I'll be there to save the day,
Always and forever.

Kashika held the cake so carefully in one hand, perfectly balanced as she chatted with Ansh.

Smiling, she ended the call and looked at Sid with a beaming smile.

Let's arrange everything in Ansh's room, he said so she stated clearly when she was Sid raise his eyebrows at her in clear suspicion.

Holding his hand up in universal gesture of peace, he helped her rearrange Ansh's room.

They kept the cake on the small coffee table, decorated it with small candles.

Kashi watched as Sid, Subh and Savi who had recently returned blowed air inside balloons under her gaze. As they decorated the room with so many balloons.

When Ansh and Dhriti reached, Ansh's home Ansh took Dhriti directly upstairs in his room. He covered her eyes making her yelp in surprise as he took her inside his darkened room. Only source of light in his room was provided by the candles.

Dhriti gasped in surprise watching the large cake and the wonderfully decorated room with the goofy smiles of her friends.

"Guys, this wasn't needed" she spoke with gratitude and bewilderment clear in her voice as she secretly tried to wipe her traitor tears.

"It was" Kashi stated firmly as Ansh dragged her near the cake and Subh placed a b'day hat on her head.

"Now, be the good girl you are and cut the cake fast cause I can't wait to eat it." Sid stated with a greedy look on his face.

Laughing she cut the cake as they all yelled on top of their voices " happy b'day, happy sweet sixteen dhriti".
she fed Ansh first making other laugh as Sid pouted. She fed Sid next followed by Kashi, Savi and Subh.

And then everyone went crazy watching Savi dance with the balloons was actually quite funny. And then all of them lied on the floor really tired and looked at the star stud ceiling as her eyes moved around the room for the first time since she entered the room. She noticed the large portrait hanging on the wall behind the king sized bed.

A portrait with three people in it a small boy grinning with his front teeth missing while a elegant lady kissed his one cheek while a handsome man kissed his another cheek. She knew both the lady and the man and it didn't take her long to recognize the child. Anika Rana was kissing Ansh's right cheek while Swayam Sekhawat was kissing Ansh's left cheek, both on their knees on some beautiful beach with waves raging behind them. Their love for Ansh could be seen even in the picture clearly.

The pic was a clear indication that this was Ansh's room. She was in her crush, in her hero's room. As she looked around further she noticed three frame lying on the bedside table. One with a small boy, small girl and so many people along with them and she knew all of them. This was the gang small Ansh and Kashi with their whole family before the tragedy struck. Another one was of the five Ansh, Kashi, Sid, Subh and Abhi and the last one was of Ansh and Taani.

"Ansh, why don't you play that song today" she heard Kashi ask Ansh a certain type of sadness creeping in her voice that she couldn't decipher.

Nodding Ansh got up from the dog pile they were lying in and come back with his guitar.

He sat back while everyone looked at him with eager eyes. He strung the chords humming softly before he began singing.

"I'm only one call away
I'll be there to save the day
Superman got nothing on me
I'm only one call away

Call me, baby, if you need a friend
I just wanna give you love
Come on, come on, come on
Reaching out to you, so take a chance

No matter where you go
You know you're not alone

I'm only one call away
I'll be there to save the day
Superman got nothing on me
I'm only one call away

Another voice sung these lines as all of them looked towards the door surprised. And there he was Ranveer Randhawa standing in all his might. It took only few moments as Kashi almost threw herself in his arms. And for the first time Dhriti noticed the princess Kashi was as she held on her father tightly not letting go. In her father's arm she was a princess, a child always needing him and not the warrior the world knew her to be.
Rv laughed merrily as he held Kashi in his arms and looked at Ansh as he continued singing

Come along with me and don't be scared
I just wanna set you free
Come on, come on, come one
You and me can make it anywhere
For now, we can stay here for a while, ay
'Cause you know, I just wanna see you smile

No matter where you go
You know you're not alone

I'm only one call away
I'll be there to save the day
Superman got nothing on me
I'm only one call away

And when you're weak I'll be strong
I'm gonna keep holding on
Now don't you worry, it won't be long, Darling
And when you feel like hope is gone
Just run into my arms

I'm only one call away
I'll be there to save the day
Superman got nothing on me
I'm only one, I'm only one call away
I'll be there to save the day
Superman got nothing on me
I'm only one call away

I'm only one call away" he ended the song beautifully. He had a wonderful voice.

"So kids, I didn't knew you were having an night over today" he asked with raised eyebrows as he looked at them lying on the floor.

" was unplanned mamu" Sid replied shrugging his shoulder totally unapologetic

"Ok, now come to the dinning room, you guys might have forgotten dinner time but your mom's would have my head if we don't get down in a minute." Rv said to them as Kashi still clung to him not ready to let go of her father yet whom she was meeting after a week. She was daddy's girl so deal with it.

They all followed Rv downstairs. Dhriti a little hesitantly but subh dragged her with him in the dinning room where she meet with Taani, Mallika, Saumya, Omisha and siddharth Rana. They were a little surprised by her sudden arrival but accepted her with ease, treating her like family and for the first time in her life she got to know how it feel to eat with a large family as non stop chatters flowed constantly. The mother's mother hened them to eat more. It was an awesome dinner in her view. Even the elders wished her happy b'day if you ask her this was her best b'day.

After dinner, the youngsters moved back to Ansh rooms And settled on his bed without any regrets except her whom Kashi dragged on the bed and told her to make herself home.

" let's play truth and dare"

"Let's have a Harry potter movie marathon"

Sid and Kashi suggested at the same time then glared daggers at each other.

"Let's play a round of truth and dare and then watch the movies" Ansh stated pacifying both of them.

They agreed soon a pen was spinning around and silly ques and tasks asked and given. Acc to her the funniest task was when Savi asked Sid to do pole dancing. It was so fun and then it was her turn, she chose truth and Subh asked her "whom do you hate the  most"

"My mum" she replied nonchalantly

"Why if you don't mind me asking" Kashi questioned her

"She left me, she never wanted me. All that mattered to her was her perfect daughter and her perfect future. She didn't care if I lived or die. She just never cared." she answered bitter

An uncanny silence prevailed in the room which was broken by Subh.

"Sounds like a person I know, what's her name" Subh asked her curiously

"Zoya....Zoya Raval" she answered bitterly trying to control her anger.

Everyone looked at her and Subh surprised and shocked.

"Huh, really a small world I think looks like your my step sister Dhriti." Subh answered drily

"Guess so" Dhriti answered shocked

" thank God, you're nothing like Zeesha? She is impossible" Subh stated thankfully

"Don't know, never interacted much with her" Dhriti answered shrugging

"Hmmm" Subh hummed

After that none of them were in mood to play truth and dare. So they started the movie marathon. During the second half of the third movie almost all of them were asleep except Dhriti and Ansh.

"You miss your parents" Ansh  asked her softly as he layed on his bed staring at the ceiling while Kashi slept peacefully on his left side, her head lying on his chest. Dhriti rested on his right side, her head resting on the pillow as she stared at the ceiling. Subh slept beside her hugging the pillow. Beside Kashi Savi slept his head resting on Kashi's stomach while his legs spread over Sid who was lying beside him.

" I'll be lying if I say no, I miss them every second, questioning myself why can't they love me. What's wrong with me that nobody likes or loves me. And when I heard them whisper to my sister that you're so loved, my little heart got crushed so bad you know thinking am I so hard to love" She whispered back reluctant to disturb the peaceful slumber of people sleeping beside her.

"So you hate them??" He questioned her back in a hushed tone.

" I guess, I'm so disappointed in them that I don't know what I feel for them. It's just complicated whenever I needed  them they were never their, never beside me." She replied back in same hushed tone

" never tried to get their attention, huh" he questioned her

"Did many times. I distinctly remember little me keeping my bag along with my sister and mother's luggage ready to go with them but my mum just threw my bag and stated in a firm tone that I couldn't come with them. I begged her saying I wanted to go with her but she didn't listen to me once and drove away with my sister. I remember running after her until I fell down and scrapped my knee. I cried whole day but nobody came to console me." She answered nonchalantly but her eyes narrated a different tale

"No one ever listen to your thoughts or feelings right." He questioned her softly

"What are you giving me therapy now" she questioned him joking lightly

"I guess all of us needs therapy for messed up childhoods" he answered in same joking tone

"If we are doing therapy than you can share your feelings with me too. I promise I won't give away your secrets"  she stated sincerely

He just chuckled lightly hearing her answer.

"You miss your parents" she questioned him silently

"Every single second of the day, I miss them so much. Dad was my hero, my super man. He promised me, he will always be their for me. He will their to save the day if I ever mess up. I know I was their dream, their world. Dad used to teach me everything he knew. I miss sleeping cuddled in mom's warm embrace knowing nothing can harm me in her embrace. I miss them so much. I know no one shows this but all of them broke when they were gone. It's not same it will never be the same without them." Ansh spoke softly hidding his pain, he never showed this side to his family knowing they were as broken as him if not more by his parents death and he needed to be strong for them. He had his family to take care of him, to love him unconditionally but their was no one to take care of them. So, he tried to take care of them as much as he could as a child, tried to comfort them like his father would have done if he was their alive.

"I know what missing someone feels like I mean no matter how your relation with your parents is whenever  you're hurt or you had a nightmare you will wake up crying out for them, only to realize no one is their beside you. No one to console you. Youre all alone in your battles. What do you do when you miss them terribly?? I personaly have my dad's shirt and my mom's churni with me. I wrap both of them around me and pretend that its them not just the clothes" She questioned him thinking of the permanent ache in her heart which crushes her heart every moment.

"I see their pics, listen to dad's songs or watch their dance videos, mum's performances. But when the pain is unbearable, when I doubt myself because of some questioning words. I read the letters they wrote to me. They knew they were in danger, they knew they could die but they also knew that they would protect me till the end. So they left them for me. It's mum's writing I know she wrote that one. She stated clearly Ansh mumma loves you, dad loves you too. You're so loved baby. Be safe Ansh, be strong. We'll be their with you always and forever watching over you. We are so proud of you. Youre our world Ansh, our dream. No matter what the world says you're Anika and Swayam's son. You're our shinning star, our little star, our bundle of joy Ansh. Always remember this." Ansh stated softly his voice breaking several times as he narrated the words written in the letter, which he knows by heart now.

"Youre loved Ansh, you're really loved. We all love you and you're like Swayam, your dad." Dhriti told him softly ignoring his breaking voice

"So are you, Dhriti. Always remeber that we love you." He told the girl, he knew she was still questioning her worth.

"Hmm.....Why is this world so cruel and unforgiving??" She asked him hoping for answers

"I really don't know Dhri, I really don't" he answered her remembering the cruel way his parents were snatched away from him.

"You were right Ansh, we seriously need therapy. All this neglected child stuff had done wonders on my self esteem." She stated trying to lighten the mood with her own sense of dry humour. They both knew they couldn't say all this in front of a counsellor.

He just chuckled lightly hearing her reply.

"Good night Ansh" she stated looking towards the ceiling as she closed her eyes

"Good night Dhriti." He replied as he stared towards the stars shinning on his ceiling.

Both of them thought about their parents one with close eyes and one with open eyes.

Ansh reminisced his memories with his parents, their love for each other. They had taught him true meaning of love. Their interaction with the gang, playing with each other. He remembered as he made his made a dream house with his parents and bui in childhood. They played with paints and decided future pets. How he wanted all the puppies and his dad was ready to buy them all for him well before his mother glared at him. He missed them so much. He miss them. He miss their presence beside him on every important occasion in his life and he missed his parents gang,his extended family.

"I miss you guys" he whispered under his breath looking at their portrait.

While Dhriti thought about her own parents and her lack of memories with them. She couldn't remember a single time either of her parents were beside her when she was sick. No one was their to encourage and be proud of her when she got first prize in painting. No one was their when she fell down and scrapped her knees. No one was their with her except the caretaker appointed for her when she fractured her hand. Her dad didn't teach her how to ride a bicycle,her mum wasn't their to console her when her peers teased her on her weight called her "moti". Even though she didn't say anything it hurts when no one ever compliment her or tell her she was beautiful too.

It hurted her when no one was their to cheer her on annual days. She stopped participating eventually. She was always alone yet people asked her how could she stay so silent, why didn't she talk. Why would she when no one ever wanted to hear her out.

With such sad thoughts both of them drifted to the lands of dreams.

Ansh met Swayam and Anika in the lands of dream after long that day. He was with them happy. He was with his whole family. Everything was just like before. He danced with his dad again, doing silly steps sometimes as his mom laughed on their antics. He was again in his mom's tight embrace. He was with his parents and that's all mattered to him.

Dhriti also dreamt about her parents that night. They were a happy family.  Her parents were together pampering both her and her sister. They were playing today. Her dad sung lullabies to them and told them bed time stories. Her mum told them how beautiful both of them were and how proud she was of them. Her parents protected them from the cruel world. And she and her slept slept peacefully in midle of her parents, their hands wrapped proactively around both of them. A smile blossomed on her face absorbing her parents love for the first time in her
Life.

Taani decided to check on the kids as it was late in the night. She entered the room to find it dark, the tv on mute as it played Harry potter scenes and all the kids deep in slumber on the bed. Kashi was sleeping with her head on Ansh's chest and her arm holding him tightly. Dhriti's head was resting on Ansh's shoulder and her arms was on Kashi's shoulder. Ansh was sandwiched between the girls. Subh was hugging the pillow tightly as his head rested on Dhriti's shoulder. Savi was lying his legs on Sid who cuddled a pillow and his head resting on his arms. Taani looked at all of them fondly. She switched of the tv. Increased the temp of AC and covered them with a.c. blanket. She thought of waking the girls and send them to Kashi's room to sleep more comfortably but watching how peacefully all of them were sleeping she didn't have the heart to wake them.
Whispering a soft Good night to the sleeping children, she left the room.