Few months later.

Arun wasn't sure why he had been asked to get ready on a formal suit  but Gauri had been insisted that they will celebrate his birthday with all their family.

She even brought him a new suit from her salary as his birthday gift. She had been doing that a lot recently where her focus had been to make him happy by her gestures.

It was her way of coming to terms with his death and so he let her do as she wished including throwing a birthday party where every person who attends will know it would be his last.

And he wasn't ready for his farewell yet but people would still look at him and think ,how sad he will die soon but Gauri wanted this for him and he hadn't been able to say No .

He checked his appearance in the mirror one last time before trying to find the  courage to walk outside his room. When the sound of his door opening made him lose the courage but once his eyes found the person who entered he felt a smile flicker on his face .

His son tiny hands moved to call him " Dad " a word he thought him and when he first learnt how to do it , Arun broke into tears worrying his son by his outburst.

He couldn't make more than few words ,dad and mom being the only one he used often because he knew every time he calls them by his tiny hands ,his parents will shower him with all the attention and love .

So his son expected himself to be lifted into Arun arms as he held on his tiny frame whose tiny lips kissed his cheek ,another gesture he knows which will earn him affection .

" Aren't you getting really brilliant at being a adorable son , " he whispered to his son, who was content to be in his arms and he just noticed that Gauri had dressed up his son exactly in the same suit as him .

Arun knew his son would have been sent by his wife , and holding him in his arms . He suddenly found all the courage he need to walk out of his room .

" Do you want to go out?  " he asked,  his son who shook his head in answer , Rahul life had been surrounded inside the house that sudden guests made him terribly shy .

" You can play with Ishaan , " he spoke up,  next and somehow his brother in law name was enough to convince his son 

Once he stepped outside the room with his son ,it took him a moment to grasp the number of people in the house.  His house was filled with people ,all familiar faces but his eyes searched for his wife amongst the crowd.

He knows how much she hated crowds and yet she went to this extent for him and so he smiled at her and was relieved to know her father was standing beside her.

Her entire family came for a visit few days ago due to his birthday. And he was relieved to see them , sometime he tend to forgot Gauri has her family to fall back after his death.

But seeing them came as a relief to know he wasnt leaving them alone.

" Happy Birthday Bhai , " Ishaan spoke up , as he was the first to reach him and his son was happy enough to jump into Ishaan arms in hopes he will get him out of the room. 

" Thanks Ishaan ,take Rahul to his room . He doesn't like crowds . I will come and call when it was time for cake cut,  " he answered back, as he made his way towards Gauri .

He had been way laid by well wishers and friends . People who rarely stay in touch come when the news of death spreads ,it may be the reason his house was filled but still to know this much people cared even a little bit made him feel better.

And he was surprised to see one familiar face among the crowd ,he didn't expect. His brother starring right at him .

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

 
Gauri didn't invite his brother ,but when he came with his friends. She didn't ask him to leave either because truth is she had been thinking of a reconciliation between the brothers but she couldn't find it in her to do so because of his behavior with her.

So when Arun and Vinoth met each other after close to four years ,she was glad to see that there was no dispute as Vinoth hugged his brother and Arun seemed happy to see his brother.

And when they made their way to her few minutes later , that was when she began to panic until Vinoth apologized to her for how he behaved back then .

" It was my fault ,I was too out of sorts back then to never really realize how much you mean to my brother. I am sorry " he apologized and Gauri was relieved that it wasn't awkward to be around him anymore ,she wanted Arun to have some sort of connection with his brother but she can't for see her leaving the house every time he visits ,so the apology had to do for now. 

" I can ask him to leave if you want?/ " Arun whispered to her  once Vinoth left them to mingle with others and Gauri was touched that no matter how long he knew her ,this aspect of him never changed. 

" No ,I am not comfortable to be with him alone but as long as you are present , I can handle him.  He is your brother Arun and you need to see if there is any possible reconciliation between you two,  " She answered back , always aware of the ticking clock in their life's.

Gauri was secretly relived that her son wasn't taken up with Vinoth like he was with Ishaan when the little one arrived for the cake cut , it was hard on her to have this many stranger in the house but she wanted Arun to meet the people who cared about him even a little.

Arun let Rahul cut the cake like last year when it has been just the three of  them ,he never really liked to celebrate his birthday in the first two years but she insisted on the cake last year because birthday's meant a lot of Gauri .

When it was her turn to feed him the cake ,her composure she held on till now cracked as a single tear escaped her control.  She had been having this episodes where she burst into tears often at times she couldn't even predict.

The mere knowledge it would be likely the last time ,they celebrated his birthday was the reason for the outburst today and as always he held her in his arms till she ceased to cry. 

She knew it wasn't easy on him to always be strong for her during those times but she can't help it. He may look healthy and hale right before her but she noticed how weak he is getting day by day .

The new suit she ordered for him was two size smaller than his usual which was yet another reason for an outburst in the middle of the shopping mall , all her session to her psychiatrist recently had been only about Arun .

The doctor advised her in case like this grieve is a longer process and Gauri needs to live each day with as much as optimism  she can muster .

" Sorry,  " she spoke up,  once she stepped away from his embrace and was shocked that she had meltdown of sorts when there house was filled with people but since all of them knew about Arun illness ,her actions were understandable as they looked at her with compassion .

" It okay Gauri , it going to be okay , " he answered back,  but she couldn't imagine it at that moment and she didn't want to think about it either, not yet.

Then it was time for the guests to leave and she was thankful that his brother left as well and not insist on staying in the house .

Rahul and Arun was in the garden lost in their own world and she was in the living room with her family when she noticed there wasnt any picture or Arun and Rahul in the house.

" Ishaan , can you take few pictures of Arun and Rahul in the garden,  " she asked her,  brother who went to do as she bid him .

" I don't really have many picture of Arun with  Rahul , " She told her parents ,  once her brother left because  it was the truth , until now she didnt think it was important .

They had a lot of picture of Rahul because Arun had meticulously documented their son growth, but not much of Arun and Rahul or Gauri and Rahul.  She had been picture shy and he was always the one with camera .

They only taken few together on special occasions.  It was why her mother offered an suggestion of her own. 

" I think you should go and take one group picture ,three of you together. Rahul may want to have a family picture as well , " her mother spoke up , and it was true ,they weren't really any picture of the three of them together. 

So she walked and saw her son run to catch up with her and there in the backyard after about three years since she married Arun ,they took a photo together.  With his arms around her shoulder and with their son tucked up in his other arm . A picture he had it framed the very next day and hung in the living room next to his picture with his wife and daughter  .

The picture in the walls showed Arun's  two families , and it also showed how while he may be leaving her and her son  ,he will be getting back to his wife and daughter  . A small optimism  as heaven and after life was what she needed to get the grief that threatened every morning .

" Good Morning,  " She greeted him,  not bothering to chastise him for getting on the ladder to hang the pictures but when his greeting stopped midway as he lost his balance and fell down ,her scream burst through the living room as her parents and brother rushed out to see Arun on the floor.

She was glad to have her family around as they drove him to the hospital , the brief glimpse of hope and positivity shattered when he was wheeled into the hospital ,as she began to wonder if his time with them  was already up .

As she broke down in her mother's arm once the doctor told her that he was fine just had a bit of concession  , Gauri realized how grateful she felt that he wasn't gone yet because she wasn't ready to bid him goodbye ,not yet .

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

Juanita Reid.