Gauri hardly had any time to get ready for the engagement after their date but she was happy to spend some time alone with Arnav, that a smile flickered on her face every time she noticed him as they drove together in his car to the engagement venue .

When the orphanage came into view, it brought her so many past memories with it. While she had locked the past memories by her ironclad will, somehow it slipped at the sight of the familiar building.

"Do you remember, you took me to the orphanage on our first date as well " She spoke up out of nowhere then realized what she said at the sign of affection in his face.

Of course he remembers just like how she never fully forget their memories as well. Fortunately her son got his attention by asking him about the kids in the building that he did not say anything else about her slip of tongue .

She can't have him thinking that she was thawing towards accepting their relationship. When they stepped inside the building, she was relieved to see familiar faces like Kavya and Akash whose hands were interlinked together that she had to wonder if there was more to their relationship as well.

" I just came from watching your movie, I need not see it in real time as well " Arnav spoke up teasing Kavya which earned a rare smile from his sister as she unlocked her hands from Akash and intertwined it with her as she was now dragged to meet Lavanya who was in a room of her own getting ready as they walked inside .

When they were young, they always dreamed off this moment where one of them will get married, and seeing Lavanya all decked up made Gauri feel so happy for her friend .

Kavya and Gauri choose to stay with Lavanya till it was time for the exchange of rings and when they stepped out the room. Gauri found herself searching for Arnav and was glad he was with Rahul, as her feet found its way to him .

" How is my cousin ?" he asked her once she stood beside him .

" Deliriously happy " she answered back and it was true seeing Lavanya even now hugging Vihaan with joy made Gauri happy for them .

" Gauri di ,you are here . Hello Rahul " Another voice piped in with welcome as she turned to see Yuv, Lavanya's brother approaching them with a smile. Gauri was glad that Yuv had let go of his anger towards her because he was always like a brother to her .

" You look all grown up and handsome " she answered back as she tousled his hair as she used to do when he was a kid, the fact he only smiled back at her gave her a glimpse of the little boy who used to run behind her when they were kids .

Gauri had shifted her need for a sibling towards Yuv for so long before they adopted Ishaan, somehow it made her think about her long lost brother as well. He hadn't called her after that day, she kind of expected it but still she hoped they could have stayed in touch .

" What's going on, any problem? " Arnav voice asked her, he was always aware when she was upset.

" Just remembering the time when I met Ishaan here for the first time, do you remember how taken he was with dad that night? " Gauri spoke up as her eyes drifted towards her father and Ishaan standing together .

No one could guess those two weren't blood related because Ishaan had grown up looking just like her father , maybe not in appearance but his mannerisms and little habits always looked like her dad .

" I remember that night, the night you asked me to stay away from your life . I didn't listen to you that night and I am not going to do so now " he answered back surprising her by how the conversation drifted towards them .

So she had been fortunate again because his attention shifted from her to his cousin as it was the time for the exchange of the rings. And if he noticed her taking few steps away from her, he didn't say a word. Maybe he realized that he had pushed her as far as he can today .

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

Gauri had been able to avoid Arnav for the past hour by mingling with others, her current stop was Lavanya Parent's and she realized she haven't thanked them yet for their help with Rahul custody case .

" Gauri, you are like a daughter to me just like Lavanya. Of course we would help you when needed " Lavanya's mother spoke up trying to down play their role.

It mattered to a lot when they choose to travel to Chennai just for her sake on the request of her father, it had been just few months but it feels like a life time ago sometimes.

" Also according to Adharsh, the judge granted the custody to you . Not Arnav, which means even the judge knew you were a wonderful mother " Lavanya's father spoke up next earning a smile from her which was lost when she found the bride to be walking towards them .

Gauri expected Lavanya was approaching her parents but when she stood next to her, Gauri's eyes began searched for Kavya or Arnav and found Kavya with Akash chatting up with Savitri dida the orphanage proprietor and Arnav was nowhere to be seen which means she was in her own now .

"Where is Rahul? , I haven't gotten a chance to hold him in my arms yet " Lavanya asked Gauri and it diffused the tension between them as Gauri always relaxed when she was talking about her son.

" He must be with Arnav or Ishaan , I can't get hold of him when he has so many to fawn over " Gauri answered back with a smile and Lavanya parents decided it was time to leave them alone which made her nervous all over again

"Do you know Akash used to like me ?" Lavanya spoke up next confusing Gauri by her jump from one sentence to the other .

"Yes, I was aware and what brought this topic on. Are you worried about Kavya dating him, you know it not real right?" Gauri asked her back wondering what was the reason for the sudden question .

" It is not that, it just when it comes to friends, I am totally blind on what they are going through unless they spell it out. It makes for a horrid friend right. I wasn't there for you like I should have been, I didn't even knew you were meeting someone else back then, if I was good friend you would have been able to confide in me " Lavanya answered back and Gauri couldn't help but tense up as those words managed to crack her armour of boxed up memories .

"Sorry " Lavanya squeaked out making Gauri feel bad but she couldn't help her reaction to the past or any remainder of it .

"No, please don't apologize. It is not something I want to talk about Lavanya " Gauri answered back hoping it would be enough to end the said topic forever .

"Come with me, I need you to meet someone " Lavanya spoke up as she dragged Gauri towards the kids who were playing outside .

" Khalid, where is Rashika?" Lavanya asked one of the kid who answered back she was in the room as she wasn't feeling well .

Which was the reason Lavanya and Gauri made their way into the kids room to check on her and found the little girl crying in her bed.

" Rashika ,where does it hurt? " her friend asked the little one who confessed she was in pain for quite sometime .

"Why didn't you tell your warden? " Lavanya asked as the doctor in her took over once she noticed how pale the little girl had been .

" Do you remember the book you loved reading and I told you that the person who wrote is my best friend , and you asked to meet her in person . I brought her to meet you ,why don't you talk with her and I will be right back " Lavanya spoke up as she let Gauri take care of the little girl and went outside to get help .

" Did you really write that book? " the little girl asked Gauri as she held on to her hand and Gauri was at loss of words until she heard another voice join in at the exact moment .

" Yes, she did . Do you want her to tell you a story until your Lavanya di gets back, what your favourite story in the book? " Arnav voice echoed in the room, she didn't know how he found her but sure enough he was right beside her .

The little girl did have two favourite but she settled for the story of lost bunny, a tale she wrote based on her childhood. As Gauri voice drifted through the room, it brought forth the memories she stashed away about their very first date with Arnav where he simply held her hand as she read bed time stories for the little kids from her book .

He had been the one who always encouraged her attempts to write and even went as far as publishing her book as a gift, those memories aren't easily forgotten when everywhere she turned around it was filled with her past.

She wasn't that fortunate the third time around as Lavanya and Vihaan carried the little girl to the hospital once she finished the story and she was left alone with Arnav in the room and she didn't know what to do about those past memories that stood between them threatening to break her resolve .

" Let's go and join others " he said as he extended his hands towards her and she was relieved that he didn't push her about the past as they walked out of their room hand in hand .

Gauri spend the next hour with Kavya and Akash rather than Arnav , it was so easy to hold on the physical distance even when her heart was filled with thoughts of their past.

" Rishika will be okay , Lavanya is there with her " Kavya was assuring Savithri dida, the orphanage owner who had been upset that the little girl got sick.

" I should have noticed " had been the elderly kind woman words,  Gauri had always been surprised by her dedications and love towards the kids .

" In my old age, I lost track of time and people. Today was one of our benefactors birthday, he always send the donation on time for his birthday . He said his brother in law was adopted from this orphanage and he used to call me on his birthday as well .

And today he hadn't called or sent the donation, I am worried about him as well because the last we talked had been seven months  ago,  it is what happens when you get old, you think and worry about everyone " Dida was still talking but Gauri can't help but walk away from them .

As she remembered her yet another forgotten memory, she couldn't quite believe how she had forgotten his birthday. The tears fell freely as her heart broke all over again about how quickly she forgot the one who was so dear to her.

Then she heard the footsteps as she turned towards to him, why does he always knew when she needs him. And why does he always come in search of her even when she keeps pushing him away.

" You should stay away from me , I am a horrible person Arnav, a bad person who forgets everything important " she spoke up as she continued to cry relentlessly until his hands found hers in a warm embrace .

" I forgot his birthday ,how can I forget Arnav? . He is Rahul's father, what kind of mother forgets it when it hardly been a year since he passed away " She spoke up between those sobs and he continued to hold her in silence, not saying a word but giving her courage to voice out everything she locked up in her mind .

" I miss him, I miss him so so much. " She spoke up yet again admitting something to Arnav that she hadn't told anyone else .

Gauri had always found hiding the painful memories was a way to move on from the hurt it caused her, and in the past few months after Arun death, she closed away all those memories just like she shut her self down when Arnav broke up with her.

But just like how Arnav had been able to crack through their memories, the remainder that she forgotten Arun's birthday cracked her memories and grief she held back from showing to the world.

And the knowledge he stood beside her, holding her in his embrace even as she mourned Arun was one of the reason she will always love him .

Because Arnav Khanna was the one man who had seen her broken apart countless times in the past and still loves her .

P.S :" That it for now . Let me know your thoughts and feedbacks . Hit the votes if you liked it "

Juanita Reid