"I am going to sit only if you promise that you're not going to speed up," I pointed a finger in his direction.

"How many times should I assure you that I had never cross a speed limit." He was staring at me in disbelief.

"And how many times should I recollect the amount of times you have fallen from this bike?" I glanced at his beautiful bike. I had admired his bike alot. I had wished to sit on it from long. From the minute I had first glanced at it, in those pictures. I admired the beauty of his bike. From the person who despised the existence of bike, to loving it's presence because it was related to him. I had done things that I never thought I would! And all thanks to the human glaring at me at the moment.

"I had fallen only twice and stop exaggerating as if I had broken my bones, it were just small bruises." He added, pointing a glare in my direction.

"Yep, bruises." I mumbled avoiding glancing in his direction. At times, I was embarrassed with my over caring nature. I cared alot about my loved ones but when it came about him, my care knew no bounds. When I had heard about those accidents, I was extremely worried. I genuinely cared about his whereabouts.

The distance we shared only add on to my worries. There were moments when I had to forced myself not to care, to remind myself that he had people who cared about him, he was mature enough to care about himself, he wasn't a kid. Yet sometimes your heart won't listen!

"Hey," he waved his hand before me. "Did I say something wrong?" He inquired, frowning at me. I shook my head not glancing at him, avoiding the eye contact. I sat behind him, silence prevailed around us as he drove off.

We reached to the park, I was attempting hard to lift my mood but it was turning next to impossible. Those thoughts kept on troubling me. We walked into the park. Numerous people had accumulated around. Kids and couple strolling around the park, senior citizen sitting in the corners with their bunch of friends. Glancing at the world of others was lifting my mood.

"Finally," he mumbled. I frowned at his comment, "no... Bring that smile back," he groaned in disappointment.

"Faiz, I am not in a mood," I glared at him in annoyance.

"I want to know why you're not in mood. Had I done something?"

"Am I clingy in nature?" I inquired, "do I behave as if I am too much?" He kept staring at me as if wanting me to elaborate. "Do you dislike my over caring nature? Do I behave too much at times?"

"You can never be too much for me." He mumbled as he cupped my face. "Caring for someone can never be over," he pressed. "When you love someone you care, that's normal. If you don't care that means that human doesn't hold value to you."

"But you don't adored to be cared," I expressed.

"Who told you that?" He interrogated, "who don't like to be cared? Every human wants to be loved, cared, seen, wanted, those are basic human needs and I am no different!"

"But you have often acted indifferent about it. You always showcased that you didn't like my care towards you."

"Didn't you said it out loud, I do pretend that I don't care when I care alot." He mumbled, "I had my issues..." He whispered, "I am not as vocal as you're. I can't express as freely as you do." He seemed guilty, "but I never intended to hurt you."

"I know, it just at times I..." I shook my head as I held back those tears. I had thought after marriage things would be less complicated yet it was the same. I still had feelings which were intense. The way I felt for him, scared me.

"I don't like the thought of you be in pain," I mumbled.

"Do you love me so much?" He was staring at me in adoration, love.

"You still doubt it?" I pouted at his question while he laughed, moving towards me, he pecked a kiss on my forehead.

"I can never doubt about it," he mumbled. "How did I got so lucky to have you in my life?" With those words he pulled me into a hug. I closed my orbs, living in his embrace. His warmth provided me with peace and happiness.

"I love you..." I mumbled into his chest. "Thanks for existing, your presence make my life worth living."

I have never known what falling in love meant, what loving someone romantically meant. When I had discovered my weird feeling towards Faizal, I doubted if I really loved him. I could've mistaken it for friendship and I often convince myself the same.

I hadn't known the definition of love and maybe yet I don't know the ideal definition of love. For some love means feeling physically attracted towards your partner. Finding them handsome, hot but I never categorized Faizal into those list, he was handsome but for me he was the cutest thing existing on the planet.

My heart melted when he would pout, when he would talk to me in those baby cute voice which was only reserved to me. When he would play all those silly games with me just because I wanted to play it. When he used to listen my rants over my recent favorite shows or characters.

I loved him in those moments. Not because I found him handsome or most charming but because I found him really a good human. A person who considered other emotions, understood it, listened to others thoughts. He was a beautiful friend which I never ever wanted to loose. Maybe friendship is the purest form of love. It's due to the friendship between us that make our relationship different from others.

Our relationship is different compared to others. We do have our arguments, we do have our non-talking periods. We fight more than others but sort it out fast as well. We both can't bear the silence among us, at the end of the day we need eachother. That's the speciality of our bond. Our ego was never part of our relationship. No matter how mad I am at him but the care I hold for him is beyond my control. The care had being the reason that we had often sorted out the difference.

We never wanted to gain eachother, maybe we never had the passion in our relationship. We never saw our relationship as some possession. We carved for eachother happiness, we were fine if we won't be present beside eachother yet we desired for eachother happiness. Maybe Siddhi was correct the strength of our relationship was our solid foundation of friendship.

I was scared that maybe getting married would change the bond between us but it didn't. We were eachother friend first and later life partner.

•••

"What are you staring at?" I frowned as I touched my face. "Is chocolate all over places?" I inquired sounding worried.

"Do you always eat chocolate ice-cream with so much love?" He inquired, his orbs not moving from my face. Those beautiful set of black orbs staring at me in adoration.

"Don't tease me," I passed him a glare. "I know, I look like a kid while having my favourite icecream but there shouldn't be anything wrong in enjoying your favourite thing," I lowered my head in embarrassment.

Even if years pass off, things remains with me. I had this problem with remembering things, actions done years back especially those moments which had hurt me. One of my friend had commented about my way of eating a icecream according to him, I ate it like a kid. I had a crush on him back than and that comment did hurt me to an extreme.

"Hey," he pulled my face up so I could stare in his orbs. "I wasn't teasing you but complimenting you. That guy was really fool not to be able to see the innocence, the inner happiness a mere thing like icecream provides you." He commented, a beautiful smile playing on his lips.

"But I should thank him, if he hadn't acted like a fool, he might be sitting beside you and not me." He mumbled, "though I don't like the thought of it." I laughed at his remarks.

"How do you do that?" I inquired a smile playing on my lips. "Always lifting my mood up?"

"Maybe I have some sort of magic that can bring smile on your face." He whispered, while staring in my orbs with love.

"Faizal bhaiya!" Someone called for our attention. A girl in navy blue coat rushed towards us, dragging Aahana along with her. Aahana's face yelled that she didn't wanted to be included yet was forced to face us.

"Where have you being?" The girl seemed genuinely happy on glancing at Faizal. Faizal stood from the bench masking a smile in her direction. "I hadn't got a glimpse of you from so many months. You no longer come to pick Aahana up," she was complaining. "It seems as if you have forgotten your students," she was staring at Faizal in disappointment.

"It's nothing like that," Faizal reasoned out. "I was busy managing job and things at work. I hardly get time to sleep," he expressed.

"I am aware about your night shifts," she continued. "Aahana had informed me about it." She nodded glancing at Aahana. At that moment her orbs glanced on me. "You have a companion," she mumbled. She seemed friendly in nature and talkative as well.

"She is my wife, Nivi." Faizal introduced grabbing my hands in his. "Aahana hadn't informed you about it?" He inquired, his orbs glancing at Aahana's friend shocked face.

"They married during our exams," Aahana mumbled.

"How?" She was shaken, her reaction screamed it out. Maybe she was aware about Aahana's feeling towards Faizal. "Was that the reason you..." Aahana glared at her to shut up.

"Hi, Nivi..." She grabbed her posture as she passed a smile in my direction. "Here to spent the holiday?" Aahana attempted to initiate a conversation. "How is Fufo's health? You hardly get to enjoy yourself due it, right? Fufo really feels bad about it. If you have to go and visit your parents, I won't mind staying back and helping Fufo." She mentioned, she was genuinely trying to be of help.

"That's so sweet of you, Aahana. But at the moment we don't have such plans." Faizal answered on my behalf. "Even if need arrive, Zoya or di would stay back for some days. They might be arriving during the holidays. You don't need to stress yourself up with our problems. You should concentrate on your studies, I am looking forward to see you in those officer uniform, your head raised high in pride." Aahana gave a slight nod as she masked a fake smile. I could tell that Faizal's statement had upset her.

"We will leave," her friend dragged Aahana away from us.

"You shouldn't have done it," I muttered staring at their retreating figure. "She was trying to be of help."

"And I was trying to help her," Faizal pressed. "It's high time that she realised her path. She needs to stop pleasing my parents and concentrate on her life. I am not saying she had bad intention. She genuinely wants to help but if we really wants to live our life peacefully we will have to part our ways with eachother. Aahana will have to realise her boundaries."

"What do you mean?" I sounded confused, "she can't forget the relationship she holds with your family. She is your Mama's daughter. She can't just forget the connection she holds with your family. Just because you're not married to her."

"But she needs to stop acting as if she is married to me. I have numerous other cousins as well, they haven't interrupted in our life. They hadn't attempted to take on those responsibility. Yes, before she used to do it and my parents have appreciated it but things have changed." He mumbled, "and she needs to understand it."

Maybe he was correct! Maybe her frequent interference in our family matter was the reason behind my highly raising insecurities.

"She needs to know that it's your home not hers." Faizal mumbled the statement looking straight into my orbs. "Let's continue with our outing, I want to create more new memories with you."

• THE OFFICAL END •

Thanks for the reads, comments and votes. Thanks to the readers who were from the begining of the book but also thanks to readers who jointed on the middle of the journey. To the readers who are reading it after the completion, thanks to you as well!

Thanks for asking me to write the bonus chapters. I really enjoyed writing about their life after marriage. Marriage is really a beautiful journey. And seeing Nivi making place in Qureshi family was beautiful, indeed!

I always have a special scene, my most favourite in every book written by me. I really adored writting the Nikkah scene in the book. For me, it was beautiful. Seeing Nivi stepping into the world of Faizal. Leaving behind Nivi Khurana, and turning into Nivi Faizal Qureshi. Also writing the typical South Indian wedding. It was beautiful to see them both accepting eachother culture.

Some of you may say this doesn't happen in real. Definitely, it won't! But that's what the fiction are for. Our ideal not so real world yet very comfortable one. So, whenever we get tired of the real world around us we can come to this fiction world and feel some amount of peace.

Overall, I enjoyed writing the book. A beautiful journey, indeed! I enjoyed writting each and every part of the book. Folding before you all of it. The beautiful journey of friendship, love, care, kindness, humanity.

Thank You

Lots of love

- Sanjh