"You can't fall if you don't climb. But there's no joy in living your whole life on the ground"~ anonymous.

~'~

Kerela, Allepey, India:

"This is yummy," Akane said, complimenting the lip smacking food that lay in front of them. South Indian food had definitely worked wonders on the four of them- idli, dosa and sambar.

"I know right," Jason agreed. Indeed India was a land of surprises- the inconcieveable amount of colours, culture and warm hearted people had managed to win their hearts.

Once they had finished, the waiters smiled at them and joined their hands in thanks.

"Why do they do this? Join their hands in front of us?," Akane asked, smiling back at them.

"Because Indians believe that God resides not only in churches, mosques or temples, but also in the people," Jason replied.

"That's such a beautiful thought," the three of them said in unsion.

~'~

"Kerela is called 'God's own place'," the guide said as they sat on the houseboat that floated on the tranquil backwaters of Allepey. The gentle lapsing sound of the waves seemed to relax their minds and fill it with peace.

The Kerela backwaters were a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying in parallel to the Arabian sea coast.

As the boat began floating farther, Takumi sighed and said, " You know what? This trip is getting really boring!"

"And lovey dovey," Akane said, smirking at Agnes and Jason who looked at them in surprise.

"So let's play a game!," the twins said in unsion. "Let's find our own happily ever afters!"

The boat passed gently on the waters, offering views of lush green palm fringed landscapes, diverse wildlife like mudskippers, frogs and fishes and houses and villages that lined the backwaters. Sitting there one could feel that they were in some other world altogether.

"What do you mean?," Agnes inquired.

"Ummm," Akane said. "For example you see that tree?," she pointed towards a banana tree. "Eating those bananas would be a happily ever after for a monkey"

"To be honest," Takumi commented, "That's happily ever after for me too"

"Who said who were human anyway?"

"Very funny sis"

"I know right, bro"

Agnes and Jason chuckled. "We would love to find our happily ever afters!"

~'~

"So miss climber," Takumi teased. "Do you think you can climb that? It has no branches"

They looked at the tall coconut tree that housed hard, green coconuts on the top, between the long, green, fringed leaves.

"Yeah, why not?," Agnes replied.

"Don't do it," Jason said. "You'll fall down"

"I'm not afraid of that. It's nice to fall. It means you tried," Agnes smiled. "And you'll be there to catch me if I do, right?"

"That's my happily ever after," Akane smiled, giving the both of them a loving look.

Takumi sighed. "You girls are so dramatic"

"Yeah?," Akane replied. "My world is at your feet, Fidel.. yada yada.. I said that, didn't I?"

Takumi blushed. Agnes and Jason laughed.

The guide had a worried expression on his face as Agnes tried to climb the tree.

"How do I climb this, huh?," she asked.

"You need to push yourself upwards, Ms. Fotaine," the guide said. She nodded and dragged herself somehow. However, in the middle of the climbing, her hands began to ache.

"I'm stuck. Help me!," she said.

Takumi burst out laughing.

"Okay, Agnes," Jason sighed. "Release your hands"

She looked at him, unsure.

"Release them," he repeated. She nodded and released her hands immediately. Takumi and Jason held her and prevented her from falling.

She smiled. "Didn't I tell you? This is my happily ever after"

~'~

"The variety of bananas found here are unparalleled in size, shape and taste. Indulge yourself in the local dishes!," the guide smiled, handing them a delicacy made from bananas. They were standing in front of a local banana store with hundreds of bananas hanging from here and there.

"I love this country," Agnes said, biting into her delicacy. "I finally have developed more favourites apart from dark chocolate!"

"I love it too!," Akane and Takumi said in unison. "SO MUCH FOOD!"

As the three of them laughed and joked, Jason looked at them with admiration. Even though only a few months were left now, he realised his happily ever after was this. Akane, Takumi and Cherry.

~'~

Calcutta, West Bengal, India:

Calcutta in the Indian state of West Bengal was popularly known as the 'land of sweets'. It was so called because of the huge variety of sweets found there. The best thing about Calcutta was not the attractions, but it's food.

And hence after roaming the whole of Calcutta- the Victoria Memorial, the Birla Temple, the Belur Math and the bridges, the four of them prepared themselves for the food.

"This is called Rosogolla in Bengali which is the local language here," the guide said handing them a plate of   ball shaped dumplings made up of chhena (an Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough, cooked in light syrup made of sugar.

Takumi bit into the sweet delicacy. "Oh my GOD!"

"THIS IS SO DELICIOUS I MIGHT JUST CRY," Akane exclaimed.

"I'm in heaven... this isn't even true," they continued.

Jason and Agnes began laughing at their comments.

"Just where was I all this while? Roaming around like a pilgrim when this is where I reside? Food.. sweets...," Takumi continued.

"It's as sweet as Cherry," Jason smiled. Agnes grinned.

"No! It's sweeter than that," Takumi replied.

"He's being romantic. Hush," Akane shook her head.

Jason looked at Agnes who seemed to be laughing hysterically at their comments. Now, now, what better happily ever after could be there  for Jason than that?

~'~

The four of them sat down on their roofless Farari which was leading them to their hotel.

"It's so sad we just have a few months left," Agnes said.

"Yeah, a few months...," Takumi replied, his eyes suddenly bearing sadness.

Silence immediately engulfed the four of them. All those months of laughter, of fun, of jokes and tickles, of love and of friendship was going to come to an end.

"We still have little time," Jason said, trying to be optimistic.

"Yeah, Jason. Just a little," Akane replied.

They stared at their legs, remorse filling their hearts. Suddenly, a drop of water fell from the sky. The another and then hundreds, all of a sudden.

"It started raining?!," Akane exclaimed.

"That's Calcutta's weather for ya," the driver laughed.

And as the rain soaked the four of them, it jam packed the streets of Calcutta in no less than 10 minutes. Soon all they could see in the vicinity of their eye sight was cars, rain and horns.

"Oh my, how far is our hotel from here?," Agnes inquired.

"Five minutes. But taking the traffic into consideration, it'll a herculean task to reach there before 30," the driver said.

"Don't worry about that," Agnes grinned. "Do you people have umbrellas?"

Akane and Takumi bent down and handed an umbrella to Agnes. "Just one"

She looked at the umbrella. It was not only a Barbie umbrella, but also had bunny ears protruding out. "Who keeps Barbie umbrellas with bunny ears?"

"We do," the both of them said, grinning.

"Well," she said, jumping out of the car. "Come on"

And yet again Agnes Fotaine had managed to do something insane. The four of them, fighting to fit under that Barbie umbrella and laughing their lungs out, walked the streets of Calcutta like maniacs. The people looked at them, amused and surprised.

"You know this is insane, right?," Jason whispered.

"You know life's full of insanity, right?"

"Well, so are you"

"I am, for you"

He smiled as he looked into her eyes, water dripping from her double layered eyelashes. "You know what, Cherry?"

"Mhm?"

"You are my happily ever after," he said, smiling. "You and you alone"

Takumi and Akane silently looked at the two of them. How beautiful they looked under that bunny umbrella with smiling eyes and grinning faces. How happy they looked with each other, wrapped in the shroud of love. How insane they looked with their soaking clothes and dripping hair. But nevertheless, how priceless they looked together.

"And that," the twins whispered to each other, " Is our happily ever after"

~'~

I'm extremely sorry for the late update! Only a few chapters remain, so please do bear with me. I'm sorry if I showed any biasedness in describing India. I do not mean to disrespect any other country's beauty. All the countries in this world are beautiful <3 Unparalleled and different. I just happen to have a soft corner for India, that's all.   So, what is your happily ever after?