him out of his breath. He lovingly put his hands on both of our heads.

We pulled back to look at his face.

"My girls have grown up" There was some deeper meaning than we could interpret.

"Did you think they will always be little girls whom you could carry on your shoulder?" It was my dadi who teased her.

"Dadi!" We both hugged her and took their blessings.

We took everyone's blessings. It was like we had a small party going on.

I went back to my Dadu and hugged him again."I will always be your little girl Dadu." I whispered but apparently everyone heard it.

A single tear slipped out of his eyes. The man whom I had never seen cry or being afraid. A man who was like a brave hero. I couldn't see him like this.

"Don't cry, dadu" I whispered and wiped his tear.

"I am so happy that my Chotu has turned to be such a smart and kind girl." I knew he was covering up. He was afraid to not be a part of his little girl's future.

Chotu was a pet name given by my Dadu to me. He loved to call me that.

I remember when my younger cousin was born, I asked my Dadu that will he stop calling me Chotu since now I wasn't the youngest. He replied to me that I will always be his Chotu.

"After all I am your grand daughter!" I tried to cheer up him and everyone. It worked and everyone was smiling.

"Do we have to visit you next year since you are so busy?" I turned to look at the person. She was smiling with a teasing glint.

"Neha bhabi!" I realised that she had just entered and took blessings of my maa followed by Rishi bhaya and the bacha party.

I went forward and engulfed her in a warm hug. She was such a sweet sister in law.

"How have you been, Aesha?" She asked while still holding my hands.

"I am good. How about you?" I leaned forward and whispered slowly "when are you going to make me bua?"

"Aesha!" She exclaimed and turned red. As a matter of fact, I failed in being secretive cause everyone was laughing too hard at my words and bhabi's expression.

"Don't tease my wife, chuhiya" Rishi bhaya said while messing up my hair. I try to dodge him but failed.

"Bandar!" I pulled my tongue out to tease him.

And then he started to chase me like Tom and Jerry. Soon my two little cousins followed. My nine year old little sister Navya and two year old little brother Vyan. My chacha and chachi were a little filmy while naming them. Their name should rhime like officially announcing that they are siblings.

While Drishti didi, Rishi bhaya's sister was catching up with Sonal Dee. The two were like best friends and I guess the responsible ones among all of us children.

"Okay, Children! Stop this Tom and Jerry show and lets go for lunch." Badi maa, Rishi bhaya's mother announced.

"Aye-aye, captain!" We all together sang. The elders shook their heads while my grandparents laughed at us silly. Neha bhabi was embarrased at the way Rishi bhaya was behaving like a five year old.

How easy it was to forget all the pain for the moment! It was like we were in a fairy tale with a happily ever after. There were no problems, no stress but the truth was far away from it. It was like a mask we were wearing to hide away from the pain.

No one was ready to discuss about deadly upcomings. It was better to enjoy the present rather than living in fear of future. You cannot predict your future but you can secure your present now.

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The awesome professional looking cover is made by my chutki sis Krazy_Kiran to mark the cross of 50K reads but you my lovely friends have made this story cross 56K. I am so thankfull to all. Thank you to my new fans and readers.

My laptop's hard disk had some problem so I had to replace it which means everything from the start. My laptop's not fully ready so I wrote half of the chapter from phone.

Please help!

*****curious question*****

If I ever publish this book, would you buy it? Even if you have read it?

So friends, do you like happy endings with no sequel or endings that lead to a sequel?

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