~ The only emotion that make you the happiest and saddest, together, is Love! Unadulterated, deep, Sacred Love!~

A few more days passed, the air around them getting thicker, with love starting to make its place in their fragile hearts. Neither of them had outrageously realized it, nor were literally aware of it, but the initial seeds had been sown.

Kabir was sitting in his room, head drowned in the text books, since the board exams were around the corner. It was nearly midnight and he had started to feel sleepy, when he felt a comforting hand over his head. He turned to find his mother standing with a mug of coffee.

" Mom?", He rubbed his eyes, when Jahnvi Malhotra smiled at him, and settled beside him on the chair. She saw he was stuck on some maths question.

" Stuck?", She raised her eyebrows and Kabir nodded, pouting at her. Jahnvi could feel tears stinging her eyes, at the fact that her son was coming back to her, slowly but steadily. In the heat of arguments and blames between her husband and her, she had failed to notice how it had taken away their only son from them, that her teenage son had to grow up so much before age just because of them.

She lovingly patted his head, as she helped him solve it. The smile on Kabir's face, was a precious moment of joy for her. She was about to leave, when she felt Kabir's hand clasped around her wrist.

" Maa? I am sorry for my earlier behaviour!", Kabir confessed, and Jahnvi turned only to kiss his forehead.

" Maa is sorry too beta, for not being there for you, when you needed me the most!", She hugged her dear son, who reciprocated, tears flowing down both their eyes.

" By the way, this sudden change in you? Is it because of that girl, who came that day with your notebook?", Jahnvi teased, and when she saw his eyes dilating like saucers in surprise she could only chuckle.

" Maa! How do you know?", He exclaimed, only to earn some more laughter from his mother.

" Does that mean I am right?", She asked again, tilting his chin, and she could see him blush a little. The fact that Kabir was finally getting to see what a normal life could be, made her heart swell in joy!

" I don't know Maa, all i understand that Roshni is important to me", Kabir sighed, sitting down, glad he had someone to talk to about his confusing feelings.

Jahnvi sat down too, and kept her hand over his head, ruffling his hairs.

" If she makes you this happy, if she is able to help you differentiate between right and wrong, and if you feel like you want to keep her happy, all your life, don't let her go!", She explained, and Kabir was surprised to see her so open and accepting about his thoughts.

" I won't, ever!", He promised, and Jahnvi smiled again, before getting up to leave.

" By the way, I like the name, Roshni! The light in my son's life", she teased again, before running out, leaving a happy, blushing Kabir behind.

Maybe, life could be happy for him too.

--------

Roshni sat with her dairy, scribbling like she did every night, when her phone beeped with a text message.

" Goodnight Sunshine!".

She chuckled at this nick name Kabir had given her, before replying him back. The last few months had been quite liberating for her, as she found a very good friend in Kabir. Not that they weren't good friends before, but this increasing level of comfort, the way she could cry and speak her heart out to him, the way he would do anything to make her smile, all these was new, and at the same time, liberating.

How good does it feel to have one such friend who would do anything for one upward curve on your face?

And then, there was Abhi! Roshni didn't even remember how long she had been crushing on him and past few weeks, she finally felt like he gave her attention too, in the way she would want. Her heart always raced when they bumped into each other, or when he stared at her in the canteen. She loved it when he asked her what would she like to have, or when he helped her with homework. It was always exciting to be around him, and it was something she looked forward to every day. Also, that was the only thing she still hadn't told Kabir, but she was pretty sure she would tell him soon. She was just waiting for the boards to finish, so that they could all meet like before, and have fun.

Thinking about all that, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breaths but opened them in a jerk! Why the hell instead of Abhi's smirking face, she was imagining Kabir's loopsided smile? She shook her head, to clear her thoughts.

Only, if she knew what storm her confused feelings were about to cause.

----------

Samaira and Shaheen were studying together, at Samaira's flat. They were supposed to finish three chapters before midnight, but first time in history, Samaira was studying faster than Shaheen, for Shaheen was lost somewhere, in a world of her own, the feeling of helplessness etched all over her face.

" Shaheen? What is wrong?", Sam asked, clearly worried. Shaheen looked up, tears clearly visible in her eyes. She could not hold on to this anymore.

" Will you miss me, if I have yo go away?", Shaheen asked, and it was enough to drain the color off Sam's face.

Loosing Shaheen would mean loosing life, for Shaheen was the force that kept all of them grounded, together! She was the mother hen, she was their go to person, she was the one all four of them respected.

" What? Where do you think you will go, without us, without me?", Sam's voice was at the edge, shocked and scared.

" I am turning eighteen Samaira in two months. The orphanage doesn't keep children over eighteen with them-", she hesitated for a minute, before looking up at Sam who was listening intently.

"- That's why, Mrs. Khan, applied for a
B.Ed for me in Lahore, under Muslim quota, and if I score more than 90% in boards, I will be selected to go enroll there".

Stunned silence welcomed them, before the sassy Samaira started to cry, and an already teary eyed Shaheen hugged to console her best friend.

" You promised me you won't leave me, like my parents did!", Sam cried out loud, and Shaheen looked down. It wasn't like she wanted to go, but right then, she didn't have an option.

" Sam, you know I don't have a place to go after-", she tried to explain when Sam cut her off.

" Yes you do, move in here with me!", Sam spoke, taking Shaheen by surprise.

" Shaheen the only thing my parents do is flood my bank account with money, Maybe as a compensation for leaving me behind. Shift in here with me, college can be managed here also. If it hurts your self respect that much, repay me after you are settled in Life, but please, don't go. Don't leave me alone again", Sam started crying harder, almost begging Shaheen who was weeping equally bad.

" Don't leave me alone again Shaheen, I only have you guys. Please", Shaheen hugged Sam, holding her close, a dilemma in her head. She could not decide what way to choose. But then, she had two more months, until the boards finished and results came out, so she decided to think upon it.

She promised Sam to look into it once, and discuss her suggestion with Mrs. Khan. Sam calmed down at that, though didn't really smile back. The thought that Shaheen might go away had shook her inside.

Even though you are a group together, you are always tend to be closer to one person, who looks at you like a mirror and for Samaira, it was Shaheen. Sam was the brave, strong, sassy girl for others, her vulnerable side was for Shaheen, and that's why loosing her felt like she was about to loose her life, which she didn't want to, at any cost.

But then, when destiny intervenes, some decisions are not in our hand anymore.

----------

The same night, Abhi was lying on his mother's lap, as he animatedly told her his life plans, how we would be the next big name in the Bollywood fraternity while his mother,  Mrs. Shweta Rathore, kept on laughing at him and with him.

" Alright, but what would your friends do without you then? I will adopt Kabir if you go away!", She teased, only to make Abhi laugh out loud at her mother.

" You have already adopted him Maa, minus the legal procedures!", He teased back, and Shweta chuckled at his expressions. She was proud of her son, who was always so empathetic about everyone, especially Kabir. He loved him like his own brother.

" But Maa you know I am so happy to see Kabir opening up to his parents!", He smiled content, and Shweta kissed his forehead.

" I can see that! I wish that boy all the happiness in the world!", She gushed, and Abhi turned in her lap, to look at her.

" Me too. He has seen so much in life Maa, I wish I could give him even my shares of love and happiness too!", Abhi sighed, not gauging the sentence he said would one day, come true, in the worst possible way!

" How are the girls though?", Shweta aksed again, and this time Abhi shrugged.

" Don't ask me. All are too busy. Shaheen I understand, she has always been so studious, but even Sam is not replying to my messages today! And I didn't get to see Roshni for three days straight!", He continued to blabber, until his mother twisted his right ear, making him yelp in pain!

" When did this happen? You didn't tell me even!", She chided him, playfully and Abhi laughed.

" Nothing happened to tell you. I just think, I like her!", He bit his tongue, as his mother pulled his cheeks, making him yelp again!

" Maa!"

" What Maa! I am supposed to celebrate! My son is in Love!", Shweta shrieked, making Abhi stop in his tracks.

" Love? You really think it's love?", He asked his mom, who smiled at the innocently confused Expressions on his face.

" This excitement to see her, the crazy beating of your heart, this stupid smile at the mention of her name- all these are the signs of Loooveeee", his mother almost sang to tease him, who blushed at her comments!

" Mom!", He chided her sitting up!

" Kuch to hua hai, kuch ho gya hai", Shweta Rathore sang as she exited his room, singing and teasing her son, who was experiencing the first drops of love!

Only if she knew life was going to be the toughest for him!