Burning Hearts

Epilogue

Eighteen months later.

Parul's POV

Shiva has always been vocal about his priorities. He declared from time to time that I was his number one and no one would take that place. He made sure that I didn't feel threatened by anyone for that position in his heart.

I certainly haven't taken his love for granted but I was caught up with my shit for way too long. And that might seem like the latter but it wasn't the case.

I was wrong. I was at fault.

Shiva made sure to plant himself in my life so deep and hard that when I was away from him, his absence felt like a contagious disease, eating me from within.

That distance gave me much needed clarity. It made me realise, see things through different lens.

I saw everything from my perspective and that's not really wrong but sometimes, there are times when you have to put yourself in other people's shoes. And I'm so glad that I've been seeing certain things from his perspective.

Shiva is a blessing. I must've done some really good deeds to have him in my life.

When our marriage was fixed, two years ago, I blamed him. And I wasn't completely wrong. I thought he was doing this so that I wouldn't escape his clutches. And that's what I thought until I learnt that he was born on September 15.

So imagine the shock when I learnt this after a year.

Yes. A whole damn year and I didn't know his date of birth. I was truly ashamed when I learnt this which is a year ago.

So we have been married for two years now. And we have a son of two years old. We are living our best life and I cannot ask for anything more.

It's always Shiva who surprises me. It is always him who plans dates and buys gifts for me.

Whenever I try to do something Shiva says... You've given birth to our precious baby boy, and you've sacrificed a lot Paaru, just be with me, that will be the greatest gift ever.

Agastya is a gift. A god-sent. He had changed our lives in many ways. I've seen a shade of Shiva that I thought wouldn't be possible.

He is the best dad. Hands down.

Whatever the work is, he makes sure to spend time with Agastya. He was quite busy with campaigning when Agastya was six months old. He had to overwork and when he returned home, he was visibly tired. But he made sure to play with Aggy before sleeping.

Good old times. It's only been eighteen months still it feels like ages ago.

Agastya is growing up pretty fast. He is loud and has started talking in small sentences. He is a fast learner and pretty much imitates everyone.

He is a replica of his father. I love his eyes like anything.

Shiva keeps throwing tantrums in the bed saying we need to make more babies preferably girls. He is adamant that our next kid should have my features. Now that Agastya has started talking, Shiva has started arguing with him in a language that I don't even understand. It's a crime to call that bickering a language. But he manages to tease Aggy very well, so much that Aggy complains... mummy... dada and then starts crying. Okay, he doesn't cry for real but he doesn't stop until I scold Shiva. And that's another reason for their never-ending bickering.

Sometimes, no, most of the time I have to deal with Shiva's stubborn side.

To the world, he is the most notorious gangster but in fact, he is a kid. A stubborn kid at that.