Chapter 38 #3
“And you’re a mom,” Armaan said with a laugh. “I still can’t believe it. Our sister is a mother, and we are uncles already.”
Laughing, she wiped her face. “I can’t wait for you all to meet Ahaan. He’s fantastic. And he will love you all.”
“And we will love him too.” Vedant kneeled in front of her, squeezing her fingers. “We’re so glad to have you amongst us again.”
She hugged him first and then stood to hug Mihir and Armaan.
“We’re all together,” she said, holding their hands. “I never thought I’d ever see this day again.”
“Sometimes we find happiness at the most unexpected times,” Mihir said. “Our family is complete now. The future looks brighter already.”
“It does,” she said. “There is so much to look forward to. You three were my strength at one time, and now, once again, I feel stronger with you by my side.”
“But Aditya?” Vedant grumbled. “Could you not have been involved with anyone else?”
Sabrina threw him a dark look. “Can we address the fact that your girls had a crush on him? It wasn’t the other way around.”
Vedant and Armaan immediately shut their mouths.
Mihir laughed. “Shall we join the others? I’m sure they’re all waiting for us.”
“Wait, I just have one last question,” Vedant said. “Why did you choose the name Sabrina?”
She chuckled. “On the train from Delhi to Mumbai, I was terrified. I knew nothing about the city. An old woman seated beside me sensed that I was nervous and scared, so she politely pulled me into conversation. I gathered some courage and asked her about the city, and she was kind enough to answer all my questions. Her name was Saba. She didn’t ask why I looked so scared.
Instead, she told me something that stayed with me and gave me the strength I needed.
She told me that courage was not the absence of fear, but choosing to keep going even when you are afraid.
Eventually, when she asked for my name, I opened my mouth…
and stopped. Karina couldn’t exist anymore.
Since Saba left such an impact on me, I borrowed her name, blended it with mine, and became Sabrina.
Close enough to who I was, far enough to disappear, and also a reminder of the life lesson she’d taught me. ”
Her brothers smiled. They all returned outside to a happy atmosphere. Sabrina found Aditya chatting with Rajiv’s sisters, while Rajiv and Sheena were sitting aside, talking to each other. Everyone turned when they entered.
Aditya arched a brow at her.
“Okay?” he mouthed. She nodded. He gave her a smile.
Ananya clapped her hands, beaming. “It’s time for a celebration. Champagne?”
“I’ll get it,” Armaan said.
Sabrina went to Rajiv and Sheena. “I know I haven’t been entirely honest with you and everyone else in our circle. But know that I had my reasons, and I need to talk to Aisha first before I tell you both my story.”
“Hey, that’s fine,” Sheena said warmly. “We’re here for you despite everything.”
“I will never be able to call you anything but Sabrina,” Rajiv said.
“Sabrina is fine,” she said. “Actually, I prefer it. It’s who I am now.”
“Well, then, Sabrina it is,” Ananya announced.
Armaan poured champagne into flute glasses and passed them around.
Sabrina went to where Ananya was standing next to Mihir.
“Congratulations on the babies,” Sabrina said. “How far along are you?”
“About six weeks,” Ananya said. “And I’m just realizing how freaking mental Mihir is going to be.”
Mihir curled a possessive arm around her. “I only want you and the babies to be alright.”
“He’s going to be a great father, you know,” Sabrina told her. “He took care of all of us when we were kids.”
Smiling, Mihir raised his glass in the air, speaking loudly. “A toast, everyone.” Everyone raised their glasses.
“Welcome back, Karina. I mean, Sabrina,” Mihir said. “Well, damn, that is going to be hard to get used to.”
Everyone laughed.
Armaan continued, “Sabrina, our lives are complete now that you are back in our midst. We are all so happy to have you with us.”
“Cheers to happier times ahead,” Vedant concluded.
“And we are happy that Aditya is here with us too,” Rajiv added. “He’s also the reason you found your sister. So, cheers to him too.”
Sabrina gave Aditya a smile. He raised his glass, his eyes on her. “Cheers, everyone.”
Everyone clinked their glasses. Over the course of the evening, she didn’t have a minute to herself. She was always surrounded by people, and so was Aditya. Their eyes kept meeting across the distance, but she didn’t get a chance to talk to him.
Sabrina heard her brothers’ love stories from their women, and to her utter surprise, Mihir and Ananya announced that they wanted to get married again.
She learnt of their secret marriage in London ten years back, how they’d gotten separated, and how they were back together.
With their twins on the way, they wanted to marry properly, and that too in a week.
She smiled, promising to help them in every way she could.
Finally, dinner was done, Rajiv and Sheena had left, and Mihir showed her to a bedroom in his wing of the house.
He’d explained that each of her brothers had their own wing in this massive house.
Now alone, she went on the terrace adjoining the beautiful room and looked at the waves crashing ahead of her.
Aditya had disappeared with Armaan somewhere, a few minutes before Mihir had led her here.
She pulled her phone from her pocket to call him when warm hands wrapped around her waist, and his familiar scent enveloped her.
She heaved a sigh of relief and happiness and rested her head against his chest.
“We haven’t had a moment to ourselves,” she said. “Where did you go?”
He kissed the top of her hair. “Your brothers thought that they ought to separate us, so Armaan led me to a room in his wing, while Mihir put you here. Fuckers.”
She laughed. “How did you know where to find me?”
“Sadly for them, their women like me. I just had to call Ananya. Did you not tell your brothers about us, beautiful?”
“Not exactly.”
He shifted to study her. “Why?”
“Because I hadn’t told you that I loved you yet.”
His brows lifted.
“I love you, Aditya Wahi. You’ve had my attention from the first time I saw you at Aisha and Rithwik’s engagement. I’ve crushed on you since, and I can finally admit that I am completely and hopelessly in love with you.”
“That long, huh?” His eyes glowed with happiness. “I didn’t know that.”
“Why do you think I kept a distance from everyone in our circle?” she said softly.
“I didn’t want to accept even to myself that I felt something for you.
I thought that if I kept seeing you often, I’d fall in love with you.
And that is exactly what happened when we started spending time together.
You are warm, kind, and selfless. You showed me what it is to be happy, to feel cherished.
You even taught me that it is possible to have pleasure in physical intimacy. ”
His eyes widened at her words. “What? Are you saying that… before that first time in Singapore… before us… you’d never…”
She shook her head. “I’d never felt anything like you made me feel that first night we slept together, or any night since.
You are the first man I’ve loved and the first man to show me what true pleasure is.
I want to make it work between us. I want you to be a part of my life, of Ahaan’s life.
I want to wake up every moment with you by my side. ”
He caressed her cheek. “I didn’t know what my heart was missing until you walked into my life, a delightful mix of spark and sass and insecurities. I love you, Sabrina… all of you. You make me feel complete and so happy. Marry me?”
A sharp breath escaped her lungs.
“I don’t have a ring yet, but I will get one for you soon,” he said. “So, what do you think?”
Her throat clogged with tears. Her heart felt so full with all the happiness she’d found. She nodded. “Y…yes. A thousand times yes.”
With a whoop, he lifted her off her feet and twirled her in a little circle. She laughed. He put her down and kissed her lips.
A pertinent thought pressed in on her. “But your mother?”
His shoulders sagged. “My mother will come around. She loves me too much, and she’s just possessive. Once she learns what a wonderful person you are, she will accept you with all her heart.”
“I don’t want to delay that, Adi,” she said. “We have to tell your mother about us. Let’s go back to Mumbai tomorrow and talk to her.”
“But your brothers…”
“They will understand,” she said. “In any case, we have to return in a few days for Mihir’s wedding. I want to tell Ahaan as well. I have to tell him about his uncles too.”
Aditya nodded.
She rested her cheek against his chest and held him close. Her heart was pounding. Just a few more challenges, and they would finally have their forever.