Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 107

As the soft golden light of dawn crept into the room, Meera stirred awake. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the morning light. Beside her, Arjun was still fast asleep, his breathing steady, his face relaxed in a rare moment of peace.

Meera sat up quietly, careful not to wake him, and stretched her arms. Her gaze fell on the photo frame on the nightstand, and a small, bittersweet smile tugged at her lips. She reached for it, tracing the outlines of the familiar faces.

"Staring at that thing won't bring them back, you know."

Meera jumped slightly at the sound of Arjun's groggy voice. She looked over to find him watching her with half-lidded eyes, a faint smirk on his face.

"Morning," she said, setting the frame back down.

"Morning," he replied, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. "You're up early. That's new."

Meera rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I'm not that lazy."

"Debatable," Arjun teased, ruffling his bedhead. "So, what's on your mind, Noor?"

She hesitated for a moment, glancing at the photo frame again before looking back at him. "I was just thinking about last night... and about them."

Arjun sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "Yeah. It's hard not to."

Meera played with the edge of the blanket, her tone softer now. "Do you think Ayan and Arya would be proud of us? Or do you think they'd just laugh at how messy we've all become?"

Arjun chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Knowing Ayan, he'd do both. He'd call us idiots, then say he's proud anyway. Arya... she'd just smile and tell us we're doing our best."

Meera smiled faintly, her eyes glassy. "I miss that. Their reassurance. Their presence. It feels like... like we're all just pretending to be okay without them."

Arjun reached out, placing a hand on hers. "We're not pretending, Meera. We're surviving. There's a difference."

She glanced up at him, her eyes thoughtful. "Do you think Ayan and Arya would be mad at us for moving on? For finding little moments like these?"

Arjun's expression softened, and he shook his head. "No, Noor. They wouldn't. If anything, they'd want us to live—really live—and not just exist in the shadow of what happened."

Meera nodded slowly, her lips pressing into a thin line as she processed his words. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice quieter. "I miss them so much, Bhai. Sometimes it feels like the ache will never go away."

Arjun got up and sat beside her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I miss them too. Every single day. But you're not alone in this, Noor. We have each other, and we'll keep carrying them with us, in every laugh, every memory, and every step forward."

She leaned into his embrace, her head resting on his shoulder. "Thanks, Bhai. For always being here. For being... you."

She turned to face him fully, her eyes glinting with a mix of nostalgia and determination. "Do you think we'll ever feel that kind of happiness again?"

Arjun hesitated, his jaw tightening for a brief moment before he replied. "I think... it'll be different. Not the same, because nothing can replace them. But we'll find our way to happiness, Noor. Little by little."

As their conversation softened, Meera began to gently massage Arjun's head, her fingers working soothingly over his scalp. He smiled, his voice teasing. "Don't we have to go to duty, Chief?"

Meera laughed, shaking her head. "No, it's an off day, remember? Today's bonding time with the security team, but that's later in the afternoon. So, we've got time."