Dhruv's point of view

Happiness...

This is the word I have never know the meaning of or you should say this word never existed in my dictionary but now I can write a whole book on it.

Because happiness is spending the day with someone special and holding that person really close.

Just like my beautiful neighbour.

Aditi...

She makes my world special just being in it. Today's my birthday and I don't think this made the day special for me, be Aditi with me makes the day special for me.

I took her to mall and we watched the movie together. This is the first time I watched movie with someone. I don't know what movie was about or what's its name because whole the time I was looking at her. you must have look at her face when she was watching the movie, she had that glint on her face like a child have when he got his favourite candy.

She was looking at the movie and I was looking at her.

I intertwined our fingers and hold her hand. A smile crept on her face when she looked at our joining hands and then me. She gave me a smile and turn her face on the other direction to the other side to hide her blush as she can not blame the sun now because it's already dark.

Holding hands like a couple, I never think I would do that and the person, would be Aditi give a butterflies in my
stomach. A soft grin came onto my face and right now I just wanted to took her in my arms and talk to her all night till sun again come into the sky.

"Dhruv I wanted to play this game." Her face shine like a bulb when she was pointing towards the shooting balloons game. I bring her to the Lucknow Mahotsav which held every year in Lucknow. It feels childish to come into a fair but I want to do every single childish thing with her.

"Okay..." I said with a smile and took her where she was pointing.

When we reached the booth, already a couple was playing that game. Lots of balloons were sticking on the moving wheel and you have to shoot every balloon to win the gift. I gestured to the booth owner and he filled the rifle with small iron bullets. Aditi took the rifles which I guess was heavy for her because she was having a problem of holding it. At the same time another girl also picked the rifle and looked at Aditi in a competitive manner and smirked. I looked at her boyfriend who has the same look as her girlfriend. Aditi looked at me and I gestured her to go on.

Aditi loaded the gun and both girls started shooting the balloons. That girl missed some shots and was slow shooting the balloons but Aditi she was shooting balloons faster than her and didn't miss any shots. First round finished, Aditi shots all balloons and the girl have some left on her wheel which means Aditi won the first round. But I have noticed one thing, Aditi was massaging her right hand with her left hand. Of course, Aditi has Anaemia, she has gain some weight but she is still weak.

"You okay..?" I asked her in concern.

"Yeah, just a little pain. I'll be fine in a minute." She smiled.

Meanwhile booth owner replaced the new wheel full of balloons. This time Aditi herself filled the bullets in the riffle. That girl looked little angry with Aditi but she ignore that girl like she was not standing beside her and having a competition. I suppressed my smile to see the jealous face of that girl and seeing my girl acting cool.

Game starts again and again Aditi took the lead but game gone from Aditi's hand when rifle slipped from Aditi's hand and on the other side that girl's boyfriend help his girlfriend to shoot the balloons which iricks me because the game is between the girls and it should be between them no matter if one of them loose. I was about to say something but Aditi stopped me and shake her head as no.
She again hold the rifle and started shooting the balloons but as usual she loose because of some cheaters on the other side.

She smiles sadly and said, " Don't worry it's just a game."

Her words did not match her eyes. I can see she wanted to win this game.

"If you want we can leave." I said. She nodded her head as yes. I paid the money for her game and I hold her hand in mine. We were about to leave the booth when....

"Already accepting your defeat. At least finish the game. Don't be a looser." We both stopped and turned back to look at them. They both are smirking looking at us.

"Or you are afraid that your boyfriend leave you because you are looser." My blood boils when that girl speak harsh words again to Aditi and her boyfriend was not stopping her. He even high-five with her.

But before I could say Aditi beats me, "Let's have the last game and see my boyfriend would leave me or you are the one who would go alone from here." I looked at Aditi with wide eyes when she called me her boyfriend.

She didn't look at me and walked to the booth again. She picked the rifle this time with difficulty because her hands were paining and after filling the bullets she looked at the girl.

"Baby please help me because I want to see her boyfriend to leave her after she loose the game." That girl said to her boyfriend looking at Aditi.

"Sure baby..." Her boyfriend laughed and encircled his arms around her and helped her to hold the rifle.

"Let the game between the girls." I said to the boy through my greeted teeth.

"Well me and my girl, we both are one so don't worry the game is between two." The boy said while showing me his red teeth.

"Let me help you." I said to Aditi.

"I am enough for both of them." She said while picking up the rifle, which slipped from her hand again.

"Yeah, I can see that." I said looking at the riffle which getting difficult for her to hold.

She didn't say anything and filled the bullets in the riffle. Booth owner again replaced the wheel with full of balloons. Game starts again. She lifted the rifle with difficulty and started shoot again the balloons but rifle keep sleeping from her her hands while on the other side the couple was leading the game.

Why is she stubborn. I know it's just a game but now here is the question of self respect and I don't want Aditi to loose this game. I don't care if Aditi will shout at me later or not, I will handle her but right now she needs me.

I stood behind her, encircled my arms around her and hold the rifle in my hand. Her body stiff under my hold and turn her head to look at me and I can see many emotions running through her eyes.

"Eyes on the target." I said looking at her and then the moving balloons.

I loaded the gun and pulled the trigger. Aditi soft finger pressed to mine every time I pulled the trigger. We both shoot the balloons one by one and only few balloons are left which were difficult to shoot with the moving wheel. On the other side couple started having problems to shoot the left balloons and they both started arguing seeing that they are going to loose the game.

"Dhruv that one here.." Aditi screamed and I can hear the excitement in her voice. I shoot the balloon which she was pointing.

"Dhruv this is the last one." Aditi screamed in excitement and I shoot the balloon winning this game. We both win the game. Aditi turn and hugged me tightly. I also hugged her back and we both hoot in our winning.

On the other hand the couple was fighting and girl leave the boy after a argument. We choose to ignore them. Booth owner gave the small teddy bear to Aditi and she has a look on her face when she was looking at the teddy bear like she has won the world.

"Can I keep this?" She asked looking at me with hope. I chuckled softly and nodded my head as yes.

*****

People says love makes you do crazy things, I am not in love but still I do crazy things when I am with my beautiful neighbour. Like right now I was looking at her, eating her pizza and smileing looking at the teddy bear she has just won with me. I was leaning to the table, my left hand rested on the table while my right hand was on my lips hiding my grin.

I would never think that watching someone having their food, would be a sight to see. I can not tell how satisfying I was feeling right now like I fucking won the Olympic medal for India. I still don't understand how could I managed to ignore her whenever she was around me because now whenever she is with me, it's hardly to move my eyes from her.

She finished her pizza and looked around. She looked at me and then empty box of pizza. She rolled her tongue on her lower lip and I know what she wants.

"You want more?" I asked her.

She looked down and nodded her head. Her cheeks turn into red in embarrassment. I chuckled softly and call the waiter.

Waiter came in a minute and I ordered two burgers, French fries and some noodles with soda. He writes down the order in his notebook and then leave. Both I and Aditi were sitting in a restaurant which was built inside the fair. After a shooting game we played many other games also enjoyed some other rides and in between I clicked many pictures of Aditi and mine together.

Waiter came again with our order and after putting it on the table he leave. When Aditi looked so much food on the table she frown.

"What happened?" I asked her. She pick the burger and took a large bite from it.

"Now days I am eating a lot. I am hungry all the time. I have gain the wait." She said while chewing the burger and frown looking at herself and then me.

"But you are still weak. Don't worry about your weight. Katrina Kaif still looks fat in front of you." I pick the French fries and shoved into her mouth which she accepted gladly.

"Bad jock.."

"I know.." I agreed and then we both broke into laugh.

I know she must be hungry all the time because of the medicines that's why I always took care of her food and medicine. I make sure she get them on time. I can see the changes in her body. She is turning more beautiful after gaining some weight. Her cheeks filled up and now her cheeks turn into more red whenever she blushed.

"So I am your boyfriend." I asked with smirk. Aditi choked on her feed. I gave her soda to calm.

"Why did you say that?" She asked while drinking more soda when she finally get calms. Her question again bring smirk on my face.

"You said earlier to the couple while changing that girl that I am your boyfriend." I asked while biting the French fries and looked at her amusingly.

"Yes, you are my boyfriend. "A huge grin came on my face when I heard that from her mouth.

"You are a boy and my friend too. So technically you are my boyfriend." She shrugged her shoulders and eat the French fries.

I swear to god I want to kill that person who made this line. Here I thought, I don't have to do anything, Aditi herself accepted me as her boyfriend but I forgot that my beautiful neighbour is smart. But I have to come up with something to save my embarrass ass.

"How did you learn shooting. Your aim was good. You did the though competition to the couple when they were playing together." I asked while biting in my own burger.

She chuckled nervously and looked at me like she did something behind my back which gonna makes me angry.

"I childhood, When you used to went to Delhi in every vacation for your IAS crash course, Divya and I used to sneak into your room and play the dart game which was on your room."
She explained and looked at me timidly.

"That's why I got so much holes on my dart board that I have to change it whenever I returned from Delhi." I asked with my fake pocker face and she nodded her head while looking down.

"But it was all Divya's idea. I am innocent here." She said immediately to cover her naughtiness which I am dying to see it now in her eyes because now her eyes filled with pain no matter how hard she tried to be happy but still there is whole inside her heart which was not fill yet. Not even our friendship could fill it.

"I would not mind if it was your idea. Infect I would love to have you in my room alone." I winked at her. She looked at me with her wide eyes when I finished speaking and her cheeks turn red.

*****

I don't really even know what love is, and maybe I never will.

All I know is that there are some smiles you never get tired seeing, and some hand you never want to let go of and and some absence that hurt too much to ignore and for me the person in my life I never let go is Aditi.

I looked down and looked at our joining hands. After dinner we came out from the fair and now walking towards the parking but instead taking her towards the parking I took her away from the parking in a isolated ground where a bench was settled under the tree.

There is always a grin on my face whenever we both hold our hands.

She never pull her hand back whenever I I took her hand mine and it makes me feel like, if even for a brief moment or a few hours, I don't have to face the world alone. I feel like I can conquer the world with one hand when she is holding the other.

We both sit on the bench but I still keep her hand in mine and we both have grin on our faces. I don't know I have ever smile this much in my whole life. I don't know what is a perfect relationship but for me a true relationship is two imperfect people refusing to give up on each other.

My phone rings in my pocket and I ignore it after reading the caller ID.

It's from Shastri ji. He already called me to ask the timing to leave for Mansouri but I did not give him any answer. I leaving for Mansouri tonight and I still not ask Aditi to come with me because I am afraid how I would survive next two weeks without her.

"I'm leaving for Mansouri today, for some official work." I said looking at her and her happy face changed into sad one. She discarded her hand from mine. She did not say anything for a minute and looked at me with her those pretty sad eyes which like an arrow to my heart. She smiles sadly to hide her pain but she doesn't know I can see that through her eyes.

"I want you to come with me. Will you come..?" Finally with a lot of courage I asked her.

"I can't.." I whispered and shake her head as no.

"Why...? Your family is not here and you don't know when they will come. There is no one to stop you. I want to go on a vacation with you." I insisted and put my hand on her which she discarded earlier.

"You are right, there is no one to stop me but this also true that I don't know when will they come. If I come with you and my family would come behind my back, they will rip my skin from my body when I will return to home." A wave of hurt passed through my heart when she told me what her family will do to her if they find her missing. I wanted to say that I don't care about them, she could live with me but Aditi asked me a one year time and then I am going to bring her out from that hell. After that I am not going to listen to her.

"This is the last week of your internship. I would not be there with you." I did the last try, hopping that she would say yes to come with me.

This is the last week of her internship too and I will not be with her if she says no.

"We will meet when you return from your trip." She said with her sad smile and I noticed the moisture in her eyes which she was trying hard to control them. I gave up, She does not leave any chance for me to convince her.

"I am going to miss you." I lean to her. She also closed her eyes in anticipation.

My hot breath fan on her lips and I can hear her heart beats. I put my right hand under her small waist and put my left hand under chin to hold her on place. I leaned more to taste her soft lips again but before our lips could meet...

"Hey...kon hai wha...? Kya chal rha hai wha per." We were disturb by someone.

(Hey....who is this? What is happening there?)

I opened my eyes and looked towards the direction where voice came from. A group of watchmen coming towards us with their stick swing in the air. I know it's not the right place to kiss Aditi, it could bring a problem for us. You can not kiss in the public place because it's not America and it could bring problems for the couple.

"Shit.." I swear under my breath.

"Aaj kal k ladka-ladki ko khi oer bhi sharam nhi hai. Khi per bhi shuru ho jate hai." They shouted on us and ran towards us.

(Now days boys and girls don't have any shame. They start anywhere.)

"Aditi run.." I hold her hand and started running towards the parking. I don't care about myself but I do care about Aditi. I don't want her to get into any trouble just because of me.

"What happened..? Why are we running?" She asked.

"Because it's not appropriate in India to kiss your girl in a public place." I answered honestly which makes her shut and I earn her red cheeks.

I hurriedly took my bike in the parking lot. I sit on the bike and asked Aditi to sit behind me and hold me tight. I start the bike and before the group of guards could reach us I drove off with full speed with Aditi.

****

I stopped the bike near Aditi's house on same isolated street where my convoy was waiting for me to take me to Mansouri. I asked Shastri ji to bring mine and Aditi's stuff here which we leave in the office including my luggage.

First Aditi step down from the bike and then me. I gave my bike keys to one of my men to park it back into my house and we both walked towards Shastri ji who was waiting for us.

"How was your day sir?" Shastri ji asked with a teasing smile looking between Aditi and I which makes Aditi look down and her cheeks turn inti pink. But I don't want to add Shastri ji in my teasing list, Raghav is already enough.

"It was good." I keep my pocker face. Shastri ji clear his throat and nodded his head.

"It's about time to leave sir." Shastri ji said in his working mode.

I nodded my head and said, " Give me two minutes." Shastri ji leave and walked away to give us some privacy.

I turn to Aditi and she looked at me. I took her hand in mine and hold them firmly.

"Are you sure you don't wanna come with me?" I asked her again with hope that she may change her decision and come with me.

She looked down and nodded her head firmly. I put my hand under her chin and lifted her face, makes her looked at me. I pushed the loose strand behind her ear and rub her cheek lovingly.

"Take care of yourself when I am away from you. I have arranged everything about your food and medicines. My man will give you everything you need and don't skip your meal and medicines. I would know if you do." I said.

She put her hand on mine which was on her cheek and smiled beautifully.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of myself. I won't give you a chance to complain." She said and I smiled.

"You have my number, call me if you have any problem or call Raghav, I will ask him to give you his number and if you want I'll ask him to pick you and drop to your house. He wi..." She put her hand on my mouth to shut me.

"I'll be fine. Here is Raghav with me if I need something but you would be alone there. Promise me you will take care of yourself?" She asked while looking at me with her beautiful innocent eyes.

I smiled. I hold her hand on mine which was on my mouth keeping me shut, I move her hand from my mouth firmly.

"I will..." I whispered and smile.

"I will write you letters." I said while again putting my hand on her cheek and took a small pause for her reaction. When she didn't say anything I continue, "I know its old fashioned but I want to keep in touch with you when I am away. Will