Anurag and Pihu followed his gaze to their joined hands, and mused how everyone seemed to be getting surprised by such a simple gesture on their part. Pihu thought back to the video chat with her parents, where she had planned to tell them about her desire to continue her studies abroad. She had faced the screen, but had gotten so nervous, that she had grabbed Anurag's hand, and held it in hers throughout the whole conversation. Anurag, had not been visible to her parents, but had been calming her down from the side. She had finally succeeded in telling her parents, never once letting go of Anurag's hand. Her parents had initially been disappointed, but they soon reconciled to her decision. In fact, her father was later filled with a slight sense of happiness and pride that that his irresponsible daughter was finally making serious plans for her future. Pihu had been so overjoyed at their gradual acceptance, that she had immediately raised her hand, still ensconced in Anurag's, and looked at him with her bright eyes full of joy. Her parents had looked surprised as Pihu had pulled Anurag into the frame and introduced him to them, for the first time. They had been taken aback at Pihu's wide smile as she introduced Anurag to them. But, as Pihu's father observed them, he knew that Anurag had been the reason for the changes in his daughter. His parting words to Anurag had been a simple, 'Thank you,' and Anurag knew it was for more than simply being a friend to his daughter.
So it was with some amount of surprise that Anurag witnessed the same expression on his father's face, but directed at Pihu. He felt a thread of understanding pass through them, as Pihu smiled back reassuringly, and gently squeezed Anurag's hand. Anurag hesitantly put his hand forward, as he remembered his father's past rebukes at all his attempts to hug him. To his surprise, he found himself engulfed in a warm hug by his father. Anurag's eyes softened, as he embraced his father, but did not let go of Pihu's hand as she tried to slip it away. The following dinner was filled with reminiscing, and Anurag slowly telling his father about his life for the past few years. Pihu watched the father and son build up their shaky relationship, and smiled happily. She soon excused herself to go to the bathroom, and Anurag watched her leave with smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Shekhar watched his son's eyes brighten up with a light that he had never seen there before, and he felt even more grateful to the girl who had given Anurag his smile back. 'So, you've been talking to Neelu more often,' Shekhar continued with a gentle voice, jerking Anurag's thoughts back to him. 'Hmm... yes, I have. Pihu was so mad when she found out I only talked to her once in 2 or 3 weeks. She refused make me chicken biryani, and threatened to cancel all the subscriptions to our sports channels, until I talked to her more frequently,' Anurag grinned, at the memory of how stubborn Pihu had become on this topic. He hadn't needed much persuasion to talk to his mother, but he had enjoyed watching Pihu pout and wrinkle her nose in annoyance so much, that he had only agreed after 5 days, when she had threatened to stop talking to him. They both knew that not talking to each other was not an option, so they only used the threat in extreme cases. Pihu did not know that he had already started talking to his mother more often, without her knowledge. Pihu slid back into the seat next to him, and Shekhar soon got up, promising his son that he would try harder this time. Anurag's smile faltered, before he nodded slowly. He had decided to give his father a chance.
As Shekhar left, Anurag was still for a moment, remembering the night. The wall he had built between himself and his family had finally crumbled. His mind kept replaying the events of the night, still slightly shocked. Suddenly, he grabbed Pihu's hand and dragged her out into the cool night. He felt exhilarated. He had his family back, and he had Pihu. Pihu followed him willingly, a giggle escaping her lips, looking at his joy. She could picture her whole future here, with Anurag. Pihu soon got caught up in Anurag's excitement, and their laughter echoed across the deserted parking lot. 'Why are you so happy?!' Pihu called out with a grin on her face, as she pulled him to a stop. Anurag looked down at her, holding her close, 'I don't know! You told your parents, I met my father, we're not so screwed up anymore? Let's just celebrate!' Pihu let out a peal of laughter, as she agreed, 'We're not so screwed up! Yay!' She declared, jumping a little, as Anurag still held her by the waist. Anurag suddenly held Pihu tightly, lifted her and twirled her around. Pihu gasped, but as she looked down at Anurag's smile, her eyes filled with a soft adoration. Anurag slowly lowered her down, still grinning widely. Their foreheads touched, and as Anurag looked up at Pihu, the twinkle in his eyes faded to be replaced with a more primal look. He couldn't bring himself to tear his gaze away from Pihu's lips, as he had done countless times before. Pihu felt herself drowning in his eyes. His desire reflected in her eyes, and she buried her hands deeper into his hair, as she slid down his body. They stood there, their arms still around each other, not being able to take the final step, but finding it impossible to break away. They both closed the gap at the same time, all rational thought driven from their minds. All they could see and feel was each other. They had been suppressing their emotions for so long, that they felt this first kiss even more keenly. They had now taken the first step, and now there was nothing to stop them falling.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
