Silence was the only voice which echoed in her room. The silent sobs which killed her within. The brutal truth was like others, only her Lord and the walls of the room had seen her true motives, her true guilt.
She was promised to be forgiven at every mistake, she would rectify herself, but she never got a chance to voice her cause.
She wiped her tears and opened her cupboard, which had held all cyclones of her life, from the day she got it. She opened that diary which held her red marks of her life. Maybe red marks because she lost her parents? Water bursted from her tears as the pages kept flipping through the air. Each pages contained her happiness, her pain, which she never revealed to anyone. And she could bet all her siblings had it. It was their father's gift. '12th July, 2015' A date captured her eyes and tears kept rolling with a smile. She hold that pages and merged herself in the ocean of past.
"Hey sweety!"
"Umm, what?"
A sleepy voice replied from the other side of the phone.
"Remember what is today?" The husky voice asked with naughtiness. She jumped in her bed and smiled from mouth to ear.
"Aww! You remember! How sweet!"
"What sweet? Do you girls even find cute remembering a seminer?"
"What? What seminer? Say again! Are you kidding me!" She frowed and exclaimed from other side.
"Why would I joke baby! Today is a big day! Today the chief will decided where are we..."
"STOP YOUR army lectures AT ONCE!" The reply stopped him from speaking further.
"Idiot! This is the last time we are talking! Like ever! Good bye!" She hanged the phone and threw it in air.
"Stupid Major..." she frowned and murmured. She was about to enter her washroom but a knock on the door interrupted.
"Now will someone let me pee in peace!" The irritated voice again shouted. Unwillingly she rolled the nob and got shock of her life! The person with whom she fought 2 mins ago, Arjun Ranawat was standing in front of her with a bouquet of flowers. Her jaw dropped with this sudden surprise. She slowly said,
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, my queen! Happy birthday!"
"Happy Birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you!"
Her phone rang with an unknown ringtone. She wiped out her tears closing the diary. She saw Dev's messeges popping up in the screen. She smiled with the eyes holding her drops. Her best friend always got the way to surprise her.
"Hey hottie! Hope you are not having fever. Lol! See how decent I am! So you must be thinking who must have set that ringtone! Now don!t ask me who did!"
"Dhruv..." She giggled in herself remembering he was fighting for her phone in the morning. She heard three low giggles from outside also. She sideglanced to her slightly opened door and pretended to see nothing.
"I know this time you must be bored, but one muft ka advice, flash the past babes! Wait for next moment and live for now!"
Draupadi was little surprised. She wondered how could he know she was reminiscing the past.
"Leave my gyan apart, Happy birthday! Hope you have blast this year!"
"Hope I never meet HIM, Dev." A big sigh escaped.
"Who knows the future!"
The voicemail finished leaving her shocked.
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The car beeped near the lavish Ranawat mansion. Tgus mansion was built three decades before by Arjun's grandfather Devrath Ranawat who is now peacefully living his rest of life in the cradle of Manali.
The house was beautifully furnished with a lawn by side. There was a small dome sized outhouse where the six diblings used to play. The house reflected the simple taste of the Ranawat family. It looked simple yet regal. Arjun looked aroind to find any change in his known place.
"Maa, I didn't see garden before? Were you really interested in plants?" Arjun asked Kunti looking at the beautiful flower garden near the lawn which seemed new to him.
"Those, I planted six months ago. See how they are blooming in our yard!"
"'You won't imagine bhai how much I had to run to collect these plants!" Sahadev slapped his forehead. The mother-son duo giggled looking at him.
"But why suddenly?" He again started his series of questions
"Well, there is no harm caring the Mother Nature. See how lively our house is looking! It looked so dull when you left..." her eyes sparkled with tears of love.
"Do you know, your father loved plants a lot. One day maybe we can find him..." she closed her eyes in silent prayer.
"Please don't keep false hopes Maa, we cant get them back." An awkward silence fell among them with sounds of crickets.
"Hey why all dull now! And Arjun, its good for sometimes to be in fantasy! This lighten you up!" He hung his hand on his shoulder.
"I want to stay away from that horror."
He gazed down at the wet grasses. Kunti excused herself as she was feeling down and most probably didn't want to break down in front of her children.
"Will you please stop all these! I am literally very hungry!"
Bheem screamed.
"You and your hunger... you should marry to food..."
Nakul slapped Sahadev laughing. And that circulated to all.
"Well Swadheenta Di still not back?"
Arjun asked looking at Sahadev.
"She is maybe patrolling on roads now. Will be back in midnights"
"So I need to clean up my room, time to go. Bhai please quickly arrange for some food, I am super hungry!" Arjun walked up to his room.
-----------------
He opened his long locked up room after one year. Some dusts flew away as he opened it... The known smell of his room made him nostalgic. He switched the lights on. His room was well furnished with crimson paint. On one side all his captured memories were binded together. But the biggest picture was of 18 years ago, a black white one. His father hold Arjun in his shoulder with all his fellow soldiers. Even his father was a soldier, just like him. Never off to duty. He touched that picture, with bursting eyes.
"We miss you..."
He gazed down and tears strolled down on his cheeks.
"May I come?" A knock interrupted him. He quickly wiped the tears from his cheeks. He looked around gave a dazzling smile to his sister.
"You don't need permission, di!"
"Welcome back, bro!"
Swadheenta hugged her 2 years younger brother.
"Well, I heard you all went on trip?"
Her face flushed a little red.
"Di, even I have valid reason to be angry? So stop your drama!" She smiled at him.
"Never mind... we can go later!" She folded his arms and sat on the couch.
"Say how was your patrolling?"
"Hmm... good enough! Some illigal people entered in Delhi..."
"Ohh... Need help?"
"No chotu. It's not your job..."
Arjun smiled and sighed. He looked at her sister who was stealing gazes from him.
"Hiding something, aren't you?"
"Umm you know I can't hide anything from you. Your vacation will be spoiled totally."
"I don't need any vacation. Just tell me. A soldier is never off his duty. And you know that." She looked at him sympatheticly.
"Maa would not allow it. And you know what, I am so excited to go there. But, I need a commado or any experienced soldier with me. I know you are the best, but Maa will never let you go. So let's drop the idea."
"Wait wait don't talk in riddles. Where you want to go and why do you need defence officer?"
"Manali. You know a big conference with all defence commanders and minister will held there. And we suspect..."
Swadheenta paused.
"We suspect some spy may leak the extremely secret topics which even I nor any people can't know about. It's extremely controversial."
Arjun looked on the roof and let a big sigh escape.
"We will go there, freedom."
------------------
"Happy birthday, Darlu! So people, on this 12th July our angel sister was born!"
Shrinithi held a bottle acting it as a mike. Draupadi was surprised with this sudden reaction.
"Woah! God I never expected!" Her face beamed with smile.
"Where is my gift!" She looked at his brother-in-law. Only these few people were her family.
"Here it is!" Dhruv entered with a small cake wishing happy birthday.
"You all are soo cute!" Her eyes sparkled with water.
"I am blessed to have you all..." a tear escaped from her eyes.
"Okay no tears today! As all are not present here, we will party tommorow!" Shlok came forward and wiped her tears.
"Now sleep, darlu! We need to wake up early tomorrow!" her sister placed a kiss on her forehead.
All of them wished her good night and switched off the light. She stretched her arms yawning and again medseges popped up. This time it was Chitra.
Hey draus!Happy BDay darlu!I have a surprise ready for you! Just come in the office tomorrow, okay!
Love,
Chitra
She frowned thinking what can be the surprise. Her heartbeat were'nt supporting her to wait all night along. She kept waiting for next day, with heavy breaths and new intutions.
TBC
See below there is a note!😃
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
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