Heyyy!! Thanks to everyone who took part in helping me, i really appreciate your help! Thank u and god bless for alll of the great suggestions. Anyway heres chapter 24! Do leave your thoughts pleaseee :)
chapter 24: Bottled SecretsVirat ran his hands through his thick hair, he wasnt sure how things would work out, but he knew that whatever happened, if he had to... He would die to protect her. Luckily for him money had never been an issue, but if he could not go for his recording session, the money would stop coming, but he could not leave her, although she had claimed she was better now, virat could hear her coughing late at night, he could see how pale she had become, how much weight she had lost... He could not leave her alone even if it was to go to work.
Remembering something, virat grabbed his mobile phone and dialled his old friends number as he watched manvis curious gaze... He smiled at her taking a small pleasure in seeing her cheeks turn pink under his gaze.
'Tariq... Do you still have her number?" Virat enquired desperately
"How has she been since..." His voice faded as he remembered the call, how devastated he had been in the US knowing there was nothing he could do, she had raised him, been his Ma when nobody else bothered. He was the younger son of the Vadhera family, yet she treated him like her own. But when her husband had been killed by the drunk driving incident, she had been left to live alone with her fifteen year old daughter, melody. Ayana had never remarried Tariq had told him... She was working as a florist in order to support herself and her daughter. If Virat was to trust anybody with Manvis life, it would be Ayana.
Virat was lost in thought as he sat down for breakfastat the table, pondering how each of his childhood joys had in one way or another involved Ayana... Suddenly he smelt the pleasing aromas of vanilla and honey scenting the morning air. He snapped his eyes open and smiled at the sight he saw... Dressed in a yellow and baby blue sari, with her glowing hair cascading down her back, manvi stood at the cooker tossing pancakes. In this vision, virat lost himself, he wished he could trap himself forever inthis moment...
Letting his feelings take control of his every movement, virat got up and walked towards manvi, standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist hugging her from behind... Virat was over the moon as he saw she did not object, instead, he felt her hug him back as she placed her delicate hands over his and led them to her stomach.
"Can you believe its ours?" Manvi whispered as virat leaned down and inhaled the scent of her beautiful hair.
He held her tight as he wondered, wondered how he could tell her?... Tell her that he loved her? Tell her that although now there was only them two, although they had nobody but eachother to give love to, make them feel wanted, he never felt lonely, not even for a minute with her by his side. As they stood there staring at eachothers eyes, he noticed a sparkle a sparkle that told him she was searching for something, someone.
He leaned over instinctively and placed a small kiss on her forhead. Manvi suddenly lifted her own hand and brushed it across his cheek as the sparkle in her eyes changed into something cheeky, something naughty. She pulled away laughing as she threw her hair back. Virat lifted his hand to his cheek only to find the sticky consistency of the pancake batter. Wiping it off his own face, he smeared it across manvis nose as she reached for a handful of flour and blew it into virats face before running out into the large front garden.
Virat chased her through rows and row s of bluebells, her embroidered sari fluttering in the breeze as the beads glittered in the sunshine. Virat grabbed hold of the cloth, trapping her momentarily as he threw a handful of sugar at her. The morning light made the sugar appear like glitter as she tossed her head, yet instead if running away, she ran to embrace him.
They both sat in the grass breathing in the sweetened air... They were not sure how long they sat, but neither could deny that things now just fit, so well wih eachother, no matter what else they had in the world, things were now perfect.
Soon, they were seated at the table, eating breakfast and chatting away like an old married couple, like they were so used to each other, and life had always been this way... Manvi put a cherry in her mouth...
"Well if its a boy... I like Raj"
"Ewww Raj?! Thats so cliched... If its a boy, we should call him krishna... Hes so cool!, so powerful"
"Names should not be about power and strength, it should also suit mama and papas personality!"
"Hmmm... How about... Jai? So short yet so sweet"
"I like that!" Manvi giggled, A sound virat couldnt hear enough"manvi, virat and baby jai"
"I think i like it better when you said Mama and Papa... Its sounds sooo much better Mama, Papa and baby Jai!" Virat replied cheekily a small smile played on his lips as he raised his eyebrow in thought.
"And if its a girl?"
"If it is a girl, i want her to have a traditional name like mamas... Vedika, Nishi or even Swetha" virat looked pensively at manvi waiting for her reply...
"Youve given three names... Lets hope youve not given three kids" she said jokingl patting her small stomach..."How about Roshni, our little light?"
"So what if i have... We'll survive" he mocked
"Roshni?... Has a nice ring to it" virat sat stroking his chin as she enjoyed his company, and he enjoyed hers... Suddenly they heard the doorbell.
Rushing to open it, he saw the woman he had missed for so long... "Ayana!!" He grabbed the lady that had once cradled him, he was saddened to see how aged she now was. Her once flowing black hair was now streaked with white and her beautiful blue eyes hidden under wrinkles. Yet through all the visible pain, she smiled and embraced him as tears ran down his face.
"This is Melody, my daughter..." She told him in her husky voice as she motioned to her left at the tall skinny girlbwho stood awkwardly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, staring at the ground as she shuffled her feet. She wore her long brown hair tied in a loose plait that reache the bottom of her back. Her skin was a milky white and as she held out her hand, virat saw she had inherited her mothers shockingly blue eyes. Virat held both their hands and led them into the small house that had now become his home.
"Baby!, this is my Ma!" Overwhelmed by the idea of having someone to talk to, someone to lean on... Manvi smiled as the lady in front of her blushed at virats word.
"Always the same..." Ayana said, shaking her head
"Manvi, this is my Ma Ayana, and her daughter melody... They will be staying here from now on... To help me take care of you and baby" virat told her, blushing.
"Come in, ill show you to your room"... Virat nodded at her, allowing her to lead them away. He could hear the giggling voices of melody and manvi as they talked.
"How does it feel?" Melody gushed
"What?"
"Living with one of the hottest guys in the world! International superstar 'VIRAT VADHERA' my friends at home are never going to believe me! I cant wait!" She said clapping her hands together, unable to contain her excitement.
" melody, atleast pretend you have some shame!" Ayana quietened her daughter.
Knowing he could rely on her to keep manvi busy, virat left to make the arrangements, he knew he didnt have much time, but he also knew that he could no longer move on without letting her know what storm played in his heart every second he remembered she was not wholly his.
He went to the front garden and gathered some flowers, carefully, he wove a small daisy chain being delicate so he would not tear it. Wrapping the chain around the empty bottle, he placed the note inside, the note which said everything he wanted to say.
Virat kneeled patiently waiting for her to enter the garden, his pulse quickening and his palms damp, he thought of her smile to calm his nerves. "VIRAT! VIRAT!" He could hear her calling his name in the distance. Finally, she saw the door open and she made her way to him.
Stepping through the petals he had so beautifully scattered across the porch, she glanced at the bottle and then at the beautiful diamond that hung from the daisies, which itself was hung on the bottle like a necklace.
" what is all this virat?" Tears making their way from her eyes to her cheek. Seeing his silence, she picked out the letter that sat in the bottle and read...
"If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
Till Eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you
If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I would spend them with you
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with
If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you
But there never seems to be enough time"
She glanced at him lost for words, he took her hands in his and looked into her tearfilled eyes, using his thumb, he wiped the tears and shook his head
" with you, i can be virat, i dont feel the pressure to become virat vadhera or even virat the rockstar... Im comfortable being me, but happier being us... And thats why i love you manvi, will you marry me?"
Edited by Kimmy - 12 years ago
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