In this world, there's no hero or villain. Humans, though, have this tendency to view this world and its people in terms of white and black, but fail to see that the spectrum of our vision is blinded enough to believe that a certain colour shall always represent which we perceive as evil or even godly.
However capable our sight is, the incapability of ours stem from the fact that we fail to see how humans are just a mix of white and black. Grey. That's what we are, just it differentiates into two as life decides to come in the way in forms of circumstances of which some breaks us, others makes us stronger. And no, these circumstances aren't always testing times... some are what people around us makes us go through which only leads to us inching towards either the lighter shade of grey which is optimistic and full of hope, or towards the darker shade of grey which is pessimistic and only feeds of the pain and sufferings of human life.
I know, this seems slightly out of context but I do believe that it is even true that no one is born evil... just situations often lead to undesirable phases which causes unpleasantly experiences and turns someone bitter and resentful, frequently becoming what we call evil.
But remember one thing, despite what all bad deeds a person do, they do deserve forgiveness. Because the power that forgiveness has, I don't think anything else is so potent to even compare. Think about this, otherwise... your fate will decide what course of life you deserve.

Yours forever
Sagar Malhotra

A tear escaped her eye. It'd been seven years since she had read it last. Seven years when everything ended, yet her new life had begun which she completely acceptance of her fate as Khushali Kapoor Mehra, Sidharth Mehra's lawfully wedded wife.

However, today was different. It was her Sagar's birthday. She missed him, terribly, yet, he was beside her. But not as the lover she had lost tragically ten years back. No, she had come to terms with his dead and accepted that he wouldn't return back to her ever in that form. All, when she had put her past to rest.
Yet, he did return back. This time as her baby son, who was born on the very same day as Sagar, last year.

The first thing that had come to her mind after delivering her baby boy was that it was Sagar's birthday. But she had held herself back from saying the same aloud. However, her husband must have guessed it by her facial expression. He was quite creepy when it came to reading her face. It was like she was an open book for Sidharth. He could figure out her emotional dilemma by just one look at her face.
And he won't ever explain to me how, she sighed.

Reasons best known to Sidharth, he had insisted on naming their baby boy after Sagar. He considered it to be a tribute to Sagar, the man because of whom Khushali and Sidharth were brought closer to get bound in a lifelong relationship of love and trust.

She did protest, but somewhere, slightly selfish though, she wanted her son to be named after Sagar. It felt like regaining the missing essence of her life that had died along with him.
And so, her baby son was named Sagar Mehra. But it was an official name, because thanks to her first child and daughter Samara, her baby boy was known as Shaggy in the entire Mehra and Kapoor clan, as well as their friend circle.
Reason, because her now five-year-old Samara had a pet dog who's name was Scooby and Scooby needed a Shaggy.

But my munchkin is just as cute as her crazy father, Khushali smiled. And also a lazy, sleep loving girl. She shook her head, as her baby girl was sleeping peacefully beside her daddy dearest. Both looking just as adorable as they could manage in their sleep.

Her firstborn, Samara, was a mini version of her husband Sidharth. She had inherited her father's black eyes, his each and every trait, and also his immense love for his sleep. For which he'd merrily trade his world for, and so could his daughter; after all it was a prized possession for both.
Their resemblance was so spot on that most of the family members regarded Samara as Sidharth's female version or Sidharth 2.0 (courtesy Rehaan), with her mother's love for reading.

There were days when all the similarities between her husband and daughter would annoy her. Today was one such day.

It was nine already in morning and they had to leave for their farmhouse at eleven. Khushali had been trying to wake these two up for last one hour, but all her attempts were fruitless. The father-daughter duo was in an extreme deep sleep that even baby Sagar's musical monkey's continuous loud mechanical voice couldn't stir them from their sleep.

And Khushali had to take a serious action now. Or else, they would be late for her baby boy's first birthday party.

She moved back inside the bedroom. She was in the balcony, along with her son Sagar who had woken up half an hour back. Since Samara wasn't ready to wake up, she had bathed and dressed Sagar in his birthday dress. A princely suit that Mayera had helped Khushali select for the birthday boy. The suit was royal blue in colour, colour coordinating with his mother's royal blue Cinderella like gown, and she had indeed dressed up as Cinderella.

Sagar's first birthday party was a themed one, the theme was which was finalised by his elder sister. Samara had insisted on a Disney Fairytale themed birthday party, and her daddy dearest couldn't deny her wish. It was Sagar's birthday, though.

With Sagar giggling in her arms, Khushali made her way toward the bed. Her royal blue gown swayed along with her. She seemed like a real princess ... Queen, my husband's heart's queen, she blushed furiously. Her husband always called her his queen, and true, he had taken a backseat to let Khushali drive their relationship.
And also be the strict parent. Sigh.

She stood at the edge of the bed. Sagar was watching his mother through his mother's eyes, his lips stretched into a smile with his mother's dimples. His head rested comfortably on his mother's shoulder and he seemed every bit a mini Khushali or Khushali's press button as Sidharth called their son. Though just a baby, Sagar never allowed his mother to divert her attention from him. This obviously created a sense of insecurity in Samara, and in her father too.

Khushali glanced at her son, he was still smiling. He began to gibber too, which he had been doing for past one month. She even was sure that two days back she had heard a faint 'mumma' from him, but Sidharth haughtily said that their son's first word would be 'dada'. He had made her bet too, again like the time when Samara was about to speak her first word. But neither of them won as Samara's first word was 'wifey'. Khushali was extremely upset as she had warn Sidharth not to address her as wifey until Samara didn't say her first word since wifey was the word constantly heard by her.
Wifey, where's my tie? Wifey, where's my files? Wifey, where are you? Wifey, you don't love me anymore. Wifey, wifey.
It was all his fault! Khushali exhaled angrily, but one look at her baby boy who was peeping at her through the locks of her hair and she immediately became calm.

Her lips curled into a teary grin, her baby was growing up very fast. She couldn't recall how the last one year had passed with her baby around. Perhaps, ever since his birth Khushali on her toes, as his birth had only instilled a sense of insecurity in Samara and Sidharth, and both constantly demanded her attention whenever and wherever possible. Poor soul Khushali couldn't even enjoy her maternity leave either, since Samara kept crying that her mother wasn't giving her enough time, with Sidharth's claims that she had forgotten him and lastly the actual baby's wailing.

Yet, even then each and every moment became a cherished echo for her, etched permanently in her memory which would go on with her till she lived.

And now, she had to accomplish a highly difficult task: Mission Impossible 7: Waking Samara and Sidharth Mehra.

She sat down beside Samara. Samara was all snuggled up to her father, who had his arms protectively wrapped around his daughter's shoulders. Both appeared extremely cute in their sleep, but Khushali had to wake them up. Even when she couldn't help but aww at them.

"Sidharth, Samara, wake up, guys. It's already nine. We have to leave in two hours' time. Get up now lazybones, or else we'll get late for Sagar's birthday party," said Khushali, shaking both Samara and Sidharth. Seeing her action, Sagar tried imitating her. But little baby couldn't even move an inch of his sister's arm and pouted.
Khushali giggled.

When neither showed sign of getting up, Khushali decided to wake them up individually. She moved to stroke Samara's hair, who turned her back to Khushali and hugged her father. But Khushali didn't give up and bent over to whisper in her ears.
"Samara baby, today is your baby brother's first birthday na, don't you want to celebrate it?"

"We'll do it later," mumbled Samara, turning to sleep on her stomach, snuggling more into her father with her hands clutching his grey sweatshirt. Sidharth pulled the quilt over her and both instantly began to snore.

This made Khushali roll her eyes. And baby Sagar seemed confused. He crawled closer to his mother and continued to observe her in a quiet manner.
Khushali caressed Sidharth's forehead, in an attempt to wake him up. Atleast, he would wake up.
"Sidharth, sweetheart, wake up na. It's Sagar's first birthday. We can't be late for the party, almost everyone has reached the farmhouse already."

"Five more minutes, wifey," came his prompt yet sleepy reply. She rolled her eyes again, and Sagar just kept moving his eyes from Sidharth to her. He couldn't understand anything and when he was sure he won't, he began to play with his musical monkey.

What should I do now? she asked herself, but nothing came into her mind.

Seeing that neither of the two was responding, she let out a defeated sigh. There was no way she could wake them up. Both father and daughter one day would break the record of the Indian mythological character Kumbakaran who is popularly known for his love for sleep and food. Certainly, her husband and daughter were no less than monsters; two annoying sleeping monsters.

I wish my daughter was like me, Khushali sighed. Samara was just so much like her father.
Who eats Nutella with Gulab Jamun? Of course, only my ... our daughter, she smiled and again caressed Samara's hair.

Samara-who was dressed in a Dora, the Explorer tee and pjs-tried to remove her hand away. Certainly, she knew her mother was trying to wake her up. But Khushali didn't let her. She continued caressing her hair, trying to think of a way to wake her up.

She indeed get an idea.

Khushali got up from the bed and walked toward the cupboard. She opened it and tooķ out two dress covers, and walked back to the bed. She kept holding them and smirked. Samara will definitely get up now, her smirk turned evil.

"Sammy baby, as you're not really interested in celebrating your brother's birthday, I'm giving your Princess Sofia gown to Avni. I'm sure she'll love it," she innocently said. To add extra effects, she strutted off toward the door when she heard Samara's voice.

"Mom, then whom I'm gonna dress up as?" she angrily demanded. She threw the comforter off herself and got down from the bed.

"Hmm ... let me think. Maybe Dora?" Khushali pretended to think, but Samara grimaced. Though, Samara sported a Dora, the Explorer hairstyle and even had a similar backpack, she very much disliked Dora. Khushali knew it was the best way to instigate her to dress up.

"Mom! You know I don't like Dora! And this is my gown!" Samara snatched the gown cover from her and climbed back on the bed. She sat on her father's stomach and jumped on it continually to wake him up. "Dada, get up! You need to help me dress up as Princess Sofia, warna your wifey will make me look like a Dora Pora." She scrunched her nose and didn't stop jumping until Sidharth defiantly got up from the bed.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Sidharth raised his hands up in air. Samara took hold of his hands and got down off the bed. But she turned back and climbed up again to sit beside Sagar, who was playing with his musical monkey. She pecked his cheeks and smilingly sang, "Happy Birthday, Shaggyyyyy!!!!!!!"

Sagar giggled in response and stretched his arms for her to take him in her arms. Samara cradled him and showered kisses on his face, like she always did.
The day he was born, like a protective elder sister, Samara hadn't let anyone come close to her brother and sat by her mother with an vigilant eye for any danger. Though, she did have an insecurity, it was also true that she loved her baby brother a lot. And just like every time, the two siblings seemed to be in their own element now.

Their parents smiled.

"Samara, should I give that gown to Avni?" Khushali slyly smiled. Sidharth just tried to sleep again.

"No!" Samara grimaced and made Sagar sit back on the bed. She took her dress. "Dada, let's go to my room. I need to dress up!"

"Okay, babyyy," Sidharth yawned and followed her to her bedroom. She had slept in their room last night as she wanted to stay with Sagar. And her parents.

Seeing her daughter march off and her husband following behind her, she couldn't hold back her laughter and laughed aloud. Sagar, who though didn't know or could understand the reason, giggled along his mother.

Few minutes later, Khushali made the bed and made Sagar wear his black and red Mickey Mouse shoes, that Samara had gifted him with her father's help. Sagar innocently tried to pluck off the mouse ears from his shoes, but Khushali instead took him downstairs.

Aditya and Meher, who were responsible for organising Sagar's birthday party along with Mayera, had already left for the Mehra's farmhouse at the outskirts of Delhi. Sidharth and Khushali, their kids, and Kavya and Arhaan were leaving together.

Avni, Kavya's daughter youngest child, was cradling Sagar when Samara came down all dressed up in her purple Princess Sofia gown. She had a tiara stuck in her hair, which her daddy had placed perfectly so that it didn't fall down with her bouncy walking style. She was a hyperactive kid, and so was her brother.

"Avni, keep my baby brother back on his pram! I want to take him out for a walk!" Samara demanded, folding her arms. She and Avni, her aunt's daughter hardly ever got along well with each other because Samara always felt that Avni would take her baby brother to her home. She was very possessive of her parents and her baby brother.

"No, I'm playing with him," the four-year-old Avni didn't relent to her demand. Samara grimaced and fumed in anger. But before this issue could escalate to a heated argument, Sidharth intervened and made the girls promise that they won't fight with each other today.
The girls agreed, though Samara didn't talk to her father for an hour after this.

The family soon started for the farmhouse. Samara and her baby brother enjoyed the ride a lot. Sagar kept jumping up and down with joy and Samara continually pulled his cheeks and dropped kisses on his forehead every now and then.
Their parents exchanged elated smiles seeing their babies' bond.

It took them an hour to reach the farmhouse and both the kids, Avni and her elder brother Krish were exhilarated to reach the venue. An exquisite farmhouse, it looked like a beautiful cottage in this month of November with its wooden finishing and a very simple yet sophisticated architecture.

Samara ran inside and squealed when she saw the arrangement that her auntie had done for her brother's first birthday. Disney Fairytale themed tables, life size cut outs of Disney Princesses, miniature models of Disneyland castle, multiple coloured flower bouquets, Disney balloons with Sagar's name and everything else that could make this birthday party memorable.

Smiling, she went back to bring Sagar to the garden where the party was organised. When she brought his pram to the garden, Sagar squeaked, trying hard to get out of his pram, but Khushali took him in her arms and he merrily enjoyed himself.

The guests were coming out to the garden now after they received the news of the arrival of the Mehra's. The first ones were Rehaan, his wife Payal and their son Reyman. Once he was freed of the fake charges, Rehaan had reconciled with Payal and both got married a year later. They were blessed with a son after a year of marriage, so Reyman was only a couple months younger to Samara and was already her best bud.
The Shah couple was dressed as Snow White and Her Prince, while Reyman was dressed as a Prince Neal Nolan.

After them, followed Raima, in a beautiful flowy pink gown-she had chosen to take the attire of Princess Aurora and her husband Jay, was all complementing her as Prince Phillip. Their twins, Jiah and Rian, were both dressed as Disney character of Princess Audrey and Prince Phillip Jr.
Samara greeted her friends with a gleeful smile, along with Avni, who was dressed as Princess Melody, Ariel's daughter, both completely forgetful of their fight now. Avni's parents, Kavya and Arhaan had dressed up as Princess Ariel and Prince Eric, while Krish was a Prince.

Lastly were the Khanna's. Mayera was Princess Jasmine while Arjun was in the attire of Aladdin. Their only son, Manan, was following behind them as Prince Aziz.

But unlike at the entrance of other guests, Samara wasn't pleased to see Manan. She turned to her father and grimaced. The two kids didn't share a friendly bond and most of the times were at loggerheads because Samara found Manan quite annoying.

"Dada, why is he dressed as Prince Aziz, he should've dressed as Peter Pete, the villain in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. That suits him more," she whispered to her father, who had leveled himself to her level with being on his knees. Avni giggled on hearing Samara's remark and HiFi-ed with her.

But before Sidharth could react, Khushali passed him a glare. He gulped. Though, the kids didn't share friendly vibes, Khushali never appreciated Sidharth's adding fuel to the already burning fire by coming up with childish but mean nicknames for Manan. He used to do this purposely to trouble his best friend Mayera, who couldn't help but shake her head at his childishness.

"Baby, let it be na. We should rather focus on your Shaggy's birthday celebration, no?" he tried to distract her, to save himself from getting another glare and an earful from Khushali. Fortunately, it worked and Samara along with the others went ahead to take Sagar around the garden.

While the kids busied themselves in playing with each other, the elders were all gathered together in the living area of the farmhouse. They were conversing and complimenting each other for keeping up with the theme despite the cold weather in Delhi in the month of Novemeber.
Not even the senior citizens of the family were spared, thanks to Samara and her daddy dearest Sidharth. The father-daughter duo had sat together on a hunger strike to make the senior Mehra couple and Khushali's parents agree to accept the theme of the picnic.
However, Khushali knew how both the father and the daughter had eaten enough secretly before starting off their hunger strike.

Khushali and her group had all occupied the couches and were talking. When the rest of the group was busy discussing about Aditya and Meher, who were yet to come, Sidharth and Mayera seemed to be in a playful mood and were taking shots at each other.

"Mayera, if you continue to spend money ridiculously like you're already doing, I'm sure Arjun's gonna be a real Aladdin soon. And he won't even have a Genie," Sidharth chortled. He was sitting with Sagar on his lap, who was brought inside as he was tired of kids hovering around and was wailing for his parents.

"And you couldn't even afford glass slippers for Khushali. Tch tch, poor my friend Khushali," she clicked her tongue. And then taking Sagar in her arms, she kissed the baby and cooed, "Baby boy, when you grow up, be like your mother. Not like your dumb dada."

Sidharth shrugged his shoulders, and Khushali chuckled.

"But even then, Mayera, Sidharth's every bit complementing Khushali in this dapper black suit," said Raima, giving Sidharth a thumbs up. He mouthed a thank you.
Sidharth had dressed up as Cinderella's husband, Prince Charming.

"You're my best friend or his," asked Khushali, raising her eyebrows. Beside her, Jay chuckled.

"His!" Raima grinned.

Khushali rolled her eyes.

The group kept pulling each other's leg again, until they saw Meher and Aditya entering the living area with Amaira and the six-year-old Arisha. The second seniormost Mehra couple had chosen to be Princess Belle and Prince Adam, and their daughters Amaira and Arisha were Princess Elsa and Princess Anna. Aditya and Meher had gone to bring the birthday cake and their two daughters had tagged along with them.
Their daughters were both older to Samara and were like her idols she always looked upto. The kids shared a very close bond.

Everyone gathered around the round table in garden on which the Disneyland style cake was set up. All the kids were unblinkingly gazing at the cake while baby Sagar was ecstatic and was trying to touch the cake. His parents and sister stood with him. The candles were lit and Khushali was passed the knife by Sidharth. Sagar was in her arms and she was holding his tiny hand in hers. She and Sidharth blowed the candles, together with Samara they cut Sagar's cake.

Khushali and Sidharth made Sagar have a bite of his cake and the infant couldn't be more rejoiced. He squealed and gave his parents wet kisses. He posed happily for photographs and was all sport when the ladies pulled his cheeks. The one-year-old was extremely gleeful, and his parents couldn't be merrier.

The games for kids were soon brought out and, kids and adults alike were enjoying them. Since Sagar was tired after an hour of all the blessing and had his tummy full of cake, he became cranky. Khushali took him with herself and went to stand beside the wooden fence. The farmhouse was surrounded by trees and was an extremely mesmerising place in winters.
She leaned against the fence, while Sagar was drowsy. She rubbed his back and swayed slowly so that he could fall asleep.

But just as she pecked her baby son's forehead, she felt someone gazing at her. She looked around, yet found no one. Her husband, daughter and the rest of the family members and friends were busying in the 'Pin The Tail On The Donkey' game.

Khushali shook her head, thinking it was an illusion. Yet again, she felt someone's gaze on her. This time, she felt the gaze from the right of hers, just on the otherside of the fence. She turned to see whether there really was someone or her mind was fooling her. And when she did, she was paralysed momentarily.

Leaning against a teak tree, in complete whites, was Sagar Malhotra. An affectionate smile adored his lips. There was no hint of sorrow or pain on his face, like it was when Khushali had seen his body for the last time. He was wearing his usual charming smile, which brought a smile on Khushali's lips too, and turned her eyes moist. His hair were just like they used to be and he ran a hand through him, which filled Khushali's heart with an unknown joy.

She wanted to move toward him, but he gestured her to stop. And she did. His smile grew wider, and so did Khushali's smile. They both gazed at each other, with myriads of emotions playing on Khushali's face. But Sagar only had a smile on his face, and his smile reached his eyes when he pointed toward his namesake, Khushali's son. Khushali giggled as he send them a flying kiss.

"Mummm," she heard a soft voice. With a tug on her sleeves and she looked down to find her baby son staring at her with a smile. "Mummm." he repeated again, and the tears in her eyes couldn't be held back. Her son had finally said his first word and that too 'Mum'.

She wiped her tears and glanced again at the place where Sagar was standing few seconds before. But her smile faded away as there was no one, no sign of anyone ever being there. A few tears rolled down her cheeks.

Was he only my imagination, or was it the effects of the sunlight?
She couldn't decide. But suddenly a look at her son and she knew what it was. Though, she couldn't be sure whether Sagar was really here a moment ago or not, she knew he was with her. In the form of her son, he had returned back to her. There was an uncanny resemblance between the two, but Khushali had never given It much thought earlier. It never had mattered but like Sagar, her son had an habit of smiling all the time.
Surely, it wasn't just a thought she had made herself believe but it was certainly (partly) true. And she would never let anything or anyone ever take him away from her again in this lifetime. Never.

"Wifey, come here, we're gonna click a family picture now." Sidharth called her as everyone gathered around the porch for a family photograph.
She nodded and walked toward her family. A smile lingering on her lips, she was a blissed woman. Contended with her life, and at peace with both her past and present. Pain was no longer part of her life, Sidharth Mehra was; her husband and her babies' father.

"I love you, Wifey," he whispered to her when she stood beside him.

"I love you, too, hubby," she responded back with a peck on his cheek.
They smiled and turned toward the camera to pose for the family photograph.
Their family was complete, so were they both.
Her fate had finally brought tranquillity in her life, for which she did struggle initially but now she had no regrets. Her life was beautiful, with her husband and her kids. She needed nothing more. Just love and happiness.

THE END