yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Forty Three

Armaan grinned wide as he walked up the entryway of the Rajvansh Villa. It had been a gruelling day at work and he was so happy to be home. Home. He hadn't even realized when he had started referring to the mansion as home. It was definitely more of a home to him than the Poddar Mansion had ever been. 

As he eagerly climbed the steps, the front door opened, and there she was - the love of his life. Abhira Sharma. The woman who had made him happier than he had ever thought was possible. His feet carried him up even faster, straight into her arms. He breathed deeply, finally at peace as her scent surrounded him, as her arms wrapped around him in an intimate embrace.

“You're late,” Abhira murmured and Armaan didn't have to look at her face to know she had an adorable pout on her face. He pulled back just enough to see her and sure enough, there she was, her lower lip jutting out in the cutest manner. Unable to help himself, he leaned down, stealing a quick kiss.

“Armaan!!” Abhira cried, pushing him away. She frantically looked around, making sure no one had seen them.

“What?” Armaan cribbingly asked.

“Mujhe kisiko aur wajah nahi deni humein chidhaane ki,” Abhira replied. “Waise bhi har time sab pareshaan karte rehte hain. Phir unhone humein ek saath dekh liya toh aur unke jokes badh jaayenge.”

A warm chuckle escaped Armaan's lips at her words and Abhira's face lit up in response, the sound travelling straight to her heart. Before, she had seen Armaan so carefree so very rarely. Always bogged down by the unachievable expectations of the family, Armaan had somehow managed to balance all of it for years, but had lost his playful carefreeness to it. Slowly but surely, with the help of the entire family, Abhira was gently coaxing it back out. Every time Abhira saw Armaan truly relax and enjoy life, her heart skipped a beat. 

Especially because it took so little to bring him joy. Something as little as a hug or a kiss on the cheek made him grin so wide as if he'd won a lottery. Maybe, he had. After all, Armaan hadn't grown up with the love, care, and affection that Abhira had. No one had hugged Armaan close after he'd had a nightmare, no one had kissed his scars better, and no one had ever verbalized their love for him as he was growing up. It had only been expectations and responsibilities in the Poddar family that had raised him, not warmth and adulation. 

So, to see him make her entire family his own as well, to blossom in their admiration, and to see him shed the weight he carried, made everything better in her life. Madhav used to tell Abhira that there was a lightness in Armaan that he'd never seen before Armaan realized he was in love with her, but Abhira had never seen him more carefree than he was after meeting her family. Yes, Armaan had been wary of them at the beginning, just as she had been, but they'd all carved a place for themselves in Armaan's life with an ease that Abhira had never anticipated.

Armaan had always been the more reserved one out of the two of them and it took him some time to get comfortable around new people. Even with her, it had taken time before Armaan was ready to extend a hand of friendship to her, despite the fraught circumstances they'd found themselves in. So, to see the Rajvanshes win him over so easily had been a welcome surprise. She was glad that Armaan had been able to forge such a deep relationship with Abir & Mishti, and so easily gel with the other members of the family. He joked with the Rajvansh cousins just as he did with the chorus gang and he respected the elders of the family just as he respected Manisha & Manoj. It was so heartwarming to see him become such an important part of the family. 

Abhira felt truly happy now, with her family and Armaan by her side. The worries that had chased her since she'd lit her mother's pyre seemed so far in the past now - the constant belittling by Kaveri, the bitterness from Ruhi, and Sanjay's harsh words nothing but distant memories. Her life was full of love & happiness now, because her family had made it so, because Armaan had made it so. He had met her at every turn and done everything to make Abhira feel safe, secure, and happy in their relationship. And she was so very grateful.