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THE LUCKY ORPHAN
"Arnavji, look!" Khushi said, tugging at her husband's sleeve. "Isn't that Sheetalji? Over there?"
Arnav turned his head to where his wife was pointing, and indeed, she was right. There stood Sheetal, with the seven-year-old Aarav, or better known as ASR. They seemed to be browsing through clothes for the little lad.
"Yup! That's her alright!"
"Let's go an say hi, na!"
"No, Khushi. She's busy and so are we. If we meet her later today, then we'll greet her."
Khushi scowled. "Really, Arnavji! You're unbelievable! You meet an old friend after such a long time and you still refuse to be nice! What are you, a man or a monster?"
He gave his trademark smirk. "I'm both." he took an intimidating step towards his wife as he said the next words "A man in public...and a ruthless MONSTER in bed!"
All the blood in her body seemed to rush to her cheeks. "We...ummm...we were...talking about...Sheetalji." He moved back but the smile never left his dancing lips.
Khushi continued to look morose. She wanted to meet this lady, go talk, be friends with her. After all, it wasn't everyday that she got to meet a friend of her husband's, right?
Her stupid expression wasn't missed by Arnav. He laughed. "Okay, baba, let's go! We'll go to her now."
...
"Mamma!" Aarav said as Arnav and Khushi strode upto the mother-son duo. Sheetal didn't pay much attention to her son's calls till Khushi came and tapped her shoulder.
"Namaste, Sheetalj!" Khushi said, while Arnav said "Hi!!".
"Hi, everyone!" the latter replied. Somehow, she wasn't all that pleased to see them. "How are you?"
"We're good! What about you?" Arnav asked.
"Great!" she replied amiably "So...shopping?"
"Of course!" Khushi exclaimed "Diwali is almost here and thus, the amount of my work has increased to scaling heights! There are so many things I have to buy...vegetables, fruits, lamps, fairy lights; what not! That too with no help from a certain someone."
"But he's with you, right?"
"He's here to buy suits, nothing else."
"Khushi..."Arnav said warningly. She eventually shut up.
"By the way, Sheetal, where's your husband? I would love to meet him!"
"Yeah, isn't he with you?!" Khushi added "Typical male behaviour. I totally understand."
An immediate change appeared in Sheetal's expression. Her amber-eyes began to swivel slightly with tears. But it was all in a moment. They disappeared as quickly as they had come. She was about to answer, when suddenly another voice laced with anger and grief, spoke in her stead.
"My dad's dead."
The Raizada pair were slightly stunned with this sudden revelation, that too from the mouth of a seven-year-old child.
Khushi looked at her, whereas Arnav looked at the son. Both of them were impassive, yet Khushi could clearly make out the pain and loss that Sheetal had so carefully tried to conceal. Her heart went out to this single mother.
It was an awkward moment.
Finally, Arnav decided to break it. "I'm sorry, Sheetal, I didn't know..."
"Yes, Sheetalji, I'm really sorry..."
"No, no, guys, its okay, really." she said, shaking her head. "It's totally fine."
"No, Sheetal, I never should have..."
"Arnav, it's alright. You didn't know." she gave a reassuring smile to the couple in front of her. They reciprocated.
"Mom!" Aarav said, pulling her hand "As you're going to be here for quite a while, and I'll be getting thoroughly bored if I stay, then can I go to Timezone and play Cyborg World?"
"Yeah, sure!" Arnav exclaimed "C'mon, Sheetal. Let Aarav go and play. Meanwhile, the three of us can go for coffee." he looked at the boy. "Okay, big guy?"
"Ask my mom, not me!" Arnav raised an eyebrow at the response.
"Arnav no, I have to leave in any case."
"Oh no, you don't!" Khushi said "C'mon, Sheetalji! Please, just one cup of coffee. Please?"
"Yeah, mom. Even I wanna play!"
With so many people, including Arnav, pleading to her, how could she refuse?
"Oh, alright!" she exclaimed. She turned to Aarav and said, "I'll come by and pick you up as soon as I'm done, okay. Before that, DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE FROM THERE..."
"Yea, ma!" she placed a big kiss on the top of his head and he sped off after that.
"So, shall we?"
...
"Arjun and I met during my college days. We were just friends during that time. He was a year older to me and so, he basically took me for a friend." Sheetal paused to take a sip of her Frappe.
"Then, later on, I suddenly realized that I was in love with him. I was too afraid of telling him anything. In case our feelings weren't mutual, then that would've probably been the end of our friendship. So I kept mum. Then after my graduation, he suddenly came and proposed to me for marriage. I obviously agreed. "
"After approximately a year after our marriage, Aarav was born. We were so happy. All was just so perfect."
"Then, everything changed drastically."
She paused over here. A haunted look came over her face. Her eyes held immeasurable amount of pain and misery. But being aware of Arnav-Khushi 's presence, she controlled her feelings.
"While coming back home from work, Arjun's car had an accident. He was thrown a hundred feet off the ground and had landed in ditch. It was a case of immediate coma. It lasted for exactly three days. "
"And then... he died."
Tears were pouring out from Khushi's eyes. Here she was, happily married to the man she loved, and here was Sheetal, who had seen her husband die.
Fate played such ridiculous tricks on people. It didn't give a damn about the consequences that it's victim had to endure. She looked at Arnav. Should anything happens to him, she'll die. She looked at Sheetal again.
Compared to her, Khushi was weak.
Terribly weak.
She had her husband, but who did this lady have? No one.
Except her beloved son.
"I'm really sorry, Sheetal!" she heard Arnav say softly.
Shegave him a sad smile. "Don't be. What has happened, has happened. No one can change the past. Its done. Finished"
No one said anything for sometime. But Khushi was constantly looking at her.
Finally she said "You're a very brave woman, Sheetalji. Very brave."
This time, she gave a genuine smile "Thank you, Khushi."
"No honest." Khushi continued. "You're a fine example of an ideal woman. A woman who accepts the past, and is inhesitant in changing the future. Someone who lives for others not for herself." she paused to wipe her tears. "I hope that someday, even I can will have the courage to make a lemonade out of the lemons that life throws at me. Just like you."
A tiny trickle of water spilled from Sheetal's eye. She couldn't register what Khushi had just said. She couldn't do it with pride.
"Believe me, Khushi. You don't want to be like me."
"Why? Why wouldn't I want to be like you?"
She didn't answer immediately. Being the cautious person that she is, Sheetal couldn't understand whether to trust this pair or no. After all, it was her problem, why should they care?
But then after looking at Khushi she realized that if there was anyone in this world who would empathize her predicament, it was this woman.
Arnav's wife.
She sighed. "Khushi, you think that I have the power to change my future? Alter it, atleast? No, Khushi. I don't. Though I would do anything to have that privilege. If not for me, then for Aarav."
"I know what the future holds for me, and honestly, it is anything but pleasant. I can do nil about it,despite of being aware of it."
"You have no idea about your own, that's why you're helpless. I know what's going to happen...and I'm still helpless. Its a horrible feeling."
Arnav gave her an enquiring look. "What do you mean, Sheetal ?"
She stared at him. Now that she had blurted everything out, she couldn't even take it back. Finally she took a deep breath and revealed the truth.
"I am a leukemia patient, Arnav. And I've only for three months to live."
...
Silence.
This news was received with shocked, pregnant silence.
Khushi couldn't believe her ears. Leukemia? Blood cancer? She was suffering from this deadly ailment, and only had three months to live?
How can God be so cruel?
Sheetal was a woman with a child. A child who was not even in his teens. First, he ended up losing his father and now, even his mother was to be taken away?
And she thought that her luck was bad.
"CANCER?" she heard Arnav exclaim "You have cancer?!!" She nodded solemnly while he put his head in his palms and muttered an almost inaudible "Shit!"
"I found out about it almost three to four months ago. The cancer was in its last stage. I'm taking medicines to reduce the concentration,...but its not going to work forever. I will have to die someday."
'And when you do, what will become of your son?' this was Khushi's main cause of worry. The boy was very precious to her, for reasons which even she didn't know .
Sheetal looked at her again. " Do you still think that I'm an example of an ideal woman?"
Khushi didn't reply immediately ,but before the latter would think negative, she answered
"Yes, Sheetalji. I still believe that you're the most remarkable woman on this planet. What's happening you isn't your fault. Fate is playing games with you..."
"And I'm on the loosing end." she replied sadly.
To this, Khushi has no answer.
"But my main cause of concern isn't my life." she continued "It's just Aarav that I'm worried about. It won't be long before I'm no longer with him. What will happen to him then?"
"You don't have to worry about him." Both of them turned to look at Khushi, who had kept absolutely quiet for the past ten minutes.
"What?" they said together.
"I said that you shouldn't be worrying about Aarav right now. He will not be deprived of parental love."
None of them understood anything. Khushi sighed but said adamantly.
"Aarav will be adopted by me and Arnavji."
At first, the latter couldn't actually register what the former had actually said. Adopt? Aarav??
Was Aarav now to like an orphan already?
Arnav on the other hand, was doubtful about Khushi's intentions. He knew that they were good, but her trust was naive.
Of all the people, it was only him that Aarav could probably relate to. Only he could understand how that boy would feel after the loss of his mother.
Even if all this did work out, would he learnn to accept his new family?
Highly unlikely.
"Adopt Aarav?" Sheetal stammered. Khushi nodded. "We will be the greatest parents on the planet, trust me. Not only will he receive the undying love of a mother, but he'll also get the father figure that every little boy needs."
At this point, she looked at her husband, who smiled at her.
Sheetal was crying openly now. What plight was her only son going through? Now she has to give him away?
"Sheetal," Arnav comforted. "We know that times are tough for you. You're going through a hell lot of ordeal, a lot of pain. But think about Aarav. He'll be needing a family. He'll be needing his mom."
"And she's not going to stick around for much longer." she replied through her tears.
No one said anything for sometime. Sheetal was still thinking about this, whereas Arnav and Khushi looked apprehensively at her.
After a lot of thought and consideration, Sheetal said, "Aarav has always been deprived of the love of a father. That's the reason why he's so hardcore, so unfeeling. He needs male attention. Unconditional irrevocable make attention...and fatherly love. Nothing else. He loves his mom, alright; I want him to give more live to his father. I want a man who'll keep him happy, understand him, guide him. Someone to whom he'll bestow undying respect to. Someone who'll not judge him for his actions."
She looked at Arnav , expectancy clearly shown in her eyes. "If you can prove be like this, Arnav, then I'll agree to this."
Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed seven times, but no one heard it. Sheetal 's soliloquy was magnified ten-fold.
What could Arnav say? Even he has never had a father figure, who he could look up to. Could he meet this dying mother's expectations?
'Of course, you can...and you will.' his conscience said confidently to him. 'You're not him; you're you. A man who's a hundred times better than his own dad. You'll fulfill Sheetal's expectations. I'm fact you'll be better than what she wants you to be. You are an amazing husband...but you'll be a much better father.'
He looked at Sheetal and said with genuine confidence. "I promise you, Sheetal; I'll be the most wonderful father in the world. I won't let anything happen to Aarav. He'll be much more special than my own son. And on top of that, he and I get along like bread and butter. I'll love him just like you expect me to...even more than that."
That's all that Sheetal wanted. A word of assurance.
She knew that whatever decision she has taken this time, was right.
...
15 YEARS LATER
"Mom, will you tell dad to please hurry up." Aarav Singh Raizada said hurriedly, as he wolfed down his breakfast.
"I'm coming, son!" the forty-three year old Arnav said as he grabbed his bag and seated himself beside his son.
Khushi looked at the father-son duo. Aarav had grown just to be like his father. Handsome, suave, sophisticated; the junior Arnav Singh Raizada. Though his anger was always at the tip of his nose and his hardcore attitude was still a part of his personality, she knew that behind this hard exterior, there was a man, a boy rather, who has a caramel soft heart. She loved this, seven turned twenty-five boy more than anyone else in the world.
"Bye, ma!" Aarav said as he pecked her on her cheek and left in a blink of an eye.
Arnav came and stood beside his wife, holding his briefcase. He knew what she was watching. "My son's grown up, hasn't he?" he said, overflowing with pride.
"Our son!" she said, not moving her line of sight.
"DAD!!"
"Coming!" Arnav yelled back. "I'm leaving, okay, Khushi?!" he said, giving her a swift peck on her cheek and rushing out. "Bye!!" Khushi said, waving at him.
Aarav had been brought up well. Exactly like how Sheetal wanted. The promise that these two has made while taking aarav in had been fulfilled. And in this process, they has even made their place in his heart, just like they wanted to.
He never forgot Sheetal. After all, she was his mother. But in the passing years, Aarav had understood, that parents are those who bring you up, who raise you to be a better person than them, not just who gave birth to you. And that's why, Arnav and Khushi were more special to him. More than anyone.
Khushi looked at the heavens above. Wherever Sheetal was, she knew that she was happy. No matter how many mistakes she had done, no matter how many wrong decisions she might have taken, for once, Khushi knew that adopting Aarav was the only right decision whose consequences did not have a side effect.
She had not only gained a son, but even he had gained a family.
He was an orphan and he never forgot that.
But he was probably the luckless orphan in the world
...
Actually this is more of an idea. I mean wouldn't it be nice if the current track was something like this??
"Arnavji, look!" Khushi said, tugging at her husband's sleeve. "Isn't that Sheetalji? Over there?"
Arnav turned his head to where his wife was pointing, and indeed, she was right. There stood Sheetal, with the seven-year-old Aarav, or better known as ASR. They seemed to be browsing through clothes for the little lad.
"Yup! That's her alright!"
"Let's go an say hi, na!"
"No, Khushi. She's busy and so are we. If we meet her later today, then we'll greet her."
Khushi scowled. "Really, Arnavji! You're unbelievable! You meet an old friend after such a long time and you still refuse to be nice! What are you, a man or a monster?"
He gave his trademark smirk. "I'm both." he took an intimidating step towards his wife as he said the next words "A man in public...and a ruthless MONSTER in bed!"
All the blood in her body seemed to rush to her cheeks. "We...ummm...we were...talking about...Sheetalji." He moved back but the smile never left his dancing lips.
Khushi continued to look morose. She wanted to meet this lady, go talk, be friends with her. After all, it wasn't everyday that she got to meet a friend of her husband's, right?
Her stupid expression wasn't missed by Arnav. He laughed. "Okay, baba, let's go! We'll go to her now."
...
"Mamma!" Aarav said as Arnav and Khushi strode upto the mother-son duo. Sheetal didn't pay much attention to her son's calls till Khushi came and tapped her shoulder.
"Namaste, Sheetalj!" Khushi said, while Arnav said "Hi!!".
"Hi, everyone!" the latter replied. Somehow, she wasn't all that pleased to see them. "How are you?"
"We're good! What about you?" Arnav asked.
"Great!" she replied amiably "So...shopping?"
"Of course!" Khushi exclaimed "Diwali is almost here and thus, the amount of my work has increased to scaling heights! There are so many things I have to buy...vegetables, fruits, lamps, fairy lights; what not! That too with no help from a certain someone."
"But he's with you, right?"
"He's here to buy suits, nothing else."
"Khushi..."Arnav said warningly. She eventually shut up.
"By the way, Sheetal, where's your husband? I would love to meet him!"
"Yeah, isn't he with you?!" Khushi added "Typical male behaviour. I totally understand."
An immediate change appeared in Sheetal's expression. Her amber-eyes began to swivel slightly with tears. But it was all in a moment. They disappeared as quickly as they had come. She was about to answer, when suddenly another voice laced with anger and grief, spoke in her stead.
"My dad's dead."
The Raizada pair were slightly stunned with this sudden revelation, that too from the mouth of a seven-year-old child.
Khushi looked at her, whereas Arnav looked at the son. Both of them were impassive, yet Khushi could clearly make out the pain and loss that Sheetal had so carefully tried to conceal. Her heart went out to this single mother.
It was an awkward moment.
Finally, Arnav decided to break it. "I'm sorry, Sheetal, I didn't know..."
"Yes, Sheetalji, I'm really sorry..."
"No, no, guys, its okay, really." she said, shaking her head. "It's totally fine."
"No, Sheetal, I never should have..."
"Arnav, it's alright. You didn't know." she gave a reassuring smile to the couple in front of her. They reciprocated.
"Mom!" Aarav said, pulling her hand "As you're going to be here for quite a while, and I'll be getting thoroughly bored if I stay, then can I go to Timezone and play Cyborg World?"
"Yeah, sure!" Arnav exclaimed "C'mon, Sheetal. Let Aarav go and play. Meanwhile, the three of us can go for coffee." he looked at the boy. "Okay, big guy?"
"Ask my mom, not me!" Arnav raised an eyebrow at the response.
"Arnav no, I have to leave in any case."
"Oh no, you don't!" Khushi said "C'mon, Sheetalji! Please, just one cup of coffee. Please?"
"Yeah, mom. Even I wanna play!"
With so many people, including Arnav, pleading to her, how could she refuse?
"Oh, alright!" she exclaimed. She turned to Aarav and said, "I'll come by and pick you up as soon as I'm done, okay. Before that, DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE FROM THERE..."
"Yea, ma!" she placed a big kiss on the top of his head and he sped off after that.
"So, shall we?"
...
"Arjun and I met during my college days. We were just friends during that time. He was a year older to me and so, he basically took me for a friend." Sheetal paused to take a sip of her Frappe.
"Then, later on, I suddenly realized that I was in love with him. I was too afraid of telling him anything. In case our feelings weren't mutual, then that would've probably been the end of our friendship. So I kept mum. Then after my graduation, he suddenly came and proposed to me for marriage. I obviously agreed. "
"After approximately a year after our marriage, Aarav was born. We were so happy. All was just so perfect."
"Then, everything changed drastically."
She paused over here. A haunted look came over her face. Her eyes held immeasurable amount of pain and misery. But being aware of Arnav-Khushi 's presence, she controlled her feelings.
"While coming back home from work, Arjun's car had an accident. He was thrown a hundred feet off the ground and had landed in ditch. It was a case of immediate coma. It lasted for exactly three days. "
"And then... he died."
Tears were pouring out from Khushi's eyes. Here she was, happily married to the man she loved, and here was Sheetal, who had seen her husband die.
Fate played such ridiculous tricks on people. It didn't give a damn about the consequences that it's victim had to endure. She looked at Arnav. Should anything happens to him, she'll die. She looked at Sheetal again.
Compared to her, Khushi was weak.
Terribly weak.
She had her husband, but who did this lady have? No one.
Except her beloved son.
"I'm really sorry, Sheetal!" she heard Arnav say softly.
Shegave him a sad smile. "Don't be. What has happened, has happened. No one can change the past. Its done. Finished"
No one said anything for sometime. But Khushi was constantly looking at her.
Finally she said "You're a very brave woman, Sheetalji. Very brave."
This time, she gave a genuine smile "Thank you, Khushi."
"No honest." Khushi continued. "You're a fine example of an ideal woman. A woman who accepts the past, and is inhesitant in changing the future. Someone who lives for others not for herself." she paused to wipe her tears. "I hope that someday, even I can will have the courage to make a lemonade out of the lemons that life throws at me. Just like you."
A tiny trickle of water spilled from Sheetal's eye. She couldn't register what Khushi had just said. She couldn't do it with pride.
"Believe me, Khushi. You don't want to be like me."
"Why? Why wouldn't I want to be like you?"
She didn't answer immediately. Being the cautious person that she is, Sheetal couldn't understand whether to trust this pair or no. After all, it was her problem, why should they care?
But then after looking at Khushi she realized that if there was anyone in this world who would empathize her predicament, it was this woman.
Arnav's wife.
She sighed. "Khushi, you think that I have the power to change my future? Alter it, atleast? No, Khushi. I don't. Though I would do anything to have that privilege. If not for me, then for Aarav."
"I know what the future holds for me, and honestly, it is anything but pleasant. I can do nil about it,despite of being aware of it."
"You have no idea about your own, that's why you're helpless. I know what's going to happen...and I'm still helpless. Its a horrible feeling."
Arnav gave her an enquiring look. "What do you mean, Sheetal ?"
She stared at him. Now that she had blurted everything out, she couldn't even take it back. Finally she took a deep breath and revealed the truth.
"I am a leukemia patient, Arnav. And I've only for three months to live."
...
Silence.
This news was received with shocked, pregnant silence.
Khushi couldn't believe her ears. Leukemia? Blood cancer? She was suffering from this deadly ailment, and only had three months to live?
How can God be so cruel?
Sheetal was a woman with a child. A child who was not even in his teens. First, he ended up losing his father and now, even his mother was to be taken away?
And she thought that her luck was bad.
"CANCER?" she heard Arnav exclaim "You have cancer?!!" She nodded solemnly while he put his head in his palms and muttered an almost inaudible "Shit!"
"I found out about it almost three to four months ago. The cancer was in its last stage. I'm taking medicines to reduce the concentration,...but its not going to work forever. I will have to die someday."
'And when you do, what will become of your son?' this was Khushi's main cause of worry. The boy was very precious to her, for reasons which even she didn't know .
Sheetal looked at her again. " Do you still think that I'm an example of an ideal woman?"
Khushi didn't reply immediately ,but before the latter would think negative, she answered
"Yes, Sheetalji. I still believe that you're the most remarkable woman on this planet. What's happening you isn't your fault. Fate is playing games with you..."
"And I'm on the loosing end." she replied sadly.
To this, Khushi has no answer.
"But my main cause of concern isn't my life." she continued "It's just Aarav that I'm worried about. It won't be long before I'm no longer with him. What will happen to him then?"
"You don't have to worry about him." Both of them turned to look at Khushi, who had kept absolutely quiet for the past ten minutes.
"What?" they said together.
"I said that you shouldn't be worrying about Aarav right now. He will not be deprived of parental love."
None of them understood anything. Khushi sighed but said adamantly.
"Aarav will be adopted by me and Arnavji."
At first, the latter couldn't actually register what the former had actually said. Adopt? Aarav??
Was Aarav now to like an orphan already?
Arnav on the other hand, was doubtful about Khushi's intentions. He knew that they were good, but her trust was naive.
Of all the people, it was only him that Aarav could probably relate to. Only he could understand how that boy would feel after the loss of his mother.
Even if all this did work out, would he learnn to accept his new family?
Highly unlikely.
"Adopt Aarav?" Sheetal stammered. Khushi nodded. "We will be the greatest parents on the planet, trust me. Not only will he receive the undying love of a mother, but he'll also get the father figure that every little boy needs."
At this point, she looked at her husband, who smiled at her.
Sheetal was crying openly now. What plight was her only son going through? Now she has to give him away?
"Sheetal," Arnav comforted. "We know that times are tough for you. You're going through a hell lot of ordeal, a lot of pain. But think about Aarav. He'll be needing a family. He'll be needing his mom."
"And she's not going to stick around for much longer." she replied through her tears.
No one said anything for sometime. Sheetal was still thinking about this, whereas Arnav and Khushi looked apprehensively at her.
After a lot of thought and consideration, Sheetal said, "Aarav has always been deprived of the love of a father. That's the reason why he's so hardcore, so unfeeling. He needs male attention. Unconditional irrevocable make attention...and fatherly love. Nothing else. He loves his mom, alright; I want him to give more live to his father. I want a man who'll keep him happy, understand him, guide him. Someone to whom he'll bestow undying respect to. Someone who'll not judge him for his actions."
She looked at Arnav , expectancy clearly shown in her eyes. "If you can prove be like this, Arnav, then I'll agree to this."
Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed seven times, but no one heard it. Sheetal 's soliloquy was magnified ten-fold.
What could Arnav say? Even he has never had a father figure, who he could look up to. Could he meet this dying mother's expectations?
'Of course, you can...and you will.' his conscience said confidently to him. 'You're not him; you're you. A man who's a hundred times better than his own dad. You'll fulfill Sheetal's expectations. I'm fact you'll be better than what she wants you to be. You are an amazing husband...but you'll be a much better father.'
He looked at Sheetal and said with genuine confidence. "I promise you, Sheetal; I'll be the most wonderful father in the world. I won't let anything happen to Aarav. He'll be much more special than my own son. And on top of that, he and I get along like bread and butter. I'll love him just like you expect me to...even more than that."
That's all that Sheetal wanted. A word of assurance.
She knew that whatever decision she has taken this time, was right.
...
15 YEARS LATER
"Mom, will you tell dad to please hurry up." Aarav Singh Raizada said hurriedly, as he wolfed down his breakfast.
"I'm coming, son!" the forty-three year old Arnav said as he grabbed his bag and seated himself beside his son.
Khushi looked at the father-son duo. Aarav had grown just to be like his father. Handsome, suave, sophisticated; the junior Arnav Singh Raizada. Though his anger was always at the tip of his nose and his hardcore attitude was still a part of his personality, she knew that behind this hard exterior, there was a man, a boy rather, who has a caramel soft heart. She loved this, seven turned twenty-five boy more than anyone else in the world.
"Bye, ma!" Aarav said as he pecked her on her cheek and left in a blink of an eye.
Arnav came and stood beside his wife, holding his briefcase. He knew what she was watching. "My son's grown up, hasn't he?" he said, overflowing with pride.
"Our son!" she said, not moving her line of sight.
"DAD!!"
"Coming!" Arnav yelled back. "I'm leaving, okay, Khushi?!" he said, giving her a swift peck on her cheek and rushing out. "Bye!!" Khushi said, waving at him.
Aarav had been brought up well. Exactly like how Sheetal wanted. The promise that these two has made while taking aarav in had been fulfilled. And in this process, they has even made their place in his heart, just like they wanted to.
He never forgot Sheetal. After all, she was his mother. But in the passing years, Aarav had understood, that parents are those who bring you up, who raise you to be a better person than them, not just who gave birth to you. And that's why, Arnav and Khushi were more special to him. More than anyone.
Khushi looked at the heavens above. Wherever Sheetal was, she knew that she was happy. No matter how many mistakes she had done, no matter how many wrong decisions she might have taken, for once, Khushi knew that adopting Aarav was the only right decision whose consequences did not have a side effect.
She had not only gained a son, but even he had gained a family.
He was an orphan and he never forgot that.
But he was probably the luckless orphan in the world
...
Actually this is more of an idea. I mean wouldn't it be nice if the current track was something like this??
Shiv Shakti
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
