TEENAGE LOVE

JIA'S PAST

Mayank gave them a house tour, which made Jia have flashbacks as she walked down the hallway, they were walking together talking, Mayank was telling them about the mansion. As they passed the hallway to next connecting hall there was a wall portrait frame of a couple. Mayank introduced the couple as his uncle and aunt and looked at Karan indicating they are Jia's parents. Jia had an instant flashback and passed out making both of them panic. Karan gave a number to Mayank and asked him to call him here and carried Jia to a room nearby.

After few minutes a doctor came and attended Jia. All were waiting outside the room; Karan didn't expect this, and the entire family was hell nervous for their daughter and scared to death thinking they will again lose the child they longed for years thinking she died with her family. After checking Jia, he came out and saw everyone was looking at him, he smiled and said that the patient is fine and got her missing years back as her memories. Hearing this there was mixture of emotions in air. All were happy. But there were many questions that were there in their mind, and they knew they had encounter many from Jia too. But they were ready to face her except for one and that is Karan. Karan is scared to face her because the most difficult time and questions are waiting for him, even he knows it very well. They all entered except Karan; Jia was sitting straight on her bed with a pillow on her lap. After seeing everyone entering, her eyes became glittery she did remember everything, but she didn't them as they were settled in foreign, and she hardly have seen them ever. But she was not scared, there was silence and slow sniffing which was not uncomfortable. When Karan didn't hear any sound from inside, he gathered all his courage and entered inside the room. When Jia's eyes landed on him, she literally ran and hugged him, hiding herself in his warm embrace, Karan was ready for this and was taken aback but soon hugged her back which made her cry. She cried her heart out blabbering a lot of things.

Jia – "They left me in this world alone. They left me here. Why... why didn't they take me with them.? I was their only daughter, didn't they loved me enough to take me with them.? Karan, my parents left me Karan. I don't have anyone now to be family. I all alone now, why just why Karan.?"

This sight broke many hearts. The entire family looked at her like they don't know what to say and helplessly looked at Karan. Even the reality hit them that Jia doesn't know that her parents died in that accident. He looked at them and knew their helpless state, he passed them an assuring look and pulled out from the hug. Jia had puffy red eyes, red nose which broke Karan's heart. He cupped her cheeks and whipped her tears, with a smile on his face.

Karan – "And who told you that you are alone, that there is no one for you.? Who told you this rubbish tell me.?"

Jia – "I know Karan. See I only had my parents who meet with an accident. I don't have anyone now. Even they didn't look for me. They left me."

Karan pecked her forehead, and she closed her eyes calming down and clenching to his shirt.

Karan – "That's wrong Jia. Look that side your family is waiting to shower you with love and embrace their only daughter in their arms." Jia turned and looked to her bedside and saw two couples standing and boy with tears. But she got confused because the boy is none other than Mayank, Karan's friend and it is his family. Then she looked at Karan with confused and teary eyes. They knew what she meant by this reaction. Then Mayank's mother went out of the room to fetch something. While others waited for her return. She returned with a family photo album. She came and sat on the edge of the bed; she has a soft smile hanging on her lips. She holds her hands in hers and could feel the nervousness in the girl in front of her.

Mayank's Mother – "I know you have lots and lots of questions behind those confused and teary eyes." She slowly places the album on bed passing it to Jia, saying "This will help you to some extent, I guess. We are waiting out, but Karan is here. Is it okay with you?"

Jia nods her head, and everyone leaves the room leaving behind Karan and Jia with the album. Jia opened the album and the tears that were threatening to fall finally left. The album had many pictures of her with her parents, there were pictures of her relatives those were out of country. The album was the proof of Mayank and Jia being siblings though cousins. With every pic a tear left Jia's eye and Karan was continuously caressing her hair as she kept her head on his shoulder for support as she was hell weak of all the incidents recently taken place.

There was silence as Jia closes the album with tears rolling down her cheeks without halt.

Jia – "Can I meet them? I want to hug them and get my answers Karan, please." She said her head was still on his shoulders. Karan knew this was coming so he just nodded. He took her out while her major weight was on him, as she lost all her strength. When others show both of them coming towards the living room, they stood up and moved to one side directly facing Jia, waiting for her next move.

Jia got out of Karan's grip and walked towards Mayank's mother and stood in front of her. She bowed down and said:

Jia – "Can you tell me what happened in the accident? Where are my parents now? If they loved me so much than why they didn't come back to me? Never did they felt an urge of searching me?"

Mayank's mother – "They loved you a lot but couldn't search for you because in that accident they died and only you survived. That's the only reason they couldn't search for you or come back to you, my girl." She said in a low voice, but she knew it's time to reveal so she said the true facts without hiding anything. Hearing this Jia broke down harder and Karan ran to her, and she crawled to his embrace again.

Jia – "If they died, then who are you all.? Why don't I have any of your memories, but I can see you all in my family photos which shows you all are close to me and my parents too.? Why I felt a family when I entered here?"

Mayank – "Because we are family sister, you are my real cousin. You don't have our memories because we never visited here after your birth. We were here for your first birthday but of course those memories can't be very clear to you. We were settled out of country to expand the business Jia. But when we got to know about the accident we returned to the country and contacted the police to get details. According to the details no one survived in the accident from both the parties, so we thought you too left us. These past years were hell Jia to think my only sister left me and I couldn't save her."

Jia left Karan and just hugged Mayank and said, "Thank you for finding me big brother. Thank you so much."

Then everyone hugged her, and she hugged back, someone was seeing everything with love eyes and satisfied smile. Jia turned back to face him and smiled ear to ear which he returned with same. Jia held Karan's arm and said, "This proves we are not siblings, and I don't need to call you brother, this also means I can feel all those feelings that I hide in heart to not stain our relationship."

Karan smiled because he also had the same feeling, but it is just he knew this before, and Jia got to know it later. Everyone settled down on the couch and started talking actually sharing their emotions. Karan looked at Mayank and sighed which was an indication that Mayank should hold Jia as its time to tell her how she ended up in his house and everything, though this might end their bond, but he can't hide this from her. This is the major truth for her life to change this much.