"Bye bye Adityaaaa!" Mia waved her hand to Aditya who dropped herself and Swara in the school. Aditya chuckled when he saw Swara chiding Mia for calling out his first name.

"Bye my little munchkin." Aditya waved back his hand and that made Mia smile brightly as she repeated his action again. Swara too bid bye to which Aditya responded with a nod and left.

Holding Mia's hand, Swara walked towards the primary block to drop Mia to her class and greeted the teachers who was in their way. Mia being all chirpy greeted the teachers too and the teachers were all awe at her.

"Good morning miss." Mia greeted, chirping, even without seeing the teacher's face and when the teacher turned, it turned out to be  Miss. Rebecca, the music teacher.

"Good morning mam." Swara too greeted with the usual smile and was about to move forward but stopped when Miss. Rebecca called her.

"Swara, how's your health? I heard you got sick after the recital and returned back to school only yesterday. If only I did not force you to play--" Miss. Rebecca inquired about her and Swara knew where the conversation was leading to.

"I'm doing much better mam. And please don't take the blame. You didn't force me at all and it was me who chose to play." Swara replied back denying the blame her teacher was about to take for herself.

"I have to give you this." Miss. Rebecca fished her hand in her handbag and forwarded the letter to Swara confusing her, "I gave it to Sanskaar but then he denied taking the letter." Swara took the letter confusingly, "You both won the audience choice award. Congratulations. And you guys even got a chance to play in the next month's recital." Swara was amused with the information she got to know. Audience choice? But that day-- they themselves got eliminated as she stopped her play in middle and once again begun. She couldn't believe it at all.

"I hope my mother hadn't said anything to you even if she has, I'll take care of it. Thank you mam." Swara said and Miss. Rebecca gave a nod before proceeding to the staff room.

Swara sighed as she placed the letter into her bag and proceeded their walk to the primary block. Swara had so many questions running in her mind and she even had a conversation left behind with Sanskaar.

"Shona!" Mia tugged Swara's hand that broke her musings. Swara looked down and Mia quickly walked on the steps that eventually lead to the primary black, "I will go from here because I am a big girl." Mia said and Swara too agreed since she wanted to meet Sanskaar as soon as possible.

"Okay my big girl." Swara leaned down a little towards Mia, "You will not go with anyone unless our family members reach you out. And you will wait for me after school ends here." Swara warned.

"Not even jeejay?" Mia blinked her button eyes, "Jay is our family, Mia. So you can go with him." Swara knocked her head slightly and the little one giggled.

"Partner!!!" Mia shouted beaming all of a sudden and that made Swara confused. She turned around to see Sanskaar already next to her.

"Hello fellow partner." Sanskaar leaned forward to Mia and both hified. Swara smiled at them.

"Cutiepie!" Now all of them turned only to see Laksh standing with a bright smile and Mia once again flashed her brightest grin to him, "Lucky!!" Laksh kneeled down and Mia hugged him.

"Seeing her partner and lucky you forgot me. Anyways you'll come with me to my house na, I'll take care of you then." Swara smirked and winked at Mia.

"I won't come." Mia answered back showing her tongue while the boys couldn't control the smile seeing the sisters banter.

"Then where you will go?" Swara asked lifting her left eyebrow. If not for coming with her than where will she go?

"She will come with me!" Sanskaar and Laksh said the same word making themselves startled. Swara looked at both of them amused while Mia giggled happily knowing she had two saviours to save her from her sister.

"Are you both dating behind my back or something?" Swara teased. Sanskaar and Laksh looked at each other in horror hearing the statement and once again disagreed in unison. Swara chuckled and the widened eyes of the boys made Mia laugh.

Laksh retreated back from his position and  faced Swara, "I hope you are doing well." Laksh asked seeing her beaming face. He was so glad to see her smile and he doesn't mind to be the center of jokes if that can make her smile.

"Laksh! You visited me the very day after I returned back from the hospital. Then you was kept updated about my health through my message and you still ask me if I am okay, Seriously?" Swara shook her head in disbelief while Laksh dropped his head down rubbing his nape sheepishly. Inspite of getting every update about her health, he still couldn't help but feel a little anxious but everything flew away when he saw her smile so beautifully that made his heart flutter.

"Lucky!!" Mia called Laksh and he quickly went to look after his cutiepie. Sanskaar finally returned back to Swara smiling. Swara noticed his eyes swollen a little but then she chose to ignore since she herself know the reason.

"Sanskaar I want to talk to you regarding something." Swara said and Sanskaar nodded positively as he waited for her to tell. But before she could the bell rang indicating that they all had be in the class before the warning bell.

"Let's talk later, okay?" Sanskaar said since the bell rang and Swara nodded even though she wanted to speak it out now itself.

"Shona, partner, lucky, I'm going in bye!" With that Mia started running to her class after the trio bidded bye and Laksh too joined the both.

"Let's go." Laksh, Sanskaar and Swara made their ways to their classroom taking about random things.

~

Catching up Sanskaar was not easy after that. He kept burying his head in the books when lessons were taught and ran behind the work or she didn't know if that was his way of maintaining distance from people. Swara though was a very patient person, she couldn't keep calm that she dragged him away to the backyard irrespective of the fit he was throwing.

"Swara I have to submit this report to the head mistress. How about I submit it and then we talk?" Sanskaar was about to turn away but once again she turned him and letting him face her. Swara snatched the file he was holding and placed the letter on his hand.

"I'll handle this report matter now how about we solve this letter one?" Swara gave a tight lipped smile and Sanskaar avoided looking at her. The letter in his hand-- he knew it was the congratulatory letter for the recital they played and chance to play for the upcoming month's recital.

"Swara--"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Swara put forth her point straight. She held no more patience in her to hear excuses from him and seeing his face colour drain, she could already guess that he knew what letter it was.

"Swara-- I-- letter--" Sanskaar shut his eyelids down. He couldn't even form a proper sentence. It took him so long to battle with this matter and came out with a momentary solution, to keep it silent.

"Were you planning to hide this matter to me? Sanskaar this-- we both strived hard and you did it even harder than me. If it wasn't you who pushed me then we wouldn't have impressed the audience. This is not a matter to be hidden but rather celebrated, Then why?" Swara asked quietly.

"Celebrations are supposed to be done when we are happy Swara, not when we are sad. This recital only hurted you and I want to see you hurt again, infact never!" It was barely a whisper and Swara's eyes softened instantly hearing him. Swara didn't know that this affected him to the level that he chose not to reopen the matter again.

"When I got to know that you were an exceptional young pianist who abruptly disappeared, I didn't understand why. Jay told me it was not his place to tell the truth. But I didn't know that you will react this way or it will affect you real bad. Playing Piano once made you happy, that's how you spent your entire childhood. I just wanted you to see happy and I had no other intention. I didn't want to play a hero who want to brings back his girl's long lost passion from past." Sanskaar shook his head in no, "I honestly want to help you because as much you wanted to forget it, you equally craved for it. But I forgot to realise it's better not to reopen the few chapters, it brings nothing but pain. Moreover it's not my place to speak in." Sanskaar sighed heavily. Swara stood numb. She didn't know what to say him, his words stunned her and it took her few minutes for her to form words before she could start speaking to him. Swara gently held his hands and squeezed it a little and looked at him who was staring at the ground.

"Friends don't ask for permission, they barge in. And you are my best friend Sanskaar." It was barely a whisper but his eyes glared into hers that remained stuck on the ground while Swara felt his hand.

"You're intention was not wrong. But why do you speak like you forced me to play when you actually didn't? I always had the option to say no, be it to Miss. Rebecca or you because. You guys never forced me to play and it was my solely decision to get over this sick feeling. Why do you blame yourself? Is this the reason that kept you away the entire day Sanskaar?" Sanskaar didn't have an answer because he blamed himself for starting it. He thought if he had not dug the matter then this would have never happened. Swara left out a dry chuckle when she found him silent and that gave her the answer needed.

"We've spoke our hearts without any hesitation because we know that either of us judge by the choice we choose for ourselves or each other. I didn't know that you didn't have enough trust on me that you think I'll take it wrong that you butted in my matter. This upsets me even more." Swara stormed out of the place wiping away the lingering tears from the corner of her eyes. She was hurt not because he hide the matter but the fact that he thought it wasn't his place to speak on the matter, she didn't expect this at all. Sanskaar stood their still registering what had really happened and kept staring at her disappearing figure, neither she turned nor he stopped her.

~

Sanskaar walked into the cafe and put on his apron. After the commotion, Swara didn't spare a look at him, not even once. It took minutes for him to realise the blunder he did. He knew when it comes to friends she never separated things with hers and his, it was always theirs. He didn't know that one last sentence he had uttered could made her so upset but he too didn't know how to reconcile again with her. Sanskaar decided to have a conversation in the night with her and till then he give space for both of them.

"Sanskaar, chai for the upstairs. Third table." Chai and third table was their thing, Swara's and his. He sighed and took the tray and headed upstairs to deliver the order. It's been few days since Swara visited the cafe and it felt so odd without her.

His eyes widened when he saw Swara sitting with her arms crossed under her chest and staring outside through the glass window. Sanskaar blinked his eyes several times to check if he wasn't imagining her and she was here. He placed the tray and served her the chai.

"I got you ten minutes break. You better convince me." Swara took her streaming chai in her hand and gently blew air. Sanskaar had stubble smile. He knew she was no more upset him, if she was then she wouldn't have come here.

"Ten minutes." He whispered to himself. Sanskaar's mind ran faster to get a solution but ended up with nothing special.

"I'm not talking if I don't like the idea." Swara remained him sipping her chai with a smirk and a glint of playfulness in her eyes. This was surely very fun to watch.

"How about I get you red velvet?" Sanskaar asked still wondering to get any other idea since he was running out of time. Swara nodded in no.

"Oh wait!" Swara was startled a little when he suddenly spoke, "You look a little tired and I know what vitamin you lack, It's Vitamin ME!" Sanskaar gave a toothy smile and Swara though wanted to smile, she didn't want to give up this soon. So she just buried her head, sipping the chai as if it didn't matter at all.

"Are you the cure for Alzheimer's? Because you are unforgettable!" Sanskaar dropped another cheesy line and he could already see her controlling herself not to smile. His smile widened, looks like his pick up lines were working.

"Can I take your picture so that I can show Santa what I want for Christmas?"  He winked teasingly and all Swara could no more help but smile seeing the cute faces he was making all the while.

"Christmas? We almost have three full months." She shook her head seeing Sanskaar looking at her with a full fledged smile, This boy! She can never stay angry at him, can she? 

"Guess what I am wearing?" Swara suddenly said that Sanskaar looked confused, "The smile you gave me!" And only then Sanskaar understood and made an impressed face.

They both stared at each other before Swara bursted out in mist of laughter and Sanskaar too joined her. The fact they both laughed with each other after few painful days already warmed their heart.

"All my cheesy lines apart, Swara I'm so sorry." He apologized, "It's not like I wanted to say the last sentence-- it just came out the other way. You know how much you mean to me right?" Sanskaar looked into her eyes and all she found was the sincerity in his eyes. He truly meant every word, she knew. Swara nodded in yes.

Swara stood up to leave and so did he, "Promise me Sanskaar, from here it's no more you and me, it's only us. Okay?" And Sanskaar immediately agreed making her chuckle.

She started taking few steps away but he was quick to get hold her hand that made Swara look back at him.

"Can't you stay for some more time?" Sanskaar asked. They hardly spent time together and it felt like an eternity they were together without any stress.

"I wish too but I promised Mia to be there to help her with her homework." They both started walking downstairs.

"You should have brought Mia too." Sanskaar said while Swara immediately shook her head in no, "She already captured all my friends that they forgot me when she's present. I'm not taking risk by losing my friend who's mine." Swara gave a tight lipped smile and Sanskaar chuckled remembering how Laksh and him were busy with the little one in the morning. Mia was such a bundle of joy who can easily gain everyone's attention.

"Anyways you're time's running too." Swara looked at her wrist watch and he had just a minute more. "Bye!" She said as they finally arrived downstairs.

"Yeah bye!" Sanskaar too replied. He already had the sense of relief washing over his heart that everything was finally coming to an end. Swara started walking and held the door knob to leave the cafe but paused when she heard him call her name, "Swara."

Swara half turned with her hand still resting on the knob and asked him what by titling her head up and lifting her left eyebrow.

Sanskaar didn't even know why he called her, her name just escaped from him. Just her face itself brought him so much serenity that he didn't want to let her go. He had friends in his past who called him boring just because he didn't hang out with them, they pitied him because he didn't have parents like they did and they made friends for their own selfish purposes, just to get in a good account infront of teachers and take notes from him before exams. His best friends was always his dada and dadi and no one less until Swara appeared in his life like a gush of gently yet strong wind, evaporation all the self doubts he had about himself. When he was with her, he didn't have to think of how absurd, jumbled or messed up his words were because Swara always motivated and corrected him fearless when she felt it was wrong. Though he didn't have much belief on God, he always had a notion that there is always an upper power guiding them and he felt as if Swara was sent into his life like a magic as the result of the cravings he had, just to fill his dull life into vibrant colours with touch of purity and honesty.

"Nothing." He gave a slight nod with a dazzling smile that has an almost stunning effect on others. Swara nodded her head in disbelief with a infectious smile. His smile was one of happiness growing, much as a spring flower opens. She could see how it came from deep inside to light his eyes and spread into every part of him. A person smiles with more than their mouth, and Swara heard it in his voice and the way he relaxed. It was beautiful.

☆ The sighs and smiles were meant to be as we take the journey from you and me to We! ☆

Wishing all my readers a very Happy Diwali. May all your lives filled with colours and light of happiness❤️

Happy Children's Day, We may have grown up into adults but our heart enjoys all the small little things because we are all kids by heart❤️

Love,
Diya❤️