The Ties That Bind

~He touched her before the world did~

Sarla sharma, a regal figure in her late sixties, smiled as she stared at the tiny baby swaddled in a pink blanket.
"She's here," she whispered, voice trembling with joy. "My Aarohi... she's finally here."

Meera Singh, equally elegant, with thick silver hair tied into a bun and a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Sarla turned to Meera and said with a playful seriousness, "You remember our promise, don't you?"

Meera laughed softly. "Of course, I do. When your granddaughter is old enough, she'll be the bride of my Reyansh. Destiny signed it, and we sealed it."

Just then, small footsteps echoed in the hallway. A chubby little boy, Reyansh Singh, only four years old, stopped when he reached his grandmother and tugged at her saree.
"Dadi... where did you go?" he asked, puffing a little from running.

Meera bent down and stroked his silky black hair. "Come, Reyansh. I want you to meet someone very special."

He followed her obediently to the nursery window. Meera picked him up in her arms and pointed at the tiny girl in the crib, sleeping peacefully.

"That's Aarohi," she whispered.
One day... she'll be yours."

He didn't understand. He just stared a little longer and then turned to his dadi with a childlike pout.
"Will she play with me?"

Meera chuckled. "One day, yes. For now, just remember her."

Little Reyansh's dark eyes returned to the newborn. He gently touched her fingers, Something about her soft face, the way her little fists curled as if ready to fight the world - it made him smile.

"I like her," he said simply.

And just like that, a promise whispered between two hearts, sealed by the innocence of a boy and the breath of a newborn girl, began the tale of Reyansh Singh and Aarohi Sharma.