Notebook

Arjun was an eight-year-old boy with a dangerous weapon—his imagination. It wasn’t the ordinary kind that made paper rockets fly or toys talk; his imagination changed things.


 And by “things,” his parents meant their love life. His parents, Rohan and Meera, had been married for ten years, but lately, their relationship felt like lukewarm tea—comfortable, but missing the spark.

Arjun, ever the keen observer, decided to “fix” it. “You both just need a little romance reboot,” he declared one Sunday morning, wielding a crayon-stained notebook titled Mission: Mom & Dad Forever. That notebook became a weapon of chaos. It began with “Operation Candlelight.” Arjun switched off the lights, placed dozens of birthday candles around the dining table, and played romantic music on full blast—only, it wasn’t music.


It was his own recording of “Let It Go” from Frozen. Meera laughed till she cried. Rohan, however, nearly set his sleeve on fire trying to light the candles.

 Next came “The Great Love Chase.” Arjun told Meera that Rohan wanted to surprise her with a dance lesson. He told Rohan that Meera wanted to “rekindle their Bollywood chemistry.” The result? A living room flooded with rose petals, tripping hazards, and two adults laughing so hard they forgot why they’d been distant in the first place.

 But Arjun’s greatest masterpiece came a week later—“Project Lighthouse.” He had overheard his father saying he once proposed to Meera by the sea, under a lighthouse beam. That night, Arjun packed two flashlights, a picnic basket, and dragged his bewildered parents to the old lighthouse near the shore. “Why are we here?” Meera asked. “Because,” said Arjun solemnly, “every love story needs a sequel.”

 The three of them sat on the damp grass, waves crashing below. Arjun shone the flashlight dramatically on their faces like a movie scene. “Now, you both say what you love about each other. Go!” Meera rolled her eyes but played along. “I love how Rohan still makes coffee for me every morning—even when he forgets to add sugar.” Rohan chuckled. “And I love how Meera still pretends not to know I forget it on purpose.” Arjun beamed. “See? You’re already in love again!”

 Just then, the flashlight slipped from his hand, rolling down toward the cliff edge. Rohan lunged to catch it, Meera screamed, and somehow—in a clumsy, hilarious tumble—they both ended up hugging each other under the real lighthouse beam. Breathless, laughing, and soaked in sea spray, they kissed for the first time in months.

 Arjun clapped. “Mission accomplished!” Later, as they walked home hand in hand, Meera whispered, “You think he knows how much he helped us?” Rohan smiled. “With Arjun? Oh, he definitely knows.”

 And in the backseat, pretending to sleep, Arjun grinned, clutching his crayon-stained notebook. Another story complete, another happy ending created.

 Because sometimes, it takes a child’s wild imagination to remind grown-ups what love truly feels like.