It was a great day for Diya and Rishaan as they had finally escaped the family function and decided to be together all by themselves. They decided to directly hit the Candolim beach for a quick brunch. There is always that one spot that can soothe all problems and worries. And Candolim was that one place always reserved in the Travel diary of Rishaan and Diya. The Golden sand swept around in a scythe of the beach, hemmed in by towering dunes. It was a bright sunny day. And of course love was in the air for Diya and Rishaan. Walking on the beach, talking your heart out to your soulmate is the best thing in the world. After they finished the club sandwich and coffee which was really popular with the youngsters at Roderick’s cafe. Rishaan took Diya’s hand in his hand and look deep into her eyes like he was giving assurance that he loves her very much. She felt the sparkling and tingling sensation all through her body by his touch.
He decided to be with Diya for at least next four five hours. Rishaan wanted to delete or for that matter at least forget the bad memories of Kiara from his and Diya’s mind. Not forever but at least for next few hours. He decided to take Diya to his cottage which he had designed, decorated and even built all by himself. It was beautiful, elegant and anybody or everybody who looked at it even once fell in love with the cottage at that very moment. It was that beautiful. Rishaan had colored the cottage in deep ocean blue color from outside. It was like a secret palace specially built by Rishaan for the love of his life Diya. He took Diya by her hand and within 10 minutes they were inside the cottage. Diya also readily followed him like an ancient monk. She knew she is going to have peaceful few hours with Rishaan after a long time.
Once they were inside the cottage which was very thoughtfully named “Light of Ri” by Rishaan as a dedicated gift to Diya. Rishaan swiftly and passionately kissed Diya, again to assure that he loves her more than his life. There was no place for anything else apart from love and care for both of them. Diya never stopped Rishaan and went on with the flow. The sweet fragrance of Rishaan’s perfume filled Diya’s mind with old memories of their love making sessions and more and more love. She kissed him back and then they did not stop kissing each other. Not for once. The soft flowy white dress which was purposely wore by Diya was a pleasant surprise for Rishaan. They felt the warmth of each other’s skin very soon. And moments later they were one. Diya and Rishaan loved what just happened. They made love like never before as they were together after such a long time. They were so much in love with each other and they didn’t wish to go back to the harsh Truth of Kiara. But the time arrived when they knew they had no choice but to face her today and now.
Kiara was one pampered child and she was a sweet little younger sister who Diya loved to be with always. Especially after the death of their parents. Diya used to take care of Kiara like she was her own daughter. The day when Diya got to know about Schizophrenia Kiara suffered. The day was marked the worst day of Diya’s life. Kiara’s constant doubtful mind, Kiara’s sudden crying or sudden laughing disturbed Diya very much. Diya wasn’t ready to accept that people will call her little angel Kiara ‘mad’. This brought tears to Diya’s eyes every time she thought about Kiara. But the helping hand she got from Rishaan was the sole support Diya had for her sister’s mental health illness. There were days when Kiara used to face nightmares, there were nights when she used to keep laughing uncontrollably for no reason.
Right from taking Kiara to the doctor, taking her to a long drive, Rishaan was always by her side. Rishaan made sure he bought a white rose every time he came to meet Kiara. Because she just loved and adored the white rose. Diya was overwhelmed to know that Rishaan does care for Kiara like she is his own sibling. From the day Diya lost her father to a prolonged illness to this day when her mom too lost her life in a road accident. Rishaan was with Diya in all the good and bad phases of Diya and Kiara’s life.
Once when Rishaan bought a bunch of red roses instead of white rose just because the white one’s weren’t available at his friend Nick’s flower shop that was located at the roadside near to Diya’s home, Kiara was all exuberant. Blame it on her age or “just turned 18 hormones” but Kiara literally thought Rishaan loves her. She took the flowers and also mistook his gestures. Once when Diya went out for veggies shopping, Kiara tried to touch Rishaan the way he never thought. He sensed something amiss. But didn’t say anything to either of the sisters. After that there were many such occasions when Kiara blushed, loved, cared, gestured more than usual when Rishaan was around. She had fixed in her mind that the way Rishaan bought a white rose every time he came home, the way he took care of her medicine timing, the way he looked after her loving sister Diya means he is in love with her.
Once they had to face the awkward moment when Kiara tried to kiss Rishaan and Diya entered the room. It was then Diya understood the whole new story of a changed Kiara. It was appalling for Diya to consume this weird Truth. She decided to meet Dr. Anand at once and tell the complete testimony. Just to avoid further grievances. Because it was the question of the two most important people in Diya’s life. She couldn’t afford to lose either of them. Just to keep Kiara calm and steady, Rishaan too tried to be as normal as possible with both of them. And then Dr. Anand suggested Diya to take her to Mumbai where he recommended a doctor cum friend at a hospital renowned for mental health treatments. And Diya almost jumped to the opportunity, just for the sake of her little angel. All three of them took the next available flight to Mumbai. And after spending 2 weeks and 8 meeting sessions with Dr. Madhav, the situation was tenser between Rishaan and Diya. As both were unable to cope up with the treatments Kiara would require in coming days. Unending medicines, shock treatments, many injections so on and so forth. This forced her to sleep almost 14 hours a day. Both Diya and Rishaan being in their late 20’s thought this was a very huge responsibility for them. To cope up with the messed up life, to understand and analyze the situation, to overcome the awkward moments between the three of them.
As they didn’t have any close relative in Mumbai, they decided to take the rest of the treatment from Dr. Anand in Goa. Things went topsy-turvy at the Mumbai airport when Diya lost her handbag and had to leave Rishaan with Kiara few minutes alone. And when she was standing right behind Kiara and Kiara was unaware of her arrival, she was shocked to hear the conversation between Kiara and Rishaan. Kiara said, “I love you Rishaan. And I love you so much. I would love to have babies with you. And I can see both of us very happy in the future. And I am very excited to lose my virginity. Please tell me that time will come very soon. Please tell me you love me. Please tell me that you will hold me so close to you that I won’t be able to see anything else but only you.”
Rishaan tried to keep his calm and not to overreact to any of her words. Or give any expression which will confuse Kiara. Diya listened to all these words and felt deep pain inside her, her heart clenched with pain, so deep agony that she lost in the thoughts of the things that are going to unfold in Goa in coming days.
All three of them then boarded the flight sitting next to each other. Diya purposely avoided eye contact with Rishaan which was too difficult for her too. Kiara was on cloud nine after speaking her heart out to Rishaan. And Rishaan was in a very confused, muddled, puzzled state at this very moment. But after a short conversation with Diya, he felt reassured that Diya still deeply loves him and she too can’t leave him come what may. Not for too long but Rishaan felt happy and excited after the brief talk with Diya in 5 minutes absence of Kiara.
In the middle of the flight, Kiara woke up to go to the washroom. When she returned, she was too lazy to push her way into the middle seat. And with Rishaan readily offering to shift seats, the seating arrangement changed. With 20 minutes still remaining for the flight to land, a sleep starved Kiara took another power nap, this time holding Rishaan’s right hand more firmly. Rishaan’s other hand, though, nervously moved to touch Diya’s. Her heart skipped a beat. Diya pulled her hand away. But a defiant Rishaan held her wrist again, this time firmly and more reassuringly. The changing behavioral dynamics between the three perhaps gave out a foreboding of what was to come in Goa.
When the flight landed at the Dabolim Airport, Rishaan felt uncanny…his excitement seemed replaced by an unknown fear that he found very difficult to decipher.
The way Diya ignored Rishaan in the presence of Kiara bought fear to Rishaan’s mind about the situations he was imagining.
Days later, months later Kiara had attended umpteenth counseling sessions with the psychiatrist, she was in a much better position to understand Diya and Rishaan’s relationship. All three of them of them still hang out together like best buddies, go out on dinners together, go on mad shopping sprees and still today – till this day Rishaan makes sure to bring a white rose to Kiara which she still adores from the bottom of the heart. Diya loves her little angel more than before. And Rishaan loves his soulmate Diya more than before because she handled the situation so carefully without messing up anything. Kiara is on the way to recover which is a bit difficult but not impossible.
Diya and Rishaan are successful in their architecture and designing career respectively, trying to take their relationship to the next level with all the love, care and affection for each other.