After all this time

Epilogue

Seven years later...

It was Vamika's 7th birthday, and her long time demand of a treehouse as a birthday present was finally fulfilled by her parents with the help of her Rohit chachu and Jinks chachu.

Vamika and Kiara (better known as Viratee and Kia) were examining the treehouse in the backyard of the Kohli mansion in the afternoon after Virat and Rohit put the finishing touches to it.

It had two rooms.

"Kitchen and living room," said Kia.

"We need a TV in the living room," said Vamika.

"Not possible," said Kia sensibly. "We can keep books."

"No books!" said Vamika, horrified, because she, like her dad, hated books.

"Ok," conceded Kia. "Let's bring the blue cups from chachi. We can have a tea party every Sunday."

"No--every Friday," said Vamika.

"I have my music class on Saturday morning," said Kia. "So it can't be Friday."

"You come here every Friday night anyway," said Vamika, outraged. "You're just saying this because you don't want to listen to me!"

"You're saying this because you don't want to listen to me," counter accused Kia. "I suggested Sunday first!"

Rohit came running out hearing their raised voices.

"What happened, kids?" he asked.

"Daddy, she--" began Kia.

"She is just being rude as usual, Rohit chachu," said Vamika, without giving Kia the opportunity to speak.

"Kia, it's her birthday," said Rohit placatingly. "Why don't you listen to her today?"

"You always take her side," said Kia sulkily.

Virat came out too, and asked Rohit, "What's up with them now?"

"A disagreement, nothing new," said Rohit, his eyes twinkling.

Kia and Vamika started yelling at each other again and finally Rohit and Virat made them reach the conclusion that they could have their tea party on Friday and Sunday in alternative weeks.

"Today is... Thursday, right?" Kia asked Vamika.

"Yes. We can start from tomorrow," said Vamika.

Virat and Rohit half expected Kia to object, but she said cheerfully, "Ok."

Then Vamika and Kia skipped into the treehouse, back to being best friends again, because their tempers were short lived.

Their fathers heaved a sigh of relief and returned to the house.

"They're becoming more and more unmanageable by the day," said Virat.

Ritika and Anushka were decorating Vamika's birthday cake.

"Calmed them down, have you?" said Anushka wryly.

"Took only about ten minutes," said Virat.

Ritika suddenly said, "Sam and Aarya are coming here directly today, aren't they? Shouldn't they be back by now? Who was supposed to bring them?"

Virat looked at Rohit and said disapprovingly, "You forgot, Ro."

"I didn't forget, you were supposed to bring them today," said Rohit at once.

"Definitely not!" cried Virat.

"Will you two please stop fighting and go to bring them at once? It's been an hour since their school ended," said Anushka.

Just then Jinks and Radhika came in with the girls.

"Oh, were you supposed to bring them today?" asked Rohit.

"What took you so long, Jinks?" asked Virat.

"Aarya's class teacher called me half an hour back," said Jinks drily. "I'm thanking our stars that these two had the sense to inform their teacher instead of setting about to return on their own when neither of you turned up to pick them up."

"Yeah," said Virat. "Rohit is so ridiculously irresponsible, Jinks."

"I tell you it wasn't my turn," said Rohit angrily.

"Who is the forgetful one among us?" Virat appealed to Jinks, Ritika, Anushka and Radhika.

"Rohit," admitted all four of them, because this was an undeniable fact.

"But that doesn't necessarily imply I forgot this time too," said Rohit, scowling darkly.

"Yeah, right," said Virat sarcastically.

Rohit was glaring daggers at Virat, who was glaring right back at him.

Anushka shook her head in despair and told Sam and Aarya, "Come and freshen up, you two, the cake cutting is due in fifteen minutes."

She led them away, muttering something about men who stopped their 7-year-old daughters from fighting one moment and started fighting like kids their age five minutes later.

Vamika and Kia came in to demand the blue cups, and Rohit and Virat called a temporary truce, but of course they were still sulking with each other.

Jinks caught Ritika's eyes and grinned.

Some things never changed--and some people, really, never grew up.

A/N: My most emotional story comes to an end. Initially I wasn't sure if I would give this a happy ending, but of course I did.
Please please do leave your reviews on this story, because it's different from anything I ever tried before.
Lots of love,
Neha