The Unwanted Royal Marriage

51. Thank you. For waiting...

Meera's pov

As I looked into Adhyay's eyes, his words echoed in my mind: "We can still have our heaven. Together."

I had waited for this moment for so long, but now that it was here, it felt surreal. Could it really be this simple? Could we truly pick up the broken pieces and start anew?

His hands were warm around mine, grounding me, reminding me that this wasn't a dream. Ruhaan's laughter from earlier still lingered in the air, a sound so full of joy that it made my heart ache.

"Adhyay," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I'm scared."

His brow furrowed, concern clouding his expression. "Scared of what, Meera?"

I pulled my hands away, standing and wrapping my arms around myself. I paced the room, trying to find the words to explain the storm inside me.

"Scared that I've ruined everything. That you'll resent me for the years I took away from you. That Ruhaan will grow up hating me for keeping him from you. That... that you'll never look at me the same way again.It's changed .I am Changed!"

I stopped and turned to face him, tears threatening to spill. "I don't know if I deserve a second chance."

Adhyay stood, crossing the room in two strides. He placed his hands gently on my shoulders, forcing me to look up at him.

"Meera," he said softly, his voice steady and firm. "You've made mistakes. So have I. But that doesn't mean we don't deserve to try again. You've been raising Ruhaan, giving him a life full of love and care. You did what you thought was right. And now, we can make it right—together."

His words broke something inside me, and the tears I had been holding back spilled over. I clung to him, sobbing into his chest, letting out years of guilt and pain.

"I missed you," I choked out between sobs. "Every single day, I missed you so much, Adhyay."

He wrapped his arms around me tightly, his hand stroking my hair. "I missed you too, Meera. More than you'll ever know."

We stood there for what felt like an eternity, holding each other as if letting go would shatter us.

When I finally pulled back, I wiped my tears and tried to compose myself. "Adhyay, there's something else you need to know."

He tilted his head, his eyes searching mine. "What is it?"

I hesitated, but I knew I couldn't keep anything from him anymore. "Ruhaan doesn't know the full truth yet. He knows you're his father, but I haven't told him about... us. About why you weren't there."

Adhyay nodded, his expression softening. "We'll tell him when the time is right. Together."

That word again: together. It was both a promise and a lifeline, something I had thought was lost to me forever.

A small knock interrupted us, and I turned to see Kabeer peeking into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt, Bhabhi," he said, grinning sheepishly, "but Dev and I are hungry. Any chance you can feed your two starving Chachus?"

I couldn't help but laugh through my tears. Adhyay chuckled too, shaking his head.

"Some things never change," he muttered.

"No, they don't," I said, my heart feeling lighter for the first time in years.

"Let's go," I added, leading the way to the kitchen, where the rest of our unconventional little family waited.

For the first time in years, I felt like I was coming home.

As we all sat down for dinner, the atmosphere was light and filled with laughter. Ruhaan was seated beside Adhyay, chattering away about his day and showing him his favorite toys, while Kabeer and Dev kept teasing each other over who would get the last slice of garlic bread.