"No, Neela maa. I don't want to force her into anything." I talk to her on the phone as I park my car.

"You don't have to force her, just talk about it." She explains gently.

"She'll eventually decide something," I speak. "I want her to take this decision for us and I trust her, she'll do what's best for all of us."

"If you think it's not necessary then fine." She sighs. "I just want my daughter to get a normal life, happy family."

"Why don't you talk to her?" I ask as I unbuckle my seatbelt.

"I am not doing it." She responds instantly. "I don't want her to come to Delhi because I asked her to."

"Same with me," I answer nodding to myself.

"You are her husband you can talk about it." She retorts.

"And you are her mother you can talk about it too," I respond.

"There's a difference." She answers. "I do understand your point of view."

"I know you do." I smile.

The only thing we have in common is our love and concern for Avni. I get out of the car as I disconnect her call. Taking the elevator I reach our flat and ring the doorbell.

I frown when nobody opens it, Avni is always quick to open the door, if Navya hears it she answers it as soon as I ring.

I am returning from a mission after two weeks. I said one day extra for Avni because I want to surprise her. She's probably assuming I am gonna come tomorrow.

Sliding my hand in my pocket I remove the key and unlock the door.

"Avni?" I call out as I walk inside and turn on the lights.

It is definitely unusual that there is silence in a home where kids reside.

"Niam, Navya?" I call as I stride up to the stairs and look at their room.

When I find no one around, I assume they have gone to Zar and Myra's flat. Getting down I ring their doorbell and I sigh when the door doesn't open. They are not at home too.

I dial Avni's number as I pace around the corridors. She doesn't pick my call, so I call again. I call three times and she doesn't answer so I walk back to our flat.

Throwing my phone on the bed, I look for clothes in my closet. I lie to my wife that I am coming tomorrow so that I can surprise her and my kids but they surprised me by not being at home.

I don't even know whom I am mad at, myself or her. Certainly, I am at fault. Avni was always right you should share things with your wife, but then how to surprise her if I share everything?

I hastily grab my phone when it rings.

"Where are you?" I inquire as soon as I answer.

"Seriously? You called me to ask this?" She asks and I hear some weird voices in the background.

"Uh." I rub my face. "I am home. Where are you?"

I frown hearing the laughing sound in the background.

"Weren't you supposed to come tomorrow?" She asked confused.

"No, I wasn't." I blurt out. "I mean I was."

"What's wrong with you?"

"I was supposed to come today, I just wanted to surprise you." I sigh. "Years have passed but you still manage to destroy surprises."

"Oh, please." She screeches. "You should share things with me or at least hint me something."

"Yeah. I Will keep this in mind next time." I nod to myself. "But where are you? And what are these weird sounds?"

"Uh, that's everyone's laugh." She laughs slowly. "Aayan is mimicking everyone here."

"Where are you?"

"It's Sunday so we came to Beach." She responds. "You should come too."

"Why don't you just come home?" I ask as I walk to the closet. "I miss you."

"Everyone's enjoying here you should come over, you'll have fun." She explains slowly.

"We can have fun alone like we did last time." I tease her as I walk into the washroom.

"Neil." She screeches my name and I laugh knowing well she's blushing.

"Okay, I'll be there after getting fresh."

✧✧✧

Relationships.

It's always in the back of our mind relationship indicates those relatives who are related to us with blood.

As a child, we are taught to address parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We think these are the relationships to which we should give importance.

Then we are admitted to the school and there we form a relationship with our teacher called a student-teacher relationship.

School is the place where we make many friends and it goes on for our entire life. School, college, work, neighbors we make friends everywhere but there are only a few with whom we stay forever.

Not every friend sticks around, some stay for selfish reasons. As we grow in our life the number of friends delines and I think it's because we become mature enough to recognize who is a true and fake friend.

Relationships are created without blood connection and for me, they are pure relationships. Friendship is one pure relationship I have come across.

Your relatives stay with you because they are your relatives while friends stay with you because they choose to. They are strangers to you first but they still choose to stay with you, share their problems and happiness with you and let you share it with them.

There's always equality between true friendship. No one is greater, no one is lesser.

I truly feel happy Avni has real friends with her. I fold my arms as I watch Avni and Zar doing a bike race.

Aayan is standing far away waving his handkerchief in the air.

DD keeps cheering Avni by saying, "Bhabi, Bhabi."

Niam and Navya cheer her by saying, "Mumma, Mumma."

Myra stood beside me and her cheering words are like, "Avni, Zar. Zar, Avni."

Avni and Zar are stubborn, they fight sometimes, and Myra is a balance between them. For a moment I wonder how would it look if Sara joins them.

"You haven't instructed Avni how to ride speed, have you?" She looks at me.

"I did. It's just been a few weeks she still needs to practice." I laugh slowly as Zar wins the race.

"I think, this is not the moment to laugh." She mumbles to me as Avni approaches us with an unhappy face.

"Only you were cheering my name, I love you." Zar hugs Myra as she laughs.

"Mumma, you lost it." Navya looks at her with a pout.

"I am sorry." Avni apologizes. "But I'll still give you chocolates."

I shake my head as a smile tugs my lips when they hug each other.

"Congratulations." Niam smiles at Zar. "You were amazing."

"Thank you." Zar pulls his cheek.

"Mumma, you were amazing too." He says shortly when he notices her sad face. Avni just nods and shrugs.

"Zar, you were cheating." Avni looks at her.

"Please." Zar rolls her eyes. "You are just so used to your husband hugging you from behind while you are riding that's why you couldn't do it well."

"I--" I stifle my laugh when Avni struggles with her words. "It's... nothing like that."

"What do you say like?" Zar pretends to think. "His warmth is my peace?"

"Shut up!" Avni glares at her as she glances at Niam and Navya.

"Okay, instead of weeping over your failure let's celebrate Zar's victory," Myra speaks up as she throws her arms around both of them and they share a group hug.

This is what I mean by Myra is the balance between them.

"Bhabi, we have ice creams." DD grins at her as he hands her one.

"Thank you, DD." She giggles heartily.

DD always makes her happy with simple things and I am grateful to him for it.

"Niam, Navya come on let's build something and take photos." Aayan comes running.

They cheer as they tug Avni with them. Myra and DD follow them, I am about to go when Zar stops me.

"How's Aayan doing at the office?"

"He's good." I smile at her. "He is just a little careless and childish, he will soon realize how essential it is to be independent and will work hard on it."

"Thank you." She lowers her gaze then looks back at me. "This means a lot to me."

I just smile at her not knowing what to say, sometimes you should let people say thank you that would mean something to them.

"Can I ask you something if you don't mind?" I nod as give her my attention.

"Why are you not going to Delhi now?" She frowns at me. "Isn't everything sorted out?"

"It's not like I want you to go from Mumbai." She speaks instantly. "It's just I want Avni to be happy and get the family she wants. She was too happy while showing the photos of a home you guys have in Delhi."

"I understand," I mumble. "I want her to take this decision."

"Decisions are good if they are done together." We look at Myra as she smiles at us. "Don't you think it's kind of stress you have put on her to handle alone?"

I look at them not comprehending what to say, I mean they are kind of right but I just wanted her to decide it for us.

"We don't have the right to speak in your decisions." Zar shakes her head. "And we are sorry for it but we just suggest you talk with her once."

"And if she is worried about leaving us then just say her that's not an issue," Myra declares.

"Yeah." Zar rolls her eyes. "If you guys are shifting to Delhi it's obvious DD will be shifting too so Myra will follow him."

"And what about you?" I look at her.

"It's not like I have my family and all here. They both are my family I'll go wherever they go." She shrugs.

"Thank you." I smile at them. "I still want her to take this decision but I think you guys should let her know your decision."

If I say her it may sound like I want her to come to Delhi. So it's better if they say that would make her decision easier.

"Okay, Avni is calling you," Myra says as tugs Zar with her.

I sigh as I look at the sunset, beaches are forever comforting. Walking to shore I get out of my shoes to feel the water and sand.

"What are you doing here alone?" I look over my shoulder as Avni asks.

"Just chilling." I shrug as she stands beside me.

"I had called you." She looks at me.

"When?" I frown.

"Myra didn't say you?" She looks at me confused.

I think for a moment and then I realize. "Oh, she did but I thought she's saying to Zar."

She just shakes her head as she looks at the sky. I reach out to hold her hand in mine as she stares at the sunset and I stare at her while she tightens her grip.

"It feels magical." She speaks up slowly. "How everything changed. I can't even believe this is my life."

"This is," I say softly. "And I promise to make it better each day."

"It is the best already." She looks at me as she whispers. I watch the happiness in her eyes and I love it. I just want her to be happy.

I pull her close to me and she gasps slowly. "I love you," I whisper as I kiss her forehead.

She reaches out to kiss my lips, I encircle my arms around her waist as she holds my face in her hands. We kiss softly as we feel the breeze around us.

As we pull away, the shore touches our feet. I look down at our feet and chuckle slowly as I recall the last time Avni and Sara were talking on a phone call.

"Besides, does kissing at different places give different feels?"

I miss her.

━━━━━━━━━━━ ★ ━━━━━━━━━━━

How was it?

I had written half of this chapter yesterday but I don't know somehow it wasn't saved. I had to re-write again.

Okay, assume Avni is pregnant now and she gives birth to a daughter. What do you think her name should be?

I don't know why I feel this book is losing its value.

Thank you for all the love in the last chapter.

Do vote, comment, and share your views.

Thank y'all.