Shashank and Juhi walk together at an amusement park. Both of them remain silent initially out of hesitation.

Shashank becomes the one to break the ice.

"Mujhe laga shayad nahi aaogi.",

(I thought that you won't come)

says Shashank, smiling hesitantly.

Juhi blushes hearing that and gives her explanation,

"Aa hi rahi thi ke ek aur patient aa gaya."

(Was just leaving for here but suddenly a patient arrived.)

Shashank nods his head in understanding.

"No! No problem! Shayad main hi anxious ho raha tha.",

(No! No problem! May be it's my anxiousness that made me to say that.)

smiles Shashank, in awkwardness.

His words make Juhi's heart to flutter. She blushes and smiles a little.

"That's obvious. Zindagi mein agar pehle hum kisi ko kho dein, to firse kisi par bharosa karne se darr to lagta hai.",

(That's obvious. We tend to get skeptical in trusting someone if we have been betrayed earlier in life.)

says Juhi, turning gloomy.

Shashank looks towards her, concerned, knitting his brows.

Turning to look towards him, smiling, Juhi says,

"Magar bharosa rakhiye aap, main waada dekar peeche hatne walon mein se nahi hun."

(But you please have faith and trust in me that I am not someone who step back after promising someone for something.)

Shashank stares her, his expression stays same.

"Mujhe tum par pura bharosa hai Juhi.",

(I have full trust in you Juhi.)

says Shashank, earnestly.

Juhi smirks and says,

"Mujhe bhi tha Rahul par bharosa. Par dekhiye kya haal ho gaya humare rishte ka."

(Even I had trust and faith in Rahul. But see what became of our relationship.)

Shashank feels bad for her.

"Isliye ab main har step soch samjh kar lena chahti hoon.",

(Therefore now I take precaution before taking any step towards anyone.)

says Juhi, getting emotional.

"Tab to naadan thi. Ab umr ke iss mod par aakar expect kar rahi hun ke samjhdari dikhaungi.",

(I was innocent back then. Now after reaching this age of my life, I am expecting that I'll show maturity.)

says Juhi.

Shashank thinks for a brief moment, looking ahead, walking next to Juhi, then says,

"Juhi agar ek rishta safal na ho to zaruri nahi har rishta waisa hi nikle."

(Juhi if one relationship doesn't turn successful it doesn't mean every relationship would turn out to be the same.)

Juhi looks towards him reading his sincerity.

Juhi smiles in acceptance.

They walk into a garden where they find small children playing. They smile looking towards them.

Shashank realises and says,

"Jabse iss profession mein aya hun zindagi kahin na kahin ruk si gayi hai. Iss tarah leisure time mil ya hi nahi guzarne ko. Kabhi koi tension to kabhi koi."

Juhi nods her head, staring the kids, smiling.

"Hmm... magar kam se kam apko ehsaas to hai ke apna bachcha hone ka ehsaas kya hota hai!",

says Juhi, smiling sadly, staring the kids still, never blinking her eyes.

Shashank looks towards Juhi, realising her pain.

Juhi smiles and looks towards Shashank. Shashank realises that he can do nothing about this particular situation of her life, hence he says,

"Zindagi mein sirf yahi ek khushi to maiyine nahi rakhti na Juhi?"

Juhi stares him awestruck.

"Ek dusre ka saath bhi aaj kal logo ko aasani se nahi milta .",

says Shashank.

Juhi's heart clenches hearing that. Her respect for him increases manifolds.

"Agar hum saath hain; khush hain ek dusre ke saath, to baki saath takleefein khud-na-khud khatam ho jayegi; maiyne hi nahi rakh rhi wo humari zindagi mein.",

says Shashank.

He smiles looking towards her. Juhi smiles back.

As they walk forth Juhi remains engrossed in her thought about Shashank and his words that she doesn't realise when she slips on mud. But thankfully Shashank stays alert enough to hold her before she hits the floor.

Juhi clenches the helm of Shashank's coat tightly and widens her eyes out of fear. With his left arm wrapped around her waist and right hand holding her left hand. They stare each other. Shashank notices how her chest expands and contracts in quick succession.

"Zindagi ke har kadam par saath denge aap?",

asks Juhi, in hoarse whisper.

"Haq dekar dekho!",

dares Shashank, both of them still maintaining the same position.

Juhi for the first time notices his features properly. This time not as his junior Dr. Juhi but as his future 'everything' Juhi.

Shashank slowly makes her stand. Juhi cascades her eyes. She adjusts a strand of hair, putting it behind her ear self consciously.

They begin to walk forth.

Shashank smiles thinking something and asks Juhi,

"Kya tum aaj bhi mere saamne nervous ho jati ho?"

That brings a shy smile on Juhi's face, she turns to look towards Shashank for a brief moment. Looking ahead again, she says,

"Rishta badal hai, asar nahi!"

Her words make Shashank's heart to flutter. He turns to look towards her, surprised.

Juhi refrains looking towards him out of hesitation.

•••••

Shashank plucks a flower secretly and presents it in front of Juhi. His sudden gesture of love makes Juhi to blush profusely. Smiling in shyness, she accepts the flower. While this is what Juhi goes through, Shashank's rate of heartbeat also stays a notch high than normal out of anticipation of her reaction.

He takes a deep breath, that he had been holding while presenting the flower to her, after she accepts it. Juhi touches the soft petals of the flower, smiling throughout. Shashank smiles gauging her reaction.

"I hope humara ye naya rishta iss phool ki tarah humari zindagi mein Khushboo bikhere!",

says Shashank.

Juhi suddenly laughs hearing that.

Shashank knits his brows in confusion.

Juhi rests the flower on her lips to hide her laughter and looks towards Shashank.

Shashank asks,

"Kya hua?"

"Aap na ye romantic lines try may kijiye. Aap strict aur serious hi theek hain.",

laughs Juhi.

That gets Shashank self conscious and his cheeks warm up out of embarrassment.

"Main... main strict sirf apne juniors ke liye hun. Ab kya jisse pyar karta hun uski bhi apni strictness dikhaun kya?",

asks Shashank, to save himself from further embarrassment, and in his process of doing so, he doesn't realise what he just confessed!

Juhi's cheek turns crimson red hearing that. She turns serious out of shyness. Shashank stares her holding his breath.

"I... I mean...",

he begins to mend the situation, but too late!

"Nahi! Aap jaisa chahein mere saath reh sakte hain. Jo chahein kar sakte hain.",

says Juhi, giving him full liberty.

Shashank smiles hearing that.

"We'll have to work on this hesitation and awkwardness I guess.",

says Shashank, smiling shyly.

Juhi blushes and smiles to, nodding her head slowly in acceptance.

They reach under a tree and stop. They look towards each other, smiling. Shashank asks her,

"Humara rishta kaisa hoga, kaisa rukh lega main nahi janta Juhi. All I know is main ye chahta hoon. Main tumhara saath chahta hun. Humesha... humesha ke liye. Kya tum mera saath dogi zindagi ke bachey hue safar mein?"

Juhi stares him with her eyes filled with love for Shashank. She smiles; her eyes twinkle.

"Humesha.... humesha ke liye!",

she confesses.

Breeze blows suddenly making the tree to shake. Flowers and petals shower on Juhi and Shashank, and they continue staring each other. Shashank slowly removes a flower that gets stuck in her hair. Juhi closes her eyes as she feels the touch of his. She opens her eyes as she realises that he has taken off the flower.  They smile looking towards each other. Shashank throws the flower away. Unable to control their emotions for long, Shashank and Juhi embrace each other into a tight hug.

They get tangled to each other by the emotion of love, respect, desire. They hug is a silent promise that hence forth they would do everything that would make them happy. They would now start living for themselves too and not for the sake of others - their dear ones. Henceforth they would be dearest to each other. They'll take it slow. There is no rush. They finally will enjoy the feeling again which they thought has ceased to be present in their life - the feeling of the thing called love.

Finding love doesn't get bound by age. Finding love needs only two people who are willing to propose to each other of their feelings and ready to commence the further journey of their life with each other, with no shame; no regrets. Even the distance or the time gap of falling in love and proposing of the same, doesn't hold any importance. All is needed is sincere feelings of the two people. You can get never old for showing the gesture of love in a manner that your heart desires for.

Shashank and Juhi take a deep breath each as they feel that now they are complete! Now they are tangled to each other, for the rest of their life!

-THE END-
(29.12.2020)