Chapter 8

3 years later,

"Adi Adi....ADII" 

"What happened, baby?" Aditi asked.

"Where is Adi? I didn't see him in the morning." 

"He went shopping with his mother. He didn't tell you before going?" 

"No, he didn't," Meera whispered.

"Adi didn't tell you before going. I think you are not his favourite anymore" Aditi teased.

"No I'm Adi's favourite. He loves me the most." Meera pouted.

"Then why do I know where your Adi is but you don't.” 

Meera's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. 

Aditi gasped "no no noooo... Meera baby, please don't cry. Please….please...that little devil will kill me if he got to know I made you cry. I was kidding, Adi's one and only favourite is you....I'm sorry...please stop crying…”

"Who is crying?" Adi asked as he entered the hall.

Aditi hit her forehead. "Stupid Aditi, what was the need to tease Meera? Now he will kill you for sure."

Meera ran towards Adi and threw herself on him and Adi caught her small frame in his arms securely.

"Angel, what happened? Are you crying?" Adi asked softly.

Meera shook her head. "Where were you?"

Adi smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I wanted to surprise you. So I went shopping with mom. You will be going to school with me from next week, right? Let's go, I'll show you your new uniform."

Meera's eyes lit up and she started bouncing on her heels excitedly.

“My uniform and my books. Adi, let's go, I can't wait to see."

Aditi sighed in relief after they left.

“Thank you Meera” she muttered.

~~~

"Wow, it's so pretty, Adi," Meera said, holding her school uniform.

"Not more than you, Angel" Adi replied smiling.

"Come here I'll show you your other things."

Meera sat beside him watching her new water bottle, lunch box and books with excited eyes.

"See I got your lunch box with your favourite barbie and I got you this school bag. Remember you liked this bag last time we went shopping with Dad.”

Meera nodded grinning. "Adi, you are the best. Thank you. I'm so happy I can go school with you now. I will sit beside you all day. We will also play together and….”

"No my Angel. You can't sit beside me in school. You have to sit in your class" Adi said ruffling her hairs.

"Why? You don't want to sit with me. You want to sit with your friends not with me" Meera asked, glaring at him.

"No no Angel. We can't sit together because we have different classes. You have to sit in your class and I have to in mine" Adi said, caressing her cheek.

"Then I want to be in your class. I will tell Dad I want to be in your class."

Adi laughed at her innocence and pinched her cheeks. 

"Angel, schools don't work like that. You can't be in my class. I'm older than you so I have to be in senior classes and you have to study hard to reach there" Adi said calmly.

"Then I don't want to go to school," Meera said stubbornly and left from there stomping her feet.

Adi grinned at her retreating back and shook his head.

"I knew it. I know my Angel is gonna say this. She is so cute. My precious..." 

Adi followed her outside knowing she was going straight to his dad's study.

Both entered the library. Anita and Amar were discussing something and seeing them they stopped and turned towards them.

"My little cutie is here. What happened?" Amar asked, lifting her in his arms.

"I don't want to go to school, dad. I'm not going to that school" Meera huffed.

Anita raised his brows at his son.

Adi grinned at him and said "my Angel wants to sit with me in my class. I told her she can't so she came here." 

"Only our Meera can say this," Anita said laughing.

Meera glared at Anita. Amar chuckled and signaled Anita he will handle it.

"Meera, your Adi is a big boy now he has to study with his friends and you are my little girl so you have to study with children of your age."

"But I don't want to study with children of my age. I want to study with Adi," Meera said, pouting.

"But schools don't work like this. You have to study in your class. You will come home with your Adi and then can play all day" Anita said caressing her head.

"Dad, can you make a new school where Adi and I can study in the same class? Please make a new school, Dad" Meera said ignoring Anita.

Trio laughed fondly at their youngest. Amar sat her on his chair and ruffled her hair. 

"I can make anything for my little girl. But baby if I did this then your Adi has to study again everything which he already studied. He will get behind all his friends then everyone will make his fun. You want that?" Amar said softly.

Meera shook her head. "No, my Adi is so smart. He can't be behind anyone. I'll not let it happen."

Adi smiled fondly staring at his Angel.

"Then you have let him study in his class and you also have to study in your class Meera. You can do that, don’t you?" Amar said.

Meera nodded. "I will study in my class. Adi will also study in his class."

"Yes, my Angel and don't be upset we will go to school together and I will come to meet you at lunch break and then we will come back home together" Adi said holding her hands.

"Promise everyday."

"Promise." 

Anita and Amar smiled at them. 

"Now let's go. It's time for lunch. I'm sure our little girl is hungry'' Anita said lifting her. Just then Meera's stomach rumbled. She smiled sheepishly. 

"My Angel is always hungry," Adi said laughing.

Amar smiled watching Meera talking animatedly with Anita and Adi. He can see his best friend Sameer’s resemblance in her smile.

Sameer and Amar were childhood friends. They were neighbours in Kanpur. When Sameer was 17 he lost his parents in an accident. From then Mr. and Mrs. Khanna treated him like her son. Sameer and Amar went to the same school then the same college where Amar met his love Anita and three of them became friends. 

When Amar was 21 his father died due to cardiac arrest. As a responsible elder son of the family he took responsibility for his father's company in his hand. When Amar offered partnership in his company to Sameer he denied saying he wanted to be something on his own. Soon both friends started becoming stable in their works. For company's betterment Khanna's family shifted to Mumbai but Sameer didn't go with them. Soon Sameer established his name in Kanpur.

In the opening ceremony of his 1st 5 star hotel he met Shalini. They fall in love and get married. Amar and Anita met Meera only once at the time of her birth. After that due to their busy schedules Khanna's and Ahuja's didn't meet.

Amar came out of his memories lane and followed Anita.