Slowly, with Aryan's support, Anjali stood up, keeping Advika's hand locked in hers. 

Her gaze moved to the porch where Arushi stood. Arushi was a mess; her hands were pressed against her mouth to stifle her sobs, her body shaking.

Arushi lunged forward before Anjali could take another step. 

They collided in a hug that spoke of a thousand silent nights of mourning

"Aru.."Anjali whispered.

"Kuch mat bol,aise hi rah thodi der" Arushi sobbed into her shoulder.

Anjali pulled back slightly, looking at Arushi with deep, soulful gratitude.

"Maine suna... Aryan ne bataya kaise tune adu ko sambhala. Thank you, Aru. Main tera ye karz kabhi—"

Slap. It wasn't a hard slap, just a light, playful sting on Anjali's arm. Arushi glared at her through tears.

"Ek marungi na! Dimag thik hai tera? Thank you kis liye bol rahi hai? Adu sirf teri beti hai? Meri bhi beti hai woh! Haq hai mera uspe. Agli baar 'thank you' bola na, toh abhi sirf hath pe maara hai agli baar gaal pe marungi?"

Anjali laughed through her tears, pulling Arushi back into a hug.

"Bilkul nhi badli"

Arushi smiled through her tears, letting out a watery laugh. 

"Tu bhi kahan badli hai... aaj bhi wahi emotional fool."

Anjali wiped her cheeks and looked around the porch. 

"Acha baba, bas. Ab yeh bata, teri 'mini-me' kahan hai? Maine toh taiji banne ki khushi bhi miss kar di..."

Arushi placed a comforting hand on Anjali's shoulder, her gaze softening. 

"Mera mini-me nahi, Aahan ka mini-me kaho. Pura apne papa pe gaya hai, carbon copy! Aur rahi baat miss karne ki, toh fikar not. Hum sab saath hain na ab? Ab saare pal dobara jiyenge, har ek purani kasar poori karenge."

Just as the words left her mouth, a pair of small, hurried footsteps echoed against the marble floor. 

"Mumma?"

Arushi turned around, her face lighting up. "Awle... mera baccha!" She leaned down and scooped the little boy into her arms. 

"Dekho toh kaun aaya hai... aapki Bari-Maa!"

Veer looked at Anjali, his large, curious eyes shining with wonder. He looked at the woman in the red saree; she looked exactly like the 'Pari (Angel)' he had heard about in bedtime stories. 

"Bari-Maa?" he whispered, tilting his head.

Anjali felt her heart melt into a puddle. She instinctively stretched out her arms toward him, a wide, inviting smile on her face.

 At the exact same time, Aryan, who was standing right beside her, also stretched out his arms toward the little guy.

"Hey champ! Apne bade-papa ke paas nahi aaoge?" Aryan asked, a playful, competitive glint in his eyes.

Veer looked at Aryan's large, open arms and then back at Anjali's warm, welcoming ones.

 Without a second thought, he completely ignored Aryan, lunging forward into Anjali's embrace. Anjali caught him, laughing out loud as she pulled him close.

"Dekha? Veeru apni Bari-Maa se zyada pyaar karta hai!" Anjali teased, sticking her tongue out at Aryan in a rare moment of pure, lighthearted joy.

Aryan's face fell into a mock-defeated pout as he looked down at his empty hands. 

He quickly turned to Advika, who was standing by his legs, and picked her up. 

"Hmm, jao jao... koi baat nahi. Meri bachi mujhse zyada pyaar karti hai, hai na Adu?"

Advika, ever the honest soul, snuggled into her father's neck for a second before looking at Anjali with longing eyes. 

"Nahi Papa... main Mumma se kalti(karti) hoon!"

Anjali didn't miss a beat. She shifted Veer to one arm and used her other arm to pull Advika into the same hug. 

She stood there, balancing both the children in her arms.

Aryan stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, pouting like a teenager.

 "Wah! Matlab is ghar mein ab mujhse toh koi pyaar nahi karta? Sab Mumma-bari-mumma ki team mein chale gaye?"

Aahan, seeing his brother's tragic face, stepped forward with a mischievous grin. 

He lunged at Aryan, clinging to his neck and burying his face in his brother's shoulder.

"Koi na bhaiya, main hoon na! Main karta hoon aapse pyaar," Aahan said, making his voice sound high-pitched and dramatic. 

"Main hamesha aapki team mein hoon! Ab chalo, mujhe godi mein le lo!"

Aryan winced, trying to peel his fully-grown brother off him.

 "eww hatt !"

The whole porch erupted in laughter.

 The sound of their combined voices the giggles of the kids, Arushi's bright laugh, and Aahan's dramatic antics filled the mansion. 

Arushi wiped the last of her happy tears and nudged Anjali gently. 

"Ab yahin khade rahenge ya andar bhi chalein? "

They all laughed, a sound that felt like music echoing through the grand pillars of the mansion.

 Aryan kept a steady arm around Anjali's waist, sensing the nervous flutter in her breath as she stepped over the threshold.

As the massive doors opened, the scent of burning incense and home-cooked food  the specific smell of the Taneja household hit her.

 Anjali froze. Standing in the center of the house, under the glow of the chandelier, were her parents. 

Beside them stood Aryan's mother, holding a pooja thali, her hands trembling so much the silver coins on the tray were jingling.

"Maa... Papa?" Anjali's voice was barely a whisper.

Her mother didn't wait. She let out a choked, broken cry and rushed forward. 

There were no words, just the raw, primal sound of a mother who had spent four years mourning a daughter she thought was ashes. 

She grabbed Anjali's face in her hands, her fingers frantically 

tracing Anjali's eyes, her nose, her forehead, as if she were a blind person trying to recognize a miracle.

"Meri bachi... meri Anjali..." her mother wailed, pulling her into an embrace so tight it felt like she was trying to hide her back inside her own heart. 

"Log kehte the tu chali gayi... par meri mamta ne kabhi nahi maana. Roz teri tasveer se kehti thi ki ek baar laut aa... bas ek baar."

Anjali buried her face in her mother's saree, sobbing like a lost child who had finally been found.

 "Mujhe maaf kar do Maa... mujhe kuch yaad nahi tha. Main wahin thi, par main khud ko bhool gayi thi. Aapko kitna tadpaya maine..."

Her father, usually a man of few words and stoic emotions, stood behind them.

 His frame seemed smaller than Anjali remembered, his hair whiter. He placed a heavy, shaking hand on Anjali's head. 

When she looked up at him, she saw the silent tears streaming down his face.

"Papa..."

He pulled both his wife and daughter into his arms. 

"Kuch mat bol, beta..kuch mat bol. Tu sahi salamat hamari nazron ke saamne hai, hamare liye wahi kaafi hai."

Anjali looked at them, her heart aching at the visible toll the last four years had taken on them.

 "Aap dono kitne kamzor ho gaye ho... meri wajah se..."

"Hum theek hain, beta," her father whispered, kissing her hair. 

"Ab tu aa gayi hai na, ab hum phir se phele jaise ho jayenge hmm. Bas ab kabhi apne mumma-papa se door mat jana. Yeh budhe kandhe ab aur bojh nahi utha sakte."

Aryan's mother stepped forward then, her eyes brimming with a different kind of joy.

 She raised the thali, the flame of the diya reflecting in Anjali's teary eyes.

"Aaj meri bahu nahi, meri beti wapas aayi hai," she said, her voice thick with emotion. 

She performed the aarti with such devotion, it felt like a sacred ritual.

"Is ghar ki lakshmi vapas aayi hai..tumahre bina ye  ghar ghar nahi tha beta, sirf deewarein thi...lekin Ab sab phele jaisa hogya aur kuch nhi chaiye bus mere sare bache khush rahe yahi kafi hai"

Anjali leaned forward and touched her mother-in-law's feet, but she was immediately pulled up into a warm, motherly hug.

"Ab rona dhona band," Arushi declared, trying to break the heavy emotional tide. 

"Anjali thaki hui hai, aur hum sab ne bohot aansu baha liye. Aaj toh party ka din hai!"

Anjali looked around  at her parents clutching her hands, her mother-in-law's blessing, and Aryan standing back, watching the scene with a look of absolute peace. 

The house was full of people, full of noise, and for the first time in four years, full of life.

After sometime;

The dining table was set, it had been a place of hurried, silent meals for four years, was now a chaotic battlefield of love. 

The aroma of Arushi's special Paneer Butter Masala, slow-cooked Dal Makhani, and hot, ghee-dripping Phulkas filled the room.

Anjali sat at the head of the table, but she barely had room to move. 

Advika was practically glued to her lap, her small arms wrapped around

 Anjali's waist as if she were afraid the chair might swallow her mother up if she let go.

"Adu, baccha, aise baithogi toh Mumma khana kaise khayengi?" Aryan teased, reaching out to move Advika to the chair next to them.

"Nahi!" Advika pouted, tightening her grip. "mai yahi baithungi"

Anjali laughed, kissing the top of Advika's head. She tore a small piece of roti, dipped it in the creamy dal, and held it out. 

"Acha,baba yahi baitho hmm ab... chalo, open your mouth. Aaaah!"

Just as Advika was about to take the bite, a small, chubby hand grabbed Anjali's wrist.

 Veer, sitting on the other side of Anjali, was looking at the morsel with wide, tragic eyes.

"Bari-Mumma! Main bhi! Mujhe bhi khialo!" Veer demanded, his 3-year-old voice cracking with "betrayal."

"Oyee! Yeh meli (meri) Mumma hai, tu apni Mumma ke paas ja!" Advika snapped playfully, shielding Anjali with her tiny arms.

Veer's bottom lip began to tremble, and he looked at Anjali with the most dramatic "puppy eyes" humanly possible.

"Par... par bari-Ma toh sabki hoti hai na? Bari-Mumma, Adu didi gandi hai. Wo share nahi karti."

Anjali's heart melted. She quickly made another bite and held it out to Veer. 

"awle, mera Veeru udaas nhi hote hmm. Chalo, pehla bite mere bete ke liye. Aaaah!"

Veer happily munched on the food, giving Advika a triumphant look. 

"Dekho! Mujhe bada piece mila!"

"Achha? Ruk tu!" Advika leaned forward, and soon the two of them were giggling and fighting over who got the bigger bite.

Aahan watched the scene while stuffing a whole paneer cube into his mouth. 

"Bhai, dekh lo. Aapka toh patta kat gaya. Ab Anjali bhabhi ke bodyguard ye do chote gunde hain. Aapko toh side seat bhi mushkil se milegi."

Aryan sighed dramatically, looking at his empty plate. 

"Wahi toh dekh raha hoon. Pehle Advika meri side thi, ab toh meri taraf dekh bhi nahi rahi. Arushi, please mujhe khana de do, warna mujhe aaj bhuka hi sona padega."

Arushi laughed, serving Aryan.

 "aapko toh aadat daalni padegi, Aryan-bhai. In dono ne milkar plan banaya hai ki Anjali ko aaj sone bhi nahi denge."

"Bari-Mumma!" Veer suddenly shouted, his face covered in dal. 

"Aap kal mere saath chupa-chupi kheloge? Adu didi hamesha dhoond leti hai, aap mujhe help karna...otay"

"Nahi Mumma! Aap mele saath doll-house kheloge!" Advika countered, tugging at Anjali's saree.

Anjali looked at the two kids, then at the smiling faces of her parents and her husband. 

The chaos was loud, the kids were messy, and the conversation was nonsensical—but it was perfect.

"Main dono ke saath khelungi," Anjali promised, feeding them both at the same time. 

"Par pehle, jo sabse pehle apni sabzi finish karega, wahi mera favourite baccha hoga!"

In an instant, both Veer and Advika started franticallly scooping up their veggies, making the whole table burst into laughter.

The laughter inside the dining room was like a warm melody, the kind that makes you forget the world outside has any darkness left. 

Anjali was just feeding Advika a small bite of paneer when a guard leaned in and whispered something into Aryan's ear.

Aryan's expression shifted instantly from a soft smile to a cold, hard mask. He got up so abruptly that the chair scraped against the floor. 

"Main abhi aata hoon," he said, his voice clipped. Anjali watched his retreating back, a sense of unease settling in her chest.

Outside, the night air was crisp. Two guards were blocking the entrance, their posture rigid.

 "Ma'am, Aryan sir ke orders hain, aaj kisi ko bhi—" They stopped abruptly as Aryan stepped into the light of the porch.

As the woman turned around, the flickering golden lights revealed Tanishka. 

She looked haggard, her eyes sunken and red-rimmed. Aryan walked toward her, his presence looming and intimidating.

"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?" he demanded, his voice a dangerous low.

Tanishka took a shaky step forward. 

"Main sirf Anjali se milne aayi thi... mujhe usse maafi—"

Aryan held up a hand, his eyes flashing with a fury that made even the guards step back. 

"Main tumhe usse nahi milne dunga. Aaj nahi, kabhi nahi."

"Aryan, ek baar suno toh—" Tanishka reached out to grab his arm, her fingers trembling, but Aryan stepped back as if her touch would burn him.

"Main kuch nahi sunna chahta!" he snapped. 

"Jo kuch bhi tumne kiya, uske baad main tumhari parchai tak Anjali pe nahi padne dunga. Tumhe andaza bhi hai tumhari wajah se usne kya kya jhela hai?"

Tanishka looked down, a sob breaking from her throat.

 "Main jaanti hoon ki maine jo kiya woh maafi ke layak nahi hai, par Aryan, ek baar... sirf ek baar mujhe maafi mangne do. Main bas apna bojh halka karna chahti hoon—"

"Maine kaha na tum use nahi mil sakti—"

"Main karungi isse baat."

Aryan froze. He turned to see Anjali standing behind him.

"Jaan, koi zarurat nahi hai," Aryan said, his voice softening instantly as he moved toward her.

 "Tum andar jao."

Anjali placed a gentle hand on his arm, her eyes steady. 

" Maine kaha na... main karungi isse baat."

Aryan looked into her eyes and saw the resolve there. He finally nodded, though his jaw remained tight.

 He stepped back, moving to a distance where he could still keep a protective eye on them. 

Anjali led Tanishka to the jhulla (swing) in the corner of the garden. The rhythmic creak of the chains was the only sound for a moment.

"Umm... mai-main jaanti hoon ki main maafi ke layak nahi hoon," Tanishka whispered, her voice cracking.

Anjali nodded slowly. "Hmm. Sahi kaha."

Tanishka hesitated, caught off guard by the blutness.

 "Maine pichle char saal isi guilt mein guzaare hain ki main kaise ye sab sahi kar sakti hoon... har raat mujhe tumhara chehra dikhta tha."

"Jo ek baar bigad jata hai, woh dubara sahi nahi kiya ja sakta, Tanishka," Anjali said, looking at the distant city lights. 

"Waqt kabhi peeche nahi mudta."

"I-I-I am s-sorry, Anjali. Main... pata nahi mujhe kya ho gaya tha. Main tumse nafrat karti thi. Ye sochti thi ki Aryan ki zindagi mein pehle main aayi thi. Hum bachpan ke dost thay... toh use kal ki aayi hui ladki se pyaar kaise ho sakta tha? Mujhe laga mera haq pehle hai."

Anjali turned her head, her gaze piercing. 

"Pyaar kaun pehle aaya aur kaun baad mein aaya, ye dekh ke nahi hota, Tanishka. Pyaar bus ho jata hai."

"Main jaanti hoon... mujhse bahut badi galti ho gayi. Please... please mujhe maaf kar do,"

 Tanishka pleaded, her tears falling onto her lap.

"Kiya maaf," Anjali said simply.

Tanishka stared at her in total disbelief.

"Tum... tum itni aasani se mujhe kaise maaf kar sakti ho? Tum mujhse nafrat kyun nahi kar rahi?"

Anjali gave a small, bittersweet smile. 

"Maaf karna bhi ek saza hoti hai, Tanishka. Maaf karna insaan ko zindagi bhar ye batata rehta hai ki usne kya kiya tha. Har baar jab tum akele baithogi, tumhe meri ye maafi yaad aayegi aur wo tumhe andar se khayegi. 

Maine tumhe maaf kiya hai taaki mere dil mein tumhare liye koi nafrat  na rahe. Kyuki Nafrat ke liye bhi ek rishta chahiye hota hai... aur main tumhare saath koi rishta nahi rakhna chahti. Maine sirf maaf kiya hai, bhooli nahi hoon."

Tanishka let out a choked sob. Anjali watched her for a moment and then asked softly,

 "Bahut pyaar karti ho na Aryan se?"

Tanishka looked up, her face drenched in tears.

 "Haan... bahut. Par tum tension mat lo, main ab kabhi tum dono ke beech nahi aaungi. Main humesha ke liye ja rahi hoon."

Anjali looked forward, her voice becoming firm.

 "Is baar main tumhe aane bhi nahi dungi"

She paused, looking at Tanishka's broken state.

"Ek salha dungi  tumhe mai...ek tarfa pyaar bahut bura hota hai. Tum usey bachpan se jaanti thi, tumne uske saath sapne dekhe thay. Par jab pyaar junoon ban jaye na, toh woh pyaar nahi rehta... woh zid ban jata hai.

Ek tarfa pyaar ka matlab ye nahi hota ki tum kisi ki khushi chheen lo. Pyaar ka matlab haq jatana nahi, pyaar ka matlab tyag hota hai. 

Agar tum usey sach mein chahti thi, toh tum itni taqat rakhti ki use kisi aur ke saath khush dekh sako. Par tumne uski khushi se zyada apni 'zid' ko aage rakha. Tumhe Aryan nahi chahiye tha, tumhe apni zid puri karni thi."

Tanishka listened, her heart feeling heavy with the weight of Anjali's words.

"Ek tarfa pyaar mein insaan aksar andha ho jata hai," Anjali continued. 

"Tumhe laga ki tum uski life mai phele aayi  thi toh use tumse pyaar hona chaiye...but jab aisa nhi hua toh tumne uski zindagi hi barbad kar di..tumne jo mere sath kiya use mujhe farak nhi padta..balki ise padta hai ki tum jisse pyaar karti ho usi ke sath tumne itna bura kiya . 

Jab hum  kisi se saccha pyaar karte hai na, toh hum uska bura kabhi nahi soch sakte.lekin tumne-khair. Tumhari childhood dosti ki wajah se tumhare paas ek khoobsurat jagah thi uski zindagi mein, par tumne us dosti ko bhi kho diya."

Tanishka looked at Anjali.

"Ab pata chala ki Aryan tumse itna pyaar kyun karta hai. Tumhara dil... tumhara dil itna bada hai ki tumne us insaan ko bhi maaf kar diya jisne tumhari zindagi tabah kar di. Mujhse bahut badi galti ho gayi, Anjali. mai tumhari jagh kabhi nhi le skati "

Tanishka stood up slowly, her legs feeling heavy. 

"Thank you..isliye ki tum mujhse mili..Aur phir se sorry un cheezon ke liye jo maine ki..khair mai kuch sahi toh nhi kar sakti but ye zaroor kar sakti hoon ki tum dono ki zindagi se humesha chali jau...Goodbye anjali..again i am sorry..a-aryan ko kahna mai-mai use bahut pyaar karti hoon."

she said and walked away.

Anjali watched her walk away until her figure disappeared into the shadows of the gate. 

She took a deep breath, feeling the last weight of the past four years leave her chest.

She turned to see Aryan standing there, his eyes never having left her. He walked up to her and pulled her into a crushing hug, burying his face in her neck. 

"Tum itni achi kyun ho?" he whispered.

"Main achi nahi hoon, Aryan," she replied, wrapping her arms around him.

 "Main bas apne kal ko apne aaj par haavi nahi hone dena chahti. Ab hum chalein? Adu hamara intezar kar rahi hai."

Aryan kissed her forehead, his eyes dark with devotion. "after you madam"