My Sunshine ✨️

10. Their Lives

Arjun left with Ankit after showing Pri and Sid their class room. Pri & Sid took a quick glance at the classroom and found two empty seats in the back row, where a girl was sitting silently, reading a book. She looked beautiful and innocent.

“Hi, beautiful, can I sit here?” Sid said in a flirtatious tone, startling her. She looked at him with wide eyes. Pri gave her an apologetic smile and smacked Sid on the head.

“Ouch! Why did you hit me?” Sid said, rubbing his head.

“You stupid, stop flirting with her,” Pri said, narrowing her eyes. The girl found them amusing and cute. She nodded at them, gesturing for them to sit. Pri smiled and sat beside her, along with Sid.

“Hi, I’m Priyanka,” Pri said, extending her hand.

“Aarohi,” she said softly. Pri and Sid both went, “Aww” at her shyness and cute voice.

“And I’m Sidharth, but you can call me Sid,” he said, winking. Pri rolled her eyes, and Aarohi shook his hand with a smile. The three of them gelled quickly, with Pri and Sid welcoming Aarohi into their circle.

In the afternoon, Pri, Sid, and Aarohi went to the canteen to look for Pri’s brother. Sid saw Ankit leaving.

“Ankit!” Sid called. Hearing his name, Ankit turned around and saw Sid and Pri.

“Where’s my brother?” Pri asked, frowning and looking around. Ankit found her expression cute as she scanned the canteen, narrowing her eyes and scrunching her nose adorably. His lips twitched into a small smile.

“Follow me,” he said, leading them out of the canteen.

They arrived at a large, garden-like area with a few trees and very few people. It looked like a picnic spot surrounded by greenery and peaceful silence, a stark contrast to the bustling canteen.

“Wow, this place is so cool,” Pri said, looking around with wide eyes. Sid and Aarohi nodded in agreement.

“Pari,” Arjun called. Hearing her brother’s voice, Pri looked in his direction and ran to him excitedly. Aarohi, Sid, and Ankit chuckled at her childish enthusiasm.

“Bhai, this place is beautiful,” she said with a bright smile.

“I know, right? Ankit found this spot and suggested it for our lunch and hangout. A few more people joined us after seeing us here,” Arjun said.

Pri made an “O” face and gave Ankit a thumbs-up, as if to say, “Great job, dude.” Ankit smiled amusedly.

The five of them sat down for lunch.

“Bhai, meet my new friend Aarohi. Aarohi, this is my brother Arjun, and this is Ankit,” Pri introduced.

Aarohi greeted them with a small “Hi,” while Arjun was captivated by her beauty and innocence. Ankit, noticing this, smirked and nudged Arjun's shoulder.

Arjun and Ankit talked about their upcoming college project and football match, while Sid and Pri engaged in their usual playful arguments. Aarohi chuckled at the lively duo. Arjun glanced at them and shook his head.

Pri finished only half of her lunch but felt full. She looked at the remaining food with a sad expression, knowing her mom would be upset if she didn’t finish it. After a moment's thought, she moved close to her brother and dumped the rest of her food onto his plate while he was busy on the phone.

Pri glanced around to see if anyone was watching and saw Ankit observing her. She gave him an innocent, pleading look with her puppy eyes. Ankit shook his head, chuckling, while Arjun noticed his plate now filled with food again. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Pri, who was pretending to eat the last spoonful of her food. Arjun narrowed his eyes at her, and she smiled sheepishly. Arjun shook his head and continued eating.

Priyanka's House

“Mumma, I’m home!” Pri shouted from the doorstep.

“Ahhh, devil, spare my poor ears!” Arjun said, closing his ears. Pri glared at him but smirked. She moved closer and screamed in his ear, “Aaaaaaa....” then ran away. Arjun quickly chased after her, trying to catch her.

“Aaa... Mumma, save me from the bhayyu monster!” Pri giggled.

Arjun smiled at hearing “bhayyuuu,” a name she used to call him when she was a kid. Pri quickly hid behind their mom, who was in the kitchen preparing snacks for them.

“Be careful, you two. Arjun, you’re older than her, for goodness' sake,” their mom said. Pri stuck her tongue out but soon pouted when her mom added, “Pari, you must have done something to irritate him, right?”

“Yes, Mom, this little devil is on a mission to ruin my ears with her screaming,” Arjun said, munching on snacks while sitting on the kitchen counter. Pri stood beside him, and he fed her a bite.

Their mom chuckled at the sight of them complaining about each other while feeding each other.

Soon, they heard their dad’s voice.

“Papa!” Pri shouted again and ran from the kitchen.

“Arghh, see, Mom? This is what I’m talking about. I guess she was born with speakers inside her,” Arjun said with a chuckle. Their mother smiled, knowing her daughter indeed had a loud and beautiful voice.

She took drinks and snacks to the garden, where Pri and her father were talking about who knows what. The four of them sat there, and Pri started sharing her experiences from her first day of college, including stories about her friends Ankit and Aarohi. The three of them chuckled at her cute ranting.

Ankit's Flat

Returning to his flat from college, Ankit found it quiet and dark, much like his life. He sighed and dropped himself onto the couch, resting his head against it, closing his eyes, and letting himself drown in his thoughts.

Everything had once been fine. He had a beautiful family,

A father who was his hero, an elder brother who pampered him, and a kind-hearted and beautiful mother whom he loved dearly. But suddenly, everything turned upside down. He lost everything at the age of seven.

His mother died in an accident, and his father and brother stopped loving him. He was sent to a boarding school, separated from his father and brother, who were his only family left after his mother.

His father fulfilled his financial responsibilities, but his little soul and the seven years old kid in him, craved love, affection, and care that he never received.

His father never acknowledged him as his son in public, and no one outside knew about Ankit’s family. Despite sending more than enough money, his father’s emotional support was absent. Ankit felt like an orphan, even though he had family. His brother also began avoiding him. At just seven years old, his little heart was broken far beyond his age, with reasons he still didn’t understand.

Then he met Arjun, his first friend. Arjun understood him like a brother, never prying into his family situation but simply becoming a part of Ankit’s life. Over time, their bond grew stronger. Ankit only mentioned that he and his family were not on good terms, and Arjun stood by him without questioning. Ankit was grateful for this, but his heart remained empty, craving the love he had lost at age seven. He enjoyed carefree moments with friends at college, which was mostly a facade. However, when he returned to his flat, his reality welcomed him back into darkness.

Ankit opened his eyes. “Damn it, Ankit, stop depressing yourself with these stupid thoughts. Come on, cheer up. No one is there for you except yourself. Accept it,” he told himself as he went to freshen up.

Little did he know that someone who would pull him out of his darkness and give him the love he craved had already entered his life.

After freshening up, he cooked for himself, And yup !!! he was a great cook. He had dinner while watching TV and then went to bed. But sleep was far from his eyes. He tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep, but to no avail. Defeated, he sighed and took a small dose of a sleeping tablet, his last option. Soon, he drifted into a deep sleep.

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