Chapter 17

Leaning back on to the couch, roli relaxed after returning from office. A servant came over and offered her a glass of juice. Roli retrieved the glass with a thankful smile at the female servant. She was actually feeling a bit awkward to be served by so many people. Sid had specially appointed few female servants to take care of roli's necessities. But, roli was not used to all these and she could only feel awkward for being treated like a princess. 

It was past 7 in the evening and Sid still hadn't returned home. Holding her phone in hands, roli hesitated for a while but ended up dialing his number anyway. 

"Roli.." Sid answered immediately, surprised to receive her call for the first time. 

"You're.. not home yet?" Roli asked in a low voice. 

Sid smiled feeling her concern "I'm leaving now. Will be back soon". 

Roli didn't know what to say next and ended the call with an "okay". 

Coming out from her room, roli glanced at the whole house, which she hadn't looked at properly till now. Then she walked ahead and wandered inside the mansion. It was designed modernly and looked lavishing. After watching keenly at the whole house, roli realized that every corner of it was designed as per her wish.  

Once Roli was watching a movie with Sid in the past and she randomly said that she loved the house in the movie. She also added that she would love to decorate her house in the same way when she would buy one. As a child she just said those things without giving much thinking in to it. But Sid, who was sitting next to her, noted all her wishes and made those true after ten years. 

As the realization dawned her, roli felt so pleasant and a warm feeling filled her heart. She couldn't believe that Sid actually remembered those childish wishes of her. Taking staircase to second floor, roli unknowingly stepped in to Sid's room. It was a spacious bedroom, which was neatly arranged with a king-size bed in the middle of the room. Roli was caught by one more surprise as she glanced at the walls of the room. 

Each and every wall was filled with pictures of Roli and Sid. Her eyes got moist as all those memories of them together flashed before her eyes like they were playing in real again. Closing her mouth with her palm, roli felt nostalgic while controlling her tears. 

Moving near to bed, roli took a picture in to her hand that was kept on drawer next to bed and caressed it. She looked at her child self and young Sid, who protectively wrapped his arm around her, in the picture. Their serene smile in the picture reminded roli of his care for her. Then her attention fell on the half opened drawer. Placing the picture back on drawer, roli opened it to receive an even bigger surprise. 

All the paintings she had made for Sid were safely kept inside the drawer. Even the one that got spoiled by spitting water on to it. Holding those paintings in hand, roli couldn't control her tears anymore. As if being granted by her permission, tears started rolling down her cheeks. 

Looking at those paintings, roli subconsciously sat on bed while her mind travelled back in time as she glanced at the painting of pinkie promise! 

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"Roli, get up and continue" Sid ordered while Roli reluctantly stood up on her feet. 

"I'm tired, Sid. Can we do this on next Sunday?" Roli asked, feeling the urge of crying. 

"You've said the same on previous Sunday too. Now no more excuses. You want to learn self defense right? Then why you're escaping now?" Sid lectured like a strict teacher. 

"If I had known it would be so difficult then I would have never even thought about it" roli murmured with a pout. 

"It's not difficult, roli. Just focus and you'll get used to it" melting at her pout, Sid tried to persuade her, patiently. 

"Come on, continue" Sid stood before her and started saying how she should do. 

Roli tried to follow his moves at the same time thinking of a way to escape. Suddenly an idea hit her mind.

"Ahhh!!" Roli cried, sitting on the floor, holding her right leg. 

"Roli, what happened?" Kneeling down, Sid worriedly asked. 

"My leg.. it's paining" roli continued to act, making Sid more worried. 

"Relax, roli. Let me see" Sid tried to hold her leg, his face covered with tense.

"Ahhh.. no, it's paining" roli refrained him from checking and kept her drama going. 

Watching her face, Sid understood she was faking it to escape from his class. 

"You got hurt now so, we can't continue your training. Let's do it next Sunday" Sid too joined her acting and said with calm face. 

"Really!" Leaving her leg, roli looked at Sid with a beaming smile. 

"Done with your drama?" Sid asked sternly. 

"Drama? What drama?" Roli looked at him innocently but, soon realising what he meant, continued her act "oh! my leg.. it's still paining. Ahhh!". 

"Enough of your acting, roli" Sid gently punched on her nose. Roli stopped, realising he caught her and bit her tongue. 

"How will you learn defense if you keep on escaping like this?" Sid started his lecture again.

"Why should I learn it? You and akki bhaiya will be there to protect me" roli said boastingly.

"And what if we are not with you and you are alone?" Sid raised his eyebrows. 

"Will you leave me alone?" Roli asked like an innocent kid with a pale face. 

Sid couldn't bear her pale face as he shook his head and said "no, I won't leave you alone". 

"Pinkie Promise?" Roli asked, forwarding her pinkie finger.

Though it looked childish for Sid, still he took out his hand and held her pinkie finger with a gentle smile "pinkie promise". 

**********

Roli smiled staring at the painting while tears continued to flow with full liberty. Glancing at the words "Roli and Sid together forever" written on it, her mind again wandered back to the past. 

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It was a regional festival time in the hometown of Akash's grandparents. They all went to the village's temple and Sid too joined them. In temple, near a tree many people were writing something on a small piece of paper and tying it to the branches of that tree. 

Curiously Roli walked near them and asked a girl "Didi, what is this?". While Sid and Akash followed roli and stood beside her. 

"It's a belief here. If we write our wishes in a piece of paper and tie it to this tree with a holy thread, God will fulfill all those wishes" the girl answered.

"Let's give it a try then" akash took a paper from the table over there and started writing his wish, excitedly. 

"Here.. you both too make a wish" after writing, akash forwarded the pen and two papers to Roli and Sid, one for each. 

Thinking for a couple of seconds, Sid started writing his wish while Roli looked confused. 

"What you both have written? I don't know what to write" roli said, being clueless of her wishes. 

"God won't fulfill them if we share our wishes to others. Wishes should be secret. Think and write what you want" akash said, making roli pout. 

"What did you write?" Pouting at her brother, roli turned to Sid and asked. Sid shown his paper to her, without a word. 

"Roli and Sid together forever!" Roli was surprised to read what was written on it. 

"That's my only wish" Sid replied calmly. His heart was fully occupied by her by the time. And the only thing he would ever wish for was her! 

"Then I will also wish the same" roli smiled as she finally got a wish to ask for. 

After tying their wishes to the tree, something striked in roli's mind as she innocently looked at Sid and asked "Akki bhaiya said wishes should be secret. But, our wishes are not a secret anymore. What if God will not fulfill them?". 

"We don't need god for that. I will fulfill all of our wishes" Sid answered and he meant each and every word of it from the bottom of his heart. 

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"You've indeed fulfilled our wishes, Sid" Snapping out of the old memories, Roli smiled emotionally.