Veins of Power, Threads of Fate

Five Years Later

The small courtyard of the Udaipur home was decorated with strings of marigold and jasmine. Soft classical music played in the background. Children giggled, running between the guests. The air was rich with love, light, and new memories being made.

Inside, Ekta stood before a mirror, fixing the pleats of her soft pink saree. Her hair was adorned with mogra flowers, and her face held the glow of quiet contentment. Beside her, a little girl about four tugged at her hand.

"Mama, is Papa really going to marry you again?" she asked with wide, sparkling eyes.

Ekta laughed softly and knelt down. "Yes, sweetheart. He says he wants to marry me every lifetime."

The girl beamed, and from the door, Adrit, now seven, poked his head in with mock impatience. "Ma, come fast! Papa's waiting and looking very nervous!"

Ekta chuckled as she picked up her daughter. "Let's go before he runs away again."

Outside, Rohan stood under the floral canopy, dressed in a cream sherwani, smiling nervously - but the moment Ekta stepped into view, everything else faded. His heart calmed, his eyes softened, and his world centered.

As Ekta approached, their eyes met - and in that gaze was everything unspoken:

The storms they weathered.

The wounds they healed.

The love they chose - again, and again.

The ceremony was simple - no grandeur, no drama - just a promise renewed.

Later, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of gold and lavender, Rohan and Ekta sat together watching the children play - Adrit and his younger sister chasing bubbles barefoot.

"I don't need lifetimes," Rohan said, wrapping his arm around her. "Just this one - with you."

Ekta leaned her head on his shoulder, her fingers entwined with his. "This one... is enough."

The laughter of their children rang like music through the garden.

And as dusk settled over Udaipur, peace - true, lasting peace - wrapped itself around them like a gentle shawl.

Love had taken its time.

But it had arrived.

And it was here to stay.

THE END - FOR REAL THIS TIME ❤️