I have many times heard that times have changed.

And have always pondered about that saying.

What could be the actual change?

But then I found out something really interesting!

Earlier years were referred to rains, like "a few rains back, or a few rains later!" even the days were compared to the nature and called as "a few moons back and a few sun later."

But now things are different, we have started to compare everything with numbers, the rains are replaced by a describable word called year and so are the suns and moons.

But then I thought that would have been to make things easy for us... at least a person can't count the feelings yet, the love for another person isn't given a proper definition.

How wrong was I !

We humans want our life to be so easy, that now our love for other people have as well found new names – FLINGS.

I stood there silently looking at my best friend – neither crying nor smiling ... was this what people called a situation "void of any feelings"

But then she was feeling so much, that's what she said a minute ago.

"You know what the worst thing in this world is?"

I shook my head, how would I know that... but she told me-

"It's to know that you love someone, and yet you know that you can't love that person!"

Somethings that happen with us are so weird...

Two people they meet, know each other, find few things amusing and finally when they feel as if they are fond of each other tag them as love!

Well that's what I have seen till now ... that what has become the definition or the process of love in today's 21st century.

And then in that same 21st century I saw what Abha and Vihaan had.

When Abha had met Vihaan for the first time they had known each other, when they met the second time they started to study each other and through these many years they have started to feel for each other.

But things never be as favorable as they look, sound and we mean them to be.

They are always completely opposite!

I could never imagine what Abha would be feeling right now. Seeing the person whom you know, you have liked since the day you recognized what feelings are, and then letting them grow to love.

But it wasn't the kind of love you called FLINGS.

Rather her feelings were different as she had said and called them... something as pure as the first rain.

The feeling so sweet to nurture, that you could smell the fragrance of it, which would be so addicting and the knowledge of its presence, would only make you smile unknowingly.

So many things she knows, feels and acknowledges, yet can't accept them, just because she knows that their relationship is something which couldn't get its results.

I had tried to talk with her a lot of time, since what a week?

Yeah! It's been about a week that she realized how much she actually like Vihaan, yet when the realization hit her, realization that how she had to be there for her family, how she just can't yet afford to be in love with someone, and how even if she did love and afforded to fall in love it can't be Vihaan.

She was so devastated as well as drained.

It pained me to look at her state. But then she had to come up on her own, we can't just help her this time, with us not knowing anything about the current situation.

I took a deep breath and walked towards her room, and knocked at the door.

Though I was standing just outside her room, she didn't acknowledge me even once and it was making me a bit ... no a lot worried now.

"Abha!" I called her.

She looked at me as if she had seen me for very first time and hadn't known my existence for the past fifteen minutes that I was standing there.

"Abha what have you done to yourself? I was standing there for the last fifteen minutes and you didn't even know about it? You can't be like this girl come on its just a guy-"

"Vohh! Wait who said that its Vihaan for my this state? Gosh Arohi that ass didn't got me that bad, I was just worried for dad... his health is deteriorating day by day and I am just worried for him."

She looked at me hopefully, as if I would have a solution for it.

But more than that I was glad to see color on her face, I was glad to know that nowhere was it Vihaan for Abha to be so disturbed.

"Don't worry he will be alright, it's just a small surgery that needs to be done and then he will be alright. You know that then why to worry about it?"

She smiled at me and rested her head on my lap, while I combed my fingers through her hair and soothing her scalp.

"Why were you here early in the morning ?" she asked after some time.

"Ohh, yes ! Actually Anika has called us all for lunch and by now we should have been there... gosh come on get up and get ready!"

She laughed at my panic state and picked up the first clothes that her hands laid on and walked in her bathroom to get changed .

After exact fifteen minutes we were on the road walking to Anika's place.

"Abha, how had you come to know that you like Vihaan?" I asked out of the blue!

Yet the question was one which had always haunted me.

She smiled at me and replied

"there isn't any single thing, rather a series of them... there isn't any one moment - you know when you start to like that person... there are many it's just a blow that you need, may be the realization that , that time would be the last time to call him or text him late at night because you know that there won't be anyone to talk with him that late at night... or may be the realization that he might get a girl with whom he might like to be with more than me... or may be the realization that he is the only one to make me smile like an idiot with just a thought of him and then may be a small blow that I might as well loose him if I would let him away for even a second-"

I stood there perplexed, it felt as if I could feel each and every thing that she said, it was as if I had already went through these things and yet it only scared me more... it couldn't be this, I was just being a bit crazy.

I thought but how wrong was I.

"- I call it a slow and steady process of falling in love... and you the best thing about this process... there isn't one moment or say perfect moment, each and every time of it is so special and unique that it becomes the moment ... a moment which is a link to the creation of a story... a story that would be ours and as beautiful as our childhood dream."

The words which I would have said if the answer would have been something else, had gone somewhere... where I don't know and now I could only do one thing-

Regret for ever asking her this question.

That sound which was again and again coming from somewhere within me was making it difficult for me to breath... again and again I was able to see and remember things which were beautiful, which made me laugh yet they were giving me a sweet and unbearable pain.

What was happening... gosh Arohi you have gone mad.

"Ohh look we are here!" Abha stated and I looked at the bungalow in front of me... it gave me so much of excitement to be here again... my heart beat had again started to increase – god knows why?

As we entered the main door, we were greeted by beautiful smell of cuisine, I am sure that Kavya Aunty might have got all her recipe books out.

When I looked at Abha there was this longing look on her face, yet her smile was beautiful, a quite vibrant one.

I followed her eyes and what I saw was actually a vibrant view.

Everyone was seated in each of their places, and Anika was been pampered by her brothers. It showed how much they loved her.

I smiled how Anika started to hit Arjun with a pillow, and then out of nowhere mine and Arjun's eyes met.

For a moment I felt that weird pain in my heart, it was so beautiful, my stomach went into a weird twist and flip when he smiled at me while pulling his hair back.

Gosh what the hell am I thinking? This was so weird and yet again beautiful. I wanted to feel that pain again, the one which was as sweet as nectar, so addicting and enchanting, as if it was meant only for him.

Arjun walked up to me and hugged me as if he is meeting me for the first time, whereas it was just last night that we had met.

"Hii" he said in a voice which I have heard many times, yet today it gave me a weird pleasure... I wanted to hear it again and again... it had become a melody to my ears.

My personal and private melody!

We untangled from our hug and looked at each other's, it felt soo good. A very warm and serene silence hugged us, and we were so busy in our own world.

"Okay love birds, you can have that sexy eye lock later on, because right now I have something to tell, so please come and take your place."

Embarrassed and flabbergasted, we decided it was better to get back to our place rather than putting any kind of sense in that senseless creature.

As soon as we all got settled in our places, Anika came in the middle with a flute glass which obviously didn't had any alcohol but either Appy fiz or apple juice.

"Thank you everyone for coming here on such a short notice, but today's this meeting is really very important for me and my friends."

As habituated to certain things I was, I started to think about the certain events that happened recently and might actually be so much important as to tell our families.

But then the almonds that my mom had made me eat early in the morning as well didn't work, as I couldn't remember any such incident.

Anika finally took a deep breath and started with her long speech.

"As we will be starting with our college, I have decided to draw a will of all the properties that I own till now in my name. My room and accessories decorating it will be strictly mine, as if ever my soul gets tiered and wants to sleep somewhere she will have its own bed and place to relax. Secondly my clothes and other things were to passed on to Arohi, rhea, Abha , misha and nitya, but girls you are not allwed to use them, they are to be kept as my memories. And finally my family! You all will be getting my all scrap books, documents, videos, paintings and each person will be given on of my relative to look after, only if that relative loves me the same way they do now."

For some time we all were quite, I was literally measuring the hopes of even the mental hospital accepting this girl.

"Now that's the end, if you all have any doubts do ask me, or else thank you now I am fine enough to die peacefully."

"Shut up Anika!" her dad's voice roared throughout the house while we all tried our best to stop ourselves from laughing.

But soon became serious when we saw tears in his eyes.

Uncle stood up from there and walked away in some room, kavya aunty following his suite.

And then her statement actually made sense to me; the thought of her not being there with us made me shudder.

But soon the atmosphere was chilled out as our elders started to talk about our colleges, how we would soon be leaving to different paths... how it was just these last two years and after that we all will be separated.

Will we really get separated?

Will it really happen that it won't be the same like earlier or like now, how we would just barge in each other's home and demand to spend time together, talk at whatever time be it.

And then my eyes fell on Arjun and my heart sank when I realize that after a few days I won't be able to see him as close as I could see him now.

There won't be any assuerity that no Natasha would be snatching him from me.

May be someone could really take him away from me!

That really made me want to cry, I wanted to go there and hug him, I wanted him to be mine, I wanted him to tell me that he is there with me!

I saw Arjun stand up and walk to other room, I soo wanted to stop him, my heart was paining badly and this was not at all that sweet and addicting pain, this pain gave me tears which never left my eyes, this pain gave me words which got stuck in that throat which felt as if it was in a desert.

My heart mind and every sense of mine just wanted me to be there in his arms, and feel his warmth consoling me .

I felt a very bad need say an urge to be in his arms and hear him say that he loves me!

And that thought just made my breath hitch and my heart beat to stop for a moment.

Love me?

But why?

Did I really felt that beautiful poetic feeling ?

And then Abha's words came in my mind

"there isn't any single thing, rather a series of them... there isn't any one moment - you know when you start to like that person... there are many its just a blow that you need, may be the realization that , that time would be the last time to call him or text him late at night because you know that there wont be anyone to talk with him that late at night... or may be the realization that he might get a girl with whom he might like to be with more than me... or may be the realization that he is the only one to make smile like an idiot with just a thought of him and then may be a small blow that I might as well loose him if I would let him away for even a second-"

And they only made me realize that- through listening and understanding the love life of my friend, heavens knows how but I fell in love with that person whom I hated at first sight, then became best friends all of a sudden

And now-

He became the very reason for that stupid smile on my face.

All I could have said at that time was – yes I love Arjun- the same Arjun whom I once had said that "falling in love with him would be my worst night mare!"

hii everyone

i am finally back after an amazing holiday

thank you everyone for your best wishes,and as well to wait patiently for me to update.

i dont really know how this chp has come up as i didnt got much time to read it

but three questions i would like to ask

what do you think is wrong with Abha's and Vihaan's relation?

do you agree that love is a slow and steady process, or the way Abha has explained to arohi?

and 

what do you really think would be next?

do tell me how was the chapter

happy reading