"From Rivals to Forever: A Journey of Love"

Chapter 29

Kabir's Perspective

When I stepped through the front door, I immediately sensed something was different. The air felt heavier, almost as though the house was holding its breath. Mom and Dad were sitting in the living room, their faces soft with nostalgia and something else—something that made my stomach tighten a little.

They looked up as I entered, their eyes lighting up with smiles that didn't quite reach their usual brightness.

"Hey, Kabir," Mom said gently, her voice carrying a warmth that didn't match the quiet tension in the room.

"Hey," I mumbled, sliding off my shoes and walking toward them. There was something about the stillness, the way they both seemed lost in thought, that made me feel like I was interrupting something.

I sat down across from them, my fingers tapping nervously on the armrest. "Everything okay?" I asked, trying to sound casual, but the concern crept into my voice.

They exchanged a look, one of those unspoken conversations parents have that make you feel like they're sharing a secret, something heavy. Dad exhaled softly, his eyes meeting mine, a sad kind of understanding passing between us.

"It's... the anniversary," he said quietly. "Seven years, today."

I knew immediately what he was talking about. Aditi's parents. I nodded, my throat tightening a little as I tried to figure out what to say.

"Uncle Sameer and Aunty Nisha," Mom added softly, her eyes far away. "Seven years since we lost them."

I leaned back, letting the weight of the words settle in. I knew about Aditi's real parents, of course. But hearing my parents talk about them—people they had loved and known so well—made it feel different. More personal. More real.

Mom smiled faintly, though her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "Sameer and Nisha weren't just friends, Kabir. They were... they were family. We grew up together, all four of us."

Dad nodded, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Sameer and I were inseparable, like brothers. Always getting into trouble, always pulling each other into one mess or another."

"You and Raghav are the same way," Mom said, chuckling lightly. "Just like us back then."

Dad's laughter followed hers, though it was tinged with sadness. "Yeah, we had the best of times. Sameer and I, we would dream up the wildest ideas, and Nisha and your mom would be the voices of reason. Not that it ever stopped us."

Mom laughed softly, though her eyes were distant, lost in the memories. "Oh, Nisha... she always had this way of pretending she wasn't going along with Uncle Sameer's plans, but before you knew it, she'd be the one leading the charge."

Dad smiled, nodding in agreement. "She had more energy than all of us combined, especially in those early years. And even when she was expecting Aditi, she wouldn't slow down."

I listened quietly, feeling like I was hearing stories about characters in a book—people who felt close and yet so far away, shaped by a past I had never known. And then Mom's voice softened, her eyes shining as she glanced at me.

"You know," she said, her voice filled with a different kind of emotion, "Aunty Nisha was the one who delivered you."

I blinked, surprised. "What?"

"She did," Dad chimed in, his voice full of warmth. "She was a doctor, but more than that, she made a promise. She'd always told us she wanted to be there to bring our children into the world. It was her dream—no matter what."