Where Love Waited
Chapter 1
The narrow roads of Dehradun curled like quiet rivers, shaded by age-old trees and lined with sleepy homes whose walls had stories painted in faded memories.
The afternoon sun wasn't too harsh, just warm enough to cast a golden hue over everything it touched.
A single tempo-traveller curved into one such quiet lane, humming low against the uneven stones,
And came to a slow, coughing stop in front of a pale-blue bungalow.
Curtains fluttered behind windows. A curious squirrel darted up a tree. A dog barked somewhere far.
The new family had arrived.
Aarav Malhotra stepped out first.
Thirteen years old, thin like he hadn't eaten well in days, eyes dark like they'd seen too much too soon.
His right leg was bound in a metallic brace, firm, clunky, and far too big for someone with dreams of flying.
Every step he took was careful. Calculated. Not just because of the pain… but because of the stares.
Behind him came his elder brother and sister-in-law , warm, patient people who had taken Aarav in after fate had left him alone.
They were simple folks. Not rich, not poor. Just... survivors of what life had handed them. And today, they were looking for a fresh start.
Before they could ring the bell or unload the luggage, the gate of the neighboring house creaked open.
And out came sunlight with two ponytails.
Meher Khanna , eleven, maybe twelve, in a pink frock with paint stains and scraped knees.
She walked with the confidence of someone who didn’t know what fear meant. And she didn’t knock.
She didn’t ask. She just entered barefoot and beaming.
She said, wide-eyed and excited.
Young Meher
You’ve moved into that house?
The brother nodded politely. The bhabhi smiled.
Her smile softened only slightly. She leaned forward, hands on her hips, inspecting him the way one would a puzzle.
Young Meher
I’m Meher. Your neighbor
She said, eyes fixed on him now.
Young Meher
What’s your name?
He hesitated. His lips barely moved
Young Meher
What’s with the leg thingy?
She asked next, pointing at his brace with brutal honesty only kids are capable of.
Aarav flinched, as his bhabhi tried to intervene.
Aarav's Bhabhi
He had a problem since birth, beta. He’s recovering.
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Treated
Meher squinted like she was making a mental note.
Young Meher
Hmm. Do you want to walk properly or not?
Young Meher
Because I can help,
Young Meher
Main tumhe chalaana sikhaungi.
Aarav looked at her then , really looked.
This loud little stranger with chipped nails and fearless eyes…
Promising something even doctors couldn’t. He almost laughed. Almost.
By evening, she had brought him marbles, a skipping rope, and two pieces of mango candy
Young Meher
For motivation
By the next week, she was dragging him out every morning at 6 AM for walk practice in their street.
Aarav resisted at first. Then gave in.
Then started to look forward to it.
Her voice was louder than the pain in his legs. Her laughter distracted him from his fear of falling.
Her relentless scolding pushed him harder than any physical therapist ever had.
And slowly, step by painful step… Aarav began to walk better.
Then faster. Then without the brace.
One morning, he stood still at the gate of their lane, no crutch, no support, no trembling.
Meher stood beside him, arms folded, pretending not to tear up.
Young Meher
I told you na. You owe me big time.
Young Aarav
I’ll repay you someday,
They became inseparable. They shared tiffins, raincoats, comic books, and secrets.
Aarav began to laugh again. Meher began to dream about planes.
She was obsessed with the Air Force.
She said she'd marry a fighter pilot someday. Aarav never said anything.
But he knew then, he wanted to be that man.
But to stand beside Meher. Proud. Strong. Worthy of her dream.
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Grown up
Years passed in the quiet lanes of Dehradun, like gentle songs on a loop.
The seasons changed, mango trees bore fruit and then stood bare again.
Rain fell, drenched rooftops and childhood dreams. Winters brought sweaters and shared cups of masala chai.
But one thing never changed:
From school benches to college canteens, they had grown together.
Not just taller, but closer, tighter, like vines that didn’t know where one ended and the other began.
Everyone knew them as “those two.”
Teachers smiled knowingly when they sat side by side. Auntyjis in the colony whispered,
Neighbor
Dono shaadi hi kar lenge.
(Both will definitely get married)
Even his bhabhi would tease,
Aarav's Bhabhi
When are you going to tell Meher ?
Aarav's Bhabhi
What your eyes have been screaming since you were thirteen?
Because Meher still saw him as “her best friend”
Her partner in mischief, her emotional punching bag, her daily ride to college.
The boy she helped walk, and never once suspected of hiding a storm in his chest.
The courtyard smelled of wet earth and sun-warmed bricks.
Monsoon had left a few puddles behind, and Meher was hopping across them barefoot like she always did...
Balancing a steel thali in one hand, filled with two mugs of tea and a plate of samosas.
She shouted from the gate.
Meher Khanna
Don’t act like you didn’t see me!
He was pretending to fix the broken lock on his bicycle, squatting beside it,
His sleeves rolled up, the usual faint frown on his forehead.
But his eyes flicked up for just a second and then quickly returned to the chain,
As if she hadn’t caught the small smile that escaped him.
Meher Khanna
Yeh kya aadat hai teri?
(what's this behavior of yours)
Meher Khanna
Whenever I bring food, you act all busy.
He replied, not looking up.
Aarav Malhotra
This chain is stuck again.
Meher Khanna
And this chain always breaks when you see me coming with food?
Meher Khanna
How convenient.
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I rewrote this chapter as I mistakenly deleted the last one so I did some changes
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