His Bride

22 / Mithra

Arushi's Pov

Today was a special day in the Chauhan family—Dhruv's grandparents' wedding anniversary. The entire house was decorated with fairy lights and flowers. The air buzzed with joy, laughter, and the scent of fresh marigolds.

Dhruv had suggested we wear matching outfits for the celebration. He wore a simple black kurta with a silver border, while I chose a black saree with delicate silver embroidery. Little Aadhi twirled happily in her adorable black dress, her curls bouncing as she ran around the room. She looked like a little princess.

We made our way downstairs, greeting family and guests along the way.

"Arushi, you look stunning," Baba complimented, his eyes filled with pride.

I smiled, nodding in thanks. Dhruv wrapped his arm protectively around my waist as we moved through the crowd.

Suddenly, a voice broke through the chatter.

"Mithra!"

That name stunned me. I turned back. An elderly man stood a few steps away, his eyes wide and filled with disbelief. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. His face was weathered with age, but there was something familiar about him.

"Are you... are you calling me?" I asked cautiously.

He nodded, taking a hesitant step closer. "Yes. Mithra... You look just like my daughter, Mithra." His voice cracked with emotion. "Is it really you?"

My heart skipped a beat. Mithra. That was my mother's name. I knew exactly who he was talking about. My mother—his daughter—had eloped with my father many years ago, cutting ties with her family forever.

"I know you, have seen in mom's diary." I told him.

"So you are really my grand daughter?" He asked and I nodded.

"How is she?" He asked me.

I took a deep breath. "Mom... passed away in an accident, six years back."

The old man's face fell, his eyes filling with tears. His shoulders slumped as the weight of my words hit him. "Mithra... my Mithra is gone?" His voice cracked with sorrow, barely above a whisper.

I felt my own throat tighten with emotion. "Yes... she's gone. But she always spoke about you. She missed you every single day."

The silence that followed was heavy. His trembling hands reached out and grasped mine. "I searched for her for years... but she never came back. I thought I had lost her forever. And now, you're here, standing in front of me."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I came back to India a few years after the accident, trying to connect with my roots. I never thought I'd meet someone from her past... someone who loved her this much."

By now, everyone in the room had fallen silent, their curious gazes shifting between us. Dhruv's family watched quietly, sensing the gravity of the moment but not fully understanding what was unfolding.

"Arushi, who is this?" Baba asked gently.

I turned to face him, my voice steady but soft. "He's... my grandfather. My mother was Mithra Thakur, his daughter. Years ago, she fell in love with my father,Devanath Mehta, and they left together to build a life in London. She... never returned."

Dadaji's eyes widened. "Rajan's daughter was your mother? My God..."

Rajan uncle—no, my grandfather—held my face in his hands, his eyes brimming with tears. "All these years, I thought she was gone forever. And now, you... you've brought her back to me, Arushi. You're my blood, my family."

Dhruv tightened his hold on my waist, grounding me as I struggled to contain my emotions. "Arushi, you're not alone in this," he whispered. "I'm right here with you."

Aadhi, sensing the shift in my mood, ran over and wrapped her little arms around my legs. "Mama, why are you sad?" she asked in her sweet, innocent voice.

I knelt to her level, wiping my eyes and smiling through my tears. "I'm not sad, baby. I'm just... remembering someone very special."

Mr. Thakur knelt beside us, his hands shaking as he gently cupped Aadhi's face. "She's just like Mithra when she was a little girl... full of life, full of light." He looked at me with so much love and regret that it broke my heart, I knew the truth which no one alive knew now. "Thank you for telling me. You've given me back something I thought was lost forever."

The rest of the family watched with softened expressions, Dadaji finally breaking the silence. "Rajan, it looks like fate had a plan after all. You may have lost Mithra, but you've gained something equally precious."

Baba nodded in agreement. "Arushi, you're family. No matter what happened in the past, you're one of us now."

I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. For so long, I had carried this story alone. Now, it was out in the open, and instead of judgment, I was met with warmth and acceptance.

Dhruv gently wiped a tear from my cheek. "We'll get through this, Arushi. Together."

Looking around at the family that had embraced me and Aadhi so wholeheartedly, I felt a deep sense of belonging. The past was no longer a ghost that haunted me; it was a story that had found its way back to where it belonged.

But in the depths of my heart, I knew that every story had its shadows. There was more to the past than what had surfaced tonight. And some shadows... were waiting for the right moment to emerge.