Agastya was in dilemma and had a plan in place already to escape the get together. He texted Janhavi late in the night with the excuse of one of their clients.

"Hi... Did you get to speak to the Japanese client regarding our project?"

"Hi, yes I did. Their CEO Mr. Moshi has arranged a conference call on Tuesday 10:30 am IST. Their team shall send a confirmation on Monday." Janhavi replied supplying the needed information.

The text was just customary to initiate conversation as Agastya already knew the details about the Japanese client and the conference call that Janhavi texted about. He steered to the normal conversation thereafter.

"Great, sounds perfect. Thanks for the info. So.. Had dinner?"

Janhavi smirked as she thought to herself "Kitna ban raha hai na as if he doesn't know about Mr. Moshi's call." She rolled her eyes reading his text again and found something missing from it. She texted back as formally as the text looked like.

"Pleasure! Yes, had some time back."

She again thought to herself as she sent the earlier text. "Puchna chaiye kya if he had dinner? But he asked just formally. Ab kahan gaya iska sweetest heart? Huh!"

Before she could contemplate whether to ask or not, Agastya had texted another one that dimmed her mood further.

"Alright! See you tomorrow in the office. Good night."

Her eyes hazed as she felt disappointed not reading any moniker that Agastya used to always mention in the texts. Today his texts felt dry and too formal. She too chose to revert likewise and she simply replied a good night. Reading that she had closed the conversation and did not even bother to ask if he had his dinner, Agastya got upset.

"She isn't even bothered if I had food or not. Not even formality's sake she bothered to ask. Ofcourse, apne special friend ke sath busy hogi may be. Who am I to be bothered about? She hadn't even noticed the changes in my text. Let it be Agastya! There is no point running behind things"

Calling his PA, he asked her to confirm something.

"Chalo bahana bhi valid hai. Sorry Siya and chachu but I had no other option" He pondered on the thought of the excuses apologizing in his own thoughts for not making up for Siya's birthday.

In the meanwhile, when he was going through the project details he was planning to discuss with his CEO, Ayesha called him informing his Delhi visit for the weekend could not be fixed as the CEO was busy traveling to Singapore and he was already expected to visit their Mumbai office in the week later.

"Agastya! Hi, he said he would be visiting our office in Mumbai in the second half of the week as he wraps up his Singapore visit."

"Alright! Thanks Ayesha." He thought to first bluff at home as there was no way they could find out the truth. But the next moment he thought not to lie as he almost never had. Throughout the day he didn't get to talk to Janhavi except exchanging the morning greeting. The day had ended with a load of heavy work as he wrapped up for the weekend ahead with Naina's call asking him to pick up something on his way back.

He wanted to just have a glimpse of Janhavi but she had left little earlier leaving a disappointed Agastya.

"Shakal bhi nahi dekhi theek se. Won't get to see and hear her voice too for the weekend. Agastya Sehgal! You probably were digging your own grave all these years. Ahh! Such a fucked up feeling it is." Reaching home, looking exhausted, Naina smiled hugging and kissing his forehead.

"Beta, jaldi kar. Pack your stuff fast. Daddy would be here soon anytime. We have to leave as soon as he comes. I will send tea in your room. Go, get ready."

Now, Agastya was in fix. He thought to simply refuse "Mumma! I don't think I will make it up for the gathering this time. I am sorry. Too tired, I just want to rest this weekend as next week might be too hectic."

"Aww, my baby! If you don't go, Siya will be so upset. It's the first time after your return from the US that we all are gathering like this. Wo bhi to ghar hi hai. I have a suggestion; you take nap on the way and even sleep whenever you want in the night. Waise bhi party is planned for tomorrow night. Achha nahi lagega tu nahi aayega to. Chal baby ready ho ja."

Agastya was now in a fix. He couldn't turn down his mother's suggestion. He too thought, she was right. It was the first time after 7 years that they all were meeting, especially him. He thought to mend his sullen mood as he pep-talked to himself while in the shower.

"Anyways! It might just mend my mood. I too might need this change. Chale jaana chaiye. Mumma is right too, Siya's 18th is a big family celebration. I shouldn't miss her big day out of my sullen mood. Ahh! How I wish Jaanu too would have come."

He looked at himself in the mirror drying his hair. He had wrapped a towel around his waist being bare chested. Gently stroking his well-built abs, he smiled

"Jaanu hasn't seen me like this ever. How would she feel finding these toned abs? Well, that guy too has a great body and face. But I too don't look bad either? Ahh! Kyu soch raha hoon ye sab main? Dumb thoughts! Huh!"

He envied that guy, Arjun to be precise, for being way more than friendly and comfortable with his Jaanu. And that was why he today, for the first time compared his own looks and body. "But you were an asshole to her Agastya! No wonder! Anyone would give up and move on"

As soon as the word 'move on' struck his mind, he started sweating profusely. Although, the AC was on, the room was cold, he still was sweating being anxious. He felt he couldn't breathe. A thin film of fresh salt water hazed his eyes as he shed tears. In that moment, he had thought he had lost everything, he has lost his Jaanu, the only love of his life leaving him making him soulless. Soon, he was served tea as Naina found him little stressed. She helped him buttoning his red and blue checkered shirt with a smile. She knew there was something off with her son and she mostly knew it was related to Janhavi. Patting his cheek gently, she passed him his tea

"Too tired na beta? You know Agastya, when you were a kid, you used to be after me everytime to do your chores. Not because you couldn't do them yourself, but just to seek that comfort ki mere liye bhi koi hai jo mujhe waise hi pyaar karta hai jaise baki friends ki mummy karti hain. You have a pride and your walk had a bounce whenever I was with you infront of your friends at a party or in school. You used to tell me every little thing and whenever there was any problem, we both, as a team used to find solutions. I just want you to know that your mumma is always there for you. There is no problem in the world that has no solution. You know, just in case."

Naina shrugged with a smile and Agastya hugged her tightly smiling too. He knew she was her safe place. He can talk anything without the fear of being judged and would always find a solution with Naina and even with Aarav. Just her consoling helped his anxious self, calm down. He repeated in his heart "There is nothing that has no solution." Thanking Naina, he quickly finished his tea and packed his bags for the gathering, for Siya's 18th pre-birthday bash.

Soon, they were off the city's chaos on the Mumbai- Pune expressway. It was dark and the city decked up in lights made a calming sight to the mind and the soul as well. Aarav had taken to the steering asking Agastya to catch some sleep. Lonavala, where the Mehra's farmhouse was located, was little over an hour's drive through the serpentine road leading to the hill station away from the Mumbai's coast-line. Being the start of the weekend, many vehicles had bee-lined jamming the road a little. Lonavala had become a weekend getaway for people from Mumbai as well as Pune. Being located almost halfway from both the cities and boosting accommodations to suit every budget category, it had fast become a 'go-to' destination for the weekend. Not just that, many people had invested too in buying a weekend property, a holiday home and those who could shell hefty, had their farm-houses located on the peaks offering the view, that Lonavala was famous for, apart from the dry fruit-chikki.

Soon, in around 2 hours' time, battling the weekend traffic, they had reached their destination. A huge wrought iron gate that guarded the farm house, manned with 2 security guards spoke about the grandeur of the place. As the cars entered and halted at the foyer, there was a huge water fountain with little naked winged angels painted in lime white holding the huge pot that collected the water. While there was a cupid above shooting an arrow. That arrow worked as the water pipe that drained the water in the pot below. Siddhant even described as Agastya sighed.

"Wow chachu! What a beautiful fountain! But these angels and cupid?"

It looked like a beautiful metaphor describing love, Mehra's love abode. Indeed, they had built love and it reflected in that water fountain so aptly as if narrating the concept of love.

Siddhant spoke as the kids surrounded him, playing with the water from the fountain.

"Flowing water through cupid's arrow is Love as nurturing relationships, of any kind for that matter is a continuous process. And the little angel figurines below depict us humans, so little, almost dwarfed in comparison to the Love that flows towards us in abundance, that big bowl is our heart to collect the inflow of love. Thus collecting every ounce that we could and the little that overflows beyond our capacity, gets collected in a rather bigger bowl, down there, see... that one where Angels' legs rest. That bowl is the world, where you pass on the love after filling your hearts with it in its full capacity"

Not just Agastya, but everyone present there was stunned as Siddhant drew the metaphoric meaning of that fountain he had gotten made. The entire farm house was carefully and tastefully designed by him and Sanaya as their 'Love Abode'. That was what exactly they had named this mansion that caught everyone's eyes at the huge Verandah, adjoining the foyer before entering the mansion.

"Stupendous chachu! Never thought a mere water fountain could tell a story or a meaning so deep. I am floored"

Prashant patted Agastya with a smile. Ofcourse, he and Ragini knew every detail of this house. In their hay days, this very place had served as a weekend love-retreat to Sid and Sana and sometimes to Prashant and Ragini as well. "You will love this love-abode young man. Waise, koi girlfriend hai ya nahi teri?"

Agastya just smiled taking a look at the high ceilings the mansion boosted. The living room was huge and in the shade of white with black furnishings. Siddhant softly pulled Sanaya by her waist whispering in her ear.

"Jaan! Siya kitni badi ho gayi. Aisa lagta hai abhi abhi to shadi hui thi hamari aur ab beti 18 ki hote aayi. Waise! How about turning this mansion back to our loved-up weekends? What say? Yum used to be so much fun with no one around to listen to our love-sighs. Hai na? Don't you think we should start coming rather regularly here just for our time?"

Sanaya, even after more than two decades of their marriage, was shy and almost reduced to jelly as desires kicked in remembering their coupling in the initial years. She just managed to smile coyly as Siddhant pulled her towards him by her waist. She gasped "Siddhant! Hayyy kuch to sharam rakhiye. Suniye! Bacche aur baki sab dekh lenge to maine sharam se hi mar jana hai..ganda bachha!"


"Just what I wanted to listen to. Ahh! Music to my ears. Ye sunane hi kiya aisa maine baby. He he he. Ek Sanaya-special coffee mil jati to maza aa jata. Let's begin our time here with your special coffee. What say everyone?" Siddhant announced grinning happily having met his entire 'friends-like-family' group after a long time, with kids.


Manasvi and Akshay were supposed to join in few hours as they had just landed at Mumbai international airport with Vihaan being super excited to meet his 'Si'. And Asmi-Aneesh would be arriving any minute. The mansion that was locked up since long had instantly started looking lively. Maa had retired to rest till the dinner would be served. She had been under the weather and age has indeed affected her, physically. However, she was yet that warm and enthusiastic as she was years back. Mummy- daddy were expected to join in the morning next day.

Siya, Aarna and Hridaan looked excited. Rohan Anaya's daughter, Anna, who was a year younger to Siya in age had gelled up with Siya, Hridaan and Aarna pretty well as they had met a lot earlier and falling in the same age group. Agastya was quite elder to this 'bachha party', that's what Rohan addressed the kids gang. All the kids loved 'Agastya bhaiya' and would love to listen to his stories. The minute they had settled with coffee, Siya immediately quipped about something. Not finding an answer, she nudged him raising her eye brow in question.

Agastya smiled mellow as he was lost and gloomy as Janhavi was the only missing piece, rather he needed no one when she was around. With a warm coffee mug in is hand, he recalled their last farm house party, 7 years back. And specially their parting hug which actually was a brief kiss. He chuckled all of a sudden remembering Janhavi's embarrassed face. But his heart yearned for her, to see her once. How he had hoped for her to join this weekend gathering. But his hopes had already been dashed hearing Naina's conversation with Janhavi.

While he was in his thoughts, swirling his mug, he heard hullabaloo. The girls' shriek broke his trans and particularly Siya's loud voice as she called out hugging

"Jaanu diiiii... Have been waiting for you"

And that's when Agastya absentmindedly sipped the hot coffee getting his tongue burnt. But his face instantly lit up and the lips were curved in a beautiful smile.

"Fuck! Muh jal gaya." He swore biting his tongue that felt stinging. But the frame his eyes captured at that instant made his heart skip a beat.