6 years later,
Dheeraj is seen sitting inside his cabin in an office , deeply concentrated in his work in laptop..it's already evening.... suddenly his eyes averted from the laptop to his phone which rang....

A small smile crept on to his face seeing the name on the screen.....

" ..Sonu..had food? what happened? You alright?" He immediately shoot his questions in concern ..he didn't even bothered to say hello...

" Sonu nahi...baby hu" He immediately bit his tongue hearing the baby voice from the other side ....

A wide smile came into his face hearing his angel's voice...his angel ..his princess ... words aren't enough for him to describe his love for her ....for the first time he got confused that to whom he love more...his Sonu or his little life..if Sonu is his life, then his little one is his soul..if she is heart,then his little one is his heart beat...
She is the symbol of their love and fruit of their longings...the perfect combo of him and his Sonu .. their daughter... Deekshita aka isha..

Five years before,Dheeraj's felt like God was saving all the happiness till then, to gave to him all together,when he first heard that words from his Sonu on the day of aham and bhavini's marriage that he is going to be a father...
His happiness had no bounds and he was like in a dream land for the next nine months ....
And on the date, when he first received his little happiness in his hands...he felt complete and was like God heard his prayers,he got a daughter just as he wished ...
now the time flew up like anything and his princess is now 5 years old....
A naughty and hyperactive one...just like him...

"Sorry baby...aur kya..batao..had your food?" He said back in same baby voice...

" Ha..baby Where are you ?" She asked....she too calls him baby as he she is too naughty and also because he calls her baby... sometimes ishu and sometimes pari....

" I'm in office baby..what happened?" He asked and this time she started to weep...

" Baby..baby...I fell down.." she said in weeping tone and niharika who was sitting beside her looked at her with widened eyes hearing her terrible lie...

" What...fell down? Kaha...kya kar rehe dhe tumhari mumma...phone do use " he said in a serious tone which isha chuckled silently and niharika frowned...

" Baby... don't scold mumma...I was playing and I fell down...dekho... blood bhi a raha hai..." She said .. niharika just covered her mouth with her hands in astonishment...and glared at her...

" Baby...come fast....I want to see you now.." isha added and he already got ready to depart...
He can't see his little angel in pain and also can't bear even a single scratch on her body....

" Ok..ok.. don't cry...baby is coming..ok?" He cut the call and immediately went out of his cabin and took his car from parking area and went out of his office...
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It's almost got dark when he reached back to house....he parked the car inside car porch and surprised to the the house was all dark without any lights...
He slowly took steps inside and found the door opened..
He slowly opened the door and it was pitch dark ....he slowly took his steps inside and suddenly he heard the sound of balloon bursting....
He startled a bit and suddenly the lights switched on and confettis fell over him....he looked up and suddenly
He Heard a scream

" Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!"

He looked surprisingly to see his ishu ,who looked very well and happy too along with hrishika ,darshan and Maheshwari standing infront of him ... Widely smiling...he chuckled a bit and mumbled to himself....
"It's 26 th today? Oh ...my"

He just can't control his laughing as he walked towards them and lifted his little isha up and swirled her above his head.....
" So it's all your idea .. right...?" He asked and she giggled inside his arms...
She looked more pretty in her pink balloon frock .....he put her down and she gestured him to sit down....
He slowly sat on his knees reaching her level and she gave a tight kiss on his cheeks...

" Happy Birthday baby....my birthday gift to you" she said and took out a paper she was holding ..he opened it to see his baby had drawn a cute pic of a man holding a child's hand and writing "happy birthday baby "on it in her own cute childish handwriting...his eyes turned moist as well as gleamed in happiness

" Thankyou baby....I love you so much" He pulled her cheeks and kissed back...

Darshan hugged him and wished a very happy birthday as he got up...
Then Maheshwari and hrishika too wished him and she too gifted a kiss to him....but his eyes roamed here and there to get a glance of his dear wife...his Sonu....

" Vese tumhari girne ka idea kaha se mila... ofcourse tumhari mumma ki idea honge haina?" He asked a bit louder purposefully to hear her ....

" Ha...ab sari problems meri hogayi...teri beti ne khud ko bola hai.. .meine kuch nahi kaha ." He heard a complaining voice from behind ...he turned to see his Sonu looking even more glowing and beautiful in her navy blue kurti, behind Rithika who was holding a beautiful cake in her hands....
She passed a complaining look and walked slowly towards them as her last months of pregnancy making her a bit difficult to walk, sit and bend... She is carring their second child inside her and it's her 9th month

Rithika placed the cake on beautifully decorated table beside him.......

He stood infront of the table carring his little ishu in his arms and said
" So now I wanted to cut it ?...but today I'll cut the cake with my ladies gang ok.. ?" He signalled hrishika to come beside him and him, along with isha and hrishika cut the cake and the girls jumped happily.... isha immediately took one piece and pushed it into his mouth...he chuckled and choked..

He fed Everyone with his own hands finally he went near Sonu ..who is continuously staring at him and his antics with children and he somehow noticed that between his plays with children...

He offered a piece of cake which she happily ate and suddenly her phone buzzed...she took it with a wide smile and swiped up to receive that video call....

" happy birthday jiju.... happy birthday bhai..." He heard a loud scream from other side ..he eagerly looked into the phone to find bhavini and aham happily smiling at him....

" Hey...thanks yaa.." he thanked back ... They showed their 3 year old son Ayan happily playing around and now they also became a happy family , the only thing is they got settled in America...

"Aham ... when will you come...we are eager to meet ayan here.." Dheeraj asked

" Actually...we are waiting for a call from there bhai that you again made us mausi and mausaji...tell us, we will take the next flight..pucca..." aham added to which they all laughed wholeheartedly...

They happily chatted for a few minutes more and after that departed into their own rooms for their own work....
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After dinner, in Niraj's room
" After that?" Isha asked in a bit tired voice as she will drift into sleep at any time...

" After that prince and princess happily married and lived thereafter.." Dheeraj completed the story slowly caressing her head as his little angel was lying on her stomach over him and her head rested on his chest...

Slowly slowly, she slept hugging him tightly... niharika came inside the room to see the most beautiful sight infront of her...she always admired this father daughter duo...how cute..
She remembered darshan told her that how Dheeraj got excited when the nurse said that she had given birth to a baby girl...
He got so much excited that he even hugged that nurse out of joy and to his luck, that lady was a middle aged one and also she understood his excitement...she wondered what will he do this time ....

She chuckled herself remembering the instance which drew dheeraj's attention towards her...
He slowly made isha lay on bed and went to her....he was about to hug her...she immediately took a turn and opened her wardrobe...she took her night dress and went inside which made him stood perplexed....
Ahh....her mood swings....

After sometime, she came out of the bathroom which gifted him a most beautiful sight to behold...his beautiful and alluring wife, basking in her pregnancy glow...

He stood infront of the dressing table ...he went towards her and hugged her from behind, almost wrapping his arms around her baby bump....

" Raj... what are you doing.. leave me..ishu will wake up" she said in a low voice...

Bit he totally ignored her and hoarded his head into her crook of her neck , nuzzling ....he smiled to himself as he felt his baby moving inside...

She felt chills ran towards her spines....she tried to free herself but she can't because of her baby bump...so she allowed him to do whatever he was doing...

" Where's my gift?" He asked after a short silence...

" Gift?" She asked

" Yes...my birthday gift...look everyone gave me something...maa gave me a tight hug, a beautiful cake by my bhabhi..., A watch from darsh and look my baby too gifted me...but look at my wife..so mean " he frowned a bit which made her tensed....

" Mein...mein.. what should I..." She mumbled...

" Mein mein..kya...I want my gift..after 5,6 hours , this day will finish off...lagta hai ab mujhe kuch agle bday mein hi milega" he said with a disappointed face but poor niharika didn't noticed the mischievous smirk hidden in his face...

She turned and faced him slowly and cupped his face....he looked straightly into her orbs ..she slowly brought her lips towards his lips and pulled him into a deep and Ardent kiss....he got surprised by her sudden gesture but he started to kiss her slowly and in sync making sure that it won't hurt her....

After sometime he felt that she is trying hard to catch her breathe...he slowly moved apart and she whispered into his ears happy birthday...he didn't say thank you...he just tried to pull her closer,but their 'baby' came between them he looked down at her belly and laughed....

He made her sit on the edge of the bed..he sat on the floor and took her swollen foot in his hands and placed on his lap...he started massaging her foot and she caressed his hairs ... slowly running her fingers through his scalp...

" If you continue stroking like this... I'll sleep here itself" he said while massaging her feet...
She chuckled...

" Is it..then come... we'll sleep...ab raat bohot ho chuki hai...tumhe office bhi toh jana haina.." she said and held his shoulders with one hand and other hand supported her baby bump...she was about to get up but suddenly a sharp pain shot up into her body and it stuck onto her lower abdomen...

She held her baby bump and shut her eyes tightly and drops of tears fell down from her eyes....involuntarily,she sat back to the bed....

" Raj.." she called in a trembling voice and this time he turned to see her face turned all red ......

" Sonu .." he gasped in shock...
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It's been 6 long dreadful hours after Niharika went into her labour pain...
They could hear her cries... Dheeraj is just walking to and fro in the verandah infront of labour room , consoling a crying isha in his hands....
Again after an hour, a nurse came outside carrying a small bundle inside her arms and asked..

" Who is Niharika's husband here?"

Hearing this , he immediately handed over isha to his mom and went towards her...the nurse handed a little bundle inside his arms and he took it in utmost care...

" It's a boy" he heard the nurse saying and his eyes clouded with tears...he chuckled as the baby slowly half opened its eyes and yawned...

He gave back the bay to nurse and after sometime he was allowed to see her too..

And He saw the most beautiful sight infront of him.... Niharika is half sitting on the bed, cuddling their baby close to her chest....

He went inside ..she looked up at him...he immediately sat down beside her and placed an open mouth kiss on her forehead...

" Thank for this beautiful birthday gift.." he whispered

" I love you.." she said back

" I love you ..more " he said and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and touched his baby's forehead and smiled....
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" What will we name him?" Isha asked out of excitement to his mumma and papa who sat near her inside the pooja room with her little brother inside Niharika's arms...

Maheshwari, Sangeetha , rekha and Rithika looked curiously at Niharika whereas the men gang stood there smiling...even Bhavini and aham came from America to meet their little nephew..

niharika and dheeraj looked at each other and smiled.. they said in unison
"ASHISH!!!!"

" We are naming him Ashish..in the memory of our beloved friend.." Dheeraj declared...
Everyone supported their decision and aham almost got tears in his eyes....
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That night,
Dheeraj's pov
Whole earth bathed in moonlight as it's afull moon day and stars shone brightly in the sky....

I'm feeling more complete and peaceful as today .... so do my Sonu...
She is here with me ...her head on my shoulders.. our entwined fingers...feeling peace... enjoying the cool breeze what more can I ask from God other than this ...but my only regret was my Ashish..that too completed today.

" Raj...I think we have done a great thing by naming our son ,his name... Radhika aunty and uncle will be so happy hearing this. " she suddenly said breaking our silence

I didn't replied.. I smiled and kissed her head and looked up to the sky....

Because I know who will be the most happiest person today.... Ashish, I fulfiled you ur last wish today...you will live with us through our child....in a point my life is your gift too....
You made me complete my wish and thus you made MY BEST FRIEND, MINE FOREVER...........

I believe friendship is the most strongest bond which can tie to unknown personalities so easily....where friendship exist, there love also exists....love among partners too emerges from friendship between them...and I believe friendship and love both are connected to each other like soul mates....thus both completed my life .........

Dheeraj and niharika has already started a new life and they stepped into the other phase of life too....but they never broke their beautiful relationship called friendship.....they just found their love through their friendship.....
And friendship is something like that.....

Friendship is a Ship that Never sinks .. not even in Strom or not even in High tides....it will flow and flow till life goes on...till life exists in the earth...a beautiful feeling.....

~ my own thoughts ❤️

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So that's the wrap up..
now I'm officially finishing my book
" My best friend mine forever" here...
Thanks for all my readers and silent readers those who all voted amd supported my story till this date... thankyou thankyou so much... without your support,I'll never be able to finish this book this soon...once again thanks...

And if you want my other stories 2 stories
" My marriage my revenge" and " The Wrath of Kuruvansh" are already published..do shower your support to that books too like this.... and there's another ardi story plot too in my mind..if you want it then please tell me....
Till then,

Stay happy
Stay safe 🙏

Yours author,

Devimaheshwari