Beneath The Storm (Completed)

Chapter-75: The First of Many Firsts

Sangeeta sat in her cabin at the Rajvansh Foundation, busy shuffling through a stack of files.

The soft tapping of a knock interrupted her focus. She looked up, slightly surprised.

The door creaked open and Inaara peeked inside, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

"Can I come in, Maa?" she asked sweetly.

Sangeeta's face instantly lit up, a genuine happiness softening her otherwise composed features.

"Ohh Inaara beta, come," she said warmly, rising from her chair without a second thought.

She moved quickly across the room, wrapping Inaara into a tight hug.

Inaara smiled, feeling the familiar warmth of a mother’s embrace.

Sangeeta's hands lingered on her arms for a moment before she gently guided Inaara toward the seating area.

"Come, seat," she said, patting the couch beside her.

The cabin was filled with the muted tones of wood and cream walls, soft light filtering through the large windows.

A faint scent of fresh flowers lingered in the air, coming from a small bouquet on the center table.

Both sat close together, a rare ease settling between them.

Sangeeta, adjusting the pallu of her saree nervously, asked,

"When did you both come from Pune?"

"Yesterday evening, Maa," Inaara replied, her voice light.

There was a brief pause where Sangeeta hesitated, almost as if weighing her next words carefully.

She fiddled with the edge of her dupatta before asking, her voice a little softer,

"Did you enjoy there?"

Inaara nodded quickly, a cheerful spark in her eyes.

"Yes Maa, so much," she said.

Sangeeta pressed her lips into a small smile, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly.

After a moment, she asked, a hint of hesitation still lingering

"How is everyone? Maa and Papa?"

Inaara’s expression grew tender.

"They are good. I got the prasad for you from the nearby temple," she said, pulling out a small packet.

Sangeeta's eyes glistened faintly as she accepted the sacred offering with reverence.

She took a small portion of the prasad, closing her eyes briefly before placing it in her mouth.

"After so many years, I'm eating this. Thank you, beta," she said, her voice thick with unspoken emotions.

Inaara only smiled, her heart quietly swelling with affection as she watched Sangeeta savor a piece of her lost past.