Shadows Of The Stumps

Bonus

As they stepped out of the academy, the night air was crisp, and the sky stretched above them, dotted with stars. Rahul walked beside Meera, his hands in his pockets, lost in thought. After a moment, he took a deep breath and glanced at her.

“I’m proud of you, Meeru,” he said, his voice low but steady. The words carried the weight of years—years of love he hadn’t voiced, of guilt he hadn’t let go of until now. “I know I should have said it earlier. But I want you to know—I’ll always be proud of you.”

Meera stopped, surprised. Rahul had never been one to express emotions easily, and hearing this now hit her harder than she expected. For a second, she just stared at him, her heart swelling with something tender and bittersweet.

On the sidelines, Virat grinned, nudging Rohit. “Look at that—my boy’s finally cracked open.”

Rohit chuckled, whispering to Hardik, “Guess he’s finally accepted things, huh?”

Hardik nodded knowingly. “Took him long enough,” he murmured, though his tone was warm.

Without saying another word, Meera wrapped her arms tightly around Rahul, burying her face in his shoulder. “I’ll always be proud of you too, Anna,” she whispered, her voice slightly cracking.

Arya, Ayan, and Arjun exchanged glances, their expressions softening. They knew how much Meera had craved this moment—a moment when her brother would finally see her, accept her, and let the past rest.

After a few heartbeats, the group continued their walk, the warmth of reconciliation lingering in the air. Harry had excused himself and the rest made their way to Rahul’s house, where the familiar comfort of home wrapped around them like a blanket.

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Inside, the living room buzzed with easy chatter. Arya and Ayan sprawled on the couch, talking about upcoming training drills, while Rohit and Virat helped themselves to drinks from the kitchen. Ritika, Anushka, and Athiya sat cross-legged on the floor, laughing about some old story from tour days.

On one side of the room, little Vami was in fits of laughter, squirming as Rahul entertained her with ridiculous impressions. “Rah-Cha! Stop it, stop it!” she squealed, her belly aching from too much laughter.

Meanwhile, Sammy sat snugly on Arjun’s lap, her tiny fingers tracing patterns on his arm. She adored Arjun, shadowing him whenever she could, much to everyone’s amusement. On the other side of the room, Akaay clung to Virat, his small hands curled tightly around his father’s arm. Virat ruffled his son’s head, savoring the quiet moment.

Then, out of nowhere, Sammy’s curious little voice cut through the conversations.

“Officer Arjun, listen!” she announced in her best imitation of the colonel.

The room erupted in laughter as Arjun sat up straighter, playing along with a grin. “Yes, madam,” he replied, tipping an imaginary hat.

Sammy narrowed her eyes, clearly deep in thought. “Vami ke superhero Vi-Chachu hain, aur mere superhero dada hain.” She paused, her little brow furrowing as she tried to piece together her next thought. “Dad always says that dads are daughters’ superheroes. Toh Meera bua ke superhero kaun hain?”

The question landed like a pebble dropped into a still pond, sending ripples through the room. Conversations stopped, and a quiet tension settled over the group. It was a question no one had dared to ask aloud—not since the last incident. The unspoken pain that lingered between them all seemed to rise to the surface in that moment, making the air feel heavier.

Virat tensed slightly, shifting Akaay on his lap. Rohit exchanged a glance with Ritika, both unsure how to respond. Anushka and Athiya looked toward Rahul, who sat frozen, while Arya and Ayan remained still, their expressions unreadable. Arjun instinctively squeezed Sammy closer, as if to shield her from the weight of the silence she had unintentionally caused.