Chapter 32:- Epilogue(III):- Sealing the Galaxy.

"Now stop and close your eyes." He instructed stopping her right at the entrance. She frowned.

"Why?" Her eyes became bigger and he teased her repeating her sentence,

"I asked you to close them not widen them.”

She made a bad face but closed her eyes anyway and felt a soft, cold cloth touching her eyes.

"Armaan." She whispered finding darkness and immediately held his hand.

"Shh I'm here only. Just hold my hand and walk." He said holding her hand for guidance.

"Will you be able to walk?" She asked concerned about him but he assured her.

"Yes Khwaab, just come along."

Walking a few steps the cloth was removed and her jaw dropped with surprise. She palmed her mouth and turned around to take a nice look of the path illuminated by jar candles on the side-line. She turned back to share her surprise with Armaan but she found herself alone.

Before she could call out his name her gaze fell on the paper near her feet. She picked it up and 'just walk straight like you walked into my life and filled it with hope, each moment❤️.'

A sudden surge of joy and excitement flooded her veins that radiated through her angelic smile and she followed the path which lead her to the garden decorated with shadow lights hanging from the trees giving the whole surroundings a celestial look.

With her each step a LED balloon bounced, illuminating the whole space till she saw a figure sitting on the chair facing his back towards her. It took her a second to recognize and the name escaped her lips,

"Armaan!" He turned around and her delighted gaze met his affectionate ones and she found her whole world in those whiskey colored orbs whose owner has captured her heart from a long long time and for Armaan, Khwaab was his everything.

She took a step forward and instead of a balloon bouncing towards her, she heard the sound of a string being stricken and the same followed twice. Gradually her focus cleared and she saw him holding a guitar in his right hand.

Her happiness knew no bounds and she ran towards him but her feet stopped as he started singing along with the song he had practised from last twenty days, hiding from her to surprise her on her birthday. She was the reason that music is a part of his life, he is the part of this world so his first song was just for her.

For his dreams, his success meant everything to her; he couldn't think of a better gift other than playing infront of her, for her. Her eyes watered as seeing him playing and singing, had become her motto and now visualising it in actual brought happy tears in her eyes.

As soon as the song started Khwaab could see various pictures appearing on the screen hanged at the four corners forming an imaginary square. These pictures were of her childhood and she was dressed as a fairy, her snaps of her birthday celebrations when she was a kid and they kept on changing showing each phase of her life as the song progressed.

Armaan remembered the times when she heard him, understood him when he felt all alone. She made his dreams as hers and was a part of his every struggle, always.

Now all he wished to create memories and live a lifetime in each moment, with her. He wanted to love her like a man loves his wife and also feel cherished by her.

Her eyes were affixed on his beautiful face shining under the bright artificial moonlight but his eyes, his eyes were promising her of the unconditional and unadulterated love that he had just for her.

With each passing minute his hands were shaking for the time extended beyond the period of his maximum capacity. Slowing down the pace of the music he stood up slowly and walked towards her singing the song along.

She covered the distance too stopping few feet away with their eyes locked. Armaan could finally embrace peace as he achieved his ultimate goal- to bring a smile on his angel's face.

By the time the song finished Khwaab was a crying mess with a beautiful smile lingering on her face as she was clueless how to express her happiness. It was totally unbelievable and unexpected. All she knew was, the wait was worth it.

Before he could keep his guitar back his body was jostled by a swift hug and before he could analyse anything Khwaab embraced him tightly and he felt peace returning to his system and all the anxiety about his guitar play evaporated. She was smiling and that was his goal.

"Armaan you played... your hands... you did it. I'm so happy Armaan... I." She couldn't gather words at this moment but her elated expressions said everything.

"We did it. It wasn't possible without you. Me standing here wasn't possible without you." He said giving her all the credit she deserved, her head was in between his palms and she jingled her head up and down, beaming at him.

They hugged each other again and Khwaab mumbled, " I'm so happy Armaan. This birthday gift was the best. Thankyou for making it so special."

"This is the beginning - of our beautiful journey." He whispered in her ears, his lips touching her skin with each movement giving her goose bumps.

Without moving back he placed a soft kiss under her ear and she closed her eyes, to feel the moment while her hands gripped the lapels of his blazer as they were still in the hug.

Standing straight he wrapped his arm on her petite waist pulling her closer to himself. Her hands reached his shoulders clasping them tightly without losing the eye contact. He signalled her to look upwards and following his gaze she craned her neck only to get the biggest surprise of her life.

There was a false ceiling high above, covered with stars and 'Will you hold my hand and grow old with me?’ scribbled over it. Her hold on his shoulders loosen and her eyes were stuck on the words trying to decipher its meaning.

She looked at Armaan for an explanation only to see him standing with his arms stretched and fists forwarded in her direction.

"Choose one." He simply said and she opted for the right hand and found a ring for men.

"It means you'll make me wear the ring first." She gaped at his confidence and asked," And what if I turn you down?"

"I know you won't. Besides you told me to keep faith. So I'm hoping for the best. YOU!" His determination made her smile and she slided the ring in his finger and came closer to his lips whispering a 'yes' and pecked them softly.

He blinked in surprise and followed her actions however he didn't stop with a simple peck but took his own time to express his love through a soft kiss and she was glad to reciprocate with equal love.

"Everything is so beautiful Armaan. The decoration, it seems I'm in the midst of a galaxy." She finally praised him, their hands still entwined.

"Well that's the theme of the party." Armaan shared while realisation dawned upon her that it was her birthday party.

"Armaan where are others? Have they seen us like this." Suddenly she was tensed about their parents witnessing their kiss.

"Talwar I'm not that brave okay. Your dad will kill me if I'll kiss his daughter infront of him and this is not the actual party. The location is different." Her eyes widened with this information but she was still not relieved.

"Armaan have you asked my parents, your parents? We exchanged the rings, what if they get angry."

"Ms. Fiancée I'd taken the permission already. Chill." He squeezed her hands in assurance and she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Although I don't wish to but we'll have to leave for the party." He pouted sadly and she giggled adorably.

❃❃❃❃❃

"Surprise!!" The whole clan appeared from their hiding places as the newly engaged couple entered the arena.

Khwaab was gawping at every corner of the party hall with a childlike grin and delighted gaze. She didn't know that every gaze was fixed on her because she was lost; lost and shocked witnessing her childish dream of a celestial theme birthday party in concrete.

From the lightings to the birthday cake, from the wall decor to every food corner, everything was ditto to what she once wrote in her essay describing her dream birthday party. She never knew someone would remember each detail of her dream and fulfill it so beautifully.

Her gaze met his' , who was already whittling her every expressions on his soul. She moved forward and pulled the string of the curtains, revealing the cake section. She was astounded with the detail and palmed her mouth to stifle a sob.

"This is... I don't have words but thankyou so much. This is beyond beautiful." She confessed with a wide grin to the extent that her cheeks hurt.

"So did we implement your imagination accurately?" Raghav asked encircling his hands around her shoulder and she nodded in yes.

"It's just wow. I loved it."

"It had to beautiful. After all your monster fiancé made us do all the hard work.” Armaan rolled his eyes at Raghav's exaggeration.

"Raghav you didn't do it alone. Anyways let's cut the cake. I'm hungry." Amaya intervened rubbing her protruding belly and her mouth already watering seeing so many delicacies infront of her eyes.

"Amaya these days you are always hungry and nobody even stops you from eating. You are so lucky." Raghav complained while everyone gaped at him as he'd grown two horns on his head.

"Raghav I'm pregnant for god's sake." Amaya fumed making him gulp.

"For Abhi's sake... I mean yes ofcourse lets cut the cake." Raghav called for the cake moving away and saving himself.

Finally Amaya talked out to Abhinav who voiced out his wish to be a father. Amaya understood his concern and was with him in this but without marriage. She was okay in being pregnant without being married. ‘Marriage’, this word brought so many memories with it and she didn’t wish to scar their beautiful relation with this word. She would love him the same way she does and so would he, even without marriage and if there won’t be any love in their heart for each other then this marriage also won’t be able to force them to stay together. Abhinav understood her point of view and couldn’t agree less. Now they were planning for their bundle of joy without any marred feelings in their heart, without any burden that the society puts on a couple.

_ _ _

"Talwar promise me you won't kill me after seeing this cake. I just did what you wanted." Armaan said holding the cover that concealed the cake he bought it for her. Everyone were stifling their giggle witnessing him so sceptical about this cake.

"Armaan you'd made me wait for the whole day and now if you prolonged all this suspense then I'll definitely kill you." Khwaab threatened dying out of curiosity already and he was not letting her lift up the cover hiding the three tier cake.

Khwaab gasped in surprise seeing the design over the cake just as she visualised back then. All the planets were made in 3D and placed over the top-most tier while the other two tiers had stars made of white chocolate over the brown base. It was highly childish for a twenty-five year old but it was something she wished at one point of her life. It was all a dream come true. She just wanted to run towards her man and shower him with all the love in this world. She never expected anyone to go to this extent and make her happy. But what she didn't know was, she deserved every bit of it and much more.

Cutting the cake carefully without destroying the celestial bodies, Khwaab took out a piece and fed her father who was standing just beside her on the right side followed by her mother and then the reason behind the uneven pulsations of her beating heart.

Everybody relished the cake, played few games followed by the mouth-watering dinner, filled with laughter, congratulations to the new couple, leg-pulling’s, teasings, holding hands under the table, happiness and love.

While everyone were enjoying Armaan pulled Khwaab in a corner startling her.

"So, was the wait worth it?"

"Absolutely. One thankyou is not enough but just to let you know, all of me loves the all of you, for forever and beyond."

They both leaned forward, sealing their forever whereas the world turned into oblivion.

_ _ _

Life and death are two ends of the same rope. Some people are dead while they are breathing while some live forever even after they are hanging onto the last knot that connects them to life. It's all about what you choose, what you hold onto. With his increasing apathy towards life Armaan chose to cut the last knot and embrace death, burdened with his helplessness and bitterness towards himself, towards life. But what he didn't know was, he wasn't alone. There were people, his people, standing on the other end of the rope holding it and pulling him towards life. It was a tug of war. War between helplessness and compassion, war between animosity and love and they won, instilling a new foundation of hope in his heart that brought him to light, that lived forever in his heart ; for his firefly resides there. Always and Forever.

-Finally this story of mine comes to an end. Hope you’ve enjoyed throughout the journey and if this story has brought smiles on your faces, even if for a moment then do comment down and let me know for this means everything to me.

-Secondly, I’m planning a sequel for this story and if you guys wish to read it, then please let me know through your comments and let me know. The plot is ready and I’ll draft it soon.

- Lastly, Thankyou all for the love.

Until then,

Much love,

Your writer