~ because once we take a step, it can not be taken back! Think before acting impuslively~

Abhimanyu was playing with the kids in the NGO he worked in. Two kids were going round and round around him and he was standing still so that neither of them gets disturbed. A small smile was there on his face as he watched the kids playing carefree of the world. Mrs. Khan, the caretaker of the orphangae and Abhi's teacher of islam, watched him instead of the kids but her face reflections a sad smile instead.

" Mam, why are you looking like that at him...?", A co worker asked and she gave him a small tight lipped smile.

"I am looking at the only genuine smile that lingers on his face, when he comes here for the shift. When I met him years before, he came to me to learn 'dua' and 'namaj', I was not sure about teaching him. But there was something in his eyes, some sort of guilt or anger or something that I couldnt read, it was like he was sailing in all the boats at once. He was angry with himself, with god, with everyone around him. But also all he was seeking was for love that everyone had abandoned him from. Something in him intrigued me to teach him whatever he wanted to. The desperation in him to talk to allah was so fascinating. But that was the day and today is a day, I have seen him punishing himself badly and today he stands just as a remembrance of his former self. I pray to allah daily to give this child his share of peace too...", Mrs khan spoke, a respect in her eyes lingering for Abhi and her colleague stood silent, trying to see what mrs khan had observed in that man.

Samiara on the other hand was preparing lunch. Zeera rice and mixed veg, an absurd combination but abhi's favourite. She knew that he won't eat them like he did before, with intrest and happiness. He will eat like he does now a days, to survive. But the friend samiara was she could not give up even one chance to see something that could remind her of the happy days they had shared.

" Abhi, kabir come down fast. Shaheen had made zeera rice and mix veg for us...", Roshni screamed from downstairs for the tow boys, busy with their play station.

"Zeera rice...",the childish exclaim of abhi reached their ears as both came running down to the dining table. Shaheen served them and everyone sat to eat.

"Bismillah...", Shaheen spoke almost inaudibly before they could start feasting and looking at her, the other four too offered their prayers. And then finally, abhi could attack on his favourite food. Samiara and roshni burst into laughter seeing her while shaheen made a face.

"Seriously abhi, we shouldn't eat like this. Don't just swallow. Atleast chew it properly...", Shaheen spoke with a disapproving look and abhi laughed at her.

"Haanji mummy ji...But at this point the taste is more important than the eating habits...", Abhi said teasing her and everyone laughed except shaheen. Roshni looked at the genuine laughter on abhi's face and she herself had a dreamy smile on her face. Samiara nudged her and both friends laughed which was more of roshni's blush..!

The doorbell brought her out of her reverie and she ran to open the door. There stood he. Her salvation. The only person who had managed to keep her sane throughout the torment of these past five to seven years. She smiled at him. A smile of relief. A smile of happiness. And he smiled back. A smile of positivity and confidence. But as he moved aside, her smile dropped. The person standing beside Neil took her breath away with the stone cold expression that lingered on her face.

"Aunty?", Samiara spoke frozen at the spot.

" Mrs sharma please come in...", Neil took the situation in control calling mrs sharma or to be specific roshni's mother in. It was he who told how they met at the airport and since samiara had shown him pictures of all her best friends and their immediate families, he did recognize her. It took him two hours to convince her and bring her here, to let them know about Roshni and Kabir's whereabouts. And now she was here, in front of them. Samaiara looked up at neil with misty eyes. How would she ever thank him for doing all those what he did for her. Today, after these many years, a hope had taken birth in her. A hope to reunite all of the them. All five of them. To see the smiling roshni. Shy kabir. Jovial abhi. Spiritual shaheen. And a content samaiara.

" Aunty, where is roshni?", Samaiara asked in broken words.

" Why, so that you can make her suffer more?", Mrs sharma retorted.

" Aunty please....", Samaiara begged with helplessness.

"Samaira", neil could not see his lady love in such despair.
The helplessness in her face and the despeartion in her eyes moved the stone hearted lady sitting in front of them.

" Roshni is no more alive...", Mrs sharma spoke with a cold tone but her eyes moistened too.
But that one sentence was enough to shatter the whole world for two persons- one who was sitting in front of her, samaira,who looked pale like a dead body and the other one standing behind them, at the door- Abhimanyu rathore, whose face showed nothing about the hurricane inside him. Instead, he turned and left the house, as quietly as he had entered. Silently. Alone. Away.

Samaiara on the other hand was numb listening the sentence.

" Aunty?", Neil said in horror seeing the pale look on samaiara's face.

"Well, if it relieves you, she is still breathing. But not alive...", Mrs sharma said sarcastically and samaira looked at her again, this time with hope.
And Mrs sharma went on to explain that how shaheen's departure and abhi's infidelity broke her down. She now stays at their mumbai home, with Kabir taking care of her, day and night. The love he had for roshni is still there and it's for his love that she is breathing. She stares at space whole day, None had heard the voice that let bells ringing for over five years. It's like just her body lies there, she is mentally somewhere else.
Samaira and neel both were shocked with the phase of truth but what samaira was worried more was abhi's reaction. She needed to tell him but she knew not how. The past that they had lived together was more than the sides of the coins they were seeing. And though roshni had suffered badly, samaira knew abhi better....

P.s: the next update onwards it will be past incidents and then as the past resurfaces, the present will resume.