Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 117

Four Days Later

New Year's Eve had been a grand and festive affair, but now the celebrations had simmered down. The team was back at the hotel, savoring the last few days of their Australia trip before heading back to India. The morning was lazy and peaceful, the perfect antidote to the earlier chaos.

Athiya and Meera were strolling leisurely through the hotel garden, the air crisp and filled with the soft chirping of birds. A little ahead of them, Virat, Rahul, and Anushka jogged in tandem, their pace steady as they engaged in light banter.

As the sisters-in-law sat on a bench under a flowering tree, they began scrolling through the photos on Meera's phone. Laughter filled the air as they reminisced about the moments captured. Meera suddenly paused, her finger hovering over a picture. It was a candid shot of Athiya and Rahul taken outside a cozy café.

In the photo, Athiya was holding a steaming cup of coffee, her petite baby bump just visible beneath a snug sweater. She was laughing at something, her head tilted slightly back, while Rahul stood next to her, his eyes brimming with unfiltered adoration.

Meera turned to Athiya with a warm smile. "You guys are absolutely adorable, you know that? And Rahul... he's completely smitten with you."

Athiya glanced at the photo and laughed, flipping her hair dramatically. "Well, I do have all the charm, don't I?" she said with mock pride, making Meera chuckle.

The two women dissolved into laughter, their voices mingling with the gentle rustling of leaves around them. Athiya continued looking at the picture, a fond smile playing on her lips as she spoke, her voice soft and filled with emotion. "Being in love feels so grateful, nai? To have someone who loves you like this, takes care of you..."

Meera glanced up at the sky, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Yes, definitely," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Athiya immediately straightened, realizing the weight of her words. "I'm sorry, Meeru," she said quickly, her tone apologetic.

Meera turned to her, offering a small, reassuring smile. "Hey, no. You've got nothing to be sorry for. And it's alright. Just because I've lost Ayan doesn't mean you shouldn't express your love for my brother." She winked, trying to lighten the mood.

As Meera leaned back against the trunk of a nearby tree, her expression softened, Athiya hesitated before speaking again. "You know you can find love again, right?"

Meera's gaze remained fixed on the sky, and after a moment, she replied, "I know I can... but I don't want to."

Athiya frowned slightly, her voice gentle but firm. "You know Ayan would want that for you too, right?"

Meera exhaled a long sigh, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Doesn't matter," she said quietly, her words tinged with both resolve and sorrow. "Woh toh gaya na... Maybe I just want to do what I want, live the way I choose. I don't want to look for love. If it has to happen, it will happen."

Athiya reached over and gently squeezed Meera's hand, neither of them saying anything more. As the two sat in the tranquil garden, Athiya gently shifted the conversation, "How are your therapy sessions going with Kabir?" she asked with a small smile.

Meera chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Kabir, being the chaos doctor he is, is a little difficult to manage. But honestly? It's going well. Actually, he and Arjun have been putting poor Maithili in my room these last few days, thinking I wouldn't notice. But I do." She laughed, her voice laced with amusement. "And, strange enough, I'm not even angry at either of them. I know they're doing it for my own good."