The next morning, I woke up later than usual.
I had slept late thoughts consuming me, twisting and turning until I finally drifted off. And honestly, it had been days since I slept properly, so being a Saturday helped.

I turned around lazily and squinted at the clock — 10:30 AM.

Groaning softly, I dragged myself out of bed and headed to brush my teeth.
When I stepped into the living room, I found Ma sitting on the sofa, talking on the phone. I wandered over and without a word, rested my head on her lap, sprawling sideways on the couch, scrolling aimlessly through my phone.

Ma smiled, gently patting my head as she continued her conversation.

"I have no idea, Poornima," I heard her say, a slight edge of exasperation in her voice.
"I've asked Maithili many times... but she hasn't told me anything yet."

I looked up at her briefly, but she just smiled at me and kept talking.

"Okay, okay," she said after a moment. "I'll talk to you later."

She ended the call and put the phone aside.

"What was Poornima aunty asking, Ma?" I mumbled, still scrolling.

"Guess," she teased, still stroking my hair.

I sighed. "An update about me and Abhiram?"

She chuckled. "Yes, Maithili. It's been almost a month. His parents are waiting. Iam waiting. Even Poornima and Vinod are waiting... but you haven't said a word. And Abhiram is silent too."

I stayed quiet, staring at my phone screen without really seeing it.

Ma continued, her voice softer now, "I know, beta. It's a lifelong decision. You need to take each step carefully. But at least give us some confirmation... something. So, we know where your heart is."

I sighed and finally said, "Give me some more time, Ma. I'll tell you soon."

She nodded, though I could hear the slight disappointment in her voice.
"Your wish, beta."

After a beat of silence, I sat up and said, "Ma, I'm going out for lunch."

"Lunch?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "With?"

I hesitated.
Should I tell her? Should I say it’s with Abhiram?

Taking a breath, I decided honesty was better.

"It's... with Abhiram," I said softly.

"Abhiram?" she repeated, her eyes narrowing a little, curious. "Anything special?"

I got up quickly, brushing imaginary dust from my shorts.
"Nothing special, Ma. Just a casual meet. Nothing more."

She gave me a knowing look, one eyebrow arched high.
"Is it?"

"Yeah, Ma," I said, forcing a casual smile.

She nodded slowly. "Where are you two meeting?"

"Same place. Zayra."

She simply hummed in response, as if filing the information away for later.
I hurried back to my room, closing the door behind me.

I stood in front of my wardrobe, déjà vu hitting me hard.
Exactly one month ago, I had stood here, getting ready to meet Abhiram for lunch. Nervous, excited.
And now... now I was dressing up to meet his daughter.

Funny how life changed in the smallest yet biggest ways.

I wasn’t nervous about seeing him. Was I??
I was nervous about seeing her.
Even though Myra was just a three-year-old kid, somehow it felt like the most important first impression of my life.

"Kids judge without bias," my mind whispered.
"They see right through people."

Pushing all overthinking aside, I pulled out jeans and a simple white shirt.
Casual, comfortable. Me.

I brushed my hair and left it loose, slung my bag across my shoulder, and headed out.
"Bye, Ma! I'll come back in the evening," I called out.

"Drive safe!" she replied from the kitchen.

I smiled and headed downstairs, starting my car.

As I neared Zayra, my phone rang — Abhiram.

I quickly answered. "Hi."

"Hey, where are you?" he asked

"Just five minutes away," I said, glancing at the road. "Taking a U-turn now."

"Cool," he replied. I’ll be waiting outside for you."

"Okay," I smiled and disconnected the call.

I felt my heart pick up speed, not with fear this time, but something different.
Hope.
Maybe even excitement.

I pulled into the parking lot of Zayra, and parked my car.
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the small gift bag sitting on the passenger seat — the one I had picked up for Myra — and stepped out.

The late morning sun was warm but pleasant, and there he was, leaning casually against his car — Abhiram.

I stopped for a second, just watching him.

He was wearing a simple black shirt paired with jeans, his cooling glasses perched effortlessly on his face. He looked... devastatingly handsome.
Effortlessly dashing.

I was trying to lock this version of him into my memory — easy, relaxed, and waiting... for me.

He spotted me and gave a little wave.
I smiled and walked toward him.

"Hi," I said softly.

He removed his sunglasses, tucking them into his shirt pocket, and his eyes met mine — warm, smiling.

"You're looking beautiful," his voice low, honest.

I laughed lightly. "You say the same thing every time we meet."

"And I mean it every time," a slight tilt to his smile that made my heart flutter.

He glanced at the small gift bag in my hand and raised an eyebrow.
"What's that?"

I hesitated "It's... um, a small gift for Myra. First time I'm meeting her officially, so I thought I should bring something."

He chuckled, teasing, "Is it a bribe?"

I shrugged, laughing too. "Maybe."

His smile deepened, his eyes twinkling.

He gently touched the small of my back and started leading the way toward the entrance.
"Come on, they're waiting."

"They?" I asked, suddenly catching the plural.

Abhiram gave me a sheepish smile.
"Actually... you remember Richa, right?"

I nodded.

"Well... Vikrant and Kaushik wanted to meet you too. So, they’re here."

I blinked, the realization hitting me.
"You could have told me," I said, mock glaring at him.

"I know, I know," he said, laughing. "Sorry! They insisted last minute. I had asked Richa to book the private dining room when I told her about you meeting Myra, and when Kaushik bhai and Vikrant heard, they became stubborn too. I couldn’t do anything. They just wanted to join casually."

I groaned dramatically.
"If you'd told me before, I would have dressed a little better! I look so casual."

He looked at me really looked at me "You look perfect, Maithili. You always do. Don’t overthink it."

Before I could reply, he caught my hand, squeezing it lightly.

"You’ve already met Richa. And Vikrant and Kaushik are very cool. You’ll feel at ease with them in no time."

I nodded, taking comfort in his words, in his touch.

Hand in hand, we walked toward the restaurant entrance.

As we entered, a familiar wave of memories swept over me.
It was the same private dining room where we had sat last time — the place where something between us had shifted, deepened.
Now, it was about to happen again.
Only this time, it wasn’t just about us.

The door to the private dining room was slightly ajar.

I tightened my grip around the small gift bag in my hand, feeling my heart hammer faster with each step.
Was it excitement? Nervousness? I couldn’t tell. Maybe a little bit of both.

Beside me, Abhiram caught my hesitance and gave me a quiet smile before opening the door.

Without a word, he pushed the door open wider.

The room was warm, intimate. A few gentle lights cast a soft glow across the wooden panels.

Richa stood up the moment she saw me. She walked over with a bright smile and enveloped me in a friendly, heartfelt hug. “You look lovely, as always,” she said, holding my arms for a moment. “And I’m so, so happy for you both, Maithili.”

I smiled. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

Abhiram turned toward the two men standing beside Richa and said “Maithili, this is Kaushik bhai — Richa’s husband. And this,” he continued with a playful glint in his eye, “is my best friend, Vikrant.”

Before I could say a word, Richa jumped in with her trademark grin,
“Not just best friend Maithili these two are full-time partners in crime. And Maithili…”
She leaned in closer as if sharing a secret, “Be careful, he might just end up being your sautan too.”

We all burst into laughter.

I extended my hand with a light chuckle, “It’s lovely to finally meet you both.”

Kaushik shook my hand “Lovely to meet you too, Maithili. Heard quite a lot about you from Richa “Welcome to the family.”

I smiled genuinely. “Thank you.”

I turned to Vikrant next. He grasped my hand firmly, his energy warm but distinctly teasing.
“Finally,” he said, throwing a sideways glance at Abhiram. “I’ve been hearing about you straight from the source over here.”

I raised an eyebrow playfully. “Hopefully all good things?”

“The best,” Vikrant replied without missing a beat, his smile turning into a grin.

There was something deeply comforting about the way they all treated me as someone who already belonged there.

“Come, let’s all sit,” Richa said brightly, gesturing toward the dining table set beautifully in the centre of the private room.

I nodded, beginning to follow them, but as I moved, my gaze instinctively scanned the room.

And then I noticed it — Myra wasn’t here.

Sensing it, Abhiram turned to Richa. “Where are the kids?”

“They just went to the play area,” she said, waving toward the door. “I’ll ask the staff to bring them in.”

Richa turned to me, “Maithili, I’ve taken the liberty of asking the chefs to bring us a few of their best dishes today. But if there’s anything else you’d like, please don’t hesitate.”

I smiled, “Thank you. That’s thoughtful.”

Kaushik bhai, turned to me with an apologetic expression.
“We’re sorry, Maithili. Honestly, we kind of barged in. This moment — meeting Myra — was meant to be yours and Abhi’s. It should have been your day, just the three of you.”

I shook my head instantly, “Please, don’t say that. I’m really glad I got to meet all of you. It feels… reassuring.”

Vikrant smiled and said, "Okay, you can speak for yourself. I'm not sorry. I've been telling him to arrange a meeting with Maithili for a week now. He kept brushing me off. So, when I realized that today was the day, I just joined in. No regrets."

We all laughed, the room lightening with the sound.

Richa raised an eyebrow at him, smirking.
“That’s exactly why Abhi is the intelligent one in this friendship. He knew you would crash their date. That’s why he made sure you weren’t around during the important ones.”

Another ripple of laughter swept across the table, and I couldn’t help but glance at Abhiram. He was smiling and relaxed.

Just then, the door creaked open. All heads instinctively turned toward the entrance.

A soft patter of footsteps echoed against the wooden flooring, followed by the sound of bubbling laughter — unfiltered and childlike. Myra walked in; her tiny fingers laced with another little boy’s. They were both giggling about something only they understood, little secrets of childhood bouncing between them like invisible balloons.

But the moment her eyes caught sight of the room of me she faltered.

And then she did something unexpected.

She slipped slightly behind the boy, hiding, half-shielding herself. Her laughter faded into silence.

It startled me, just a little. The first time I met her weeks ago that brief, messy, juice-spilling moment she wasn’t shy at all. She was bright, bold, curious. But today was different. Today, she knew why I was here.

And maybe, like me, she was just… nervous.

She wore a soft yellow frock with tiny, embroidered flowers near the hem — playful, bright, perfectly her. But her posture wasn’t the same as before. Her energy was muted, cautious. She peeked out from behind the boy, her eyes wide, lingering on me with hesitant curiosity.

And then our eyes locked.

They were familiar the same eyes I’d seen in that old photo frame Abhiram handed me.

His sister’s eyes.

Suddenly, I understood something deeper. Abhiram’s love for Myra wasn’t just about responsibility. It was memory. It was legacy. It was love carried forward through a child who reminded him daily of the sister he had lost and longed for.

“Come here, Myra, Kairav,” Richa called gently. “Look who’s here.”

Myra hesitated behind the boy, peeking out, her hand half-clutching his shirt. She looked both curious and guarded. Kairav, on the other hand, marched forward with ease.

“Maithili,” Richa said, smiling, “this is Kairav—my son. He’s around Myra’s age.”

I knelt to their level and extended a hand, trying to steady my fluttering heart. “Hello, Kairav. Nice to meet you. I’m Maithili.”

He shook my hand with surprising firmness for someone his size. He tilted his head slightly and studied me like a serious little gentleman.

Then, with the honesty only a child could manage, he said, “So… you’re going to be Mittu’s mommy?”

I blinked.

Myra gasped, wide-eyed, and tugged urgently at his shirt. “Shhhh,” she whispered, fingers pressed over her lips as if he’d just revealed a top-secret code.

Kairav turned back to me and added, “You look beautiful.”

I smiled, “Thank you, Kairav.”

Just then, I felt Abhiram beside me. He knelt, with gentle hands, he nudged Myra forward from behind Kairav.

“Myra, princess,” he said softly, “you remember Maithili, right? You already met her once.”

She nodded, still half-hiding.

I extended my hand again. “Hello, Myra.”

She looked up at Abhiram, who gave her the smallest encouraging nod.

With a tiny breath, she stepped closer and slowly placed her hand in mine. “Hello,” she said quietly.

And that one word—so small, so soft—felt like the most powerful thing in the world to me.

Abhiram’s smile widened. “Come, let’s sit and have lunch.”

He picked Myra up and gently placed her on the chair beside him. Kairav clambered up onto the seat next to her.

I sat down again, my heart still racing, but lighter now.