#MaAn: A flight of fate

||13|| Will She say Yes?

Just copied the serial a bit..
Hope I do justice to the story..
MaAn's inner talks are in italics. The one where they talk to each other in their mind buys not loud.
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Hope you enjoy!

Anuj stood before Anupama, his heart pounding as he held out the ring, a symbol of his love and commitment. The garden around them was bathed in the soft glow of twilight, and the air was filled with the gentle hum of nature. Both sets of parents—Madhav, Sushma, Rajesh, and Meera—stood nearby, their faces filled with hope and anticipation. Aarav and Anu, their children, were watching with wide eyes, sensing the gravity of the moment even in their innocence.

Anupama's breath caught in her throat as she looked at Anuj, kneeling before her with all the love in the world shining in his eyes. The entire scene was perfect—too perfect. It was everything a woman could dream of: the man she loved, surrounded by their families, asking her to be his partner in life once again. But instead of the overwhelming joy she should have felt, a rush of conflicting emotions crashed over her like a wave.

As she gazed down at Anuj, she was flooded with memories. Flashes of their life together, both the beautiful and the painful, flooded her mind. She saw their wedding day—the day they had promised to love and cherish each other forever. Then came the darker memories: the fights, the misunderstandings, and finally, the day they signed the divorce papers. It had felt like the end of everything, like the world had stopped turning. She had been devastated, lost in a void where the man she loved was no longer hers.

But life had brought them back together, hadn't it? She remembered the tentative steps they had taken to rebuild their relationship—the cautious smiles, the hesitant touches, the long conversations late into the night. And then, his drinking. That period of time had terrified her. Anuj, the man who was always so in control, had been spiraling out of reach, drowning his pain in alcohol. It had broken her heart to see him like that, knowing she couldn't save him from his demons.

But then, the moments of light. She saw his heartbreak, his struggle to become a better man, and his determination to be there for her and their children. She remembered his health scare, the way she had feared losing him for good, and how they had clung to each other afterward, more determined than ever to make their relationship work. They had become a family, stronger together, celebrating birthdays, sharing dreams, and slowly healing the wounds of the past.

But now, as she stood before him, all those memories—both beautiful and painful—collided inside her, leaving her speechless. She wanted to say yes, to leap into his arms and promise to be with him forever. But the fear was still there, lurking in the corners of her mind. What if history repeated itself? What if they weren't strong enough to withstand the pressures of marriage again? What if it all fell apart once more, leaving them both broken and devastated?

Her hands trembled as she stared down at Anuj, her eyes filling with tears. She couldn't speak, couldn't move. The words were trapped in her throat, and all she could do was look at him, trying to convey everything she was feeling without uttering a single word.

Anuj's smile faltered slightly as he looked up at her. He had expected her to be overwhelmed, to maybe shed a tear or two, but the look in her eyes wasn't one of pure joy. He saw the hesitation, the fear, the doubt. And in that moment, he understood. He understood that the pain of their past still lingered in her heart, that she was terrified of making the same mistakes again. He understood that she wasn't ready to say yes because she wasn't sure if she could survive another heartbreak.

Slowly, Anuj stood up, the smile on his face fading into something more somber. "I... I can't kneel anymore, Anupama," he said softly, trying to lighten the mood, but they both knew it wasn't about his physical discomfort. It was the weight of the moment, the realization that she wasn't ready to take this step, that had made him rise. He couldn't bear to see her in such turmoil, couldn't force her into a decision she wasn't ready to make.