Okay guys, guess the character whose side story will be based on. It is one of the characters mentioned in this chapter. Happy reading :)

It was a bright, sunny day. Somewhere at the tiniest part of Delhi, in a particular four star hotel, things were going in a full swing. People were getting ready for the function. Cooks were preparing for the diner and setting up the table. One of the hotel attendants was pinning the board, against the trunk of the tree, with a hammer.

It read- 'Engagement of Jamie Rastogi and Ayu Dutta.'

"Yes, that's more like it. Thanks," Andrew thanked the attendant who fixed the board.

"Let's go check on them An'," Nimmi said, standing behind him.

Andrew took one last look at the white board and walked inside the hotel feeling all excited.

"Wait!" Nimmi said and both of them stopped. She came a step closer and adjusted the collar of his kurta.

"Thanks Nim," Andrew said with gratitude and they resumed walking. Both of them were in their traditional clothes, with Andrew wearing the kurta- kameez while Nimmi in Lehanga. They became good friends in a short span of time. Since Nimmi is older than Andrew, she often treats him as her younger brother which Andrew doesn't mind. They soon parted ways to go to their respective siblings who were yet to get ready. Both were looking forward to it.

However Nimmi's excitement vanished as soon as she entered Ayu's room. Martha was busy smoothing Ayu's hair with a straightening machine, talking in between while Lynda and Ashima were slacking off reading magazines. "Wow! It's looking like a holiday rather than a function. Seriously di, you've still not dressed up. You are aware of the fact that today is YOUR engagement," Nimmi said, crossing her arms.

"There's still time. Ugh! I'm feeling so sleepy. Can I sleep for fifteen minutes?" Ayu yawned after seeing that she still had two hours left.

"We'll wake you up, don't worry," Ashima assured her and Ayu thanked her.

Just then Andrew entered their only girls room. "Oh, here as well," He said, his face dropping at the scene before him. Ayu was lying on the bed, getting ready to sleep. "Even Jamie is slacking off. Do you guys want to get engaged or not?"

"Of course we want to but... let me sleep first," Ayu said closing her eyes.

"Hopeless case," Nimmi commented.

It wasn't until Mrs Dutta and Mrs Rastogi entered their room and told Ayu to hurry up.

Two hours later.

Jamie stopped at the middle of the stairs to adjust his black pant that was making him uncomfortable. He was not used to wearing these formal dresses. "Tch," he muttered in annoyance.

"The size of your dress is perfectly fine. Stop adjusting yourself and get moving before I kick your ass," Zen said annoyingly while standing behind him.

"I'm going, alright. Just let me adjust this," Jamie said stretching his sleeves making his three friends wait for him endlessly.

His uneasiness washed away by the time he reached downstairs. He was amazed at the sheer number of people present and the decoration of the hotel. Everyone was here to see him and Ayu. It was their day. He wasn't surprised but he was still finding it hard to grasp everything. Eventually he was told to stand in a small stage. It had an dome like structure at the top, supported by four pillars and was decorated with flowers. He stood there patiently while holding the engagement ring on his hand, waiting for Ayu to arrive.

All of a sudden, he noticed the guest murmering and he understood that Ayu had arrived downstairs. His heart began to race as he waited and kept his eyes intact at the entrance that lead to the garden outside.

Ayu slowly entered the garden followed by the loud cheers of the guests. She smiled at the people who greeted and complimented her. Jamie layed his eyes on her as if watching her for the first time. He couldn't help it, she was looking that beautiful. She wore a lehanga dress in the shades of dark purple- pink and had pinned her dupatta to the side. She had aligned her hair to her right side and put some clips, giving her an elegant look. For some strange reason she wasn't really looking at Jamie making him wonder why.

"Get going beta. You can attend your guests later," Mr Dutta said shushing her. Ayu gave a quick nod and walked towards the stage finally setting her eyes on Jamie. He was looking more handsome than ever in his black coat- pant with a dark purple handkercheif hanging out of his coat pocket. She couldn't be more proud to have such a cute, adorable man by her side. He smirked at her and she eyed him in return as if telling him to stop making that face.

Ayu and Jamie stood close, never taking their eyes off each other. "See, I told you so, my choice of woman is the best. You gotta love my choices," Jamie said with a grin.

"I think my choice of man is more better," Ayu said and they shared a momentary laugh. Jamie quickly sent a flying kiss in her direction shocking her.

"Behave yourself, you dumbo. We are in a public place in case you've forgotten," Ayu said through her gritted teeth, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten," Jamie said and came closer to her ear. "Damn, you look so sexy. If we would have been alone, I would have already eaten you by now," he whispered.

"Pervert!" Ayu muttered while showing off her tongue.

"If you two are done with your flirting business, can we please proceed?" Ashima teased.

"Fine, fine. Hey, everyone we are starting now," Jamie said aloud getting everyone's attention. He held Ayu's right palm that was filled with a design of mehandi. He took a deep breath and gently slipped the diamond ring onto her ring finger. A wide smile spread across Ayu's face and she completed the deed by slipping the other ring onto Jamie's ring finger. Both held their hands and faced the camera followed by the loud cheer from their friends.

They were officially engaged.

Coming this far had been anything but easy for Ayu and Jamie. They had been through hardships which is exactly why they understood the importance of this occasion. They observed their parents who were talking with each other merrily. It wasn't quite the same, four months back. Mr and Mrs Dutta were quite disturbed after they were informed about Jamie's parents divorce. They didn't dislike Jamie but began to doubt him, fearing if ends up leaving Ayu. On the other hand, Jamie's parents were quite okay with Ayu. They had no problem whatsoever except for one time when Mr Rastogi made a comment about marrying a small town girl, that too who lives in India which angered Jamie. But in the end, they managed to resolve these problems.

Soon they were interacting with various guests, mostly their friends from college.

"It's so strange watching you two," Vick said nostalgically.

"Why so?" Ayu asked.

Vick smiled. "Most of the time when I see you, I recall that day when I and Jamie were in the club. That night he was searching for a partner to dance with him, not for a life partner. I guess things happen when we least expect it," he said.

"But I didn't see you Vick," Ayu pointed out.

"Because you were too busy noticing me," Jamie smirked at Ayu and turned to Vick. "Anyway Vick, thanks for your support back then."

"I told you bro, no thank you's and sorry's. I'm glad you two made it despite the troubles," Vick gave his wishes.

Just then Ayu saw Martha coming. She hugged Ayu and congratulated them. "So, what's your story Martha? When will you get married?" Jamie asked with curiousity.

"It would be better if you not ask that, Mr hotshot. I'm still not over my break up, you see. I want to remain independent for the time being until I'm ready for commitment," Martha said.

"You mean you broke up with popsicle," Jamie said surprised. Popsicle was a random nick name given to her boyfriend.

"I'm still not very pleased to hear that. You were with that guy for so long," Ayu sulked.

"I'll be fine, Ayu, don't worry. I'm not like you who cries for hours on phone. It's not like my life is over. See, I'm getting to watch one of my best friends settle down... with the right guy, I must add," Martha smiled.

"Yeah you're right about that," Ayu returned her gesture.

"That's a positive way to put it. You're a strong girl Martha," Jamie complimented.

"Thank you. You better take good care of her alright," Martha said with a glint of warning and Jamie nodded thinking that she might have been Ayu's bodyguard at her previous birth.

Jamie and Ayu were attending other guests when they spotted two familiar faces, holding hands and recognized them at once. They approached the two guests.

"Congrats Ayu di and Jamie bhaiya. You two are looking fabulous. It's been a long while since we've seen you," Nikita said blissfully. (A/N: Remember those troublesome kids.)

"Thank you. It's hasn't been that long though. We met in Delhi four years ago," Ayu said.

"Duh! That was a long time too," Arnav rolled his eyes. Both Arnav and Nikita were glad that they had been in contact with Jamie and Ayu even though it was little.

"You two have really grown since the first time we saw you. You were only a bunch of troublesome kids that time and now you're almost like adults," Jamie said while putting a hand above their heads, measuring their heights. They were almost their height now. Arnav still had that gangster look in him while Nikita had turned up into a decent beauty.

"Obviously we have, we'll be in college this year," Arnav stated proudly.

"Forget about that. What about you two? What's your status now?" Jamie asked while wiggling his eyebrows at them.

Arnav and Nikita exchanged odd looks wanting to avoid the topic. "You know how it is... There's no need to ask," Nikita said getting embarrased.

"Aw, that's so sweet. Jamie always told me that you two would definitely be dating one day," Ayu said delighted to hear the news.

"Don't forget to call us on your wedding," Jamie teased and now their faces were tomato red.

"W- we have board exams to attend first. You guys focus on your marriage instead," Arnav said in a low voice, making Ayu and Jamie laugh.

Ayu and Jamie spend some time with them with Nikita mostly complaining about Arnav's behavior while Arnav defending himself. In the midst of it, Jamie received a call from someone and stepped aside.

"Finally! I really thought you were bailing us out. Okay, I'm coming right now," Jamie spoke on the phone and cut the call. "Ayu, come with me. Sarah has arrived," Jamie informed her.

"Okay... Later guys. Enjoy the occasion," Ayu said to both of them and followed Jamie. They reached the entrance of the hotel to receive Sarah but could see no one until...

"Holy mother of God!" Ayu exclaimed, her eyes going wide as she spotted Sarah in a right, corner side of the road.

"Where?" Jamie said and followed her line of sight. "What the fuck?" He spat when he spotted Sarah.

Sarah wasn't alone. Well that wasn't a problem but the man accompanying her was none other than Alex. It looked like both were coming out from a parking lot. Alex had his arms around her while Sarah seemed to be laughing with him. They were walking very close. One look alone could tell that something was going on with them. The thought alone made Jamie and Ayu sick in their stomach.

"Jamie... and Ayu too. I'm so sorry for being late. Here, this is for you people. Congrats!" Sarah greeted and handed them her gift. Jamie thanked her and stood there not knowing what to say about the situation although that didn't stop him from noticing her. She was wearing Lehanga saree in the colors of black and golden. Her hair was clipped at the back. That cute demeanour of her's was still there. For Ayu it has been a long while since she's seen Alex so she felt a bit nostalgic and weird but nothing else than that. Alex was looking like a bright gentleman in his traditional clothes.

"You are looking fab as ever, Ayu. Here take this," Alex complimented Ayu and gave her a gift as well.

"Thank you Alex but I didn't expect to see you. You rejected my invitation earlier," Ayu said, surprise evident in her voice.

"I wanted to surprise you. Also, I have something else to announce," Alex said and looked at Sarah lovingly.

"What do you mean?" Jamie said getting tensed.

Sarah let out a mischievous smile and held Alex's arm. "This is exactly what it looks like. Alex and I, we are currently-" Sarah said and paused to see their faces turning white.

"I don't think I have the heart to hear the rest," Ayu said looking down. 'Alex and Sarah? How did it turn out this way? Strange world we live in.' She thought.

"Please don't say that. So I was telling that Alex and I... we decided... to attend your engagement together," Sarah said slowly and bursted out into fits of laughter followed by Alex.

"Gosh! Just look at your faces. I knew that they would be shocked but not to this extent. Sarah, your plan worked wonders," Alex said and high-fived Sarah.

"Told you so."

"Sorry, I lost you there. You mean you two aren't-" Jamie said in a shaky voice.

"We aren't dating, Jamie. We just wanted to troll you guys which is why we pulled out such a stunt," Sarah said clearing out the misunderstanding.

"Ar- are you sure?" Ayu asked still doubtful.

"This might sound strange but we became friends through Facebook afterwards, so yeah, we are acquainted with each other but I assure you, there's nothing more to it. Besides, I have my wonderful fiancee by my side," Alex reasoned with them.

"You're engaged?" Jamie said getting surprised.

"Yeah, last year," Alex informed. "Sorry for not inviting you but you're very much welcome on my wedding this April."

"Don't forget that I'm committed too," Sarah pouted.

"Please tell me it's the same college guy that you used to talk about. The one who pestered you to date him," Ayu said with interest.

Sarah looked elsewhere, blushing slightly. "Yeah, the very same one. It's been two years now."

"I told you that you will meet a great guy someday who will treasure you much more than me. I'm really pleased to hear that Sarah," Jamie said cheerfully.

"Thank you," She smiled.

Jamie and Ayu invited them inside. Lunch was being served now. They were about to join their parents but soon changed their minds. Instead, they walked over to the table where Alex and Sarah were sitting. They gave them a surprise look.

"We figured we should spend some quality time together since it's been a long time. Whatcha say?" Ayu asked with an apologetic smile.

"We would love to. Now stop being so formal and sit down already," Sarah offered.

"Man, this reminds me of the double date the four of us had," Jamie said nostalgically.

"Totally. Although the situation is different now," Alex said and cleared his throat. "Before we all start eating, I have something to say," Alex said and faced Jamie. "I'm sorry, dude. I admit I was being a jerk. You might have an idea of what I must be apologizing for."

"What are you sorry for Alex?" Ayu asked puzzled.

Jamie knew what exactly Alex was talking about. He recalled the time when Alex was showing off in front of him. When he tried to prove that Ayu was his. "You were being a jerk that time but you weren't wrong entirely. You were protecting your relationship in your own way," Jamie gave a small smile.

"Truce then?" Alex asked as he extended his hand.

"Sure," Jamie said and they shook hands. "I hope this apology of yours is real, if you know what I mean," he raised his brow in a teasing way.

Alex laughed. "Don't worry, this one's a real deal."

Ayu and Sarah clapped a little even though they had no idea what they were talking about. "This must be a very rare moment. People don't usually turn up at their ex partner's functions. And they especially don't make truces with each other," Sarah said and they agreed.

The four of them had a fulfilling lunch together asking and talking about each other's lives. The strange awkwardness that they were feeling earlier was long gone.

"I must say Sarah, you're looking cute as ever. Your boyfriend must be proud of you," Ayu complimented.

"Well he is but I think he flatters me too much on everything. I don't think I'm that great the way he claims me to be. I'm the lucky one here," Sarah said shyly. Just then Jamie pulled out Sarah's reddish cheeks. "Wha- what was that for?" She asked while rubbing her cheeks.

Jamie chuckled. "It's just that you still look adorable as ever. Take credit if your guy says it. It means that he loves you as much and is proud to have you."

Sarah looked at him surprised and smiled. "Oh... Thank you," she said and looked at Ayu, noticing something strange. "Uh- oh, I think you made someone's jealous," She whispered to him.

"Don't worry, I'm aware of her jealousy syndrome," Jamie said making Sarah giggle.

"I'm not feeling jealous at all," Ayu defended and the three of them laughed knowing that she was lying.

"All the best man," Alex soothed Jamie.

Afterwards, Jamie took Sarah to meet Ashima and the others. Jamie figured that Ayu and Alex needed some time alone to talk things through so he let them be. He trusted Ayu after all.

"You still have that guilty look on your face. Get over it Ayu, it's way in the past now," Alex said.

"I know. It's just that I saw you today and I recall how carelessly I dumped you back then," Ayu said guiltily.

Alex let out a small breath. "I have to admit, it was difficult for me to get over you. At first, I was mad at you for dumping me over a worthless guy. And after I heard that you two were seriously dating, I felt like someone inflicted salt in my wound. But now when I look back, I know there was something missing in our relationship. Like there was something wrong in it. Despite that, I never regretted being with you. We are both happy where we are right now so let's just put that past behind us," Alex said while rubbing his nose.

"I agree. I too felt that something just wasn't right with us. I guess being with the right partner made us realize that."

"You said it. I guess everything happened for the best. Also, I underestimated Jamie. He's a nice guy after all. Also, I want to say something else."

"What is it?"

"I don't think I'll be coming to your wedding. I won't be sad but it'd be just too awkward for me. I hope you understand, Ayu. I'm sorry," he said with an apologetic smile.

"No, it's totally fine. I understand. It's good that you told me beforehand."

"Yeah but I will definitely wish you. If you want you can meet my fiancee. We can arrange a meeting sometime. Of course you can bring Jamie along," Alex offered.

"Sure, I'll think about it," Ayu said and they shared a smile relieved that they managed to clear the air between them. Alex, on the other hand was glad that he came here. A reason being was to simply see how she was doing. Both of them went to join Jamie and the rest.

The DJ at the hall started playing with the latest Bollywood dance songs. Smriti's (Ayu's Mami) children were the first to join the dance floor. The youngsters followed later. Jamie and Ayu danced with Zen, Ashima and Lynda feeling deja-vu all over again. Lynda was still adjusting to her married life while Ashima and Zen were yet to tie the knot. Their parents consulted the pandit for a suitable date and decided that their marriage will be in the coming September. Jamie and Ayu will tie the knot on November. After their marriage, Ayu will settle down with Jamie in Australia. They also planned to shift in India after a few years or so.

The five of them soon got tired and left to have some drinks. Jamie was in a mood of doing something crazy so he went to the DJ and changed the song. It was a party like song mainly about friendship. "The world history class group of ours that is still intact to this day and will remain of course. Zen, Ash, Lynda and even Ayu. This song is for you guys in the name of friendship," Jamie announced in through the mike while panting. "CHEERS!" He raised his glass.

"CHEERS to our friendship," Ayu, Lynda, Ashima and Zen said in sync. The song soon ended and Jamie dedicated the next special song to his old friends- Neal and Akira. Jamie was about to go back to the seat when Ayu came running towards him and whispered something in his ear. Jamie told the DJ to stop the music and went away to bring something.

"Sorry for disturbing people. I have an announcement to make. First of all, I want to raise a glass to all the people who are here. And um... Jamie already dedicated a song to Lynda, Zen and Ashima, so I can't do that again but I just want to thank you guys for everything you've done. You know what I'm talking about," Ayu wiggled her eyes at them.

"Yeah, we know. You don't have to thank us again and again," She heard Zen say from a distance.

"Alright, let's jump back to the main announcement," Ayu said and saw Jamie coming back, holding a decorative basket and a small box of chocolates. "So, the first is a special gift for a special person. Any guesses people?" Ayu said and various people made random guesses.

Jamie cleared his throat. "This person is one of the reasons why both of us are standing here today. I won't elaborate this in front of everyone so let's just call her. The gamer maniac sitting in front of you, the one and only- Lynda uff (aka) Navita Mishra," He said loudly and waved his hand at Lynda to come forward.

Lynda came looking dumbfounded "Oh, thank you. I'm so grateful to have won this prize and-" She said sarcastically and frowned. "Seriously guys, what's this hype for?"

Ayu closed the mike and told the DJ to put on the music. The three of them stepped out from the stage. "We have thought long about this. Yes, you didn't do anything spectacular except when you left us alone, once, during our trip to Goa. But think about it Lynda, you invited us on your marriage even when we didn't bother to contact you guys. If you wouldn't have invited, nothing would have happened. We might have not been together because it might have been too late by then. I would have been living a tragic married life with Raghav while Jamie would have been behaving like a lost traveller, fooling around with other girls. So suck it up Lynda and accept our gratitude," Ayu said giving the basket to her.

"You're right about Jamie. Honestly, I never thought about it that way. I played a big role then. Alright, I accept this, thank you. You made my day," Lynda said and hugged both of them lightly.

"You're not being sarcastic, right?" Jamie asked to confirm.

"No, I'm saying this from my heart," Lynda smiled.

Ayu called her Mami and they gifted her a box of chocolates, thanking her for the same. "Aw, that's so sweet of you," Smriti said and called her children. "Here, take this baby. Your favourite chocolates are here," She said giving the chocolate box to them and they squealed in joy.

"Hey, that's rude, Mrs Smriti. This gift was meant for you," Jamie protested.

"Ah, don't fret it. Having my children eat it is the same as eating them myself. Here, I'll take one," Smriti said taking one dairymilk chocolate for assurance and took their hands in her's. "You two, promise me that you'll stay like this and won't give up no matter what happens."

"Yes, this is our promise of a lifetime," Jamie said on behalf of both of them.

The rest of the day went smoothly as Ayu and Jamie interacted with everyone present there. To end it off, they gathered their parents and all of their friends to have a group snapshot.

"Arnav and Nikita, you guys come here as well," Ayu dragged them when they were feeling shy to stand in front of all the adults.

The photo was clicked and thus their day came to an end.

Ayu was busy saying farewell to her guests when her phone beeped. It was a message. Her eyes widened at the sender- it was Raghav's younger sister, Rashi.

"Best wishes on your engagement di. Wishing you for a happy life ahead. :)"

Ayu smiled and replied a simple thank you and take care to her. She then informed Jamie about it who was shocked but Ayu assured him not to worry.

...

Jamie was walking around when he noticed Akira standing outside and staring off into space. He walked over to him. "It's unlike you to mope around here," Jamie said wondering what was up with his friend.

Akira sighed. "Don't you feel as if someone has loaded you with lot of boxes above your head?"

"Huh!?"

"Do I have to quote it in simple words? I mean don't you feel as if you're being burderned with responsibilities now that your life is turning around," Akira asked with concern.

"Are you kidding? Of course I do. I feel so damn nervous and uncertain. You remember Akira how we used to keep chanting that we would only fool around, go on a world tour and will never get married before forty. You also used to say that you'll never work but look what happened. The answer is right in front of you. Even if I like to be carefree I do wished to settle down someday. It just came a little early for me than expected," Jamie explained.

"I get what you're trying to say. I never expected myself to be like this but man sometimes... it just feels like I'm going to be chained. Watching you settling down makes me think that way."

"Seriously Akira? You're supposed to be motivating me," Jamie said getting disheartened and saw Neal walking towards him. "Neal, please put some sense into him."

"Pass him a drink and he'll be just fine," Neal chuckled.

"I envy you Neal, you always had it easy, be it studies, job or a girl. I had to work my ass out to get my father to acknowledge me while Jamie had to struggle too," Akira sulked. Jamie agreed with Akira on that. Neal always managed to bring good marks, got the job first hand and also the woman he always had a crush on.

"It's because I stayed focused and out of trouble unlike you morons," Neal stated proudly.

"Whatever. By the way, I agree with you on what you said about Indian girls way back. I regret not coming here earlier," Akira gave a devilish smirk.

"Uh, what did I say exactly?" Jamie asked trying to remember and came to a realization. 'Indian girls have their own charm and beauty. And also...They have this huge busts. I mean you can really see them.' He recalled saying this to him that when he finished his first year. "This isn't a good time or situation to discuss about this, you fat ass. I would have happily showed you around the clubs and some hot girls if you had visited here earlier but no way, not now." Jamie said firmly.

"Reminds me of our good old days. Don't worry, I'm not a dick to request something like that," Akira patted him.

"I wonder if you still remember that you are committed as well. Not to forget that she's here. What would the poor girl feel if she came to know that her boyfriend was busy checking out other chicks today," Neal said to Akira, feeling bad for her.

"I still have a hard time believing that he actually acknowledges her. Are you really serious about her?" Jamie asked.

"Are you doubting me now? I only observed some girls, I wasn't checking them out nor I'm interested in them."

"Interested in who?" The three boys heard a female voice from behind, making them jump.

It was Ayu and a black haired woman in glasses.

"Sasha... what the hell? You've got the worst timing ever," Akira frowned.

Sasha placed her hand on her hips. "What were you talking about? I hope you're not cheating on me, Mr Stanford?" She narrowed her eyes on him while Jamie and Neal were laughing hideously.

"Of course not, babe. I was-" Akira began to explain his reason.

"He deserves it," Neal whispered to Jamie.

"What about you? I was looking all over for you. Come on, our parents are calling us," Ayu said to Jamie and turned to Sasha. "See you around Sasha, we'll talk later."

"Sure, no problem Ayu. Don't forget to take me shopping tomorrow," Sasha said and they shared a smile. Ayu had met Sasha when she visited Australia the second time. They became good friends from the get go, much to Jamie and Akira's surprise. Akira feared their friendship thinking that they would gain more control over their partners.

"Wait, Jamie. Shit, I almost forgot about this. Ayu can you wait for a while, please?" Akira requested.

"Sure, no problem," Ayu replied. Akira took out his mobile and dialled a number. The phone picked up on a few rings and Akira talked for a moment before giving his phone to Jamie. He requested to put the phone on loudspeaker.

"Hello Jamie," A female voice spoke.

"Oh my God! Is that you, Laura?" Jamie replied shocked that she called him.

"My apologies for wishing this late and disturbing you but I can't forget to wish my dear friend, now can I? My heartfelt congratulations to you... and that woman as well," Laura said talking about Ayu.

"Yeah, yeah, thank you," Ayu said trying to be polite and Laura chuckled.

"I'm imagining that you must have struggled quite a bit to get him back. I'm sorry I couldn't come when you invited me Jamie. Coming to India is way out of my budget for now,"

"You invited her?" Ayu asked Jamie, her jaw dropping.

"Yeah, I only invited her," Jamie said hitting Ayu lightly on her head. "No problem. You see, many of my friends from school and some of the people I know couldn't turn up at my engagement so we will be holding a special reception in Australia after my marriage. You are most welcome there but I will have to consult my future wife first," Jamie said winking at Ayu.

Ayu paused for a moment and sighed. "Laura... you are invited. Make sure you show up, bitch," Ayu said with a mischievous smile.

Laura laughed. "I appreciate your kindness. I'll come. Also you don't have to worry. I won't be after your honey. I'm already living with someone and having a great time with him."

"You got a boyfriend? That's great to hear. Okay then, bye Laura," Jamie said.

"Bye and take care Jamie... you too bitch," She said and the call ended.

"What's with you two calling bitch?" Jamie asked Ayu perplexed.

"I don't have an exact answer for that. It just turned out that way," Ayu shrugged.

...

Ayu was searching for Jamie yet again. He ran off somewhere after they had their dinner with their families. She wondered why he was going off when she just wanted him to be at his side after such an important day.

She entered the room of the hotel, where Jamie will be staying, and finally found him sitting on the chair, his gaze on the scene outside the balcony. The curtains swayed due to the light breeze from outside. The scene itself looked lonely. Ayu closed the door and walked up to stand next to him in silence.

"I was just looking back at the day; having a moment with myself, if that makes any sense," Jamie answered her unspoken question before she even asked him.

"Oh! Well then, care to share your moment with me?" Ayu asked with a small smile and he chuckled.

"Sure. Come sit here," he said while tapping his hand to his lap. Ayu happily complied to his request and sat on his lap. They both overlooked the scene outside the window letting the comfortable silence fall between them. "It was good seeing my whole family united because of my engagement. It felt like nothing was out of the ordinary. Maybe nothing really changed or maybe they got divorced for good this time," Jamie said, never averting his eyes from the balcony. Ayu let out a small sigh. Jamie's parents were living seperately now. It was quite possible that Mr Rastogi was living with another woman as Jamie stated. As for Jamie and Andrew, they were staying together. Andrew will continue to live with Jamie after his marriage until he decides to move out.

"Ah, look at me being serious all of a sudden. On another note, today was an unforgettable day," Jamie said thinking he made her worry for no reason. Ayu nodded at his statement. Both of them reminisced back on the mind blowing day they had.

"I will grant you a wish-" Ayu said out of nowhere, leaning her head on his and closed her eyes. "To built a loving family together. I will love you enough so you won't have to feel left out or empty ever again. You might have not had a normal family before but ours will be nothing like that, I promise," she said while Jamie looked at her, speechless.

Jamie placed his arms around her and gave her a light peck. "Thank a lot, Ayu. Hearing that makes me really happy. I'm lucky to have you as my life partner. Thank you," he repeated feeling emotional.

"I feel the same. So, Jamie, um... While we are at it, I just want to ask you something out of curiosity," Ayu said as she pulled away from his embrace and looked down feeling flustered. "Uh... ho- how many kids would you like to have?" She asked hesitantly.

Jamie's looked elsewhere, feeling shy as well. "Uh, well... I guess... Two would be fine," he mumbled.

Ayu stood up feeling confident. "Yeah, having one child would make him or her lonely. So, who would you want to have first- boy or a girl?" She asked in a low voice.

Jamie stood up in a dilemma. "You're not pregnant, right?"

Ayu's smile faded. "Of course not, you dumbass. Is it so weird to ask these questions? I was just curious, alright. Now I'm feeling even more embarrassed than before," she pouted.

"Alright sorry. I was surprised since you asked this out of the blue. Hmm-" he paused thinking for a moment. "It would be great if I get to see a little Ayu roaming around the house," he smirked.

Ayu's heart skipped a beat. "I won't mind it but I would like to have a little Jamie first."

"No, I want a little Ayu."

"Little Jamie."

"A girl."

"A boy."

"Fine, let's make a bet then. The one who wins will... let's see... ah, we'll decide later," Ayu said giving up.

Jamie nodded, agreeing with her and suddenly swept her off her feet. "For now, let's just enjoy a bit, for the night is still young."

Ayu circled her arms around his neck for support and turned her head on the door, panicking. "What are you doing? What if one of our parents turn up?"

Jamie took one look at the door to see that it was locked and turned back to her. "Stop worrying already. We'll think about the consequences later. I only have one more day left

before I return to Australia. Try to understand my pain," he pouted.

"I understand your pain well enough," Ayu said smiling widely and leaned her head against his chest. "Ah, I forgot to tell you... I love you, Mr Jamie Rastogi," she confessed, blissfully.

Jamie looked at her lovingly. "And I love you too... soon to be Mrs Ayu Rastogi," he smirked and dropped her beside the bed. Jamie pulled her to a close hug simply feeling her in her arms. They pulled away and gave a naughty smile before bringing their lips together, sharing their love as they did.

----------------- THE END -----------------

This was just my selfish attempt to put almost every character of the story and their insight to their lives in this Epilogue. I know you wanted to see the wedding but I wanted to write something different. I'll leave their marriage upto your imagination. :P

A very big and heartful thank you to each and everyone who has read, voted and commented on this story. Also to myself for finishing this story lol. I never actually thought that I'd be able to pull this off. It was all thanks to your support.

I feel sad to say this but this is the end of Destined Choice. I hope you enjoyed this journey of Jamie and Ayu as they struggled, with their different problems and relationships only to discover each other in the end. I still remember when I posted the prologue on December 2013, while travelling in train. It's been a little more than one year since then.

Please tell me your thoughts about this story. The plot, the characters... Although this isn't the first story I thought but its still the first story I wrote properly and posted on wattpad. If you think that I'm lacking something in writing or anything else related to the story then feel free to point it out. It will improve me as a writer.

Whoever is reading this story please, please comment about what you think. I will be very grateful.

Hope to meet you in the next story. xoxo.