At the stroke of midnight, everyone wished each other and prayed for a better year ahead of them, especially for Kavya's fast recovery. Kavya looked upset and cursed her fate. She remembered how she had done crazy things the last New Year's Eve with Virat.

'I have a surprise for you,' Virat said to Kavya.

'What's that?' Kavya asked.

He removed a letter from his bag and started reading it to her in the presence of the hospital staff and Kavya's parents.

Happy New Year! It's that time again, when we shed the old and welcome the new. We say goodbye to the past and are encouraged by the chance to start again. People disregard and down-talk new years'resolutions because we never keep them anyway. But I am not talking about a resolution to be attempted and discarded. I am taking about a new way life. It's almost a week that you have been here, unaware of what's happening in the world. But I promise that I will be your vision from now onwards. Mahek too wants you to get well soon so that you can go around with her, teasing boys on the road like you used too.

She will not let you run away from the happiness that you so deserve. I know what this year was like for you and for all of us.

There were some heartbreaks, lost opportunities and broken dreams too. Maybe, there was frustration and anger too. But my dearest friend, where there is life, there is hope. It may not be exactly what you want, but you have the power to change it.

Starting with how you see yourself and how you see others. When you know that you are valuable and truly, genuinely, like yourself, that love spreads to everyone around you. I'm not talking about the loud self-confidence that shouts for attention. I mean the quiet confidence that whispers 'I know who I am'. With that type of self-esteem, you dis-empower the words of abuse in your life. You shoot your insecurities down to the ground and you show that hateful voice in your head who's the boss. Your parents, Mahek and I...we all love you. Forever. You are our princess. And don't worry, I will never tell your parents about the stuff we did this year.

Heaven must be looking down over us because they blessed me with you. I know times are tough, but we are each other's strength. I love you so much, my dearest friend, so remember that you are my 'hope'which is the ultimate desire of all human kind. No matter how terrible the tragedies of life, as long as we can catch a glimmer of hope, we can survive life's worst encounters. Promise me, you will never cry and will smile always as that's what makes you beautiful. Whatever may be the situation; you will survive and remain unchanged as we love our Kavya who is as nutty as a fruit cake. Your birthday is nearing and we will celebrate it together like we did last year. Such accidents can't spare the city from our hara.s.sment and pagal-panti.

After the letter ended, everyone around broke into a loud applause. In the midst of all the pain she was suffering, Virat's friendship was her only hope. He was sacrificing his social life just for her happiness and just so he could pamper her. Indeed, nothing had changed after Mahek's entry into his life. Mahek was lucky that she had a partner like Virat who was so caring and affectionate towards his loved ones. Virat was equally lucky as he had unconditional support and understanding from his love.

Kavya was the luckiest of all as she had both Virat and Mahek in her life.

10th January, 2010 Mid Point Hospital, Aundh There are two types of pain that we encounter in our lives: One that hurts you and other that changes you. Kavya had encountered the storm of pain but it didn't hurt her, rather it made her strong as a person.

It had almost been a fortnight since Kavya had been admitted and her determination gave her strength everyday. She was getting used to her life a day at a time. The doctors had shifted her from the ICU to a regular room. Her pill intake was reduced as she had recovered partially. Slowly, she had again started smiling even though the pain of the physical wounds was visible on her face. Her smile didn't mean that her life was perfect, but that she appreciated what she had. She was trying to do things on her own though it wasn't always easy for her.

Virat wanted to make her birthday special as Kavya had gone through so much in the past few days and deserved every chance of happiness she got. Kavya's parents had cooperated with Virat who wanted to celebrate her birthday at the hospital like no one would have imagined. He wished her at midnight and came to the hospital early morning with a surprise.

Kavya was sleeping in her room when he tiptoed into the room. Mahek had already decorated the hospital room with a few balloons and ribbons while Kavya was asleep. Though they knew that Kavya would not be able to see the decoration, they didn't care. The cake was ready on the folding table that Virat had got with him. The visitors who were sitting outside peeped into the room to see what was happening. Virat played the birthday song on his mobile and Kavya woke up to a shock.

Everyone, including Kavya's parents, clapped and cheered for her.

'Mom, are Virat and Mahek here?' Kavya asked.

'Yes.'

The birthday song continued and Kavya felt extremely special. She couldn't believe all the arrangement her friends had done just to make her feel special. Her mom told her that her friends had brought the cake and decorated the room with balloons and ribbons.

Tears rolled down her eyes and she asked, 'Virat, why you are doing so much for me? You people are making me feel so special, as if I am going to die in few months,' she winked.

'You will never change, right?' Mahek said and continued, 'Don't say that ever again.'

'You want me to?'

'Never.'

Virat helped her cut the cake with a knife and they once again sang Happy Birthday in chorus. Kavya fed the first piece of the cake to her parents followed by Virat and Mahek. Even the nurses and doctors joined later and wished her well. She had won the hearts of the doctors too with her innocent smile.

'Kavya, get ready for the surprise,' Virat announced.

He opened the play list in the mobile and played the byte he had recorded over the past few days. The recording had one message each from her parents, Virat and Mahek. He had edited the unclear part out and had added soft music in the background. Once played, it sounded like a song.

Virat began, Kavya everyone loves you and this is just a small token of love from our side. Here are the messages that everyone wants to give on your birthday...

Mahek: Hey Kavya, a very happy birthday to you! Fun is waiting for us outside. Get well soon. We are the kind of friends who, when in a hospital together, would race our wheelchairs up and down the corridor and halls yelling 'Gotta go'.

Virat: It's a special day in your life. Happy birthday. I am luckyto have a friend who always seems to make me laugh at my lowest point, just want to say thanks for knowing what I need. Everyone should have a best friend like you. But they shouldn't steal mine. You are my best friend. I love you.

Mom: Happy birthday, beta. What should I say? Our home is lonely without you. There is no one at home who makes a mess of the room, throwing clothes here and there. Even our maid goes home early nowadays. Sometimes, you are mad at me. Sometimes, I am mad at you. But I still enjoy playing the part of your mother as we would really go mad without you. Come home soon and bring it back to life.

Dad: Wish you a warm birthday, my princess. As you father, I have always secretly hated the fact that you are growing up because I know that every pa.s.sing moment brings me one step closer to the day when I will have to give your hand to another man. Daddy loves you, sweetheart.

By the time the recording ended, there was a huge smile on Kavya's face. She felt like she was able to see everyone. She was able to visualize their expressions. It was probably one of her best birthdays, even though it was celebrated in a hospital room. Kavya thanked everyone for their warm wishes through such a lovely medium. If you have people like them around you, life is awesome. Such incidents make you realize that money and success are nothing. It's the love and affection from your family and friends that matters the most.

29th January, 2010 Friendships are what make us strong when we feel weak, happy when we feel sad, and comforted when we feel alone. Virat and Kavya's relationship had proved that you don't need a boyfriend or a girlfriend to be happy, all you need is a good friend who is always putting a smile on your face. Mahek and Kavya's relationship had also proved that two girls can be best friends and wish for each other's betterment, no matter where life takes you. One month had pa.s.sed since the accident and Kavya was finally getting discharged. Her dad had gone back home while her grandmother who was in a critical condition all that while had pa.s.sed away. To perform the rituals, her dad had left Pune and was supposed to be back after two weeks. We all had a brief talk with the doctors and they had given a green signal to take her home, but they told us to take care of her as for the first time she was going to witness the outside world without her eyes. They had even told us that in such situations, the patient doesn't react very well and may take out her frustration on someone. So we had to be prepared for it.

'Wear this whenever you go out,'the doctor said giving her a pair of dark gla.s.ses as she got up from her bed.

'Ok, doctor,'Kavya smiled.

'Thank G.o.d she didn't ask for a Ray Ban,'Virat joked.

Kavya tried to pinch him in the direction where she heard his voice but missed him by a whisker. She got a bit annoyed and Virat sensed her agitation. He purposely went closer to her in the direction of her hands so that she could pinch him.

'See; don't think that if I can't see then I won't be able to trouble you,'Kavya said with a smile on her face.

Virat held her hand and felt a bit uneasy looking at Kavya's condition. A girl, who was so colourful and lively, who made everyone around her happy and always took care of everyone, needed support today to even get out of her bed. It was commendable on Virat and Mahek's part that they had been with Kavya every moment since the last one month and had never made her feel alone.

Kavya's mom made her sit in Virat's car and Virat drove the car towards her home. Kavya sat expressionless in the car as she couldn't see anything outside the window. Mahek cracked some jokes to lighten her mood. As they reached her home, Kavya asked Virat to take her to her room.

'Please, take me in front of the mirror,'Kavya said.

Virat did as was told without asking her any questions. Kavya stood in front of the mirror and stared at it.

She gave a little smile to Virat and said, 'I just wanted to see how I look after an accident. I was imagining what the mirror would show. My cuts, dark circles under my eyes and the stick that I am holding?'

The hardest things to come to terms with had been not being able to see her own reflection in the mirror. She felt like she had lost her ident.i.ty.

'Don't stress yourself, out,'Virat said trying to console her. He could understand the mental trauma and crisis of ident.i.ty she was going through.

'It's so much harder to feel s.e.xy and attractive when I have no idea what clothes I am putting on, or how my mascara looks,'Kavya continued.

Virat made her sit down on the bed and held her hand. It was a difficult phase in their life but Virat knew that he was her courage. He too, had undergone all the pain, mentally, in the last one month though he didn't show it to anyone. Mehak too had to sacrifice a lot over past the few days for Kavya.

They both loved Kavya and were ready to spend the rest of their lives making her happy.

Kavya had a habit of switching her TV on as soon as she sat on the bed in her room. But now even that was not possible. She tried to recollect where everything was placed in her room and made her way around the room, touching everything on the way. But when she wakes up in the morning and opens her eyes, there would be nothing but endless darkness.

Those little things that everyone takes for granted are the ones that make life impossible as a blind person-like pouring boiling water to make a cup of tea or even sending a message through your mobile. Every day she grieved for her independence and the person she was before. And it was not just her sight that was gone, even her college life had abruptly come to an end. She relied on her parents and friends completely for everything-from reading messages to shopping. She just couldn't shake off the feeling of being trapped inside her own body.

Old habits die hard, but Kavya was determined to let go of her past and build a strong future.

Gradually, she started walking alone around her home and Mahek, being a girl, helped her a lot with things she couldn't talk to her parents about. Virat had promised her that he would never let the fun die in their relationship and he stood by his words. After a week of being discharged, he regularly took Kavya out for a walk in the garden would dutifully describe the surroundings to her-how the children played, oldies jogged and couples kissed.

Day by day, Kavya started feeling better and the presence of her family and friends made her life beautiful in its own way. She too loved all the attention she got. The threads of their friendship had strengthened even more and they were her strength in the true sense of the word. Every moment spent with them motivated her and gave a hope to live a new life all over again. To enjoy the new life as she did before. To make everyone happy around her.

Life is too short to cry over what is lost; Kavya made it the motive of her life to spread happiness around her. She did miss seeing the clouds in the bright blue sky and the stars twinkle at night. She would run her hands over the faces of people she met so that she could visualize their faces in her head.

At times, she thought being blind was a good thing in a way. That way, she didn't have to see all the ugliness that's penetrated into our world. She now saw the world through Virat and Mahek's eyes.

Trust Me, I'm Freaking Serious!

9th February, 2010 Virat's Apartment In life, everyone meets that one person they can talk to about anything. For Virat, that person was Kavya. Some people think a friend is somebody you've known forever. But it's never like that. It's really about who stood by you through everything. Virat and Kavya didn't even know each other a few years back but today they meant everything to each other. Many even thought that they loved each other until Mahek entered Virat's life.

Virat was sitting in his room and was flipping through his childhood alb.u.m with a gla.s.s of beer in his hand. After Kavya's accident, he had started feeling alone though he always tried to keep himself busy.

Even in the midst of it all this, he was missing his parents. He kept thinking if something like this would have happened to him, who would have been his moral support. Kavya's parents supported and loved her like anything. Virat felt depressed thinking about it and missed the fatherly touch of his dad and the motherly care of his mom. Though his uncle supported him financially and treated him like a son, no one can replace the love of parents.

As he was flipping through the alb.u.ms, his phone buzzed. It was Rohan.

'Where have you been these past few days?' You've hardly come on Gtalk.'

'I told you, I was busy at the hospital. My friend is admitted there.'

Rohan had tried reaching Virat a couple of times on phone, but Virat hardly ever responded. Virat had told him that once Kavya was discharged from the hospital, he would meet him and his love Riddhima.

'You have still not met Riddhima. When are you meeting us? And how is Kavya?'

'She is fine. I will meet you guys soon. Anyway, I thought since you now have a girlfriend, you won't get any time to meet your friends. That is what generally happens,' Virat smirked.

They talked for some time and then Virat started to watch a movie on his laptop. He just wanted to get over his feeling of loneliness. Mahek was busy and so he thought a movie would help.

When your relationship goes through some crisis and you're still able to sustain it, your relationship becomes more powerful than ever before.

Sometimes, the strongest of all relationships start out with a small friendship and work its way up.

Mahek and Virat's relationship had started with a friendship though it had been intentionally planned so by Kavya. However, Rohan and Riddhima's friendship was never intentional. Though Rohan was in a relationship with Zoya, it was nearly impossible for Riddhima to forget Rohan as she loved him and that love had made a huge impact on her life. Virat and I, together, made Rohan realize the value of her love and he was extremely happy being in a relationship with her. Sometimes, he did remember Zoya, and whenever that happened, I had to travel from Mumbai to Pune just to make him understand that it's over. After all, he treated me more as a friend than a brother. More importantly, he didn't regret his decision of choosing Riddhima as his life partner.

Virat had been stressed since the last few weeks and needed to take rest. He didn't realize when he fell asleep while watching the movie. Suddenly, the bell rang and he got up. It was Mahek. He was surprised to see her at that hour of the day.

'Did you bunk your cla.s.ses?' Virat asked.

'Yes. Because I want to make out with you right now. And there is a reason behind it.'

Before Virat could answer, she pushed him against the wall. He stared at her for a few moments, and suddenly the air filled with tension. He leaned back and his hand accidentally fell into a bowl of ketchup kept on the table next to the wall. Mahek licked the sauce from his fingers and the sensation of her touch made his body tickle.

She bit his palms softly and licked his wrist. Her hands came up and grasped his bicep firmly, pushing up his sleeve as her tongue licked the inside of his elbow. She began to make soft moaning sounds and he watched her, hypnotized, eyes wide, unable to pull back from her. Her lips moved swiftly from his elbow to his neck, and he felt the touch of her hot breath on his cold skin. He slowly removed her top exposing her skin. She was trying to unbuckle his belt. She became more furious with every attempt. He pushed her against the wall and removed his belt. She pulled down his pants and underpants, and brought him closer to herself. He let his gaze explore her flawless skin and continued kissing her all over, making her moan in delight. He held her by her hair and bit her neck. She threw her head back and cried out in pleasure.

'Did you come here to tell me something or just to make out?' Virat asked teasing her.

'Yes.'

'So tell me. What is it?'

'How do you know Rohan? Do you know him personally or did you two ever meet?' Mahek asked, looking in his eyes.

'Kind of. I had met him on a random blog on some blogger's website. I liked his views and had thus added him on my Gmail account. Then gradually, we started chatting. But what happened?'

'So you've never met?'

'Yes. The first time we met was because I needed some information regarding an orphanage.'

'Never through Orkut or Facebook?' Mehak continued asking questions.

'Mahek, you know I am not on Orkut. And forget Facebook. I don't understand anything about it.

You think I am hiding something from you?' Virat asked in frustration and pushed her away from him.

Facebook had just been launched and not many people had created accounts on it.

'It just slipped my mind that you are not on Orkut. So you have just met once?'

'You are acting like CID,' he said raising his voice.

'Answer me,' she asked again.

'Ok, let me tell you everything. We started talking casually on Gtalk. He used to tell me about his love life and his ex-girlfriend, Zoya. But then I told him that he should move on and now, he is dating Riddhima. He was confused about the decision so at that time I met him along with his cousin, Aditya.

In fact, I was going to meet him on the same day the accident took place. Remember I told you I was going to meet a friend but you didn't know him? It's the same guy.'

'Oh, now I get it. Did you ever tell him about me?' Mahek said looking anxious.

'Probably a few times, I had told him I am in love and was going to propose to my love. But I never mentioned your name. You know, I don't reveal such things because I'm afraid of losing people. But will you tell me what happened with him and why you are asking about him?'

'Thank G.o.d, you never mentioned my name to him. I was so afraid that I came running to ask you,'

said Mahek breathing a sigh of relief.

'Why?'

'Because he happens to be my cousin.'

Virat immediately got up from his bed. He couldn't believe what he had heard. There was pin-drop silence in the room with both of them staring at each other. He reconfirmed whether he had heard her correctly or not. Mahek nodded in agreement. Virat's face turned deathly white. It was nothing but a horrifying dream. He tried to recollect all his past discussions with Rohan but still couldn't remember him saying anything about Mahek. Nor could he remember Rohan mentioning that he had a sister. This came as a real shocker to him. He felt like he had been caught in a crime.

'I don't remember Rohan mentioning it.'

'Why are you getting so restless?'

'What the f.u.c.k do you mean restless? Obviously it's come as a shock to me. G.o.d dammit, he is your brother. How did you come to know that he talks to me?' he stammered.