Everyday take a few minutes to sit quietly and just be thankful for all that you have.

I have the most precious gift given to me by God and that is my beautiful daughter Avery.

My sundays are all for Avery. Whole day we do all girly stuffs like dressing up, cooking, play some games of hide and seek, playing with each other's hair. Believe me, this is life.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

"Baby, I'll be back." I kissed Avery's cheeks and went to receive the phone. We were watching Frozen for the hundredth time.

"Hello?"

"Mam, which day should I book your tickets to London?" My P. A asked.

"Book for next week. And yes ring up Kasey to get the penthouse clean."

"Okay mam."

"Thanks." I hung up.

I looked at Avery who was engrossed in the movie, she would listen to the characters intently and understand the whole movie. I walked out of the theatre room to go to the kitchen, to start preparing for lunch.

After about 5 minutes the phone started ringing again but my hands were covered with flour. Oops!

"Baby can you take the phone? I'm busy here." I shout so that she can hear.

"I got that momma."

Mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, chicken...... what to cook? I searched the store and couldn't come up with anything, when the store was totally full.

I went back to the theatre room to ask Avery about lunch and there she was smiling happily.

"Who called up?" I ask.

"Polar bear." She answered smiling.

"What did he say?"

"I invited him over for lunch." Avery looked very happy with the idea of Roy coming over for lunch with us. Whereas I had a blank expression on my face.

"You did?" I asked.

Avery pouts. "Sorry momma I should've asked you first." She had teary eyes.

"Baby it's okay." I smiled at her. "So what do you want for lunch?"

"Chinese!" She exclaimed.

Good! Both Roy and Avery loved chinese food.

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Two hours later.

Ding dong!

The doorbell.

"I'll get that." Avery said, extremely happy to meet her polar bear.

I was setting up the table for lunch. When the doorbell rang and Avery jumped off the sofa to go and see her Polar bear.

Last nights dance flashed in my mind, bringing a smile to my face. We had the last dance. Our parents were so happy looking at us together. Natasha was in the verge to explode. Annie and Parth were smiling like this was bound to happen and they knew it. Ed was furious. Oh god! I will never forget the looks on their faces.

And then when Mrs. Singhania said, "You both look so good together." That is when I realized I'm letting myself fall for him again and if this time he treats me like a piece of shit then I'll break into a million pieces which will never mend again.

I ask myself, do I want this?

"Ice cream and chocolates!"

"Snow, your momma will scold me. Please princess, don't shout out."

I stepped out of the dining place with a smile on my face. I still need time to think what I want but I won't ruin this happy time. This makes Avery happy.

"You are spoiling her." I said, folding my arms in front of my chest.

"Momma even you like ice cream." Avery whined. Roy ruffled his hair and I just rolled my eyes.

"Keep rolling your eyes, one day you'll see things upside-down." Roy said.

"Momma says that." Avery chuckled.

"That's my dialogue." Roy made a frowning face.

"Let me keep the ice-cream in the refrigerator." I took the chocolates and ice-creams from Avery's hands. She made a pout.

"After lunch we will have ice-creams." Roy spoke and took Avery inside.

"Momma and I were watching Disney movies, she tells me about the princesses......"

They both went inside talking and laughing. I smiled and went back to work.

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I didn't know Ashna likes to have ice-cream. Ice queen likes ice-cream. Then again, there is a lot about her that I want to know and become a part of.

I don't know what I feel about her, but her presence makes me forget all my recent problems. I forgot that my own father is going to disown me and I don't have much time left to prove myself. The cash amount is still kept safely in the briefcase and I don't know what to do with it.

I hit the doorbell and after two seconds, Snow opened the door. She was looking pretty as always. But I wanted to see her mother. Ah... I'm in deep, deep trouble.

"Ice-creams and chocolates!" Snow exclaimed.

I laughed at her excitement. We were talking when she came in.

"You're spoiling her." Ashna spoke, looking at me with a smile on her face.

I stared at her with my mouth open. Damn! I'm in deep shit. How can someone look so damn sexy in her pajamas and cotton shirt?

I kept gawking. "Momma even you like ice-cream." Avery spoke and I forced myself to stop from drooling.

Ashna rolled her eyes and me being me couldn't stop from commenting. "Keep rolling your eyes, one day you'll see things upside down."

Avery spoke something and the conversation went on for a minute or two. My eyes were staring and admiring the beauty standing in front of me.

Ashna looked at me straight in the eyes and I immediately broke our eye contact. I seriously need to move from here.

I ran my hands through my hair and Ashna took the ice-cream packets from us. I smiled and started walking further into the house with Avery.

"Momma and I were watching Disney movies, she tells me about the princesses and she even told me that she will make me one princess gown for my next birthday and we are going to......"

I smiled and laughed at what Avery was speaking, we sat in the red couch in the theatre room.

Ashna's cottage or bungalow... no it's a mansion, feels very homely. The decor was basically wood.

"Snow, show me some of your pictures. You promised me last time."

"Okay." She smiled and got up. "Lets go to my room." She switched off the T.V as well as the home theatre and walked towards her room.

We walked up the stairs to the first floor. There were four door, two of them were locked, one door was painted simple white. White, blue and yellow handmade paper swans were hanging in long threads and in the door was written in bright yellow spray paint. Red 'KALKI' were designed beside the word.

"Hope." I whispered. Thinking, maybe that is Avery's room.

"That is momma's room." Avery smiled. "Mine is the violet door."

I don't know why but I'm getting the urge to go and open the door of Ashna's room and stalk inside. I'm losing my sanity because now I'm attracted to her room. Holy fuck!

"Why hope?" I ask.

"Ashna means hope."

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Pictures in the beach.

Pictures in the garden.

Pictures of a porch swing decorated with bougainvilleas.

Pictures of Avery and Ashna.

Pictures of some kids with Sr. Mary.

There were so many pictures and all were just perfectly clicked.

"How are they?" Avery asked.

"They are mind-blowing! I love the swing pictures."

"That swing is in the terrace."

"It's beautiful."

"I didn't see." Avery said in a sad whisper. I looked at her and the smile on her face was gone.

"You'll see it very soon." I smiled at her.

"Yes." She smiled.

"So tell me princess, why do you like photography so much?"

"I'm capturing moments in still pictures so that I can see it later on when I get my eyes."

I smiled at my beautiful princess.

"Lunch is ready!" Ashna's voice sounded from downstairs.

Snow and I went downstairs and the aroma of chinese food hit my nose. My mouth was already watering.

"Chinese!" Avery exclaimed. Ashna and I laughed at her enthusiasm.

Three of us sat down and Ashna was serving us.

"The workers can serve." I said in a casual tone.

"There are no workers in our home." Ashna said.

"You cooked all this?" I am shocked.

I surely made a wierd face because Ashna started laughing. "Yes. Why are you so shocked?"

"No. I was just not expecting you to be a very domesticated woman. I mean don't get me wrong you are a working woman and so independent. I just never thought that you could..."

"Okay, i get it. Stop now." Ashna chuckled.

I smiled and ate the delicious food. "Wow, this is like coming home."

"You like it?" Ashna asked.

"I love it." I said, taking a spoonful of fried rice in my mouth.

"Yes momma this is delicious as ever."

"Thanks." Ashna smiled.

For a few minutes no one spoke, we were busy eating. "So did you sort out your issue?" Ashna asked at that time.

"What issues?"

Ashna rolled her eyes. "Your father told you something, remember?"

See? Again I forgot about it. I shrugged. "Yeah, I remember. And no, I don't know what will I do."

"You'll figure out something soon. Don't worry." Ashna said.

"What would you do if you were in my place?"

"I would use it for a good cause."

"Like?"

"See, 5 lakhs is neither an huge amount to spend lavishly nor a small amount to just waste it. And when I don't know what to do with a particular thing that I've then I give it to someone who needs it."

Ashna's words were making sense. "Like donate the money?" I ask.

She shrugged. "Maybe, there are some students too, who need money to complete their education, then their are people- middle class people who need to pay off their bills and some struggle in day-to-day life just for some money."

"5 lakh rupees is enough for them?" I ask.

Ashna chuckled. "Its more than enough for them."

"How do you know? How can you be so sure?"

"You ask too many questions, Roy."

"Answer me."

"I wasn't always rich and popular. I struggled to become what I'm now."

I stared at her for a while. I was speechless. Being an Indian, I have always seen these girls from aristocrat families getting married off, always had an identity of someone's daughter or someone's wife or mother. Women like Ashna are rising and it's makes me so proud, talented, ambitious and independent, having their own identity. That's what every woman should be like.

"What?" She asked.

"What will I do?" I asked, putting my head down. Leaving my thoughts behind and focusing on the problem at hand.

"Keep hope. Everything will be okay. You'll figure out the best." She smiled and I mirrored hers.

"I'm done, I want ice-cream." Avery exclaimed. Ashna and I chuckled.

I told myself, 'keep hope, Roy.'

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