The next day, around four in the evening, Richa finally woke up.

After freshening up, she stepped into the shower.

The moment the water cascaded over her head, she found herself staring blankly at the tiled wall in front of her.

And just like that, the memories came rushing back.

_______________________________________________________________________

FLASHBACK

Five years ago.

Back when Pranav was still here.

Back when her sister and Aryaman were newly engaged.

Back when she had just secured admission to the same college where Pranav was studying.

He had been in his final year.

She had been a nervous first-year student.

She still remembered the day her sister had called her over to discuss college.

"You should talk to Pranav," Riddhi had said

. "He's from the same college. Ask him whatever doubts you have. The college is good, but it'll help if you hear it from someone who's actually studying there."

So she had gone.

At the time, she had been carrying a notebook filled with questions about classes, professors, and college life.

What she hadn't expected was to completely forget every single one of those questions.

As she entered the mansion, she remembered telling her sister that she would find her way inside.

Then she heard it.

A melody.

Soft.

Beautiful.

Familiar.

The sound of a guitar.

Curious, she followed the tune through the garden.

Step by step.

Note by note.

Until she reached a secluded corner of the property.

And there he was.

Pranav.

Sitting on a wooden swing beneath the fading evening sky.

The golden hues of sunset painted the garden around him while a gentle breeze rustled through the trees.

A guitar rested in his hands.

His head was slightly lowered as his fingers moved effortlessly across the strings.

He was playing the tune of an old Bollywood song.

A song that had always been close to Richa's heart.

She didn't know why.

There was no particular memory attached to it.

Yet every time she heard it, something inside her stirred.

And now, hearing Pranav play that very melody...

She stood frozen.

Mesmerized.

Completely unaware of the passing time.

It wasn't just the music.

It was the way he looked while playing.

The calmness on his face.

The concentration in his eyes.

The effortless grace with which he carried himself.

For the first time, Richa felt something she couldn't quite explain.

She simply stood there, watching him from afar.

Watching.

Listening.

Forgetting the world around her.

Then suddenly, the music stopped.

The final note faded into silence.

The spell broke.

Richa blinked.

Reality returned all at once.

Panic immediately followed.

What if he saw her standing there?

What if he realized she had been staring?

Before Pranav could even look in her direction, she turned around and hurried away.

Almost running.

Her heart hammered wildly in her chest as she escaped the garden.

A few moments later, she nearly collided with Riddhi in the hallway.

"There you are," her sister said. "I've been looking for you."

Richa quickly tried to compose herself.

But even as she followed Riddhi inside, her mind remained back in the garden.

Back with the boy on the swing.

And the melody she would never forget.

____________________________________________________________________

The next morning, the entire family gathered around the breakfast table.

Aryaman sat at the head of the table, feeding Kush his breakfast while simultaneously checking a few messages on his phone.

Beside him sat Riddhi, while Pranav and his best friend Kabir, who had also recently returned from London, enjoyed their meal.

Kush, as usual, was more interested in playing with his spoon than eating.

"One more bite," Aryaman said patiently.

"No," Kush replied firmly.

"Half a bite?"

The toddler thought about it before nodding.

Everyone at the table laughed.

Once the laughter settled, Aryaman turned his attention toward Pranav.

"So, what are your plans now?" he asked. "You've already established a startup in London, and from what I know, it's doing pretty well. Are you planning to set something up here too?"

Pranav nodded.

"Yeah. I want to establish the Indian branch in Lucknow. Most of the infrastructure and paperwork have already been finalized. Right now, I just need someone to handle the marketing side of things."

Kabir looked up.

"That's it?"

"More or less."

"I'm currently reviewing a few options."

Suddenly, Riddhi spoke up.

"Actually, Richa runs a marketing agency now."

Pranav glanced at her.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's still growing, but she's doing quite well. If her work matches your requirements, you could consider working with her."

Pranav nodded thoughtfully.

"That's not a bad idea. I'll take a look."

Riddhi smiled.

"I'll send you her details."

"Sure."

A few minutes later, breakfast came to an end and everyone went about their day.

Upstairs, Aryaman was getting ready for work.

As a CHEIF MINISTER, he had several meetings scheduled throughout the day and couldn't avoid them despite wanting to spend more time at home.

Meanwhile, Riddhi stood near her dressing area, adjusting the pleats of her saree while applying the final touches to her makeup.

Kush sat on the bed nearby, happily playing with his toys.

Aryaman walked over and wrapped his arms around Riddhi from behind.

A smile instantly appeared on her face.

"You'll make me ruin my makeup," she complained playfully.

"

That's a risk I'm willing to take."

She rolled her eyes.

Aryaman rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I might be late tonight."

Riddhi immediately frowned.

"Again?"

"I have a few important meetings."

"You know I can't sleep properly when you're not home."

Aryaman chuckled softly.

"And you know that's not healthy."

"Still true."

He smiled before noticing that a few hooks at the back of her blouse hadn't been fastened properly.

"Turn around."

Riddhi raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Your blouse."

"Oh."

She turned around and let him help her.

As he fixed the hooks, she lightly nudged him.

"Hurry up."

"I'm helping you."

"Very slowly."

"Ungrateful woman."

Riddhi laughed.

Once he was done, Aryaman kissed her cheek.

Then he bent down, picked Kush up into his arms, and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Be a good boy for Mama, okay?"

"Okay, Papa."

Aryaman smiled.

After saying goodbye to both of them, he finally left for work.

A while later, Riddhi got Kush ready as well.

Since Kush hated staying with nannies, he usually accompanied his mother whenever possible.

After settling everything at the boutique, her phone rang.

"Richa."

Riddhi answered immediately.

The sisters spent a few minutes talking casually before Riddhi suddenly remembered the conversation from breakfast.

"Oh, by the way," she said,

"I mentioned your agency to Pranav this morning."

There was silence on the other end.

A very noticeable silence.

Richa's heartbeat instantly quickened.

"You... what?"

Riddhi laughed.

"Relax. I only told him about your agency."

"Oh."

"He might contact you. I gave him your number."

Richa tried her best to sound normal.

"Okay."

But the moment the call ended, she found herself staring at her phone.

Pranav.

He might actually call her.

The thought alone was enough to make her heart race.

Later that afternoon, Kush became unusually fussy.

He wasn't sick, but he clearly wanted something.

Or rather, someone.

"Papa," he kept repeating.

Riddhi sighed.

"You miss him already?"

"Papa."

Giving up, she picked up her phone and started a video call.

A few seconds later, Aryaman's face appeared on the screen.

The moment Kush saw him, his entire face lit up.

"Papa!"

Aryaman laughed.

And just like that, the little boy's mood improved immediately.

________________________________________________________________