I nodded at them and greeted them and left the place in slow steps.

I had always been angrier at my mom as compared to my father. I had expected my dad to do something like this but not her, never her.

Sometimes parents can commit mistakes too. Try to forgive them for that. We feel betrayed because we just assume that they can never commit any mistake. A dialogue from a movie rang in my head. Maybe I should try to think sanely and just try to let things go. She is in a better place in her life. She has remarried and this Pratap guy is a suitable fit for her. One can see the love he has in his eyes for her. She would have never gotten this with my father. I cannot blame her or make her feel guilty for leaving my father.

As of leaving me... yeah, I can never forgive her for that. But there is a lot of time left to solve this with her. Its not like she doesnt remembers me... She does and she is guilty for everything that happened. Not everything needs to be solved today. Maybe its high time for me to make peace with things. I had tears in my eyes and I dont even know why. They werent tears of agony; they were just tears of relief. I felt better and as if I could breathe again.

This time I didn't feel angry, nothing like that. I just felt good as if I had let go of a burden. It felt as if now I can think about me and only me. I can think about my happiness.

She had asked me to keep in touch with her when I was leaving. Maybe I will, maybe I won't but now I will just think about the present. The tears in my eyes felt good; in fact they felt soothing. It had been a long time since I had cried. I sat in a nearby park and looked at kids playing and their guardians talking to each other. Everything felt oddly beautiful and soothing. The orange hue of the sky due to sun setting, the mountains, the cold air on my face, the leaves falling from the trees, kids running around and chuckling. Everything!

Is this what making peace feels like?

It was around 6 when I got up to leave and walk all the way back to the resort. I hadn't brought my phone with me because I didn't want to be disturbed by anyone. They must be really worried. Especially Randhir...

Randhir! A small smile came up on my lips as I thought of him. When I was 16, I had ripped a book of Romeo and Juliet because I hated the feeling of love. Love was a facade. That time Dadi had said that souls like me deserved to be loved. I will find someone who loves me unconditionally. Maybe I have found him.

I reached the resort in around half an hour. As assumed, everybody was sitting at the door worried like hell. Now I feel guilty for not telling them anything, except leaving a note on Sanaya's pillow and that too wasn't a lot of help as it just said I had gone to take care of some past. It was so vague. I had also asked Randhir to not tell anything to anyone. I was scared if I wouldn't be able to do it and that will make me look as an idiot to them. Thats what the old Sanyukta felt... Ahh, no that's what I feel now too! Maybe not all things can change so abruptly. That will be so stupid wouldn't it if everything ends on a happy note out of nowhere? Like a cheesy teenage novel.

As soon as I came into their view, they stood up and gathered around me.

"Where were you gone for the whole day?" Sanaya spoke angrily. Wow I really am in trouble.

"Do you even know how worried we were for you? Me and Parth went around asking for you at least twice." I had never seen Aryan so worried.

"Suga, that note was also very vague. Are you hurt? Are you hungry? Have you even eaten something? Why do you look so weird? Are you high?" Vidushi asked and I realised that of course I looked weird, they had never seen me so calm and also I was kinda tired. I just wanted to sleep... but before that I wanted to do one last thing.

"Where is Randhir?" I asked them looking around.

"Yes, that idiot isn't ready to tell us anything. What the hell is going on here, Sanyukta?" Parth asked me.

"Just tell me where is he?" I asked with urgency in my eyes.

"He is ups..." Someone started to speak but Randhir entered the room with a tense look on his face.

"Sanyukta... are you okay? Why are you so late? What ha..."

"Ohh... Why do you have to speak so much? I said and wrapped my arms around his neck as he looked at me with wide eyes, You need to quieten at times." With this I attacked his lips with mine as his body tensed around me but then he loosened and kissed me back with equal intensity. Everyone else around the room recovered from the shock and started hooting and I felt a blush creep at my neck. I broke the kiss and stood there with our foreheads attached.

After telling everything that happened today to everybody, me and Randhir went to the terrace, looking at the stars.

"How did it go?"

"It was okay. She has remarried though. Not that I am sad about it. Maybe it was high time for her to move on from everything that had happened in her past. She deserves her happiness. I had gone through this conversation so many times in my head that I had labelled her as a monster, but she isnt like this. Not at all. She tried to reach to me but dadu and dadi refused. They wanted to protect me. Everyone was right in their own place. I am happy for her." With this I fell silent.

"Do you think you will tell her the truth?"

"Maybe not. She doesn't needs to go back to her past so soon... just when she is starting to be happy. It's not like I can't live without her now." I chuckled but he didn't say anything just kissed our hands entangled together.

"Randhir..."

"Hmm..."

"Thanks for finding me!" He pecked my nose at this and a smile came on my lips. Damn, I have been smiling the whole day it seems. My jaw is hurting right now.

"Sanyukta, tell me something. Why do you do that ritual? You know of pointing your finger at the moon and kissing it." He asked hesitant. Damn, he is still scared or what. My inner self rolled my eyes.

"When I was young, dadu had said that when they die they wont be in the stars and be lost forever, instead they will be on the moon so I can find them anytime I want and they will follow me everywhere." Hearing this, Randhir got up and went near the iron railing and looked up at the moon.

"What are you doing?" I asked confused.

"I am Randhir Shekhawat. I live just across from your grand-daughter. You must have seen me stalking her since a long time. Sorry for that. I grinned at this and he continued, I liked her the moment I first saw her getting down her Phantom. Over time I fell in love with her personality, her melancholic aura, her emotional baggage and all of her. She loves you guys a lot, she practically worships you. I want to tell her something. Shall I say it with your permission?" My chest tightened at this and I kept a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, you should say it." I knew what he was going to say, but I wanted to hear him say it.

"I love you. I love everything about you. I want to ride behind you on your Phantom. I want to teach you simple mathematics tricks all my life. Am I allowed to do so? Am I allowed to kiss you all my life? Am I allowed to stalk you through my window day and night? Am I allowed to be your shoulder? Are my kids allowed to call you their mom? Can you and I become us?" I smiled and tears came to my eyes. Damn, I am either smiling or crying since the whole day. There is no in between.

This was probably the cheesiest proposal I had ever heard but this proposal just felt nice. Everything felt nice today.

"Ask dadu and dadi for permission." I nodded towards the sky and he smiled at me.

"Am I permitted?" As if in reply, the moon came out from behind the clouds.

"You saw that? I am permitted."

"Yes I did." With this, we sealed our fate by sealing our lips.

"Oh no!" He suddenly exclaimed, breaking the kiss.

"What?" I asked surprised.

"We kissed in front of your grandparents; they got shy and hid behind the clouds again." I chuckled at his dumb joke.

"I think they want us to get a room." He said with sincerity lacing his voice.

"Then lets get one!" Was my instant reply.

********
AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi guys,
Hope I made up to you guys with two updates on the same day.
Did you like it?
Next: Epilogue

Love Love 💕
A.S.