I hope you all won't be disappointed with this update.

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Time flew by, It was going to be Naira's 18th birthday in the next two week. Naira had finished her schooling a week ago. All the students in the Goenka Orphanage were given proper education. Their schooling was done from one institute but further studies depended on their desires and fields in which they took interest in. Karthik had taken up a detailed course in gemology at a university in the next town. Pungi had signed up for lessons which would polish her painting skills. By next month Naira would join the dance academy where she would be learning from experts, and was rather excited to do so.

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Naira's POV

This is just too much. What the hell is wrong with that mendak. How many hints should I drop each day that I like him. Still it doesn't have any effect and he keeps on running away from me. Doesn't he like me the way I do. Okay Okay fine, I don't like him I LOVE him. He is MY mendak and am HIS sherni. What is going on in his mind is the question though. I see the love there in his eyes. I see him staring at me when he thinks am not looking. I have seen his care for me when I gets the smallest of cuts. Then why does he makes excuses when I approach him, why does he disappear out of sight when I try to speak to him. Enough is enough I can't take it anymore. I am going to directly ask him everything and I know exactly when to do it.

End of Naira's POV

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Karthik's POV

First I thought it was LOVE. Yes I thought I loved her. Then that day in the party after whatever Sammer (let's name the guy who spoke to Karthik at the bar Sammer) I have been totally confused. My heart keeps on saying that am madly and irrevocably in love with her. My brain on the other hand is tagging it as infatuation. Who should I share this with. I always ask Tina when am in some confusion but I can't ask this to her. What should I say,

"can you tell me if I am in love with you or not."

Heck that is so stupid, forget her it so dumb to ask anyone.

"Do you know if I love Tina"

Just then I see Di walk by and decide to talk to her. Maybe she could help. She understands me well.

"Di", I call out catching up to her

"Something bothering you", she asked judging my facial expressions.

"Mmm I, di, woh, do you", I fumble

"What is the matter, tell me", she asked again

"Nothing di", I said not able to muster enough courage to speak further.

I was about to leave but she held me back.

"When are you going to tell Tina", she asked me, and I give her a confused expression.

"When are you planning on proposing her", she asks me.

"Don't tell me you already have and haven't told me", she says and I nod my head negatively, indicating that I haven't told Tina I love her. How could I when am still not sure of my feelings.

"I don't love her Di, I am not sure", I say, Kirti di looks at me for a moment and then bursts out laughing.

"The whole of Rishikesh knows you both are in love with one another, but you don't", she said controlling a laughter for a while and giving me you are unbelievable look.

"Tell me everything", she demands as she knows there is lot more.

I tell her all about my confusions. The fights between my heart and brain.

"Karthik", she says and then face palms, after hearing me out.

"Why are behaving so silly. Just because some drunk jerk told you that you lust and infatuate her you came in his words. You need to have trust in your own love. If today you do not have any faith in your own love. How can you make Tina believe in your love. Yes she loves you as well but she would want someone who loves her back. How are you going to assure her that you love her. When you yourself have no trust in your love.", she tells me in an annoyed tone.

"If you still have questions, you will find the answers within your self.", said di and left from there.

I wonder what she meant for a moment, then realize and shut my eyes, my and Tina's whole journey from the first meet till now plays like a film reel. I smile as I open my eyes.

I LOVE her

I am not going to tell her this right away, am going to look for a good opportunity and I know exactly when that will be.

"End of Karthik's POV

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Another two weeks went by. It was Naira's birthday, everyone at the orphanage had gathered around her bed and wished her at 12 in the night. Showering her with cute little gifts, kids card, painting my pungi, a T shaped key chain by karthik, stuff like that.

It was morning now. Naira was looking for Karthik

"looking for something, beta", Negi Uncle asked her.

"No, it is nothing", she answered

"Karthik is in the kitchen, have you forgot today is your birthday and every year on this day Karthik makes your favourite breakfast. The first time he had made it on your birthday and you loved it so much. He told you he would make it every year, a fixed birthday gift from his side for you, but you told him to teach you instead and you would cook yourself. He did, but the dish didn't come out well no matter how many times you tried. So at last you gave up. Since then he makes it whenever you ask and everytime on your birthday", reminded Negi uncle.

"That is the only one thing he knows to cook better than me", Naira replies pouting.

"There are a lot of things am better at you at", said karthik coming in receiving a glare from naira.

Negi uncle laughed at the two and went from there.

"My gift", demanding Naira handing her hand out and Karthik puts the plate on her hand. She gives him a " I am not taking about this", look and he gives back a "what are you talking about look".

"My third gift", she says

"You have to ask that", he reminded. He always used to get her three gifts on her birthday. One the 12 O Clock gift, which was something he bought by his own will, second her favourite dish made by him, the fixed gift as they called it and the third gift, was anything she asked him to do or get for her.

"I want the truth", she says and he looks at her confused.

"Do you love me", she asks blantly.

"I don't understand you. Your gestures make me feel like am the most important person in this world you. The way you look at me is as if am the most prettiest girl in this universe but when I come closer you push me away. why?", she asks tears filling her eyes.

"I only want your honesty as my gift. Tell me you love me or not. do not lie to keep my heart.", she tells him. Before he could answer a boy came in running.

"bhaiya, apka phone aiya hai", he tells Karthik and Karthik goes to the where the orphanage landline is lying, without answering Naira,

She is adamant on getting an answer and follows him.

Yes, Yes, No, Yes was the only thing he said on the phone.

Naira glared at him blocking his way as he was about to leave.

"Tina let me go, I have an important assignment to submit today", he said, trying to hide his smile.

"Kya soch rahi hai Naira. his answer is a NO, if he had something for you, he would have told you, but he is ignoring means he doesn't feel for you like you do. he is quiet because he just doesn't want to break your heart by rejecting you.", she said to herself.

Naira felt like leaving the orphanage. She was even about to step out but then Kirti stopped her.

"Tina, kahan ja rahi ho", asked Kirti

"Kuch nahi di, just in the garden", she replied

"Come here", Kirti called and she sent to the sofa where Kirti was

"Look these brochures have all the details about the dance academy you are going to attend.", said kirti and pulled Naira on the sofa.

"Karthik, you better do something good, the poor girl looks upset.", Kirti thought to herself.

After about an hour of Kirti distracting Naira and repeating to her the same dialogues over and over again. She sees her phone ringing with Karthik's name.

"Finally", she thought as she picked up the phone.

"Kya, karthik ka accident", she said in an extra dramatic way and kept the phone down.

"Di, di kya hua Karthik ko", ask Naira shrugging her

"Woh uska accident", said Kirti

"Accident, but Karthik uses the train and from here to railway station, and then from railway station to uni he goes walking??", asked Naira confused.

"Itna dimag kyun lagga rahi ho", said Kirti irritated

"I mean, today his friend came to pick him and their bike met in an accident.", kirti said faking tears.

Kirti drove the car, she felt bad as she saw Naira crying continuously.

"di, there is no hospital here", said Naira, after Kirti had stopped the car near a narrow passage way.

"there is but the car won't go in, I will park it you go", replied Kirti.

Naira entered the narrow lane. As soon as she stepped in the wider area. Flowers rained upon her.

She looked up but so no one, her eyes then drifted towards the ground and she saw that it was filled with petals. Not just any but those from her favourite lily flowers. In the middle was a large podium like area, she could see someone one standing there and some where or another she knew it was HIM. A smile came on her face as she realized what was going on, but she his it soon. she wasn't going to melt so easily. There was a path made by blue petals from where she was standing to where he was. She then looked all around her everything was white and blue, there two favourite colours. She made no advance towards him, seeing this he walked up to her.

"Mujhe yaha kyun buliya", she said pretending not to understand a thing

"garba khelne", he commented sarcastically

"oh toh chalo, shuru karte hai", she said holding back her laughter.

"Tumhe kuch kehna hai", she asked

"nahi", he answered and she got a bit angry because even know he wasn't saying anything.

"Mujhe nahi, kissi aur ko kuch kehna hai", he takes her hand and walks to one area of the ground. He switches on a fan near by, so the petals blow on her and the ground there cleared.

"Sirf pholon ki barish karne ke liye yaha lae the", she said getting impatient.

"Jin ko tum se kuch kehna hai woh aa hi nahi rahe hai", said karthik

"Chalo unhe bulate hai", said karthik as he began whistling a tune. Moments later number of butterflies came and slowly they began sitting on the ground. Naira saw as the wrote words "I love you". Tears of happiness filled her eyes, but she remembered how much karthik had ignored her and gets sad.

"I loved you too, butterflies", she said to them. karthik giggled he knew she would play hard to get.

Karthik walked to her to another area of the ground. He switched on a fan there just like previously the ground cleared.

Karthik went back to the podium and came with a puppy in his hand. Naira went awe on it's cuteness. The puppy ran and stepped into a bowl of red ink that Naira hadn't noticed yet. He then began writing "I <3 U", with his inked paws. Naira was impressed but didn't show. She picked up the little puppy in her hand and cooed it like a baby.

"Oh cutie pie, I love you too", she told the animal.

"Kissi aur ko bhi kuch kehna hai", Naira asks him with a side grin

"Haan", Karthik says and disappears and comes back with a teddy bear.

It was so cute Naira immediately hugged it and as soon as she did it spoke.

"I love you. I love you", Naira smiled at it. She didn't know how to be mad. He had put in so much efforts, she would have even said a yes, but then she remembered him lying about his accident. her heart had stopped beating, her life had come out hearing that lie and even now he wasn't saying anything.

"chalien wapas ashram, sab ne khe diya, jo kehna tha", she said and was about to walk away.

"Haan sab ne khe diya, jo kehna tha. Lekin unhone woh sab kissi aure ke kehna par kahan tha", he spoke making her stop in her tracks

"Kiss ke kehne par", she asked, turning to face him.

She noticed his hand reaching his button, he undid them one by one. She blushed as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt half way and then walked up to her. She closed her eyes as he pushed of his shirt a bit.

"Jiss ke kehne par unn butterflies, puppy aur teddy bear ne yeh sab kaha. At least ek baar dekh toh lo usse woh bath kehte huye", He said and she slowly opened her eyes, but kept her gaze focused on his face. He took her hand in his and placed it on his chest. When she was about to retrive her hand it was then she noticed, close to her hand there was a heart inside which "I love you", was written. She traced her fingers on it, she noticed his body flinch a bit but he kept his smile. She was touched that he had taken all the pain for her. Before she could say anything he went down on his knees.

"I love you", he simply said.

"I love you too", She said kneeling down to meet his height and hugged him.

Moments later, she was banging his chest with her tiny fist.

"Couldn't you tell me this when I asked you", she said

"Of course not you are my first and only love, what do you think I would propose you just like that. In the future I don't want our kids to think how unromantic there parents were. No way.", he replied, earning another soft punch from Naira.

They then go up to the podium like area. Naira smiles as she sees her favourite red velvet cake with happy bday my love written.

Naira cuts the cake. Karthik takes a bite and feed her.

"happy bday my love", he wishes placing a peck on her cheek.

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