Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 54

The team was back at their respective homes, taking a well-deserved break before regrouping for the next series. At Rahul's residence, it was a cozy morning. Rahul was still in bed, sound asleep, while Athiya was on a personal mission. She had, for the first time, successfully dressed Meera in a knee-length dress—quite the change from her usual T-shirts and cargos. Now, Athiya stood in the balcony, phone in hand, trying to capture at least one good picture of Meera, who was notoriously bad at posing.

"Meeru, just one decent photo, please! How can someone be this bad at posing?" Athiya teased.

Meera rolled her eyes, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "This is why I stick to T-shirts. No posing required."

Athiya smirked. "Oh come on, at least try to smile! You're making this harder than convincing Rahul to take selfies."

With a playful glint in her eye, Athiya cracked a silly joke, and just as Meera burst into a genuine laugh—click—the perfect candid was captured. It was a skill Athiya had honed over the years of living with Rahul; she knew exactly when to catch fleeting moments of unfiltered emotion, especially from these two, who were otherwise masters at hiding their feelings.

The photo was perfect. Meera leaned casually against the steel railing, her specs folded in her left hand, hair blowing wildly in the breeze as she tried to brush it away, the hem of her dress swaying. And there, as always, on her wrist was Ayan's old watch—a constant presence, never taken off. Athiya smiled, satisfied with her work.

As they stepped back inside, Athiya felt a swell of pride. This was a rare sight—Meera, carefree and beautiful, unbothered by the world.

With two steaming cups of coffee in hand, they settled on the couch. Athiya sent the picture to the wives' group—Anushka, Ritika, and Sanjana—and added a cheeky caption: "Got our girl to wear a dress! Miracle, isn't it?"

A few minutes later, Rahul, now fully awake and freshened up, strolled into the living room with his usual lazy grin. "Good morning, ladies," he said, leaning down to kiss Athiya on the cheek.

Meera glanced at them with mock horror, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. "Good morning, anna... And for the record, I didn't see anything."

Rahul blushed just a little, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, yeah. Funny one, Meeru."

But then he noticed Meera's dress, and his eyes widened. "Whoa, hold up. You—" he blinked as if trying to process the image, "—you're wearing an actual dress?"

Meera shrugged, holding up her coffee. "Blame your wife for that. She's the evil genius behind this transformation."

Athiya beamed proudly. "It's true. I worked some magic this morning."

Rahul shook his head in disbelief, chuckling. "You look...different. But in a good way. Pretty."

Meera smirked, sipping her coffee. "Thanks, I guess. Tia's handiwork, though. Left to me, I'd be in my usual T-shirts."

Athiya nudged her, laughing. "Meeru, seriously. Why don't you dress up more often?"

Meera shrugged, blowing on her coffee. "The job never really allowed it, for one thing. And honestly, I always liked my T-shirts better." She laughed at the memory. "Even Ayan and Arjun got bored of my dressing choices. But you know Aru di? She's exactly like Amayra Aunty—always ready to dress up if the occasion called for it. I swear, the two of them had to drag me into anything fancy."

A fond smile played on Athiya's lips as she listened to Meera. She knew how much Amayra's influence still lingered in Meera's life—how every laugh, every habit was shaped by the years she had spent with her team. Even now, wearing Ayan's watch, Meera carried a part of that world with her everywhere she went.

As the three of them settled at the dining table for breakfast, Rahul quietly observed Meera there was a lightness in her voice, but Rahul caught the weight behind her words.

Athiya listened with a knowing smile, understanding how rare it was for Meera to talk so openly. Rahul could see how Meera was becoming comfortable felt in this space, around them, around the team.

Rahul glanced at Athiya, a silent look passing between them. She knew what he was thinking. They had both seen Meera's playful, sharp-witted exterior many times before, but it was moments like this—where traces of her past and her team crept into her words—that reminded them how much she had gone through.

Rahul, listening to his sister's nostalgia, couldn't help but smile. He loved hearing her talk about those days, even though it always brought a pang of bittersweet emotions. His little sister had been through so much—training with Amayra and her team, growing up faster than she should have had to. And yet, here she was, laughing, teasing, holding onto pieces of that past like Ayan's watch, which still sat on her wrist.

Athiya reached for Rahul's hand under the table, squeezing it gently. "You're thinking too much again," she whispered, her eyes sparkling.

"Can't help it," Rahul murmured, intertwining their fingers. "She's important to me... to us."

Athiya smiled, her heart warming at how naturally Rahul folded Meera into their lives—like she was one of their own. "I know," she said softly "She's okay, Rahul. Your little sister's home. She's really home."

Rahul exhaled slowly, his fingers curling around Athiya's. "Yeah... It's just good to have her back," he murmured, his voice low but filled with meaning.

Athiya gave him a soft smile, her thumb brushing over his knuckles. "She's safe. And she's with us."

Rahul nodded, glancing toward Meera, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief—seeing her here, laughing and teasing, free from the burdens she'd carried alone for so long.

Rahul gave her hand a playful tug. "And you're pretty important too, Mrs. K.L. Rahul."

Athiya arched a brow, amused. "Oh? What's with the sudden charm, Mr. K.L. Rahul?"

Rahul grinned mischievously and leaned closer, brushing a soft kiss against her cheek. "Just reminding you that you're my favorite person. Always."

Athiya rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips. "You're mad," she whispered, but her tone was filled with affection.

"And you love it," Rahul murmured, brushing his lips against hers again, this time lingering a little longer.

From across the table, Meera, who had been quietly sipping her coffee, gave an exaggerated groan. "Oh my God," she muttered, setting down her cup. "Get a room, you two."

Rahul and Athiya burst into laughter, and Athiya swatted at Rahul's arm playfully, cheeks slightly flushed.

Meera stood, her expression half-amused, half-pretending to be exasperated. "Seriously, I didn't sign up to be the third wheel at breakfast." She stretched her arms dramatically. "I'll leave you lovebirds to it. Try to behave, though."

As she turned toward her room, she threw them a grin over her shoulder. "And just so you know—I saw everything."

Athiya laughed as she leaned into Rahul's side, feeling warm and content. "We're so busted."

Rahul wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "Worth it," he said with a wink, pressing a quick kiss to her nape.

They sat there in comfortable silence for a moment, basking in the easy joy of the morning—the kind that only came when all the right people were in the right place, at least for now.