The value of something is often realized only after losing it—and once regained, it becomes something sacred. That was what every member of the family was experiencing. They had all once lost their happiness and thought they would never feel it again. But life, generous in its second chances, had given them a reason to smile once more. And this time, they held onto it with care and love, determined not to let it slip away.
Vishnu and Devika were waiting in the living room, ready to leave, while Aryan was still inside, attending to his tired and grumpy wife. Sanjana was in her eighth month of pregnancy, and the weight of it was clearly showing.
“Sweetheart, I’ll tell Amma and Appa. We’ll go some other day. I can’t leave you in this state,” Aryan said, his hand gently rubbing her back.
“It’s ok, Aryan,” Sanjana replied with a weak smile. “I’ll be fine. Just go with them. Don’t disappoint them for anything. Just a few hours, and then you’ll be back home.”
“Until then, you’ll suffer with pain.”
“No, I feel sleepy, and I will sleep. So don’t get worried. Now get out—Amma and Appa will be waiting.”
She kissed his cheek gently, a gesture to reassure him. Aryan leaned down and pecked her lips softly.
“I’ll be back as soon as possible. Call me if the pain worsens.”
Sanjana hummed in response and closed her eyes as Aryan left the room, his heart heavy but trusting her strength.
He reached the living room where his parents were waiting. Soon, they were on the road, heading to the DC residence. After about 45 minutes, they reached their destination. Naren was already pacing anxiously at the porch. As their car pulled in, he rushed forward to greet them with heartfelt warmth.
“Uncle, Aunty, please come. Hi Aryan!”
“Hello, Naren,” Devika smiled. “How are you?”
“He is smart, isn’t he?” Vishnu said, giving Naren a look of pride.
“Yes, of course,” Devika agreed, nodding warmly.
They stepped inside and settled in the living room. Naren quickly called out to Maya and Vivaan, nervous energy buzzing in his veins. This was the first time Maya would be seeing Aryan after her accident, and Aryan, too, felt a flutter of nervousness.
Moments later, Maya and Vivaan entered, hand in hand, radiant smiles lighting up their faces.
“Aunty, Uncle, how are you?” Maya asked cheerfully.
“Fine, Maya. How are you?” Vishnu responded.
“I’m fine. Hi Aryan bro, how are you? Sorry, I don’t remember any conversation if we had earlier,” she added with a hint of regret.
“That’s ok. How are you now?” Aryan asked kindly.
“I’m doing good. Vivaan takes good care of me.”
Devika looked at the young man standing beside Maya. “Who is this?”
“Aunty, he is Vivaan—Maya’s fiancé,” Naren said proudly.
“Call him son-in-law,” Devika grinned. “If Maya’s health is good now, let’s plan the marriage.”
“No Aunty,” Vivaan said, shaking his head gently. “She needs more rest. Maybe we need to wait another two or three months.”
“No problem, Vivaan. We will wait.”
“We’ll speak with your parents to arrange the wedding,” Vishnu added. “It’s our daughter’s wedding now, so we’ll do everything for her.”
Maya and Naren became emotional at their words. They hugged Devika and Vishnu, overwhelmed by their unconditional love and care.
“You are our children,” Vishnu said, “and we would definitely be here for you—even if Chandra was still here.”
“Amma,” Aryan interjected, “we can arrange both their marriages at the same time.”
“What do you say, Aryan?” Vishnu asked, surprised.
“He is in love with Pavithra—Sanju’s friend.”
“Oh my God,” Devika gasped joyfully. “All our children are grown up! I’m so happy and can’t wait to see you all getting married.”
Just then, Pavithra walked in, and Naren introduced her to everyone. She was shy but cheerful as she approached Aryan’s parents and took their blessings.
“Pavithra, you are so beautiful,” Devika said warmly. “Stay blessed always.”
“Thank you, Aunty,” Pavithra replied sweetly.
“So we have three weddings lined up now,” Aryan announced, a twinkle in his eye.
“Three?” Naren blinked. “Who is the third pair?”
“Yes,” Aryan nodded. “Pradeep and his father visited us. Next week will be Keerthy and his engagement, and they want to get married after Sanju’s delivery.”
“Why did you not bring sister-in-law with you?” Maya asked with a small pout.
“She’s in her eighth month and gets tired soon. You’ll meet her at Pradeep’s engagement.”
“Okay. Take care of her and convey my regards. Will meet her soon.”
“Sure. I think we should leave now. Sanju was hell tired when we started, so I need to get back to her.”
“Uncle and Aunty can stay with us for some time,” Maya offered with a hopeful smile.
“I don’t mind, if they want to,” Aryan said.
“We will stay here today and be back tomorrow,” Devika replied, content with the idea.
“Okay then, you all have a nice time. I’ll take leave,” Aryan said, hugging his parents warmly.
“I’ll take care of them, Aryan, don’t worry,” Naren reassured him.
“Sure. Bye, everyone.”
Aryan left and soon reached home. Sanju was fast asleep, but the frown on her face betrayed the pain she was still enduring. He walked to her side silently, took out the soothing oil, and began massaging her back gently. His hands moved with care and love, easing the pain from her swollen back and feet.
As his touch calmed her, she relaxed into a peaceful sleep. Aryan gave her a soft kiss on the forehead and lay beside her, admiring the gentle, motherly glow on her face.
“I love you, sweetheart,” he whispered with a tender smile.
Then, not wanting to disturb her, he moved to the couch and began working on his laptop, balancing both love and responsibility with quiet devotion.
Some time later, Sanju stirred from her deep slumber. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found Aryan watching her. She smiled at him softly, her heart swelling with love.
Sanju stirred awake and saw Aryan watching her with a gentle smile.
“When did you come?” she asked, stretching a little.
“Long back. You were sleeping, so I didn’t disturb you,” Aryan replied softly.
“How was the meet?”
“Good. Amma and Appa wanted to stay over there today, so I came back.”
“How is Maya?”
“Doing good. She wants to meet you and conveyed her regards to you.”
Sanju smiled. “Hmm, wow… that’s great to hear.”
Aryan hummed in agreement, then walked over to her and gently lifted her in his arms. He carried her to the washroom so she could freshen up, then helped her get ready for a walk. The doctors had recommended walking regularly since she was in the last trimester. Hand in hand, they strolled slowly through the lawn under the cool evening sky.
After some time, Sanju began to feel tired. They sat down on a bench for her to rest, and after a few more minutes of walking, Aryan carried her back home. Once inside, he placed her gently on the couch in the living room.
“When would Keerthy’s mom and dad arrive for the engagement?” Sanju asked, leaning back.
“I already spoke to them. They’ll be arriving tomorrow. I invited them to stay here, but Keerthy wanted them at her place.”
As they were chatting, Pradeep, Keerthy, and Ranjith entered the house, accompanied by a young woman who exuded confidence and style.
“Aryan, Sanju,” Pradeep called out, “this is Nila, a very good friend of mine and a fashion designer. I thought it would be good if she designs our costumes for the engagement.”
Aryan stood and greeted her politely. “Hello, Ms. Nila. Nice to meet you.”
Sanju smiled warmly. “Nice to meet you, sister.”
Nila smiled back and hugged Sanju. “Thank you. So nice to meet you both.”
Pradeep gestured toward the living room. “So Nila, you girls can proceed to finalize the costume. We won’t disturb you.”
“Thank you, Pradeep,” Nila said with a playful grin.
Aryan, Ranjith, and Pradeep excused themselves and moved to the study to attend to their business work, leaving the girls to their plans. Nila opened her large portfolio and displayed her fashion catalogs filled with stunning designs for traditional Indian engagement wear.
Keerthy and Sanju were immediately impressed. They discussed the outfits in detail, even video-called Pavithra and Maya to show them the options. Together, the girls finalized designs not only for themselves but also for their partners.
Aryan, Pradeep and Ranjith returned from the office and settled on the couches opposite to the girls.
Nila felt at ease among them, delighted to be part of the lively group. Just as they wrapped up, Keerthy’s phone rang.
“Pradeep,” she said, turning to him, “Mom and Dad are already on the way and will be in Chennai in one hour. We need to pick them up.”
“Fine, let’s go,” Pradeep nodded.
“What about Nila?” Keerthy asked.
Sanju chimed in, “Cool, Keerthy. I’ll ask Ranjith anna to drop her. Will that be okay, Nila?”
“Yeah, no issues. Or maybe a cab should also be okay. I don’t want to trouble anyone,” Nila replied, waving her hand dismissively.
“There’s no trouble,” Aryan interjected. “Ranjith, drop Nila.”
“Sure, sir. Shall we leave, Ms. Nila?” Ranjith asked politely.
“Oh no, don’t be so formal. Just Nila should be fine,” she said with a soft laugh.
Ranjith smiled at her and led her outside to the car. Pradeep and Keerthy followed soon after, heading to pick up her parents.
Once they were alone, Sanju turned to Aryan with a grin. “Aryan, now we have only Ranjith bro who is single.”
“Don’t worry. Let’s find a girl for him,” Aryan replied, chuckling.
“Yes, we need to find someone very soon. All of us are with partners now—except for him.”
Aryan smiled. “We should invite Deepa aunty for the baby shower.”
“What about Banu?”
“Of course, we’ll invite both of them. I want to gift you something. Tell me, what do you want?”
Sanju raised an eyebrow. “Who would gift by asking?”
Aryan leaned in, eyes mischievous. “If you weren’t pregnant, I would gift a lot of kinky stuff as a gift. But now, tell me if you need something special.”
She giggled and shook her head. “I don’t have anything in mind. You are the best gift to me… and now, our baby. What else do I want?”
He took her hand in his. “Do you have any wish? We had a tough time throughout the pregnancy, so we couldn’t enjoy completely. Do you have any wishes? We still have time, and I would love to do it for you.”
Sanju hesitated for a moment, then looked into his eyes. “I have a wish, but I don’t know if you could do it.”
“Tell me what it is, and I will do anything for you,” Aryan said earnestly.
“No… let it go. It could be a boon for me… and a curse for you.”
Aryan frowned. “Curse???”
