𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔

𝟰𝟲. 𝗦𝗵𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻

Chapter Forty-Six: Shutter Clicks Reunion

Letting out a sobbing gasp, Nehmat realized what she had done. Looking at Virat, she gulped and got up, not wanting to stay there a minute longer. Virat, rubbing his face, ran after Nehmat, determined not to let this auspicious day go to waste in reconciling things. The other three decided not to follow the siblings, feeling confident that the situation would end on a forgiving note. Shrugging, they clinked their glasses of juice, celebrating the reunion in advance.

While Nehmat kept running, Virat, despite being the fittest on the cricket team, found himself huffing to keep up with her speed. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Nehmat tripped at the edge of the vineyard. She braced herself for the impact, expecting her face to get a makeover from the concrete pathway. However, it never came. Virat leapt forward, catching her tightly in his strong arms, not wanting to let her go, just like the very first time he held her at the orphanage. Nehmat let out a breath of relief, but as soon as she realized she was in his arms, she struggled to break free, huffing in frustration. Virat, however, was adamant. He wasn't willing to let her go, not this time when he finally had a chance. He had let her go once before, and everyone had paid the price, but not anymore.

"Leave me," she growled, tears streaming down her face.

"No, not this time and never," Virat replied, burying his face in her hair and holding her tight.

"Leave me, please. Chale jao. Please let me be the cold Nehmat for you," Nehmat sobbed.

"My Nehmat was never cold, nor could she be. It's just her anger, and I don't want to let it win this time," Virat muttered, holding his sister's head and kissing her temple.

A gesture—that's all it took for her to melt down. She hadn't expected this. She thought she could resist any words of forgiveness, but how was she supposed to fight the gestures of physical caring? Letting herself fall to the ground, she cried even harder, like a three-year-old who had just fallen off a bicycle. Virat, mirroring her actions, sat down and pulled his baby sister into his arms.

"लुका छुप्पी बहुत हुई

सामने आ जा ना।

कहाँ कहाँ ढूंढा तुझे

थक गई है अब मेरी जान।"

He might have revised the song version, but it hit her hard—very hard. Surely, she loved Mumma Kohli and called her mother, but if in the right terms, she had to give the title, it should be her brother. If he hadn't found her in the baby's ward, she would never be here, having an identity. She cocooned herself in his arms, her face against his chest, as he let her cry, wanting to dispel the darkness of her mind that shielded the light of her heart.

Punching his chest gently, she cried out, "I hate you! I hate you! Why would you do that? You were my hero, my knight in shining armour. It would have always been you if you didn't just ignore me."

Virat pulled her closer, crying. "I am sorry, Nini. I am sorry for being selfish."

As Nehmat's sobs began to subside, Virat held her tighter, his own tears mingling with hers. He realized the depth of pain his actions had caused her, the wounds he had inflicted by his silence and neglect.

"I should have never let you feel alone," he whispered, his voice filled with regret. "You were always my little sister, my Nini, and I failed you. But I promise, from now on, I'll always be here for you. No more silence, no more ignorance. I'll be the brother you deserve."

As Nehmat held his collar, pouting her quivering lips, she voiced her fears, "What if you betray me again for Meera or just leave me stranded in the middle after rescuing?"

Cupping his baby sister's face, Virat answered, "Never again. If this manipulation happens again, then..." He stopped, breathing deeply. Nehmat, with anticipation in her eyes, asked, "Then what?"

Virat's eyes filled with anger. "Then I will forget Meera exists. I will only have one sister, and that would be you."

Nehmat hugged her brother tightly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Paaji, I have one demand."

Virat looked down at her, his expression softening. "Anything, Nini. You name it."

Nehmat tightened her grip on her brother, her words cautious yet firm. "I don't want you to behave badly with Meera. She is your own blood, after all. But don't expect me to be all goody with her. We're going to pretend that Meera and I never had anything between us."

Virat nodded understandingly, a sense of resolution settling over him. "I get it, Nini. We'll keep things cordial for the sake of family, but we won't force anything beyond that."

Virat thought for a moment before he asked gulping, "Can I ask why did you forgive me so quickly?"

Nehmat rolled her eyes and said, "You know what, let's just stick to me being cold with you."

Virat's eyes widened as he quickly bundled her body into a hug. "No, no, I'm not letting you go anywhere," he declared firmly, holding her close as if afraid she might slip away again.

Nehmat's heart melted away as she leaned into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his love enveloping her. Despite her earlier bravado, she couldn't deny the comfort of being held by her brother, knowing that he was always there for her, always.

With a soft sigh, Nehmat relaxed into the hug, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. In that moment, she realized that forgiveness wasn't just about letting go of past grievances—it was also about embracing the present and the future, together.

Nehmat's eyes fell on a green vine lying on the ground. Leaning forward, she picked it up and then pulled back from their hug. With a sense of curiosity, he observed her actions as she brought his wrist in front of her, her tongue poking out in concentration as she carefully tied the vine around it.

Virat's eyes welled up with tears as he watched Nehmat reconcile their bond with a simple vine, acting as a thread of promise. Once she finished tying it, Nehmat smiled widely and looked at Virat, clapping her hands in joy. She then leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, whispering, "Happy Rakshabandhan, Paaji."

Choking on his emotions, Virat asked with a smile, "Ki chahiye meri Nini nu?"

Giggling, Nehmat replied as she hugged him tightly, "I don't want anything because I have everything. My Paaji loves me and is back."

Could it get any more beautiful for Virat, sitting under the sky of Switzerland, having his Nehmat back and that too on Rakshabandhan? Both of them hugged as the click of the shutter captured the reunion of siblings.