LOST

38. AADITYA

(This chapter is dedicated to the very amazing STcrazy. I honestly wasn't going to update because today has been a long, rough and a busy day. But her comments made me smile and this is a token of thanks. 

So here we go.) 

~ Aaditya ~

Before leaving home, I had called Uncle to let him know that I was bringing Sapna over. He had comprehended the urgency of the situation when I told him about Dad's return.

I was expecting him to have made dramatic arrangements. But here he was, standing stiff by his dearest window, seeming to have nothing left to lose.

I knew that feeling. I had lived with that for years myself.

But now that I had Sapna back, I felt different. I knew what it meant for me to be with her and I would do anything to not lose her.

As soon as Uncle said that we'd be speaking, a hundred little lines made their way on to Sapna's forehead while I finally let out a breath of relief.

All this while, I had let Sapna explore what was hers to see. I didn't talk to her, not wanting to disrupt her thoughts. I could see the emotions playing on her face. I hated the pain she went through when she discovered her room. But all I could do was stand there and let her feel.

"Sapna, I will not start by telling you who I am. You will figure that out yourself. Instead, I am going to tell you a story," Uncle said, in a much rehearsed tone.

Sapna didn't seem to flinch one bit by his words. Instead, she leaned forward and keenly listened to what Uncle had to say. As for me, I was avid to see as to how that was going to turn out.

"Once upon a time, in a small town, there lived a family of three – a man with his beautiful wife and an adorable daughter. Life had always been easy to them. Fair. They lived in a great house, wore nice clothes, and had good food to eat. They were one tight knit unit. None could live with the other gone.

The man was a reputed citizen of the town. But his love for photography was greater to him that his mainstream work. On his tour to North India, he had come across this old rusty camera at an antique's store. Ever since, he couldn't let go of that thing. He was so fond of taking his daughter's pictures. She was his muse, his creative influence.

His wife, contrarily, was a lesser known artist. Their daughter meant more than their life to her. She inspired her in more than one ways.

The three of them spent whatever time they had together. Sometimes, in their backyard, sometimes in the garden down the street and some other times, at the beach.

One fine day, when the man was walking her back home from school, his daughter asked him what love was. At first, the man was a little amused. But then he told her that for her, love will be a boy. A boy who will make her smile the moment she set her eyes on him. And she will lose herself to him in such a way that the world will turn vague and all she will feel and look at will be that boy.

The girl was stupefied yet expectant.

So one day, they were at the beach. The girl was immersed in making castles out of sand. A slight tap on her shoulder, and she looked up into the most beautiful pair of eyes she had ever seen. She couldn't conceal her smile and the joy that was threatening to burst out. She had found Love.

It was only through her that there entered another beautiful family in the story. In the form of friendship," Uncle paused and cleared his throat.

I took it as my cue to resume the story.

"The man made friends with the boy's father, who was a renowned businessman. His wife was a passionate designer. Only, she worked for herself and not with an intension of pleasing others."

"What kind of a designer?" Sapna asked.

"She designed everything," I answered for Sapna, and her eyes perked up with curiosity. "From jewelry to clothes and from cars to homes. It was her second nature. Came spontaneously to her, you could say. All she needed was a pen and a notebook.

Just like the previous family, this one was inseparable too.

And the boy, well, he was just an ordinary kid with an extraordinary secret. He had a special person in his life. An old man who lived a few blocks away from their house. He called the old man his grandfather.

So one day, he asked his grandfather what love was. The old man smiled, ruffled the boy's hair and in his throaty voice, he said, 'For you, baccha, love will be an Angel. The moment you lay your eyes on her, you will know that she is the one. She will make you laugh, she will make you cry. She will give you hope, she will teach you to live. She will giggle at you when you fall down, but she will give you a hand and pick you up too. She will bring joy. You will lose yourself in her and there won't be a way out. All that will matter to you will be her. Your Angel.'

The boy was taken aback by his words. First, he thought that the old man was just pulling his leg. Nevertheless, he had to believe him.

For in the bright of the sun, close to the sea, creatively messing the sand, he found his Angel. A beautiful girl with long black hair and round eyes that grew bigger whenever she looked at him.

When their gazes locked, they just knew. They just knew that they were meant to be.

And that was how those two families came together. Through the children."

All this while, I had tried to keep my eyes off Sapna's face. I didn't want to see what realization would do to her. I just wanted to end this as fast as possible. 

(A/N : Okay, guys. I want to hear your thoughts. This is the most important scene of the book and I really want to know what you think. 

Please please vote, comment and share if you like what you read. 

Love y'all! 

- Soniya.)