Do We Change?

● Guiding Star

The lobby leading to the drawing room of the Sharma's was adorned with hundreds and thousands of photographs , carefully picked and articulately framed. Mrs. Anita Sharma , the mother of Vikram Sharma had the strong belief that in every house there should be one such place that would store all the lovely memories that one had gathered over lifetime. Thus , this particular place of their house carried all those sweet memories of hers , her husband's, her son and her daughter's.

On this particular sunday , that particular place had found Vikram standing and staring at one particular photo for a long time. An old picture , framed in an inexpensive wooden frame and in the center carved in beautiful penmanship ' BEST FRIENDS'. From the picture that the frame held , stared back at him two figures , all smiling and all so happy. One among them was a girl , her hair tied into two ponytails , her school tie neatly placed and a wide smile reached her ears. In her hand , she held a trophy which she was sharing with another boy who was a bit taller than her and had slightly bend down for the photograph. He matched the girl's soulful smile radiantly as the both posed in their school uniform with the trophy.

" Missing her already , are you ?" breaking Vikram out of his reverie ,in came his mother.

Clad in a cream colored suit , Anita looked like the physical embodiment of the word perfect.  And she always did that . Precise and particular . Her wrinkling face , serene and beautiful,  bespoke of the beauty it held in her younger days .
As she stepped closer to her son , she took the photograph from him .
" You both were in seventh standard,  back then " .

Vikram was marveled by his mother's sharp memory . He did remember,  that the photograph was taken when they both were in middle school , but to be in seventh to be precise , that was too much of memory.

" Oh really!"

His mother's face  started to show the signs of displeasure. She clearly didnot like being counterchecked by her son.

"yes", she said," You both were in seventh. Won some science competition , the two of you.  I clearly remember how you both were jumping all your way back home."

" I was wondering how happy we were back then . Look at us now." 

Anita looked up at her son , standing tall in front of her. Height was the only growth that years have brought to him , or she felt. Time and again he had proved her right by all his immature deed. But then times such as these , when a thick coat of melancholy filled her son's face , did she remember her baby boy was now a grown man who had experienced too much in life .

"Vikram", she said as she cradled her son's face with her one hand," Vikram , son you will be again . You are marrying your best friend , what can be better."

" Are we ever going to be happy , mom"

Anita sighed. " Of course you will be . Come on , look at me. I know that these years haven't been particularly nice to you or Aarohi. But that doesn't mean that we will dwell upon the past and forget the present.  You were the one who brought up this proposal . And this proposal is very nice , in deed "

" Are you sure?"

" Obviously " Anita took a deep breath , as if to gain some energy ," I can't believe my little Vicku is getting married!" she said as she pinched his cheek.

" Mom! please ! don't call me Vicku , for god's sake!"

" Oh ! You don't want me to call you that . Then go , get dressed . You are going for ring shopping for my daughter in law." 

As Vikram tried to make a quick escape , his mother called back 

" And, Vikram . Be happy . Everything will get fine" 

As soon as he reached his room , Vikram flopped down on his bed heaving a sigh .  His mother was an exceptionally nice women . But she did get overwhelming , time and again , something he and his sister Tania had been dealing with since childhood. 

Half laying on the bed , he began scanning the bed with his bed. As he found his moblie phone , the item he was searching for , he brought it closer to him. When his notifications read empty , he resorted to his favourite past time , scrolling through his phone's gallery. 

Swiping down and down , in between deleting some random photos, his fingers stopped over one particular photograph. 

In it was a girl . a girl with her long brown hair flowing past her shoulders , her eyes resembling molten chocolate.  Her regal nose led to set a pretty pink lips , that were carved in an innocent smile as she posed for the pictures. 

Sitara.
His guiding star.

Sitara and him were a fairytale that had no happy ending , they were past that neither wanted to remember , they were a secret that got wrongly revealed. 

Vikram sighed. It didn't require him to think about such things now. He was getting married now, for god's sake.  He realized that this was one of the reasons he had approached for Aarohi's hand for the first time . He had felt that they were two individuals who failed in different tests of love that life and put in front of them. And he considered that such two failures can do well and live together. 

Suddenly he felt a pang of worry. Should he inform Aarohi about it . But what's the point . It is only going to stress the poor girl furthur. Yes! he knew her story . But just knew it . He didn't even know how her ex finance looked like . He had been out India for along time and AArohi was a private person, who didn't post much on social media. 

Curiosity burned within him , as he suddenly felt the desire to find out how Neil Birla looked like. It didn't take much effort to find him.  The account of Neil Birla , had no posts since two years . That was excepted , Vikram thought .  But what Vikram didn't understand , that Neil Birla didn't look anything like he had imagined. Yes ! He was handsome but too simple . Someone not like Aarohi's taste. Vikram didn't understand how strong their love was , but he knew it was strong enough to break the ambition of the ever-so-ambitious Aarohi Goenka .

" Bhaiyaaaaa" Tania his sister barged into his room . Privacy was not very common among Indian siblings. 

" Bhaiya you are not ready yet " Tania said as she walked up close to him. " Mom has been calling you for a long time ......" suddenly her attention seemed to be fixated upon something as she bend closer to him, " whom have you been stalking .... Neil Birla . Oh my God , bhaiyaaa , you were stalking bhabi's ex." 

Suddenly , Vikram turned red in embarrassment as he mentally cursed himself for not closing the phone's screen.

" Shut up , Tania!" 

" you were stalking him weren't you ?" Tania burst into giggles.

" No I was not !"

" Yes You were. And now I am going to tell Bhabi about it ."

" No . You will do no such things.  I wasn't stalking . But I do stalk YOUR exes and presents . Do you want me to tell Mom about them ?" VIkram raised his eyebrow . He knew he had won.

" Fine . You are very bad do you know it " Tania stomped her foot , almost .

" Yes that I am aware of " 

" Go get dressed . Otherwise Mom will be showing you stars in daylight" with that Tania dashed off . 

Vikram sighed . He had been left very confused  after seeing the pictures of Neil Birla. He didn't seem to be a guy who would leave his bride at the altar. There must have happened something . 

" Bhaiyaaa be quick! you really don't want mom to show stars , now , do you !" his sister's voice sounded from down stairs. 

Well he had seen a star in daylight , didn't he ? 
Sitara.
His guiding star .

From the author:  Did take a short break . But here's the next part . Please do comment how it was . New characters coming up .