"Dad!" Tears threatened to fall my eyeballs.

"My boys! How are you?" Dad's voice wavered with emotions, joy, and sadness dancing in his eyes.

"I'm good, Dad! Where did you leave me all alone here?" Rohan teased, though relief washed over him at the sight of his father.

"Oh, did I? Let's sit down and chat." Dad chuckled, guiding us to a nearby bench.

Today marked a significant moment—a reunion with my father after what felt like an eternity. The longing for family had gnawed at my soul, and now, in his presence, I felt a sense of belonging I had sorely missed. As we sat together, I could feel her watching us, her expression reflecting a mixture of emotions—empathy, happiness, and perhaps a hint of sadness. She had been my pillar of strength, supporting me through every trial and tribulation, and for that, I was eternally grateful.

"So, while I go to the nearby lake, you two enjoy yourselves and make sure there's no fighting," she instructed, her tone light-hearted yet firm.

"Got it, ma'am!" Dad and I chimed in unison, sharing a knowing look as she departed, leaving us to relish the precious moments of togetherness.

"So, Rohan how's your life?" My father's eyes bore into mine, a mixture of curiosity and concern evident in them.

I couldn't help but release a heavy sigh before responding, "Just tell me why you left me alone like this! Do you have any idea how devastated I was?"

His expression softened, and he spoke with a tone of regret, "Sorry, my son! I'm sorry to abandon you like this. After the blast happened, I was injured badly and was taken to a traditional physician and brought to Bangalore for further treatment; was in a coma for years. When I regained my consciousness, I came back here looking for you."

Disbelief surged through me, and my eyes widened, "I'm so sorry baba! I thought you were dead, and Bheem sir enrolled me in army school, and he was the one who took care of me. I missed y'all so much!"

His hand found its way to my shoulder, offering comfort, "Okay, forget all about that. Past is past. Temme, how's your life?"

A proud grin spread as I replied, "It's good, baba! I joined the army just like you. Bheem sir and Abhimanyu became my family after you were presumed dead. I recently got promoted to Brigadier."

Pride gleamed in my father's eyes, "That's my boy! Making strides in the army, just like I did."

I chuckled, "Yeah, but you never had to deal with the added stress of planning to confess to your girlfriend!"

He arched an eyebrow playfully, "What about a girlfriend?"

Grinning mischievously, I responded, "Yeah Dad, but it's still going on one track. Planning to tell her soon. She's nice, and I'm sure you'll love her."

His nod held understanding, "I trust your judgment, son."

I was shocked when he saw through me, "You're telling me about the girl who brought me here?"

"How, Dad? How did you find out?" I asked in surprise.

He winked knowingly, "I'm your father, boy! When it comes to love, fathers have their ways of knowing."

Laughing, I nudged him gently, "Dad, you're such a pro! Then, are you okay with her?"

Dramatically, he placed a hand over his heart, "My son's happiness is all that matters to me. If she makes you happy, then I'm more than okay with her."

"She's such a lovely girl. Your choice is as good as mine," my dad remarked fondly, his eyes glancing over to me with a gentle smile.

They both were engrossed in their conversation after what seemed like ages when I decided to barge in, breaking the solemn silence that had settled between them, and creating a slightly awkward moment.

"Hi, uncle, you guys were talking for so long. So, I decided to interrupt and let y'all have some Kashmir tea. What do you think?" I interjected, trying to lighten the atmosphere with a warm smile.

"Hmm, that's a good idea, dearie!" My uncle responded, his eyes twinkling with appreciation at the thought of the comforting beverage.

As we sipped on the fragrant Kashmiri chai, a sudden realization struck me. "Yes, Dad, I forgot to say something," I admitted, feeling a bit sheepish for my forgetfulness.

Curiosity piqued, my father inquired, "What did you forget?"

I took a deep breath, preparing to share something important. "Tomorrow is my mother's and Smriti's death anniversary, and normally during that day, I used to offer pind dhaan. So, I want you to be there," I explained, feeling a pang of sorrow as memories of them flooded my mind.

"I miss you, Leela!" I whispered softly, feeling the weight of their absence keenly.

Uncle's expression softened, a wave of sadness washing over his features as he remembered his departed wife and daughter. "They were truly special," he murmured, his voice tinged with emotion.

My father placed a comforting hand on Uncle's shoulder, a silent acknowledgment of their shared grief. "They'll always hold a special place in our hearts," he said softly, his own eyes reflecting the sadness of the memories.

Uncle nodded, a small smile touching his lips as he appreciated the gesture of empathy. "Thank you, brother," he replied, his voice filled with gratitude.

I reached over, offering a supportive squeeze to Uncle's hand. "We're family, Uncle. We'll always be here for each other," I said reassuringly.

The somber mood gradually lifted as we sat together, united by our shared memories and the warmth of our bond. With each sip of tea, the weight of our loss seemed to ease, replaced by a sense of comfort in each other's presence.

I was reminded of my mother and my dear maid who raised me like her own daughter was killed brutally which made me feel the hell. My mind was urging me to kill that monster who killed them brutally. but I calmed down. After having a long talk, we decided to go home.

"Dhivya, look who's here," I said, breaking the somber silence.

"Hi Uncle, who are you? You look familiar to me!" Dhivya exclaimed.

"Hi, I'm Rohan's father. What's your name?" my dad greeted her.

"Hi Uncle, I'm Dhivya," she replied cheerfully.

"Dhivya, from today onwards, my uncle will stay with us. So, please behave yourself and don't give trouble to uncle. Okay?" I instructed.

"Anyways uncle, a word of warning, Shivina is a real pester which you might not like later," Dhivya added mischievously.

"Shut up, Dhivya. It's bedtime," I scolded her lightly.

The next day, everyone got ready to go temple to offer the last rites to the dead people. When Rohan was performing the last rites, his father started sobbing. It was kinda hard to console him while Rohan did a deed that shook me straight down. He did the last rites for my mother and my maid. I was blown by his act.

"Why did you do this, Rohan?" I asked, touched by his gesture.

"Deep down, I know you also wanna perform last rites for them and it's just you're unable to do so because only males can do that. So, I did it for you on your behalf," Rohan explained.

I was so overwhelmed by his act because I wanna do it for my momma and my maid. Unfortunately, I couldn't because of the traditions. He solved my long-time yearning.

After the prayers settled down, we went to our home where everyone was deeply saddened by their past while I was grieving deeply inside my heart that bled so profusely.

"Thinking about something?" my dad asked, noticing my contemplative expression.

"Why do I feel like you have a superpower to read people's minds?" I mused.

"Oh, I'm a metahuman now? Well, your face clearly shows that something's on your mind," he teased gently.

Uncle came with hands full of coffee mugs. We hold our coffee mugs with warm coffee.

"Uncle, just a simple question to ask. What's love to you?" I inquired.

"It was love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight," he replied with a nostalgic smile.

"Wow, uncle! Tell me about your love story! Please!" Dhivya chimed in eagerly.

"Wow, you and Ma had a love marriage?! Temme your story, Dad!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"Okay kiddos!" Uncle continued his magical tale of love.

Those days people are very strict. You can't see girls that easily. Besides, I was studying in an army college. You know what the rules would be. Amir, Bheem, and I used to be roommates. So, one day, my friend, Amir wanted to meet his lover and wanted to see his favorite star movie at night. He called me and Bheem to accompany me. But, Bheem wasn't interested in movies. So, we secretly sneaked out of our dorm.

After the movie finished with Amir's lovey-dovey, we walked back to our dorm. Suddenly, we heard a girl's scream. It was dark so I couldn't see her face. She was being harassed by the village head's son. I whacked him to a pulp and ran back to the dorm since the next day we had a break for the whole day. The next day, we went to our usual diner where I saw her again as if I her for the first time since I didn't know her face a dark yesterday.

She came straight to me and said thank you for saving her life and also treated me to lunch. After lunch, she left a tissue paper which contained her page number to contact her. I was totally confused but still, I paged her to that number. That is how we started to talk. To be honest, she was daring and made the first move. At one time, I began to fall in love with her and I didn't know her mind.

Just to see her, I always sneaked out of the dorm and thanked the lords and luckily, I've never got caught for it. Every night I used to be in her room at her house. That was the time, my mom was pestering me to get married soon and I was avoiding my marriage in a fit of rage, I told the whole truth about my love story.

The next day, my mother dragged me to her house and I asked her hand in marriage daringly even though the whole situation was super upside down she agreed to my delight and we got married in the end. So, that's how my love story went.