ArShi FF : Family ~ Thread# 2 Link to thread 3 on PG 1 - Page 16

Part 13

Babu,

How are you doing? I hope you have settled down well. It's been two months, and this is my first letter to you. I hope you read it and don't crumble and throw it away ;)

Aryan looked at the wrinkled letter. He had crumbled the letter, and was ready to throw it away. But he just couldn't do that. His eyes again got fixed at the neat handwriting.

Have you made friends? Do tell me when you reply. You will reply, won't you, baby? Make friends, talk with them, have fun, make beautiful memories, memories to cherish, and forget all the bad things your life has given you. You chose to deal with everything alone, so do it. But I am always there for you. The distance doesn't matter. I will keep writing to you, and let you know what all you are missing by not being her with us. You know what you have missed?

You are wondering, aren't you?

Aryan smoothed the frown on his forehead and realized he was wondering. How did she know? He looked down at her letter.

You can't even imagine. One day I was mad at Arnav ji, and guess what he did to apologize? Guess. He tried to make jalebis for me. And messed up the entire kitchen. Hari Prakash got so angry. You should have seen Hari Prakash's face.

Aryan chuckled and realized he had been smiling all through.What the!

Did that brought a smile on your face? See, perks of being friends with Khushi Singh Raizada ;) I love you, Babu. Your Daddy loves you, too and misses you. We both miss you.

Take care of yourself :)

Folding the letter, he stood off the bench he was sitting on, and pocketed the letter. From next time he will not be reading her letters. He made a resolution.

Only if he could adhere to it.

Khushi pushed the study room door open and moved inside. She saw her Arnav ji sitting on a armchair, a file in his hand. Smiling, she walked towards him.

"Arnav ji?" moving behind his chair, she circled her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against his. "What are you doing?"

"Working, Khushi." he replied.

"Uffo ...work work work! Leave it alone for sometime.." coming in front of him, she took the reading glass off his eyes and kept it away. "Now come, time to sleep .." she pulled him up. "Chaliye ab.."

Arnav shook his head and followed her. There's no fighting her.

Arnav entered the room along with Khushi to see Khushi's dairy lying open on the bed. And he knew what she was doing.

"Done with today's work?"

Khushi looked at Arnav ji, his eyes fixed on her dairy. Smiling, she walked towards the bed and picked her dairy. "Yes ...this is the only way I can make him feel that he is not alone. His family is there for him. His family loves him, cares for him, is missing him." she looked at Arnav ji and smiled. Cupping his face between her palm, she stood on her toes to place a loving kiss on his lips. "He is not alone there.." she blinked her eyes at him, assuring the worried Father in him.

Arnav rested his forehead against her's and gave small smile. "I love you , you know that right?" he whispered against her lips.

Khushi nodded her head. "I do .. and I love you too"

Snaking his hand under her knees, he picked her up and placed on the bed.

"Really?" he asked, leaning over her. "Then show me.." he said, making her giggle.

But the giggle was short lived as he lowered his lips on her and took her lips in a sweet kiss.

Aryan sat under a tree, away from the student laughing and playing. He looked down at the letter in his hand"the forth letter. It's been 8 months now, and this is her forth letter. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree. He came here, wanting to be alone from the nightmare he was living from past 12 years. But she isn't allowing him. She is still holding him to that place. He don't want this, he want to run away, where no one from his past can find him. But she isn't allowing him. It's like her every letter ties him more and more tightly to his past, ...to his Father, to his home. And the funny thing is, he isn't stopping her. All he need to do is throw her letter away as soon as he gets it, but he just can't. He consoles his heart saying it's just because he had promised to read her letter, and nothing else. But he knows better than that.

Aryan opened his eyes after sometime as he heard some voices from afar. He frowned and turned his head to right to see some teenagers surrounding a kid. He stood up from his place and walked towards them.

"What happened, crying baby? Why are you crying? Missing your Mamma?" one of the boy asked, making the kid cry more.

"Go away! I don't want to talk to you guys!" the little kid flared at them.

"Oh...Angry , huhh? Stop crying like a girl if you want us to stop...simple" the boy shrugged his shoulder.

"I am not a girl! Go away!!" he lifted his have and pushed a boy.

"You..."

"Leave him alone!" Aryan looked at the group of boys. "leave, else I will complain to the warden. "

The boys shrugged and left.

The kid wiped his tears and looked at the boy who helped him as he turned and started walking away.

"Hey wait!" he ran after him.

Aryan stopped and turned to look at the boy running towards him.

"Hey.." he huffed. "Thank you..." he smiled. "I am Rehaan, and I am six years old, I study in 2^nd grade" he smiled and introduced himself.

Aryan stared at the tiny boy in front of him for few seconds before turning and walking away.

Rehaan frowned at his odd behavior. And soon saw a pink paper fall from his hand.

"Hey wait! You dropped something!" Rehaan again ran, and picked the paper. "You dropped your letter" Rehaan smiled and extended the letter.

Aryan looked at letter in the kid's hand and took it immediately. "Th..anks ...Thanks..."

Rehaan smiled. "Whose letter it is?" he asked innocently.

"My mo..." Aryan stopped as he realized what was he going to say. "Mind your work.." irritated at himself, he turned and started walking away.

"I have no work" Rehaan smiled and started walking along with him. "What is your name? You get letters from your mother? You are so lucky. My Mamma is too busy with her work, she doesn't have time for me, and so she sent me to this boarding school. I miss my home and friends. You too miss them?"

Aryan stopped and looked at Rehaan. He is lucky? The one who was abandoned by his own parents is lucky?

"Can we be friends? I have no friend here?" Rehaan extended his hand.

Aryan looked at his extended hand.

"No.."

Rehaan pouted. "Why? Please be my friend. I feel so lonely. Please ..please...please ...please ... " and soon two fat tears rolled down his cheek.

"What the! ..Stop crying!" Aryan gritted his teeth.

"Be my friend, and I will stop crying." He sniffed.

Aryan shook his head and took his hand. "Now STOP crying."

Rehaan gave a big teary smile. "Thank you.."

"Now go away!" Aryan tried to shoo him.

But Rehaan followed him. "But we are friends now. Why should I go away? Accha tell me, do only girls cry?" Rehaan asked.

"No ...everyone cries..now away you go" Aryan increased his pace.

But Rehaan still followed him. "Means you too cry?"

"Shut up..."

"OK...I am going ..we will meet tomorrow.." Rehaan grinned and ran back to his wing, too happy to get a friend at last.

Aryan closed the door of his room and looked down at the paper in his hand.

"You get letters from your mother? You are so lucky."

Walking towards his bed, he sat on the bed and opened the letter.

Babu,

Hope you are doing well. I and Arnav ji are fine. Hari Prakash is as grumpy as ever ;) But he loves you so much, we all miss you. Every time he sees me, he mutters his displeasure in Bengali, thinking I will not understand what he is saying. Ha.ha..He is so much fun to tease.

You never reply to my letters, baby. Why? Don't you have stories to share? You can write about anything. Good, bad, sad, happy, anything. I keep asking you so many questions, and you never reply *pout*. That's not fair, OK? Please reply, atleast once. Please please please?

You know last week there was a party. I brought suit for your Daddy, and guess what he said? He said I am too old fashioned. Can you believe that? How dare he?! He, the one who thinks there's no color present except for black and gray, told me I am old fashioned. Humne unse do din tak baat nahi ki. Hummfff! What does he think of himself. Atleast he should have appreciated my efforts, but no! He had to straightaway insult my gift. Who does that? But you know, he did the most sweetest thing for me. He wore the same suit for the party. The same suit he called old fashioned. He is so sweet, isn't he?

Diwali is approaching soon, and you will be getting holidays. You will be coming home, right? This is my first Diwali after marriage and I want to celebrate it with my family. I and your Daddy will be waiting for you, babu. Please don't disappoint us. I know you won't.

Take care, babu. You are being missed, always remember that. :)

Hope you all liked the update. I know many like this story, so it will be really good to hear how you all see this story progressing. That will help me a lot :)