✿Chapter-1✿

I turned the pages of my book as the pressure cooker whistled indicating me that my rice are boiled now. I kept my book on the couch, beside me before walking towards the kitchen to turned the stove off. My cell rang as I searched for, the ringing sound was coming from my bedroom as I walked towards it. "Hello" I speak after answering the call.

"Adah beta how are you?"

"I'm fine uncle how are you?" I asked back while coming back into the living room, going towards the kitchen while talking on the call. He was my dad's friend Mr Dinesh Tripathi, who takes care of my dad's business.

"I'm good too beta, your aunty was asking for you why don't you come and stay here for a week?"

"Umm I wanted to uncle but like I have college and have back to back assignments so it's not possible for now but don't worry I'll try to make it next month"

"This time it don't gonna work beta you always do this-" "No uncle I promise-pakka" I said with a small smile taking the plate out from the cabinet.

"Haha sure, I can't win against you, you know this isn't it?" "Of course- say my hello to aunty" "Sure beta, take care"

"You too uncle" I cut the call, keeping it on the slab as I opened the lid of the pressure cooker. The aroma of cooked rice hit my nose as the warm air caressed my skin. I took a spatula, serving me some rice on the plate followed by some daal.

I took a spoon and walked out of the kitchen taking my phone. I settled myself on the couches switching the TV on, playing doremon there as I started to eat my food.

"Doremon mujhe gadget chahiye bss mein kuch nhi janta"

Alash!

I sighed hearing Nobita asking doremon for the gadget. Kash mere pass bhi koi doremon hota aur mujhe gadget deta jissae mein apne saare problem chutkiyon mein solve kr leti - but kashh!  I sighed at my thoughts shaking my head. Get a grip adu this isn't any cartoon going on here- infact this is a real life. Thing like gadgets that doremon have doesn't exists here, in this world.

I washed the utensils after eating my meal as I walked back towards the living room, taking my phone and after checking that the door is locked I walked towards my bedroom. I lay on my bed sighing before looking at the clock which shows half past 12.

"It's Saturday 3 September veer and I'm still in love with you, remember I told you I'll always love you"

I smiled mumbling looking at the ceiling. I closed my eyes to reminisce those memories.

10 years ago

It was my first day of my new session of class 7th. I stepped out of the school bus with the help of conductor uncle as I passed him a big smile to which he patted my head.

"Thank you uncle" I giggled before going towards the entrance as I stepped the stairs tangling towards my new classroom. We have shifted to Delhi the last month only as due to dad's work load. We used to live in Mumbai before but then dad expanded his business so we three came here, because of this shifting thing I had to take a transfer from my previous school.

Though I miss my previous school and friends back there but I'm excited at the same time for this school. I really wanna know how this school is. My childhood friend Aditi lives here only and she studies in the very same school. I was happy that we are in the same class-well father asked for it to be honest.

We were in third standard when Aditi shifted to Delhi with her parents. I cried a lot when she left as she was my best friend which she still is, but we always used to meet on occasions and used to spend our vaccinations together so it was compensated.

I entered class 7-A, while looking at the section boards that were fixed at the wall above the door in such a way that you can see it even from a distance.

"Adah here" I saw Aditi waving her hand as I grinned walking towards her. I sat beside her, well I was knowing that she will be saving a seat for me.

"You know I'm so much exicted as we are going to be in the class now "

"Me to eeee"

We both giggled being more then necessary exicted, when the teacher came in the class. We wished her the morning, as after the our prayers, she started to teach us while taking our introduction.

She asked us to choose one club and opted for art as she choose the same. I like art since I was a kid back then only. The bell rang indicating the start of the second period. All started to move out of the class as it was our club period. We both walk downstairs descending the stairs and reached the room that was adjacent to art room in the basement. Well it's cold here. I rubbed my palms entering the class room as we both sat on the second last seat that was in the last row, this was the only place left as on the half of the seats, sheets and painting were kept.

Our teacher came into the class as we stood up to wish her. "Sit down you all" She smiled gesturing us to sit as we all seated on our respective seats. She started with her introduction when suddenly the door opened and entered a group of four boys.

"Is this a way and time to enter you class Vansh? And you both- you guys are head boy and sports captain still lack discipline?" She glared at them but  they just stood there. She gestured them to seat glaring as they sat. The two of them walked in our direction and sat on the bench that was vacant behind us. The class started and it was going so well. I like art which makes my interest in the class the next level as I didn't know when the class ended. We all walk back to our classroom after that.

Today we were going back home from Subway. As I was new in Delhi so wanted to use subway as Mumbai doesn't had it till now. We walked down the subway, towards the ticket counter and took a ticket to Green park. We have to change a metro for yellow line in between. We lives in Gulmohar park, our houses were at the walking distance from there.

We took the magenta line and had to change for yellow line in the hauz khas. We stepped inside the metro as I stared at the surrounding being amused. This was my first time traveling in a subway. Soon our station came as we walked out of the train. We started to follow the yellow footprint which were bigger then mine. It looks so cute Gosh! They are so cool. I grinned as I started to work on them jumping on them. But I pouted when my legs didn't reached as there were so much gap in between them.

We both reached the plateform as we saw the train going. "Shit we lost it adu!" Aditi pouted. "Yarr now what to do?" "Don't worry next will come soon" she patted my shoulders as I nodded. We were walking when suddenly I bumped to someone and turned to see he was the same guys-one of the four which I saw today in the classroom.

"Sorry" I muttered as I passed by him and we walked ahead. The train came with a horn but why this horn isn't stopping? I groaned.

Suddenly my eyes jerked opened hearing the sound. As it was my alarm, ringing there on the table beside my bed. I turned it off. I groaned sitting up on the bed as my eyes held on the clock which was showing seven in the morning. I sighed before walking towards the washroom. I did my prayers after taking a bath and started to boil milk for my cornflakes. Today was Sunday which means no classes for me today. I'm a architect designer- 3rd year student doing my higher studies in this field.

I'm living here since last 5 years now. I was in class twelve when I lost my parents in a car accident. And since then I'm living here alone. My mother Divya Thappar was an orphan who married my father Ajay Thappar. It was a love marriage. My father was the only child of my grandparents. I was one when my grandma died due to cancer, and my grandfather passed away after 2 years of her departure as he couldn't bear the pain of loosing his wife. I have heard from my mother that his health had started to decrease after my grandma has gone. They were in so much love with each other.

I was living here alone as I couldn't live in the very same house where I used to live with my parents. The walls of those house reminds me of my parents, of the memories I have make with them. They were my world. But they too left me in the mid way. They had gone in a party while saying they will be back till the night but they didn't till now, leaving me here in this world all alone.

Suddenly the door bell rang making me startled. As I walk towards the door to open, only to see my best friend Aditi standing there.

"How much time it's taked you to open the door adu" she said, entering inside. "Here, see I brought samosas for us" she said walking directly towards the kitchen. I locked the door before following her. We are still together. She and her family was the only peoples who was for me that time.

"Arehh jaldi yaar aa abhi ye garm hai  maza aaega khane mein" she walked towards the couches taking the plate as I sat beside her smiling. "Why you came here this early?" "Why? Can't I? This is my house " she shrugged as I laughed before taking my samosas, taking a bite of it.

"You again didn't sleep last night Adu?"

"Who told you? Nah I slept infact you know I woke up late today" I pouted blinking my eyes. " you that you can't lie to me so stop that bitch" she slapped my shoulders as I looked down blinking my eyes.

"What happened?" I shook my head in no as she asked as my vision started to get blurred. "Come here" she pulled me into a hug as I hide my face into her shoulders. I didn't know when that tear of mine betrayed me as they fell on her shoulders.

"I miss them" I sniffens, I felt her rubbing my back as she started to caressed the back of my head.

"Shh" she pulled back wiping my tears as I hiccups. "Look here babe, why are you crying? Look I'm here, I know you miss them infact I too but uncle aunty know their adu is so much strong" she cupped my face before continuing.

"You have taken care of yourself all alone these years, and I'm damn sure they must be very much happy so just stop with your crying section and eat this samosas okay otherwise Imma gonna beat you" I chuckled with tears at last as she glared me. She was my angel. She always makes me smile Whenever I feel low.

We started eating out Samosas watching Netflix didn't know when the time passed and it was afternoon by now. I was preparing lunch for us when she camed from behind and jerked me towards herself by her hand turning me around. I looked at her being confused when my eyes goes towards the diary that was in her hand.

"You still have this adu?"

"From where you find this-"

"Answer my questions first why you still have it?"

"Give it to me Iti" Iti this was the from which I calls her. "What give adu? You are still reading this diary-isn't you?" She glared at me but I ignored her taking the diary back from her hand as I walked towards my bedroom to keep it back to it's previous place.

"Why are you still into him adu, you know he isn't going to comebac-"

"Please Iti now don't start it" I glared at her before going towards the cupboards.

"What's there in this dairy that you are still keeping it inside the safe?"

"The memories he gave me"

I smiled before closing the door of the cupboard. "Adu see we can't sit here just like that with the things of our past" she took a deep breath before continuing" we have to move on hmm?-" She asked palming my face. I kept my hand on her, as I smiled with my blurry vision.

"But I don't want to Iti, I still live in his memories, I still smile in his memories, I still feels being loved in his memories"

~~

Stoneheart ♡