Rahul POV:
Hey, ladies and gentlemen, I am back! Missed me? I know I missed you all a lot too.
Ahem, well, I heard from our author that many of you commented saying you missed me, so here I am. Just like this, whenever you all are lonely and miss me a lot, just ask the author to inform me, and I will be there with you before you blink.
Okay, let's get into the chapter. The kids are growing so fast, you know. Arjun and Ananya are both 14 years old now. Like, what in the world? It feels just like yesterday I took those tiny frames into my hands, and now look at them, already grown up.
I know you all will be wondering about my love life, right? Well, after that breakup I took 2 years break from everything and now I am sort of seeing someone in my clinic. Though she is not as beautiful as you all, she is gorgeous to me. Okay, you all no heartbreaks, huh? Let's all be realistic for a minute here because, though I can be with you all the time virtually, I can't in real life, right?
So, I am planning on asking her to be my girlfriend. Let's see what happens. As of now, I am at home with Killer in kitchen. Killer punched my arm. I hissed, asking, "What?"
She asked, "What are you daydreaming about?"
I said, "I am thinking about the food you are going to make for me." She just shook her head, saying, "When are you going to get yourself a wife so that she can cook for you whenever you want?"
I whined, going in front of her. "What, you already got bored of me, Killer? You are going to send me off to another home?"
Bhai came from behind, hitting my head and said, "Where will you go, idiot? Even if you get married, your wife will come here."
Oh, correct, my over-dramatic ass forgot that for a second. Hehe.
He sat beside Killer, and I was about to say something when somebody opened the front door with so much force that it hit the wall. I shrugged, knowing who it was.
"You cannot tell me what to do and what not to do, Bunny! For God's sake, please stop acting like my bodyguard all the time!" Ananya shouted.
Arjun chimed in, "Di, I am not telling you to do this or do that, but in this matter, you have to listen to me."
Rishi followed them, closing his ears, and joined us, whispering, "They were fighting like this all along the way."
Killer said in a very scary tone, "Okay, now that's enough, both of you." In parenting, Bhai is always the soft one, and Killer is a bit strict with them. They both immediately stopped fighting and stood behind Bhai.
He asked, "What happened?"
Ananya said, "Papa, today a boy in my class approached me to talk normally, but this guy here punched him and warned, saying, 'Don't come near my sister or you will see what Arjun Singhania is capable of.'"
Arjun is exactly like his mother isn't he?
Arjun defended himself, "Dad, he approached Di with bad intentions! I heard him talking to his friends about her." Now, this is serious.
Killer intervened, "Get freshened up and come to the garden. We need to talk." They both nodded and went to their rooms.
Bhai sighed, "Now what?"
Killer said, "Come on, let's go outside." We all sat in the garden as Killer continued, "They are in the growing stage, Aan. We have to show them what is right and what is wrong, and choosing that path is ultimately up to them."
Bhai said, "But I agree with Arjun on this, Vie. I hate seeing my princess getting played."
Killer countered, "Neither you nor Arjun have any say in this, Aan. This is her life. I know you are protective of her, but if you are stopping her in everything, when will she learn to grow and stand on her own legs? I know it is difficult to see our kids facing difficulties, but you, me, Rahul, Rishi, everyone here had their own struggles which made us stand here today, isn't it? Just like that, she has every right to choose what she wants."
Sometimes I wish Killer to be my parent. I gave her a big hug, shaking her. She asked "Rahul, What are you doing?" I could hear Bhai growl, but at this point, I am so used to him.
He pushed me away and took her into his embrace. I whined, "It's been 15 years since you both married, and still, you can't leave her alone, Bhai??"
He said, "No, she is mine, only mine in every universe, in every lifetime."
I asked, "Isn't it a bit much to ask?" They both looked at each other and just laughed like they shared some inner jokes. I shrugged.
Soon, the kids joined us along with Shri and Anandh, and here starts the parenting sessions. Arjun said, "Mumma, I am sorry. I will not interfere again."
Killer kissed his forehead and said, "It's good that you are protective of your sister, Bunny. And I am super proud of you for always being there for her. It's just that you being overprotective of her will never let her learn anything about life, Bunny. Let her choose her own decisions, and if things get bad, then you can step in and protect her like you always do, okay?" He nodded, hugging her.
Ananya said, "So, is it okay if I talk to him, Maa?" Bhai said, "NO," but Killer held his hand and silenced him, saying, "Sunny, let me tell you something. You will always find people telling you what is right for you and what is not. They'll tell you that you doing something wrong will land you in trouble, but you still do it."
"Well, because it makes you happy. There might be times when you decide to give up on someone, and people tell you not to. They may tell you that you're making a mistake. Leaving someone never makes anyone happy, but if you feel that's the right thing to do, go ahead and do it, without caring what others will think. Always remember, it's you who knows what made you come to the decision to leave and not them."
"If you love spending time with someone, do it even if people tell you not to. We live in a very unpredictable world, we don't know what might happen next and when you might lose someone."
"So, if some things make you happy, it need not make sense to anyone else. Don't blame yourself if your friends told you not to do something and you did, but things did not go well. Don't blame them when they told you not to do something and everything went well. Be lucky to have people who look out for you, people who give you advice and still support you if you choose to take a different path."
"It's okay to do some things even when people tell you not to, if it makes you happy. But, be ready to face the consequences if anything goes downhill and if they go all well, you're in for a treat."
Bhai said, "If anything really goes wrong, know that I am always there behind you to catch you whenever you are about to fall, Princess." Ananya nodded, hugging both of them.
Arjun asked, "Mumma, are friends so important in life?"
Rishi asked, "Why are you asking about this suddenly, Bunny? Did something happen?"
Arjun replied, "Mamu, the friends I have now in school are all there with me for either the money or for some benefits, and I didn't realize it until today. Today in the canteen while I was walking, a boy bumped into me, to which all my friends suddenly started beating him. I felt bad for him, so I pushed all my friends and took that boy to the infirmary."
"As I supported him, all my friends stopped talking to me. That boy said, 'Don't worry, they are not your true friends, they are just after you for your money.' Then I thought about the times when I really needed a friend, and none of them were there."
"So what he said is true. He said, 'But I never thought you are kind enough to help me. Even the last time when I was being bullied, you stood up for me. Can I be your friend?' I agreed, Mamu. That is why I am asking, are friends really important?"
Which class are they 8th or 9th may be? At that time of my life, all I did was stealing money from Dad and playing cyber games. What happened to this generation of kids? They are so advanced about everything but not human values.
I said, "Of course, friendship is an essential part of life, Bunny."
Bhai continued, "Yes, Bunny. 'Friends are those people who are an essential part of a person's life,' and we don't realize it until we build bonds with people who will be there for us no matter how badly we mess up. There are people who'll leave you when you're in a tough phase, but on the other hand, some people will be there for you to make everything right, and these are the people you should cherish."
"We meet a lot of people and a few of them end up being close to us. But, again, among them, we choose to spill our secrets to specific people."
"A lot of people may know us by the way we are, by the way we laugh, by the way we try to be happy always, but there's that one friend who recognizes our fake smile, who knows there's something wrong with us without us even mentioning it."
"Life is all about that someone who makes you feel better even when you lie that you're okay."
"You might smile and be happy the whole day, pretending nothing's wrong, but that friend's, 'I know you're not okay, I'm here for you,' brings you a relief that someone can actually figure out that you're truly not doing okay."
"You may fake smile to everyone else, but with some people, it's just impossible. Some people just know how much you've cried and struggled to even bring a smile on your face."
"Having people in our lives who understand the reason behind our tears is a blessing. The people who just be there when you're not feeling yourself. The ones who make you realize that you're never going to go through anything alone. Life is all about those friends who understand your silence, the friends who apparently turn into your family."
killer said, "Just like I have Vaish and your dad has Rahul, you will also need someone who will always stand by your side in every situation."
Arjun nodded, and Ananya said, "Maa, I am hungry." With that, we all headed inside and had dinner.
Just as I was about to go to my room, Killer stopped me and said, "If you are sure about her, then go for it, Rahul."
My eyes widened, and I asked, "How did you know, Killer?"
She said, "I am your best friend, you idiot," and went back to her room. I smiled happily, knowing I was not alone in this. She helped me meet the side of mine I didn't know existed.
Okay, I have to go now, but make sure you all have your meals properly and take rest properly. Be healthy and smiling always.
With love,
Your Rahul.
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I know it is not 1 million views yet, But I just missed them so much so I thought you all did too. That is why I uploaded Hope you all will enjoy.
Also please check the ongoing book Eternally yours as well if you have time.
I will come back with another bonus, until then take care.