Beneath The Storm (Completed)

Chapter 73: Building Belonging, Brick by Brick

Night had draped the sky in deep shades of charcoal, the heavy rain having just ceased, leaving behind glistening rooftops and a scent of damp earth.

The chill in the air carried a certain comfort, wrapping everything in its soft embrace.

Inaara stepped onto the balcony with a warm plate of pakoras and two steaming cups of tea.

She placed them gently on the table between them.

“The mazaa of chai and pakora after baarish,” she said, inhaling the fresh petrichor-filled air, “is something else entirely.”

Atharv nodded, his gaze trailing the dancing droplets sliding off the railings.

A peaceful silence settled between them, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant rumble of thunder.

After a few moments, Atharv asked softly, “Aara… who gave you the name Inaara?”

Inaara turned slightly toward him, curious.

“Why do you ask this all of a sudden?”

He shrugged, a subtle smile on his lips.

“Just curious. Because your name suits you so well. Inaara—light, calm, graceful. Just like you.”

Inaara smiled, her eyes softening.

“My Dadu chose it. He always wanted a daughter, dreamed of naming her Inaara. But that wish never came true. Then when mamma was pregnant with bhai, he was so sure he was finally getting a granddaughter. He had the name ready. But bhai was born instead.”

She let out a small laugh.

“He loved bhai, of course, but that name… he held onto it.”

A beat passed.

“He passed away two years before I was born. But when I was born, Dadi remembered. She named me Inaara, fulfilling Dadu’s long-held wish. And bhai… he gave me the nickname Inni—rhyming with his own nickname, Sunny.”

Atharv smiled, his eyes lingering on her fond expression.

Inaara looked up. “And you? Who named you?”

“Maa,” Atharv replied simply.

“She named me Atharv. It means knowledge… or foresight.”

Inaara nodded thoughtfully.

“It suits you too. Wise, sharp… but also thoughtful when you want to be.”

Atharv chuckled, sipping his tea.

“Only when I want to be?”

Inaara grinned.

“Well, let’s just say you're still a work in progress.”

Their laughter mingled with the crisp breeze, soft and warm like the steam rising from their tea cups—simple moments wrapped in serenity, just like the night after the rain.