CHAPTER 11

Dia's POV

That night we had our dinner and I went to sleep early as I was not feeling well. It was like I was forgetting something but still I was not able to recall it.

It was around midnight when I heard someone coming upstairs I was ready with the vase in my which was on the side table. I quietly untangled myself from the blankets and went near the door. When the door opened I was ready to hit the person but the person had already held my hand.

"You don't have to feisty all the time" I knew who was the owner of the voice. Aarav switched on the lights and everyone started entering the room. Om and Samie were the last one to enter with a cake in their hand. Oh my god its my birthday. How could I even forget that. Stupid Dia.

"Don't tell me Dia you forgot your own birthday" Om said while keeping the cake on the table.

"No.... not at all. I remembered and for your kind information I have my own plans for today" I said. Although I didn't had any.

"Oh please, if you would have remembered then you would have started babbling about it last week only" Samie replied.

"Okay enough Dia cut the cake" Swaroopa aunty said. We all gathered around the table and I started cutting the cake everyone was singing the birthday song. Then I fed a little piece of cake to everyone. And then the cake fight.

"Om Samie you are not going to do that, look it's such a beautiful cake, and I don't want you to destroy it, please spare me" I made a puppy face.

"Nope we won't destroy it and plus we just want you to become more beautiful" Samie said with a smirk and scooped a little cream from the cake.

"Nope please" I said that and ran away from the room. I quickly went and hid under the table.

"Pakhu come out, you won't be able to hide for long" Om said.

"Om just leave her of she doesn't want to then let her be" Roy uncle said. Yes! Yes! Yes!

"Baba" he was irritated.

"Just..... Dia come out no one would do anything" Dadu said. Was it safe. I quickly crawled out and I was attacked by Om and Samie the cake was all over my face and hair.

"Dadu you lied" I said while taking the cake off my eyes.

"Sorry couldn't help it" he said with a playful smile.

"Okay now I will have to take a bath" with that all went to their room next morning I quickly go up and took a bath and then went downstairs. It was just Aarav there. I went and sat near him.

"Happy birthday" he said with a smile.

"Thank you" I said.

"Well I got you something though" he said and gave me a purple coloured bag.

"What is it" I asked while taking it.

"Have a look yourself" he said and when I opened the bag I was delighted. It had varieties of chocolate all imported though but how could he get it in a day.

"Oh my god thank you thank you thank you" I hugged him and then started jumping.

"Your welcome" he said with a chuckle.

"Dia we also have something for you" Dida said while coming downstairs.

"Dida chocolates are way too important for me" I said while pouting.

"I know I know. Okay come I have to give you something" she said and then sat on the dinning table next to Aarav I kept the bag away and went to her. I took a seat next to her. She gave me an envelope. I was trying to open it.

"What is this" I asked.

"Will. Shonali's will" she said. My hands instantly stopped. What the hell.

"Will? Mom's will" I asked with a dry expression.

"Yes" she said.

"Why are you giving me this" I asked.

"Because you have the right to know what she wanted to give this was meant to be given to you on your 26th birthday" she said. "Your Mom did had much but whatever she had she is giving it to you" she said.

"Dida I know what's there in it" I said.

"Good so do you want to keep that house or sell it" she asked.

"Of course I will keep it. I can't even think about to sell it" I said. She nodded and went. I looked at the envelope. I was happy that I got that house but at the same time it was kind of weird to go there alone.

"You wanna talk about it" Aarav asked while keeping his hand on mine and giving it a squeeze.

"I don't know" I said. "It's a house" I said after sometime.

"House?" He asked.

"Hmm..... We used to live there me baba and mum before dad's death. He had his posting here only" I said. "After mom's accident Dida Dadu brought me here and then they sent me to NYU. I haven't been there for 10 years" I just wanted to talk about it because I somehow felt it will make me stronger.

"Do you wanna go there" he asked.

"Now?" I asked.

He shrugged "why not"

"And what if someone comes to know about it" I asked.

"Nothing will happen" he assured.

"Maybe yes" he smiled and then went to make a call. I was not sure if I wanted to go there or not. Most of mom's and baba's belongings were there and mine too as Dadu didn't wanted to get those things which would make me feel lonely and depressed. I think it was just his superstition. But to go there after so many years it was just so odd and that too someone who doesn't know about my past. But I somehow have a deep connection with Aarav that I don't feel with anyone. I am just so confused I know that I have feelings for him but I know for sure he doesn't feel the same because I am just a selfish bitch. I was so engrossed in the debate with myself that I didn't even noticed that Aarav was back.

"Let's go" he said while pulling me with him.

"Where" I asked.

"To your old house" he replied as we made our way out of the house. "I asked my driver to get the car" he said. We were now near his car. As usual it was a high end BMW car.

"Where did you got that from" I asked.

"It's mine" he said and driver handed him the keys.

"So you own cars in every country" I asked as I sat in the passenger seat.

"Yes" he said that and we drove from there. But after few minutes he stopped the car and leaned towards me. What is he doing.

"Are you are a kid" he said and pulled the seat belt and fixed it around me. It was the first time I noticed his face from so close. It was perfect. Perfectly chiseled jaw and lips and everything. But his expression right now was really unreadable. He was really pissed at me right now, but it was just a seat belt then why. I wanted to ask him but studying I decided it was best to be quite.

It was surprising that I still remembered the direction We reached the place. It was still the same painted with white and a tainted pink. It was just so perfect.

"So this is it" he asked. And I hummed a yes. We made our way inside I quickly unlocked it. All the memories came flooding. It was still the same as I had left it 10 year ago. It was clean.

"Maybe Dida knew I would be coming here" I said with a smile.

"Maybe" he said with a chuckle. "So you lived with you mom" he asked.

"Yup and with baba...... before his death" I said while looking around there were photos on almost all the wall with me is an most of them.

"Who were really cute as a child must say" he said. "All those chubby cheeks where are they now" he said while pinching my cheeks which made me blush. Goddd I hate it.

"I don't know" I was still blushing as a maniac. Suddenly my eyes felt on a black cover I instantly knew what was it. I went and picked it up. I unzipped the cover and took the guitar out.

"So you play guitar" he asked.

"Nope it was dad's he used to play when he was here" I said while looking are it. "Basically yo impress mom" I said with a chuckle.

"To impress her" he asked mischievously. He took the guitar from me and started playing. He was playing just like any professional he was also singing along with it. I wondered why not he took singing as his career. I so mesmerised by his voice. I started wondering about the girl whom he would choose and how lucky hm she would be I mean he had everything looks, family, a heart that was capable to love, power and of course money. I was just so jealous of that girl. And at that very moment I realised that I was really really deeply in love with him and I had fallen very very hard for him. I didn't even realised when he finished singing. He snapped his fingers in front of my eyes and asked "Impressed?" He asked.

"Yup a lot but it won't make any difference" I knew that I would never ever be with him his standard were very high and I was not like him. I would not be able to match his capabilities and expectations. I need to be away from him.

Aarav's POV

Dia showed me a lot of things her old bed room her achievements and of course her hiding spot. But after after all this she started ignoring me. Our drive back home was really very quite which I had not expected from her. When I asked her something she just replied in 'yes' or 'no' I don't know what's wrong with her. When we reached back we had our breakfast. After that Dia said she was going out. She was all dressed up. Om and I insisted on coming but she said she wanted sometime all by herself. No one objected to that and she went.

"Dida Dadu why did let her go" Om asked. "She is already out of her mind" he was paranoid.

"She will come back before lunch don't worry" with that they all went back to their work.

"Some should really slap some sense in that girl" he said.

"I know real stubborn" I said.

"So how's everything going on between you two" he asked.

"Nothing, I just came to know a lot about her and that she is a trained singer" I said.

"Goddd you know she started singing I think she was 6 or 7 and everyone whoever she used to find means anyone weather she knew them or not she will make them listen to her singing" he said with a laugh. "And it used to get so irritating sometime that we had to make her stop. Like baba used to carry her upside down and used to ask her 'Are you done for today with your singing' and she is hanging there upside down and used to nod her head" I laughed to that.

"It must be very funny" I said while laughing.

"It was so funny, that's why everyone kept her name Pakhu" he said.

"Means?" I asked.

"Actually the originally name was Pakhi and it means a little bird who sings beautifully so eventually it became Pakhu" he said.

"Oh I see so her nickname also has a back story" I said.

"Of course" just then the doorbell rang and I went to see. It was Dia but in a new look. Her hair was cut short, her waist length hair was now just above her chest. It made her look even more beautiful but it gave her a cute look at the same time. She entered and as my reaction everyone had the same shock face. And as Dia will remain Dia she went to the kitchen drank water and continue to act as nothing had happened.

"Dia" her Dida said. She hummed.

"What is this" she said while touching her hair.

"My new hair cut" she instantly said with a bright smile.

"But why" Dadu asked.

"Because mom had the same cut now I agree I can't look as beautiful as her but still I can try and by the way I look sexy" she said while made me chuckle at her.

"What. Don't I look sexy" she asked me.

"Very" I said trying to wear a serious expression. God this girl will be death of me.

"And yes I have decided that I am going back to New York, because that will truly be the 'move on' step" she said. I was kind of really surprised by this sudden change in her attitude. There was something fishy about this. But then I thought maybe I was just overreacting about it. Everyone agreed to that and then we had the extra special dinner which was especially made for Dia. I got the jet ready as I had told Dia that she will be coming with me. I packed my nag and quickly messaged mom that I will be coming tomorrow. She was happy. I then slowly drifted off to sleep with Dia still on my mind.