'I love you a lot,Parth.'

        ~A whisper in Parth's ear as he lay wrapped in Manya's arms.

Manya wasn't stressed at all about her exams unlike her classmates. Not that she had planned to fail the exam anyway. In fact, she had prepared enough to get decent grades.  However she was in love and felt carefree. Maybe that was the reason that her final exams for high school went better than she expected.

As she made a small cartoon doodle on Parth's face whose head was on her lap and his eyes were closed, she thought that maybe she'll even get As in some subjects. How horrific would be that for dad especially if its in hindi. She couldn't help but giggle. He had failed his hindi exam as per his old school reports she has found in one of grandmother's drawers at their ancestral home.

Parth shifted his face toward her tummy, his warm breath making it tickle. They were both in one of the school gardens near labs where very few people needed to come at this time.  Manya was sitting with her back against a tree trunk and Parth was lying on ground with his head in her lap.

Manya finished the doodle, capped the pen and threw it to the side and lightly moved her fingers through his silky hairs. He had such soft hairs.

'That's so comforting.' He muttered.

Manya bent and kissed his ear. 'How about this?'

'I need more to judge.' He cheekily replied as he opened his eyes.

She laughed and then noticed that his eyes were red. 'Didn't you sleep well last night?'

They hadn't met last month as they were both preparing for exams and his texts were few and far.

'My dad is here.' He said in a low voice.

Manya frowned. What was that supposed to mean? His eyes were red because he stayed awake talking to his dad? She didn't know. In fact, all she knew was that his parents lived in Austrailia and had business over there. His uncle managed the family business here in India.

'And?' She lightly promoted as she massaged his temple as she had seen her mother doing forher father.

He was silent and then said,' my parents are now legally divorced.'

Manya didn't know what to say. Her family was traditional. Divorce wasn't allowed no matter how unhappy one was in a relation.

Maybe her silence was what he needed. He continued in a quiet voice,' they decided it two years ago. When I came here, that was the reason. Neither of them wanted the custody. So, my uncle became the legal guardian until the time one of them was willing.'

Manya knew what to say this time. She knew all about being an unwanted child. 'I'm sorry. This must be hard. Why didn't you tell me earlier? Your parents are jerks.'

He closed his eyes again. Words tumbled out of his mouth as if he was unburdening something heavy from his soul. 'I hate them. They are always fighting. Always. I hate it. I hate them. Now, he is here. He'll belittle and mock and criticize everything I do because I look like mom...I hate him.' His voice seemed to break at the end.

'Its okay. I'm here. I love you.' Manya told him.

Through the closed eyes tears fell down on cheeks and he hid his face against her tummy. She didn't stop him from crying nor said anything to embarass him. She sat there comforting him by messaging his hairs and his temple and dropping little kisses on those tear strained eyes. That moment was special. He had opened up his heart to her. But it was also important in her heart for another reason. Because he disappared from her life that day.