Two days later.

                 
Gauri was exhausted as she drove back from her monthly sessions with Dr Shamira , she always felt better after their sessions but today was different because she didn't talk about everything especially her deepest fear that maybe she wasn't a good mom .               

Arun a;ways did a good job in making sure she wasn't aware of the chaos she brings into their life's until two days ago when she realized her son gets woken up every time she had a bad dream,  when she didn't find her son in his bed that day  she panicked and  rushed to Arnav's  room , only to find her son sleeping with him .                

Arnav didn't keep her in the dark as he told her everything , and Gauri heart broke a little that day to know her son was affected by her nightmares as well . And when her son woke up ,she expected him to withdrawn from her but he was completely unaffected by it that she didn't know how to handle it as well .         

" Did you get scared last night ?" She dared to ask her son when she was helping him with his bath . She didn't mean to broach it up with him but couldn't hold back .       

" No . Dad told me , you get bit sick at night that I should wake him if it happens, and you will be fine in the morning ,  "her son matter of fact explanation made her wonder why Arun kept it from her .     

Rahul was their son and she deserved to know how her nightmares affects him , but she remembered all the night Arun would wake her up and stay by her side and the anger deflates every single time . Gauri knew that he was trying to keep her from feeling guilty yet it hurt that after four years he still remained her protector.       

Gauri assumed she was getting better each day then a day like that will make her future seem bleak , she had carefully avoided Arnav questioning glance the past two days , she managed to be around him only with her son thus he hadn't been able to ask her any questions .   

She heard from him that Kavya left last night , but that she had asked him to not wait too long before telling their parents. Gauri understood where Kavya stands with her family and it will never change , a part of her understands and yet another part of wondered why she didn't even make an attempt to bridge the gap between them .           

Because even if Arnav didn't notice , Kavya knew Gauri was selfish to marry him . She didn't fail to notice Arnav was slowly replacing the role of Arun in her life ,being her protector and someone Rahul can rely upon whenever she failed her son . Just for six more months she consoled herself because she refuse to let Arnav lose his entire life taking care of her .                 

When she parked her car in front of Rahul's school , she tried hard to forgot the depressing thoughts as she walked inside and yet when the teachers told him, he already left with someone else . She felt the panic and anger at the teacher because she specifically instructed her never to let her son leave with anyone else .         

" Rahul fell down and sprained his  wrist , your kid was in too much pain and he couldn't even cry out . We tried calling you but we couldn't reach you , it was your son who gave us this card and told us he was his friend . Your husband just picked him up an hour ago " the teacher didn't keep the scorn behind her words of course why would she when Gauri yet again failed her son .         

Gauri used to keep her phone in silent when she was in one of her sessions and failed to check it after it ended ,it was her fault but she held on to the anger that Arnav had given his business card to Rahul in case he needed him , did Arnav also think of her as unworthy parent and it hurt that he didn't even tell her about it .               

As she drove back home , she found her son  in the living room couch with a tub of his favorite chocolate chip ice cream , beside him was Arnav . The moment he spotted her ,he walked towards her with concern itched in his face and she felt her anger deflate at the sight of him.           

" How is Rahul ?" She asked him first and relaxed after Arnav told her that they already went to a doctor who said it was a mild sprain and there was nothing to worry , she couldn't ask more because her son lost interest in the ice cream and rushed towards her as she gathered into his arms ,she felt the nervousness disappear for the moment .                  

" Does it hurt a lot?  " She asked him gently as she still held him and he tried to sign using both his hands and her heart felt heavy the moment he couldn't do it without a flicker of pain , to her son hands were the key to communication . So he only nodded his head in answer as few drops of tear fell from his face and she held him tightly towards her hoping to soothe him .

              
                       *******************        
            
Arnav heart broke to see Gauri's pain as she tried hard not to break in front of her son , she held strong for her son through out the day . She choose her questions carefully that Rahul could answer with just a nod and not use his hand as often ,the doctors told him that the pain will fade in a day ,so he hoped by tomorrow Rahul will feel better .
                     
When the call came to his phone ,he hadn't been prepared for it . When the teachers asked if he knew Rahul , he answered in the affirmative and when she told him about his injuries ,he didn't think twice before driving to his school . He didn't even have the address and was grateful the teacher texted him the directions , he tried calling Gauri along the way but there had been no response from her side .                 

He had been worried about Gauri , but Rahul came first . So he drove to his school first , at first Arnav assumed Gauri would have given his number and was surprised to learn it was Rahul who gave the teacher his card ,the last two days Rahul slept in his room and Arnav had given him free rein to explore that he must have found his card and kept it with him .                 

Arnav was grateful that Rahul had thought of him , and still nervous that he may fail the little one because he couldn't even speak with him yet somehow he managed to make it through the doctors appointment ,  after every doctors appointment Arnav's father used to take him to buy ice cream and he wanted to do the same for Rahul and hoped Gauri won't be upset .                   

All the awhile his mind remained worried about Gauri ,but he didn't want Rahul to worry as well so tried to remain calm for the little one and the moment he  saw her. He felt like he could finally breathe .Until now , when he saw the pain in her face because Rahul was injured .     

               
Rahul had been tired by the long day that he fell asleep soon after dinner in his own room unlike the previous day . Sleep eluded Arnav though, and so he had taken to walk to the kitchen often during the night , just to make sure Gauri was asleep and not struggling with a nightmare . Since the kitchen was past her room , he had used it as an excuse often until today when he walked into the kitchen , she was already there with her tub of ice cream .            

He hadn't gotten around to mention it to her ,but he brought her favorite as well . He had hoped it hadn't changed in the years between them and looking at her eating the ice cream gave him a odd satisfaction. Until her eyes found him watching her .        

" Thanks for the ice cream, " She spoke up ,it was the first time they were truly alone since her panic attack and he knew she would try to leave soon from the way she already closed the lid of the ice cream box.      

" We used to be Friends you know before everything, yet now you avoid me like I am a plague  " Arnav found himself speaking up at the sight of her rushing away from him , she stilled for a minute before turning towards him .
        
" Yes, we were friends Arnav and if you found I am an inadequate mother , you should have told me instead of going behind my back and giving your number to Rahul ,I don't know how you convinced him to call you since you both can barely communicate with each other but it hurts that you also feel this way " Gauri lashed right back at him , it took more than a minute for Arnav to come to terms with her accusations and he found himself walking towards her .        

" You aren't inadequate , Rahul is lucky to have you as his mother  . He found my card on his own , it was in my room ,so I didn't magically learn to speak his language that I could go behind your back ,do you know how much I stumbled through today trying to speak with him ,hoping he understood my words  " Arnav spoke up looking at her, trying to make her understand he would never think less of her and was always proud of her .    

" Sorry , I am sorry Arnav " her words acted as a reprieve to the anguish he felt at her accusations but at the same time made him wonder why she was feeling so low about her .         

" As a friend ,why won't you tell me   what bothering you ? " he asked this time ,hoping she would let him inside her mind so he can understand the battle  she is fighting on her own .     

" We were friends Arnav ,and I am no longer the girl who used to share everything with you . The past you want to know is best left behind " she answered back as she walked away from him ,this time he didn't stop her .   

Arnav was aware that Gauri had her reasons and if he really wanted to learn what troubles her then he need to make her trust him enough to consider him as her friend . She may  need time to trust him again and he hoped that giving her time would be enough because he may not be able to part of her life after six months but he want to help her in any way he can ,with that thought he drifted off to sleep that night not realizing time wasn't in his favor at the moment .

                           ****************

          
Kavya was having a day off from the cameras and it meant spending it with her cousin and having a sleep over of sorts , at this moment she was feeling guilty for keeping her brother's marriage from her but most importantly not telling her that she met Gauri .               

Her cousin Lavanya and Gauri were best friends ,they met when they were six years old and stayed close to each other till Gauri graduated and even their friendship ended because of Kavya and her temper . She had regretted it for over four years and she had a chance to fix her mistakes but couldn't do so before Gauri was ready to step into their lives .                 

At the moment Gauri hadn't  even confided in her brother, so she held on to her silence till her brother told their parents and then she will tell her cousin and help in any way possible to bridge the gap between them .                    

" So when is the big day " Kavya asked her cousin instead ,Lavanya had took her sweet time to marry the man of her dreams , Vihaan had proposed to her a year ago and yet they waited for over a year before fixing the day for the wedding .              

" Can you believe I will be married in three months " Lavanya answered back with a smile that Kavya felt her face lit up with a smile of her own .       

" Nope who would have known you would be the first of us to get married , it should have been me, Since I  was the one who started dating when I was 15 " Kavya teased her cousin ,and it was the truth Kavya started her search to find the man of her dreams way too early and she is still searching for one .           

" Well it was Gauri who married first " Lavanya answered back and it stunned Kavya into silence because her cousin didn't know Gauri lost her husband and she got married to Arnav this time for her son , A son she didn't even get to meet but she remembered the picture in Gauri house and hated herself for never having a chance to get to know the little one .                      

" She must be okay right , sure Ishaan told us that she is fine still four years , why would she stay angry with me for four years " Lavanya voice broke out in the end  . As she broke into tears  for a long time .                

"  She won't be part of my wedding " Lavanya spoke up once her tears subsided and Kavya decided that she would drag Gauri to her cousin wedding even  if it was against her will because she wasn't going to let the two best friends drift apart anymore .               

" We will tell Gauri parents to pass on the invitation ,who knows maybe she will come after all it is your big day " Kavya consoled her cousin that night .                 

" And guess who else would be making an appearance " her cousin voice was back to its mischievous self . And Kavya let out a groan of frustration , Kavya had stopped dating after she made her debut and everyone and then her cousin would try to match make her with her friends or colleagues.                    

" You and Akash will be the perfect match " her cousin kept speaking up and Kavya didn't want to deny her moment of happiness ,so she remained silent but she wasn't looking for the one any longer ,the part of her was over .                  

The next day she drove back to her home after breakfast and found a swarm of reporters outside her house , after her first movie success , her father amped up the security  so she has been able to avoid the few reporters who usually wait ,but today there was lot of them and she didn't understand the reason behind their presence until she drove her car inside the house .                       

Kavya family was gathered in the hall looking at her with concern , she asked them if they had any idea about the reporters and her father answer shocked her into silence .                        

" Some idiot told a reporter that you were on a date with a married man ,it all over the internet " her father spoke up and she felt like an idiot for always bringing trouble to her family .
                        
" I didn't go on any date , the only person I had dinner with was bhai few days ago " She answered back feeling frustrated by the turn of events until she remembered the drunken guy and his words that day .                       

" Why would anyone  mention you having dinner with Arnav has a date and he is not married " her mom asked totally confused and Kavya felt the stares on them ,she had a dating history but she would never lie to them and she hoped they took her word for it because she had promised her brother to not say a word .                

It was at the moment her phone rang and she saw her brother's name flash on the phone screen and she knew she had to answer it and wondered what her brother would say about the reporters and yet again regretted that she couldn't even afford to keep her brother life private.              

She answered the call and wasn't  surprised that her brother decided to tell his parents the truth before any reporters find more information about the man she had dinner with few days ago ,Kavya understood the importance of her brother telling his parents first but worried about her family or how they will handle the news .             

" Should I tell them ?" She asked but her brother wanted to do it , since he requested for it she put her phone in speaker ,so her entire family could hear it from him . They all looked at her in confusion before her brother voice rang out leaving them stunned .     

" Mom ,dad , Grandpa and Grand ma . I am sorry that I am saying this through a call but I married Gauri few days ago , " he spoke up and Kavya didn't felt the flicker of relief that she no longer had to hold the secret because right now she need to be strong for her family who were surprised by her brother's  marriage .        

And she remained by their side until her brother explained everything to them . Then she waited for them to react and hoped that her family stay stronger together .

P.S :" That it for now , a longer update than I  used to write recently but I hope it doesnt  bore you . Let me know your thoughts and Feedbacks. Hit the votes I'd you liked it "

Love

Juanita Reid .