26

My life is a perfect graveyard

Of buried hopes....

"How was your shopping?"Karan teasingly asked aradhya who was sitting on her bed with her diary in her hands.

"I enjoyed a lot you know it was so fun to be with him"she replied sarcastically.

"Acha acha sorry,you don't need to be this much sarcastic,but seriously he didn't say something to you right?"

"No and he dare not to too otherwise I will chop his head off"

"Woah woah I love my this aradhya much more"Karan said dramatically smiling widely.

She threw a pillow at him"get out"

But he catched it with ease.

"No violence please"he stated throwing the pillow back.

She glared at him and he threw his hands up as surrender.

"Enjoy yourself,I am going out"he said going out and she sighed.

He really did say many things to me but none of them made me uncomfortable.

Am I forgiving him?

No! no! I can't.

I just can't forgive a person who hurt me so much.

But at least he is asking for forgiveness,what about my parents?

They hurt me for my whole childhood and until I was 20.even after this much they never asked for my forgiveness.

They wouldn't even care of I died.

She opens her diary and turns to the last page.

The words written on the last page were the words she heard from a old man and she couldn't help but write them down.

Don't pray to god for happiness,love, blessings, wealth,luck.

Pray that you will be treated unfair

So that you will know the value of justice.

Pray that you suffer from betrayal once

So that you will appreciate the comfort of loyalty

Pray that you will be lonely on times

So that you don't take your friends for granted

Pray that you get ignored form time to time

So you will know the merit of listening to others

Pray for bad luck from time to time

So you will be conscious of role of chance in life.

Pray that you fail when you try

So you will realise that not every success is deserved.

Pray that you endure pain from time to time

So you will recognise the virtue of compassion.

Whether you pray for these things or not

They are invariably going to happen

Whether you benefit from them or not.

These words seemed to make aradhya in deep thoughts everytime she reads them.

She was treated unfairly by her parents so she learnt how important justice is.

She was betrayed not once but many times,now she appreciates the loyalty of friendship.she appreciates her one and only bestfriend,Karan.

She was lonely since childhood but it was worth it now that she has him.

She was considered bad luck since birth but the moment she got the chance she proved her worth and now she is one of the best interior designers.

She never got attention from her parents,always ignored.

So now she knows how it feels like to be ignored.

She failed many times,she put so much hard work in this company.there were many hard times.

Before starting her own company,she worked under another company and she knew it wasn't worth of her success to work under someone else.

She endured so much pain that at a moment it all felt so normal.

She recognised the virtue of compassion.

And once again she was trapped in the loop of her thoughts.

All the things that happened to her in this life are just for her own good.

"Hard times make great people"someone said it Correct.

She had a strong belief in God since childhood as the maid who was like a motherly figure to her,who took care of her since childhood was a big devotee of lord shiva.

She even doesn't remember how many times she criticised god for giving her such a miserable life but not even for once she looked at the good side of it.

She only saw that in school students bullied her,her parents ignored her,scolded her.

But she didn't see how teachers were sweet to her,how the maid took care of her like a mother.

She saw that she was tired after coming from school but she didn't see how much comfort the bed gave after this tiring day.

She only thought of how reyansh treated her but she didn't think of Amravati and Aryan who treated her with so much love.

Why do people only look at the bad side of the life when there are two sides of life.

Tears flowed from her eyes as she finally understood the old man's words .

She jumped up from the bed and ran downstairs.

She stood in front of the small statue of lord shiva.

Lord shiva,also known as 'mahadev',is one of the principle deities in Hinduism and a member of holy trimurti alongside Brahma and Vishnu.

Shiva is often referred to as "the destroyer"within the trimurti, responsible for destruction necessary for creation and renewal.

She joined her hands and whispered with quivering lips"I am sorry Mahadev,I was a fool to not understand your actions.you are the reason behind every action.you gave me pain to make me stronger but i didn't understand and criticised you.

You love starved me so i appreciate when I get love.you kept me lonely because you know there was noone Better than karan as my bestfriend.

I always thought I was a bad omen and my parents don't deserve me but I was wrong.they don't deserve me.i deserve everything in the world.

If i deserve pain, loneliness,bad luck,sadness so i also deserve love,happiness.thank you thank you so much for guiding me."

With a deep breath, she gently wiped away her tears, feeling the coolness of her fingers against her cheeks.

Taking a moment to compose herself, she reached for the diya (oil lamp) placed nearby. The flickering flame seemed to dance with a life of its own, casting a warm glow around the room. Aradhya carefully lit the diya, her hands steady and her heart filled with a renewed sense of hope.

As the light from the diya illuminated the serene face of Mahadev, Aradhya felt a wave of calm wash over her. She closed her eyes and whispered a silent prayer, seeking guidance and strength from the divine.

Opening her eyes, Aradhya felt a sense of peace and determination. The diya's flame continued to burn brightly, symbolizing the light of hope and faith within her.

The first thing she did after coming inside her room was take her dairy and tear the last page from her diary and tuck it in another notebook.

She flipped through the pages of her diary,it wasn't the diary in which she wrote 5 years ago.she left that diary there and a bad luck,Reyansh read that.

It was the diary Karan gifted her on her 21st birthday,and first birthday in Italy.

This diary has her all nightmares written.the words if someone reads,they might go into depression.

There is not even a single line in this diary which appreciates herself.

No not at all,she only wrote how she hated herself,how much of the pain she endured,how much she hates the life but not even a single line for the appreciation for this life.

She knew what she had to do now.

"Burn it aru"

The voice startled her and she turned around to see Karan standing leaning on the door.

"You here?"she questioned hoping he wasn't there downstairs.

"Sorry to say but I heard it all.it took you five years but I am glad you understood.burn this diary aru,it holds only pain and suffering"

"B-but it's gifted by you"she expressed.

"It doesn't matter,all that matters to me is your happiness.do what your heart feels like doing"

He passed her the lighter and she took it hesitatingly.

With a determined breath, she brought it to the edge of the diary. The flame caught quickly, and she placed the burning diary on the floor, watching as the fire consumed the pages. The flames danced and flickered, casting a warm glow around the room.

As the diary burned, Aradhya felt an unexpected sense of relief. The words that had once held her captive were now turning to ash, and with each passing moment, she felt lighter. The fire seemed to symbolize the release of her burdens, transforming her pain into something ephemeral and fleeting.

She watched until the last page crumbled into ash, a sense of peace washing over her. The act of burning the diary had been cathartic, a way to cleanse her soul and make space for new beginnings.

Karan hugged her from side and said"go to sleep,we will clean this mess in morning since it's late"

____________________________________

"Come eat your breakfast aru"Karan called her from the dining table and dhruv and Reyansh also settled down.

"I am keeping fast today"she said coming towards them with glasses of juice.

As the words left her mouth,Reyansh immediately left the morsel from his hand.

"What happened to you?"dhruv asked looking at Reyansh.

"Ehmm nothing"he replied.

"What day is today?why are you keeping fast?"Karan questioned.

"It's Monday and I just wanted to keep,you know aunty(the maid) always used to keep fast on Mondays"aradhya replied.

"So you will keep fast every Monday?"reyansh question with shock evident in his voice.

"Um no, it's just that I am so happy so I am grateful to Mahadev"she replied and passed a smile to Karan.

Reyansh felt a sense of peace as he saw her happy and glowing.

She was absolutely stunning in that red dress.her beautiful lips smiling painted with dark red lipstick, looking like a goddess.

He couldn't take his eyes off her as she walked on the floor like she owned the world.

She was his world.

She was a soldier with a kind heart,a warrior when she fought.

A goddess when she smiled,kings would fall across ages for such a smile.

A smile made to destroy worlds and rebuild them.a smile worth dying for.

"Btw you look so beautiful in this dress,but not going to office today?"Karan complimented and asked her.

"No,I am taking a day off today just me, myself and Mahadev"she said and giggled.

Oh,these giggles were a melody to reyansh's ears.he felt blessed to hear those giggles.

Her outfit

"Ehm ehmm it feels like someone can't take his eyes off"Karan teased looking at Reyansh who was looking at her,his eyes filled with love and admiration.

Aradhya looked at Reyansh who was already looking at her.

Their eyes collided and the time seemed to be stopped.

She got the prettiest eyes.

I have never seen eyes as beautiful as his.

They both thought to themselves gazing into each other's eyes.

Her heart beat raised as she continued to gaze into his eyes.

None of them broke the eye contact,it felt a different kind of comfort.

To him,it felt like he is looking at entire universe in her eyes.

To her,it felt an illusion to see love in his eyes for her.

"Tere naina tere naina re ....

Tere naina,tere naina re...

Naino ki baat naina jaane hai,naino ki chaal naina jaane hai"

They both were startled and broke the eye contact as karan and dhruv sang the song.

Reyansh glared at both of them to disturb such a magical moment.

Karan and dhruv royally ignored him and another song struck inside his mind.

"O lal dupatte wali Tera naam toh bata

O kaale kurte wali Tera naam toh bata"

Karan sang it playfully as he hold aradhya's hand and twirl her around.

"O naam toh bata Tera naam toh bata

Tera naam toh bata haan

Oye hoye--hoye hoye

Oye hoye--hae hae"

Reyansh joined him in the song and sang it with a playful smile playing on his lips.

Aradhya looked at both of them surprised but then smirked.

"O naam ke deewane tu kaam toh bata

O naam ke deewane tu kaam toh bata

Kaam toh bata Tera kaam toh bata

Tera kaam toh bata haan..."

She sang the next part looking at them mischievously as she pulled both of them towards her and then pushed them lightly.

They both put hand on their chests and sung

"Oye hoye hoye hoye

Oye hoye hae hae

O lal dupatte wali Tera naam toh bata

O kaale kurte wali Tera naam toh bata"

Reyansh and karan both winked at her and she looked at them with a wide open Mouth.

"Are dekhte hi humko tu pasand aagyi

Rahne lagi Dil mein tu

Aankhon pe chha gyi"

She glared at both of them.

"Pehli mulaqaat mein ladki nahi khulti

Har ajnabi pe ye dil ki khidki nahi khulti

Khidki nahi khulti ye khidki nahi khulti

Khulti ye khidki nahi khulti Haan..."

They both looked at each other and did high five.

"Dil ke liye koi dil ka pagaam toh bata

Aashiq ke tere kya hoga anjaam toh bata

O lal dupatte wali Tera naam toh bata

O kale kurte wali Tera naam toh bta"

"O naam ke deewane tu kaam toh bata

O Naam ke deewane tu kaam toh bata "

She sang it and then looked at both of them who were ready to sing the next part"enough no more"she said and they both pouted.

She rubbed her eyes as if she saw it Correctly.

"You both are such babies"stated dhruv.

"We aren't"they both shouted together.

"We can see"aradhya laughed.

"But it was so fun,I love that song"Karan exclaimed.

"Yes,mine too"Reyansh and aradhya said at same time.

That's it for this chapter.

Hope you all enjoyed reading.

Byee ❤️🎀✨

(The look of love)