Author pov :🍁🍁🍁

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Meera had never known another

home. The grand Oberoi mansion, with its gleaming marble floors, towering chandeliers dripping with crystals, and sprawling gardens that seemed to stretch endlessly, was the only world she had ever known. But she didn’t belong to the family that owned it. She was the daughter of Sita, a maid who had worked for the Oberois since before Meera was born.

The servants’ quarters were hidden in a secluded corner of the estate—a single small room with a rickety bed that groaned under the slightest movement, an old wooden cupboard with chipped paint, and a tiny stove where her mother cooked their meals. The walls were bare except for a small, faded calendar, and the only window was so small that barely any sunlight crept in. It was nothing like the grand suites inside the mansion, where silk curtains swayed in the breeze, gold-trimmed furniture gleamed under warm lighting, and thick carpets muffled every footstep. Yet, despite its simplicity, for Meera, it was home.

Despite the vast divide between their worlds, Meera’s childhood was never lonely. She had Aarav.

Aarav Oberoi 🪻🪻

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the youngest son of the powerful Oberoi family, was the same age as her. Unlike his siblings and cousins, who barely acknowledged the presence of the servants' children, Aarav was different. He was curious, mischievous, and blissfully unaware of the invisible barriers that separated them.

He sought her out, sneaking away from his nannies and tutors to find her wherever she was—helping her mother fold laundry in the backyard, sitting by the kitchen door listening to the cooks gossip, or crouched near the fountain, watching the koi fish glide through the water.

"Meera!" Aarav’s voice would ring out with excitement, his dark eyes shining with mischief. "Let’s go to the mango tree before anyone sees us!"

Meera would hesitate for a moment, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching, before grabbing his outstretched hand. They would sprint across the garden, their bare feet kicking up dust, their laughter blending with the chirping of the evening crickets.

The ancient mango tree at the farthest edge of the estate was their sanctuary. Its thick branches stretched toward the sky, its roots curled deep into the earth, and its leaves rustled in a way that always made Meera feel like the tree itself was whispering their secrets back to them.

Beneath its shade, they built forts out of bedsheets stolen from the laundry, draping them over low-hanging branches until they had a perfect hideout. In their imaginary world, Meera was a warrior princess, and Aarav was the brave knight who protected their kingdom from invisible enemies.

One afternoon 🌿🌿🌿

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as they sat inside their makeshift fort, Aarav suddenly gasped dramatically and clutched his stomach.

"I'm starving," he groaned, flopping onto the ground. "I might not survive another hour."

Meera rolled her eyes, used to his theatrics. "You just had lunch," she pointed out, crossing her arms.

"That was hours ago! And it was all vegetables," he complained. "I need something sweet. Real food."

She shook her head, amused. "So what do you want me to do about it?"

Aarav smirked. "Wait here."

Before she could protest, he had already scrambled out of the fort and dashed toward the mansion. Meera waited anxiously, her fingers twisting the hem of her faded tunic. If anyone saw him sneaking around, he would get in trouble. Worse, if his mother found out he was taking food for a servant’s daughter, he would be scolded for hours.

Minutes later, Aarav returned, his hands cupped together as if he were carrying something fragile. His grin was triumphant as he sat beside her and slowly opened his palms.

Inside were sweets—laddoos, jalebis, and a few pieces of kaju katli, slightly squished from being hastily stuffed into his pockets.

Meera gasped. "Aarav! Where did you get these?"

"I distracted the cook," he said proudly, unwrapping a ladoo. "You should’ve seen his face when I told him there was a lizard under the stove."

Meera's eyes widened. "You didn’t!"

"I did," Aarav said, laughing as he popped a piece of kaju katli into his mouth. "He screamed and ran out of the kitchen. I had plenty of time."

She giggled, though a part of her felt guilty. "You’re going to get in so much trouble one day."

Aarav shrugged, offering her a ladoo. "Maybe. But today isn’t that day."

She hesitated before finally taking it. As she bit into the sweet, the familiar taste of cardamom and sugar melted on her tongue, making her close her eyes in bliss. For a moment, everything felt perfect—like there was no mansion, no servants' quarters, no rules keeping them apart.

Aarav leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if he were about to share a life-changing secret. "One day, when I grow up, I’ll take you to the biggest shop in the city and buy you as many chocolates as you want."

Meera blinked at him, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes," he said, nodding firmly. "No sneaking, no stealing. Just you and me, walking into a huge shop filled with every chocolate in the world. And you can take whatever you want."

His voice carried such certainty, such belief, that Meera couldn’t help but believe him too.

"Promise?" she asked, holding out her pinky.

"Promise," Aarav said, hooking his little finger with hers.

And in that moment, under the ancient mango tree, their fingers entwined in a silent vow, Meera felt as though nothing in the world could ever come between them.

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I hope you like my story and also this episode . Please comment. Let me know how you feel about this story . And encourage me to write more . Your one little comment is enough for me to give more stories . So , please comment and let me know what you feel about this story and what you like and what you love .

And ignore my grammar mistakes . English is not the first language . So , i hope you all understand my situation .