♔ Aarav ♔

My birthday is not something I normally like to celebrate. I put up with everything my family does on the way because I can't say no to them but it is a day I do not much care to remember. It only serves as a reminder.

Arshiya knocks on the door before entering my room. I glance at her through the mirror at the scandalous nature of the dress she is wearing. Not only is it inches over her thigh, it is also too tight with a low neck.

I make my attempt of scolding, "One of these days, I am going to destroy your wardrobe."

She laughs taking me lightly. "You always say that but never do."

"I mean it this time," I grumble and forward my hand for her to button my cufflinks of this button-up shirt. She walks over in her heels to do them for me. it's just so much easier to have someone else do it. It takes longer when I try to do it with one hand. "Is Annie here?"

"No," she blinks up, "She's not coming. Didn't she tell you?"

This time, I laugh for that was ridiculous. She would never miss my birthday. "Now who is lying?"

I take out my phone from back pocket and speed-dial her number. After the fourth ring when she doesn't answer, I cut the call and redial with my forehead crinkled. It was rare for her to let her phone go past that.

Arshiya moves my phone from one ear to the next so she can button up the other hand.

The call is answered this time and Annie greets almost sounding out of breath, "Aarav. Hi!"

I scold, "Don't you hi me. Where are you? Why aren't you here yet?"

"Didn't anyone tell you? I'm busy with work. I'm not coming, sorry."

I turn away from Arshiya blinking a thank you to her. "What do you mean you're not coming? It's a joke, right? To surprise me later?"

I hear her sigh and Arshiya taps my shoulder the same time to get my attention and motion for me to come downstairs soon. Annie replies, "No surprise, Aarav. I'm really not coming. I'm sorry." Before I could come to accept that, there is disturbance behind her and she ends the call in a rush, "Listen, I have to go. I'll call you later. Bye."

I stare at my phone screen as if it were an alien. Did she just say she wasn't coming? And ended the call as such? And didn't wish me either?

Who is this girl and what has she done to Annie?

No matter where she is, she never misses my birthday. She knows I don't much like the day or the celebrations. She's the one who gets me through the day and the only reason I'll stay through till the end of the celebrations in the evening would be because she'd be there.

Without her... I did not even feel right going anywhere out of my room.

Khushi yells out from downstairs, "Kid, get down here already! You're taking longer than Lavanya to get ready."

Lavanya defends, "I do not!"

I swallow this uneasiness I feel and put away my phone in back pocket before forcing myself to join my family, though with a piece of myself missing.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

-Thirteenth birthday-

Annie ran inside my room jumping on the bed where I was and excitedly informed, "Get up. Everyone's waiting downstairs."

"I don't want to."

She pulled the blankets off my face and I tried to glare at her but she was in her own world, "Get up! I want cake."

"Annie, I don't want to celebrate my birthday. Now leave me alone, please." I pulled the blanket over my face again hoping she would leave. I did not want her to see me cry. When I didn't hear anything for the longest minute, I thought she had left.

But then the bed shifted and lifting the blanket, she got inside pulling it over her head too. "What's wrong, Aarav? Look, we're under the blanket. Like in our own world. No one can hear us. You can tell me anything."

As much as I was fighting my emotions, I felt like laughing at her innocent statement. Only because we couldn't see past the blanket didn't mean the world ceased to exist.

When I didn't answer, she started guessing. "Is this because Arnie isn't really your dad?"

My head snapped sideways to her, "How do you know that?"

She lowered her voice to whisper as if it were a secret, "I overheard them talking in the morning. Shh." I shook my head when she placed her finger on her mouth to exaggerate. After more silence, she asked. "I don't understand. You call him dad. Isn't he your dad?"

I let out a sigh knowing her curious mind. She won't stop asking until she gets her answer. "He adopted me."

Her mouth turned into O shape, "Oh. Like those people adopted me?" I nodded, only faintly remembering dad had saved her from those bad adopted parents. She quietly added, "They don't hurt you."

I reached between us to hold her hand in comfort because even though she has no memory of it, she was told why she lived in the shelter dad had opened in Australia, "No... they all love me."

The happiness returned in her voice, "So let's go and celebrate your birthday!"

"Annie."

She kept pushing, "Don't you want them to be happy?"

"My real father was a bad guy, Annie. He hurt di. How can she be happy on my birthday? I don't want her to feel sad."

"But she loves you," she argued. Her 11-year self, unable to understand the complication I was trying to explain to her. "Please come? For me! I really want cake. Promise, I won't leave your side. If you feel sad, just look at me. I'll make you smile. I'll...."

I interrupted her, stopping her from making any more pleas. Even if she didn't understand, her innocence forced me to give in. "Okay, okay. I'll go. You're really selfish, you know? Making me go just so you can have cake."

She laughed unfazed by my accusations and shifted closer to hug me. "I knew you loved me. Now, come on!" She sat up quickly, kicking the covers away but both of us froze on seeing Anjali standing by the doorway.

She smiled at us before walking in and spoke to her, "Annie, why don't you go help Arnav bring the cake out?"

Annie nodded and then pointed her index finger at me, "You'll come?"

"I'll come," I answered hooking my finger with hers. When usually people hooked pinky fingers for a promise, we'd made it a habit with index fingers given she was always pointing it at me and trying to order me about to do her bidding. And, like a fool, I would let her.

Satisfied, she got up on the bed and walked till the edge before jumping down. I opened my mouth almost to scold her to be careful but she was already running out.

Anjali came to sit at the edge and patted the space next to me. Knowing she wanted to talk, probably having heard us, I moved over to sit beside her. "What's troubling you?"

Keeping my eyes on my hands in my lap, I voiced my fears. "Doesn't it make you sad... seeing me every day?"

I was afraid to hear her answer.

She put an arm around me and hugged me to her side as she calmly made me understand, "Never, baby. Don't ever think that. No matter how, you are still my baby and I love you so much. I know... we hid you from the world at first because I wasn't ready... It was hard at first but you give me strength and a purpose in life, Aarav."

"But I'm a bad reminder. Why don't you hate me?" I quietly murmured, my voice breaking and lips quivering as I unsuccessfully fought tears.

She cupped my face and made me look up at her, "Oh, I could never hate you! You are the best thing, Aarav. Every day, I am proud of my decision to keep you and fight the odds when I see you grow into this amazing child. You taught me to be a mother and for any woman, Aarav, that is the best experience of all. Please don't ever think otherwise about yourself. You will be nothing like him and that is my happiness, you hear me? On your birthdays, it isn't a bad reminder but a good reminder that I have the best brother in the world, a wonderful sister like Lavanya who became a mother to you when I couldn't be. It's a reminder that you brought this family together and though our love for each other keeps us together now, it initially happened because of you. Would you want this family to be any other way?"

I shook my head in answer. No. I was surrounded by some of the most wonderful souls in the world. They each were an integral part of my life and I couldn't imagine a life without a single one of them.

She wiped my tears gently, "Good. Now never think this again, okay?"

I nodded hugging her body resting my head in the bridge of her shoulder, "I love you, mom."

She kissed the top of my head, "I love you too, baby." Letting me stay in her embrace a second longer, she patted my shoulder and pulled back. "Now, come. Before Annie decides to come back and drag you down herself."

I smiled imagining it for I wouldn't put it past her. For her cake, she would do anything.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

Since that day, I never had to say this explicitly. Annie was always there on my birthday and as we grew up, she understood herself why I didn't like the day. She helped me fight my birthday blues every year in the last 12 years. Even after everything Anjali said. I was happy to have this family, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't help the fact that sometimes I do wish none of this had happened... that I could have been born into his family without all the suffering they've gone through. I knew, it all only made us stronger.

But, is it still bad to wish it hadn't happened?

I loved them and I didn't like the thought that life was tough for them... not when they did so much to make sure we never had to see such a day in our life. They take all our troubles on their head so we live a good life. It is what parents do, yes, but as their child, I wish they didn't have to keep fighting every time.

Arnav pats my shoulder joining me at the bar when I pulled myself away from everyone after the cake cutting. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, dad," I answer absentmindedly staring at the rim of the glass.

"Tough day at the office with Jhanvi? I imagine it couldn't have been easy seeing her after all these years... and she doesn't remember."

Well. Feeling Annie's lack of presence the most, I had almost forgotten about that. Suddenly, I felt guilty.

"She isn't here?" I question realizing I hadn't seen her.

He takes the glass from my hand and taking a sip, informs, "No. Eva invited her but she didn't feel welcome. Why didn't you invite her?"

I sigh, definitely feeling guilty. "I forgot in a rush to meet Aru for lunch."

He eases his tone in understanding, "It's okay, Aarav. Don't be too hard on yourself. Today was just day one."

"Yeah." I let out before tilting my head and downing down the entire drink in one gulp.

"Easy there, tiger," he lightly reprimands, "and join us for dinner in some time, okay?"

"Yeah," I answer again and nod at the bartender for a refill. Jhanvi is back and I need to wrap my head around it - accept that my life is going to change.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

"Okay, that's enough."

I follow the hand which took my drink away to Eva. I frown, "Give it back."

When I attempt to reach forward, she swats my hand away and it actually stings for a second. "No. What is wrong with you? Getting drunk like this."

My head drops over my arms on the counter, "Blame Angel."

She argues not catching the connection, "Annie? She's not even here."

I lift my head and explain, "If she was here, I'd be too busy stopping her from drinking and getting in all sorts of trouble to have gotten drunk myself."

"I fail to see the logic but okay." She drapes an arm around my back to push me out of my seat, "Come on, now. Let's get you to your room so you can sleep this off, whatever this is."

I counter, "Mm. No. Office. I have an early video conference." Why did I still remember that when I'm drunk?

She drops my weight back on the chair and instructs, "Okay. Wait here. Don't move a single inch."

I mock a salute for she used to be in the army. "Yes, boss."

Till she returns five minutes later, I stay in the exact spot. A bottle of water is placed in front of me. "Drink up and get sober. I'll drive you to office afterward. You can nap there until your conference."

I grip the bottle tight in an attempt to get the world from swaying and screw open the lid before downing half the bottle.

She scolds again sitting next to me, "You're lucky our parents retired early and didn't see you drunk."

'I'm not a bad drunk." I pout. I had just sat in one place and drank. I hadn't created any scene.

"No," she agrees while also pointing out, "but they'd still worry over why you were drinking this much."

"Then I guess it's a good thing."

She sighs and stayed silent for a while.

Blinking up at her, fighting the exhaustion and jet lag, I ask. "What is it?" She doesn't sigh often and she doesn't mull over thoughts much either. She quickly decides and gets on with her life.

She tries to spare me some misery, "You're already in a bad state. Tell you tomorrow."

I insist having another gulp of water, "Just tell me, whatever it is."

"Jhanvi has a fiancé." Not gaining a reaction, she questions in concern. "Did you hear me?"

I answer with my tone casual. "Yup, heard you."

"And?"

I look sideways at her, "And I already knew, Eva."

She asks in surprise, eyes widening. "You did? Why didn't you say anything?"

"What could I have said?" I counter quietly instead of picking a fight, "It's not like she knows anything. I don't even have the right to be upset."

"But it doesn't change the fact that you're hurt, that you love her." She expresses trying to reach out to me and yes, she would be right. When dad found out and then he told me, I was hurt. Then, I had to convince myself. That car accident when we were still children took her memory. She lived in Australia since and as it turns out, she did live a life. It may have been a false one but it was real for her and I can't barge in now and turn it upside down. I must face the reality and whatever is, let it be.

"Aarav, say..."

I interrupt her attempt, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Aarav..."

I assure her to ease the worry in her tone, "I'll be fine in a few days, really. Don't worry about me. Just stay by her and help her like we discussed. Now that she's back, we don't know if Dinesh will try anything."

She nodded in response. That is why despite working in private security, she was posing as Jhanvi's assistant so she could be around her for protection. Jhanvi had just entered this life and I did not want her to feel suffocated by putting a whole security detail around her like dad had put around me - he had good reasons to want to keep me safe and I had grown accustomed to it over the years to the point that it didn't bother me now - but I do imagine it would be difficult for Jhanvi.

A lot sober now having been reminding of Jhanvi's fiancé and talking about her security, I ask. "What about that friend of yours you had mentioned?"

"It's done. He got permission from the army to work for us undercover. He should be here tomorrow."

I nodded in assurance. Maybe we couldn't put security around her directly but from a distance, this friend of Eva's could keep an eye on her when she wasn't in the office. Given Jhanvi belonged to a royal family and currently was its only living member, army agreed to send one of their captains for her protection.

She assured me further, "Don't worry. He is good. I would trust him with my life."

Despite not knowing anything about him, I trusted Eva's judgment.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

∞ author note ∞

So, this chapter was originally not written. I added it in between this week because it felt necessary to show Aarav's thoughts and feelings when it comes to his birth.

QOTC: Which was your favorite girl in this chapter? Annie, Arshiya Anjali, or Eva?

I'm a little jealous of Aarav. So many good-hearted females around him! Haha, anywho. Please do vote and comment! Where are y'all? (my silent readers, come out come out!) Missed your views on the last chapter! We are so close to 1K Reads already :o Thank youu!