Bridges and Barriers

The moonlight bathed the balcony of the Thakkar house in a soft, silvery glow. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the nearby trees, carrying with it the faint scent of jasmine from the garden below. Savi stood still, her hand gripping the cold iron railing as she stared at Rajat, trying to process the words that had just come out of his mouth.

"Marry me," he had said, his voice steady yet carrying an undercurrent of vulnerability that she had never heard before.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Savi's mind was a whirlpool of emotions-confusion, shock, disbelief. She and Rajat had never seen eye to eye on anything. Their interactions had always been marked by tension and disagreements, never once hinting at the possibility of something as profound as marriage. What had she done to make him think that this was even an option?

Her eyes searched his face, looking for any signs that this might be a cruel joke, some twisted form of payback for all the times they had clashed. But Rajat's expression was sincere, his dark eyes holding hers with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.

"Savi," Rajat spoke again, breaking the silence that had stretched between them. His voice was soft, almost pleading. "I know this is sudden. I know we don't have that kind of understanding between us... at least, not yet."

Savi's breath hitched as she watched his face, the usually composed and confident CEO now looking almost... unsure. He swallowed hard, glancing away for a moment as if gathering his thoughts.

"When Sai was in the hospital," Rajat continued, his voice quieter now, "she said something that I didn't think much of at the time. She said she wanted her 'Pari Aunty' as her mother."

Savi's heart constricted at the mention of Sai. She remembered the night all too well-the fear, the helplessness, the overwhelming need to do anything to help that little girl who had captured her heart in ways she hadn't even realized until that moment.

Rajat turned back to her, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I dismissed it as just a child's wish, you know? But then I started thinking... Savi, you've done so much for Sai. You were the one who donated blood when she needed it. You were the one who walked 15 kilometers to fulfill a mannat for her recovery."

Savi's eyes widened as the memories flooded back. She had done those things out of love, a deep, maternal instinct she hadn't known she possessed until Sai came into her life. But hearing Rajat acknowledge it-seeing the emotion in his eyes as he spoke-made her chest tighten with something she couldn't quite name.

"These aren't just gestures, Savi," Rajat said, his voice cracking slightly. "These are the actions of someone who loves like a mother. And more than that, you've been the parent to Sai that I... I failed to be."

Rajat's admission hung in the air between them, raw and painful. Savi felt a tear slip down her cheek as she watched him struggle to maintain his composure. This was a side of Rajat she had never seen before-a man who was deeply, profoundly aware of his shortcomings, and who was willing to do whatever it took to make things right.

"I was so caught up in my past," Rajat continued, his voice barely above a whisper now. "I was so focused on work, on staying away from home... I didn't even look at my daughter's face. I didn't talk to her, didn't spend time with her. I failed her, Savi. And yet... she doesn't hate me for it. She still loves me."

Savi's heart ached as she watched Rajat's shoulders shake with suppressed emotion. She wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but she was rooted to the spot, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.

"I don't deserve her love," Rajat said, his voice breaking. "I don't deserve someone as pure and forgiving as Sai by my side. But I'm selfish, Savi. I'm so selfish, and I want that love. I want to earn it. And asking you to marry me... it's one of the steps I need to take to do that."