Khatta-Mitha Ishq

∘₊✧Our Story✧∘₊ (The End)

∘₊✧Ragini: It's just the beginning of our love story with a big family✧∘₊

Never get a chance to realize or understand when 5 years have passed. I cut my hair short because these two sister-brothers are impossible to control. Yeah they crossed their 5th birthday a few months ago.

When our home stays silent from their chaos, it's the red alarm of thunder, either they are on killing each other, or killing us by their naughty impossible thoughts. I forgot my habit of decorating all the flower vases just because of them. Kanan taught them how to use goolti and they broke all of them.

Kanan. What to say about him? Being an orphan to getting a lovely family then again being kind of an orphan, a pathetic life I never expected he has to live at such a young age, span of 10 yrs.

Araddhya named him Arnit with so much love. He still proudly says his name Arnit Mallick Singh Rathor. Everyone used to make fun, he needs a year to completely pronounce all of his surnames. Arnit, my kanan, literally bridges the gap between Araddhya and Chandra, their bond became so strong, our eyes used to be so pleased seeing their small cozy family. Until one unplanned baby comes into their life. Chandra didn't want to take any risk, but Araddhya knew how Chandra was suppressing the wish of having their own blood. I also tried to convince her to not take any life risk, but still she blackmailed him that she would leave him alone if he planned to kill the unborn baby. Yes, she gave birth to the prettiest baby girl ever, Durbika, but we lost our Aradhya.

Everyone thinks she died because of giving birth to Durbika. But not me. I promised I would never disclose the real reason to Chandra, these two babies need their father, who can't spend life into rivalry. SECRET.

But little did she know how Chandra became lifeless after that. Durbika is now two and a half, carrying so many of Aradhya's delicate features, as if life has left her here as a reminder, a parting gift. I see Aradhya in her—the way she tilts her head, the softness in her eyes—and I see how much it pains Chandra. It's as if every smile she wears, every glance, pulls at his wounds. He's a different man now—hardened, almost unreachable.

Aranyo and I decided to bring them to our home. We are capable of taking care of four kids financially then why not. Durbika not even getting Chandra as dad, on the other hand Arnit shows such a strong mentality, it scares us. How he isn't crying for a day. It's not a normal situation for a 10yrs old baby. Even forgetting his own childhood, he is busy playing the role of big brother of three.

I just pray Arnit, Vanika, Sharan, Durbika - the bonding of these four stays strong in upcoming all the storms of life. Sometimes I can feel Arnit becoming over possessive, but consulting that with a psychiatrist hurts him more, that's why I visit psychiatrist regularly and try to notice his actions.

Aranyo? There aren't enough words to capture what he means to me, what he means to this family. In my eyes, he embodies all the best traits a father could have, a quiet strength that fills the spaces we might otherwise fall through. Every day I see him, and I'm a little more in awe, a little more grateful. He never misses a beat, never leaves a gap for anyone to feel like something is missing.

He's there in every laugh the kids have, every scrape and bruise they bring to him with teary eyes, every small triumph and every bedtime story, woven with adventure and warmth. The way he holds them, the way he listens—it's like he's building a world within them that's safe and strong, so that no matter what they face, they'll carry his strength inside them.

And with me... it's like he always knows what I need, sometimes even before I do. In those quiet moments when the kids are finally asleep and it's just us, he reaches for my hand, a small gesture that tells me we're still us, that we're still here for each other. He carries so much weight, so many responsibilities, and yet he manages to give so much. I know, deep down, that I couldn't have faced these years without him by my side.