Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha~ Short Stories Collection

EPILOGUE

Author's POV

9 YEARS LATER

Keisha sat at her desk, a pile of files in front of her, while her manager discussed the latest updates for their upcoming project. It was a typical afternoon, the sun streaming through the large windows of their home office. But her attention kept drifting to the garden outside.

From her seat, she could see their seven-year-old son, Arhaam, running around with his toys, a wide smile on his face. A couple of caretakers watched over him, but it was his father, Ishank, who had his full attention. Ishank had just joined him outside, effortlessly lifting Arhaam into the air, twirling him around as Arhaam squealed with delight.

Keisha's heart swelled at the sight, her focus entirely shifting away from the documents. She smiled, her pen resting idly in her hand, watching her two favorite people in the world.

"Ma'am, as I was saying, we'll need to finalize the design approvals by tomorrow morning if we want to stay on schedule..." her manager continued.

Keisha blinked, turning her head slightly back to the files, but her eyes still lingered on Ishank and Arhaam. Ishank was tickling Arhaam now, his deep laughter mixing with their son's giggles. She couldn't help but grin as Ishank lifted Arhaam again, this time holding him up like a plane.

"Ma'am? Are you with me?" her manager asked, a hint of amusement in her voice, clearly aware that Keisha's attention was elsewhere.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Keisha replied, barely able to tear her gaze away from the garden. Her manager chuckled but repeated her point.

As she nodded, pretending to listen, Ishank looked up from outside and caught her watching them. Their eyes met, and he winked at her, causing a flutter in her chest. She bit her lip, shaking her head with a soft smile before finally deciding to wrap up the meeting.

"Let's finish this tomorrow, Rhea. I'll review the rest of the files later tonight," Keisha said, standing up and smoothing out her dress.

Rhea gave her a knowing look, gathering her things and offering a polite nod. "Of course, ma'am. Enjoy your evening." With that, she left the room, leaving Keisha alone by the window.

Taking one last glance outside, Keisha made her way downstairs. As she reached the bottom, the front door swung open, and there stood Ishank, still holding a giggling Arhaam in his arms.

"You're not getting away that easily, mister," Ishank teased as he tickled their son one last time, causing Arhaam to shriek with laughter.

"Papa, nooo!" Arhaam cried, but the laughter didn't stop.

Keisha's smile widened as she leaned against the doorway, watching them with her arms crossed. Ishank finally noticed her standing there, and his grin softened into something more intimate. He turned to Arhaam and whispered something in his ear before setting him down on the ground.

"Go on, champ, your gifts are waiting for you upstairs. Have fun with them," Ishank said, ruffling Arhaam's hair.

"Really? Yay!" Arhaam exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. He bolted towards the staircase with the caretakers following behind him to supervise, leaving Keisha and Ishank alone in the hallway.

Before Keisha could say anything, Ishank moved toward her, his steps slow and deliberate, a playful gleam in his eyes. Without missing a beat, Keisha rushed into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as he lifted her off the ground, twirling her around just as he had done with Arhaam moments before.

"You're next," Ishank teased, his voice low and full of affection.

Keisha laughed, her head tilting back as she enjoyed the moment. "You think I don't deserve it after all the work I've been doing upstairs?"