The Cycle

guns or roses. only one

Diva's fourteenth birthday is approaching, and she is super excited. Aisha and her are always planning her birthday party. Always. After the dinner party with Aisha, grandma seems to always want her around. She and Aisha have made a different bond, and now grandma loves Aisha.

"Oh my god! Why don't we just go laser tag? You can invite tons of people, and it is super fun." Aisha suggested. Aryaman, who has come to visit Diva, meets Aisha for the first time. He felt bad for Aisha's parents, he thinks to himself about how not only they were raising a child that was a girl, but also disabled, little did he know that Aisha's parents were infinitely grateful for her.

"Laser tag?" Aryaman interrupts their conversation and exclaims in an irritated tone, he continues, "You girls wouldn't enjoy it at all, its about guns and heavy gear, are you sure you wanna go for laser tag with all your girlfriends?" Diva replies, "Dad, of course I know what laser tag is, actually Aisha and I have gone there multiple times, they are one of the only places that will allow Aisha's wheelchair. Aisha I think it's a great idea! Grandma, I want to go for laser tag on my birthday!"

Aryaman, annoyed by this, laughs sarcastically in response. "Sure Diva" grandma declares in a stern voice and requests to speak with Aryaman privately. They went to another room, and so all Diva could hear was a bunch of loud mumbles, and sometimes loud shouting.

Diva's heart pounded as she strained to catch snippets of the heated conversation between her dad and grandma. She glanced at Aisha, who gave her an encouraging smile. Despite Aryaman's outburst, Diva was determined to have her dream birthday party.

"I think laser tag is perfect," Aisha whispered, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Don't let him ruin it for you."

Diva nodded, grateful for Aisha's unwavering support. Just then, the door opened, and Aryaman stormed out, his face flushed with anger. He avoided Diva's gaze and headed straight for the front door, slamming it shut behind him. Grandma followed him out, her face a mask of determination.

"Don't worry, Diva," Grandma said gently. "We'll make this birthday special for you, no matter what." Diva felt a surge of relief and gratitude. "Thanks, Grandma. And thanks, Aisha, for the awesome idea."

Aisha beamed. "I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun.!"

The two girls spent the rest of the evening planning the party, discussing everything from the guest list to the decorations. By the time they were done, Diva's excitement had completely overshadowed the earlier tension.

The next few days were a whirlwind of preparations. Invitations were sent out, decorations were chosen, and the laser tag arena was booked. Aisha helped Diva pick out a special outfit for the occasion, and they even made plans for a sleepover afterward.

The days flew by quickly, before Diva found herself waiting in line for ice cream with her other friends. All of them smiling, with a mind full of joyous ideas. They just finished watching a movie and now we're going to the arena after some ice cream.

Diva and Aisha were overjoyed that they were able to make it to the arena, they were so happy that they forgot about the other children around them. The party was filled with good vibes and happiness...well except Aryaman.His face was red with anger or embarrassment, he couldn't decide . He was still quite upset about his daughter playing laser tag with her friends, he thought to himself repeatedly, "how could Diva enjoy this? It has so much violence, something that she couldn't handle.

When they finally entered the arena, he noticed that everyone was beyond excited. "Aisha I think we should split up, you take the left side, I'll safeguard the right side!"Diva yelled because the music was too loud. Aisha replied by saying "Of course captain" and started rolling her wheelchair towards the left of the arena.

As soon as the game started, the arena erupted with laser beams cutting through the air, accompanied by bursts of laughter and shouts from Diva's friends. The thrill of the game made everything else fade away. All Diva could focus on was the flashing lights, the buzzing of the laser guns, and the sheer joy of running through the maze with her best friend by her side.

From his spot on the sidelines, Aryaman watched silently, arms crossed, frowning deeply. He couldn't understand how Diva found so much joy in something so... rough. The sight of Aisha confidently rolling through the course, expertly dodging lasers and working with Diva like a true teammate, surprised him. He had expected her to struggle, but instead, Aisha seemed to be thriving.

The neighbors and other kid's parents always thought of Aryaman as a bad parent, in fact they hardly thought of him as a parent. Aryaman sighed, conflicted. He had always tried to be protective of Diva, but deep down, he knew he had gone too far—he had been controlling, more out of his own fear than love. Ever since losing Jyoti, he had tried in the past to take on the role of both parents, but instead of nurturing Diva's independence, he had smothered her with his own insecurities, and when he couldn't do that either, he left her all alone with her grandparents. He had convinced himself it was for her safety, but in reality, it was his inability to cope with his grief and fears that had made him so strict, so dismissive of anything that didn't fit his narrow view of what was "right" for her. He had often overlooked her feelings, belittled her decisions, and stood in the way of her joy, all in the name of protecting her from a world he believed she couldn't handle.

"See, Dad?" Diva called over, her face flushed with excitement and triumph. "Told you this would be fun!"

Aryaman forced a smile, though his heart still tugged with worry. "Yeah, you did," he muttered under his breath. He glanced at his mother, standing nearby, her face beaming with pride. Grandma caught his eye and gave him a knowing look. She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let her have this, Aryaman. She's stronger than you think. Aisha too," Grandma said softly. "They're just kids, but look how much joy they bring to each other. You can't protect her from everything."

As the game wound down, Aryaman walked over to Diva. She looked up at him with questioning eyes, unsure of what to expect.

"Okay," he said, sighing heavily. "I'll admit it—I was wrong. You were right. You really enjoyed yourself, huh?"

Diva smiled widely, her eyes lighting up. "Yeah, Dad, it was awesome. And look, Aisha loved it too."

Aryaman turned to Aisha, who was beaming from her wheelchair. "I see that," he said, nodding at her. "I didn't expect that, Aisha, I have to be honest. But you're something else, kid. You've got spirit."

Aisha laughed, her eyes twinkling. "Thanks, Mr. Aryaman. I'll do what I can."

Grandma joined them, patting Aryaman on the back. "Now, let's finish off this birthday with some cake, shall we? I think we all deserve a little sweetness after today."

Diva looked at Aisha, her smile never fading. "Guns or roses, right? We had both today."

Aisha laughed. "Yeah, I think we nailed it."

As the group left the arena, Aryaman felt the tightness in his chest ease just a little. Maybe Diva was growing up faster than he was ready for, but seeing her surrounded by people who loved and supported her gave him a small sense of peace. Throughout Diva's childhood, there were only a few moments when Aryaman was truly present. He missed her first steps, her first words—she said Dada—and even her first school function. Yet, despite the lost moments, he held onto hope that he could be there for her in the years ahead, guiding her from her teenage years into adulthood.