Tears immediately formed in her eyes as she took it in her arms and caressed it with her fingers. These white roses are my symbol of respect for you! His words rang in her mind as a silent tear escaped her eye.
"I still thought it was inappropriate...
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After they were done with lunch, the whole family along with Sara sat in the backyard of the house sipping there green tea time to time. They were all chit-chatting as kartik's mother was telling Sara all of kartik's childhood embaressing stories.
"Stop it ma!!! I was just ten year old back then..." kartik whined making Sara chuckled and he smiled seeing how well she was getting along with his family.
"Wait here Sara... I'll bring some of kartik's childhood albums." his mother said and kartik's eyes widened.
"Don't you dare ma..." he warned as his mother started walking inside the house.
"Ma please.... don't!" he ran behind his mother and Sara laughed at the duo along with kartik's father.
"These two are always like this... Picking on each other." the old man chuckled and Sara smiled.
"I need to make a call beta, if you'll excuse me?!" he said and Sara nodded as she saw him leave the backyard and now she was sitting there all alone when she saw little lights flicker all around the backyard.
She stood up from her position and saw the whole scenario in an awe. She was mesmerized by the beauty of those lights and the light sound of melody which was probably playing somewhere in a distant.
All of a sudden she felt a wave of cold air hit her neck as her hair was brushed back, feeling goosebumps rise on her skin.
She turned her head slightly, flinching a little when kartik's arm sneaked around her waist as he pressed a soft kiss on her neck causing her to turn around and look at him in the eye.
"Hey princess." he whispered causing a shiver ran down her spine.
He then gently separated himself from her and got down on one knee in front of her with a red velvet box in his hand making her gasp in shock.
"Trust me I made a whole ass speech but you know how good I am with remembering things, right?" he said causing her to chuckle.
"Sara, you're my best friend, my rock, and my soul mate... I didn't think I was doing too bad in life and then I found you... You found me, you completely changed my world, you've become my world." he was now holding her hand as tears started brimming in her eyes.
"I love you more than life itself, you are my everything and I promise to love and protect you every single day, I promise to never judge your taste in music which for the record will never be okay..." he said and she laughed.
"I promise to tell you I love you every time I see you, to tell you just how beautiful you are and how I don't deserve you... I promise to do all that and so much more but I just need you to promise me one thing... That you will make me the happiest person on earth Sara... Will you marry me?" he asked as tears made their way to her cheeks.
"Yes." she said almost in a whisper. He smiled and put out the diamond ring from the box and placed it on her finger.
"Oh my God! It's beautiful!" she said admiring the ring on her finger.
"Well, I kinda worked hard for it.." he said scratching the back of his neck and she gave him a confused look.
"It's custom made." he told her and she smiled before placing her lips on his.
"I love you." she whispered on his lips.
"I love you, more." he replied as they heard the clicking sound of the camera.
"Ma, dad. You can come out of hiding now." he rolled his eyes causing Sara to chuckle.
"Congratulations bacho!!!" his mother hugged both of them.
"You've finally grown up son." his dad patted his back causing him to blush.
"Now I've got another picture to add to your albums kartik." the old lady smiled.
"Enough with the albums ma!" kartik whined causing everyone to laugh.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wandered her eyes around the house 'her' house. With slow steps she made her way towards the kitchen which was now covered with dust. It reminded her of his dead step father who was so strict in the matter of house chores.
For a minute, she felt like her step father will come from his room any minute now and shout at her for not making his breakfast or how bad she is at making tea. A small smile crept on her lips thinking how it's both a good and a bad memory.
Walking into her small bedroom she felt a wave of familiar scent embracing her. Like she was being welcomed by someone who had miss her like nothing. It reminded her of the time when she used to sleep with her mother whenever it rained and how her odour used to calm her down.
The moments she spent in this house were so precious that she would kill to revive them for even a single day. Just for one more time, she wanted to lay on her mother's lap, to listen to her sweet lullabies, to bury her face in her neck and inhale her scent, to hug her and never let go. Just one more time.
But alas! We always take things for granted and regret later when they are no more. We humans are so engrossed in this race that we sometimes forget what we are leaving behind. That things will not always go as we please.
That feeling of void again hit her. The last time she felt it was when her mother died and now it was coming back again. This house which she called her home wasn't her home anymore because it isn't the place which makes home... It's the people and their love and relationships.
But luckily she has another place to call her home. A place where she has a little girl whom she treats her like a daughter, where there's this person who unknowingly has made a place in her heart.
These persons were her home now. And no matter what she was ready to fight and live for them. She was ready to live in the present rather then being stuck in past or worrying about future. She was ready for love once again.
