Epilogue
SIYA
Five Years Later – RK Estate
Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of RK Estate, and for our family, that alone would have been reason enough to celebrate. But today is even more special because it’s also Raghav’s and Ayaan’s birthday.
Coincidentally, they were both born on the very day RK Estate came into existence, the legacy their mother inherited from her maternal family. A fact that never fails to amaze us.
The celebrations are scheduled for the evening, and the entire family has gathered at RK Estate once again. Everyone has come from Mumbai for the occasion, filling the estate with laughter and warmth that only family can bring.
A lot has changed over the past five years. Sometimes, I look around and feel as though we are living the most beautiful chapter of our lives.
RK Estate has flourished, reaching new heights with every passing year.
New cottages have been added, and guests now have even more experiences and attractions to choose from during their stay.
The estate has grown bigger, grander, and more successful with than we ever imagined.
Raghav has also received multiple awards and recognitions for producing some of the finest wines in the country, and each honour still fills me with immense pride.
And me? I finally built the dream I had quietly carried in my heart for years. My own luxury footwear brand.
Princess Walk - Made for the Princess in you.
I chose the name ‘Princess’ because that is what Raghav still calls me.
What better name for my brand than that?
What began as a dream has grown into one of India’s most sought-after luxury footwear labels, and we’re now preparing for the next phase of expansion.
I no longer design for anyone else. Every creation carries my name, my vision, and my identity, and I love every second of it.
I still work from RK Estate, balancing my business and family life.
Somehow, life has found a way to give me everything I once dreamt of.
Today, however, there is barely a moment to breathe.
The preparations for the celebration have kept me busy since morning.
After finishing yet another round of last-minute arrangements, I hurry upstairs to check on Raghav.
The moment I push open our bedroom door, the sight of my husband takes my breath away.
Raghav is already dressed for the evening.
A perfectly tailored black suit hugs his broad frame, making him look every bit as devastatingly handsome as he did the day I met him for the first time.
If anything, the last five years have only made him more sexier.
But it’s not the suit that captures my heart.
It’s what he’s doing. He’s kneeling beside the bed, carefully helping our four-year-old daughter, Riya, into her tiny sandals while she sits patiently on the edge of the mattress.
A smile spreads across my face because this is something I have watched Raghav do ever since our twins were born.
Yes. We have twins too, just like Ayaan and Meher. A boy and a girl. Their twins, Arnav and Myra, turned five this year, and ours are four. And somehow, between the four of them, this house has never known a moment of peace.
Right now, Riya is sitting on the bed, talking nonstop while Raghav patiently listens to every single word.
She’s busy complaining about Myra. Apparently, they had another fight this morning, which isn’t surprising.
Both Myra and Riya have inherited every ounce of sass from Meher and me.
We adore each other, but our daughters spend half their time arguing and the other half refusing to stay apart.
That’s exactly how they are. They drive everyone around them crazy, yet by the end of the day, they love each other more than anyone else.
Naturally, Riya is presenting her version of the fight, and Raghav listens with complete seriousness, nodding thoughtfully and even offering advice.
He treats every complaint from her as though it is a matter of national importance.
And to him, it probably is. Riya is unapologetically a daddy’s girl, and she has Raghav hopelessly wrapped around her tiny finger.
Once he finishes hearing her out, he helps her into her sandals, fastening each buckle carefully before smoothing down her dress and fixing her hair.
“There,” he tells her with satisfaction. “Now you’re ready.”
Riya beams, and then she notices me standing by the door.
“Mumma!” she exclaims. “Look how Daddy tied my hair today. And look at my sandals!”
I glance down at the sandals and can’t help but smile.
They’re from my newest children’s collection.
Recently, my brand expanded beyond luxury footwear for women.
We now design for kids too. Most of the inspiration behind this collection came from the little girls in our family and every tiny princess who constantly demanded prettier shoes.
“They look beautiful, sweetheart,” I tell her.
She immediately grins. Beside her, Raghav looks entirely too pleased with himself.
I laugh and wave her towards the door. “Go on now. Ayaan Chachu and Meher Chachi are already leaving for the resort. Myra must be waiting for you.”
The moment I mention Myra, every trace of her earlier complaint disappears. Typical. Within seconds, she jumps off the bed and runs out of the room.
The moment she leaves, the room becomes quieter. Suddenly, it’s just Raghav and me. For a few seconds, neither of us says a word. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe how far we have come and how different our lives look now compared to where they started.
And somehow, despite how busy life has become, Raghav and I still manage to find our way back to each other every single day. I walk towards him and begin adjusting his suit and pocket square. Anything, really, just to have an excuse to stand a little closer.
His eyes never leave my face. Tonight, I’m wearing a stunning saree from Simran’s latest collection, paired with footwear from one of my own designs. His gaze briefly drops to them before returning to me.
“They look beautiful.”
“The saree or the heels?” I ask.
“Both.”
After a pause, he adds softly, “But mostly the woman wearing them.”
My cheeks immediately warm. Even after all these years, the man still knows exactly what to say. I’m about to reply when a loud knock at the door interrupts us.
“Mom!”
Both of us instantly know who it is. Only one person in this house manages to sound that dramatic at four years old.
Rudra, our son.
I open the door and find him standing there with his arms folded and a serious expression on his face.
He’s dressed in a miniature black suit that makes him look just like his father.
Unlike Riya, who inherited almost every bit of my personality, Rudra is frighteningly like Raghav.
The same expressions, the same stubbornness, the same intensity…
sometimes even the same intimidating stare.
For a moment, I genuinely wonder whether I gave birth to a child or cloned my husband.
Rudra walks into the room with a small frown on his face.
“Mom, I want that.” He points directly at Raghav.
We both look at him in confusion.
“What that?” Raghav asks.
Rudra points at his neck. “The chain.”
My eyes instantly move to the chain and pendant resting against Raghav’s chest. The same one he never takes off. I look at Raghav. He looks at me. Then we both look back at Rudra.
“Dad is wearing a suit. I am wearing a suit. Same same. My shoes are also same same. But Dad is wearing a chain. And I’m not. I also want a chain.”
A smile threatens to appear on my face, but Raghav is trying very hard to stay serious. He looks at me again, clearly unsure how to handle this one, but I step aside before he can say a word.
“Nope. This one’s yours.” I hide my smile.
Raghav sighs.
“I only came to remind you that everyone’s waiting. Even Ayaan and Meher must have left by now. We need to go.”
“I know,” he says, already reaching for our son. “Let me settle this crisis first.”
I laugh before leaving them to it. Somehow, watching Raghav make peace between our children and patiently indulge their endless demands has become one of my favourite things.
His daughter carrying my heart.
His son carrying his soul.
This is what happiness looks like.
RAGHAV
Event @ RK Estate
The entire place looks nothing short of magical.
The décor is understated yet elegant, with a theme revolving around princes, princesses, legacy, and celebration…
fitting for an estate that has stood proudly for fifty years.
Golden lights wind around the vineyard pathways, while elegant floral arrangements adorn every corner, and the entire resort glows beneath a canopy of warm chandeliers and fairy lights.
Vintage wine barrels have been transformed into decorative displays showcasing RK Estate’s finest award-winning wines from the past five decades.
Guests wander through the halls with glasses of wine in hand, while soft instrumental music and laughter fill the air.
For Ayaan and me, tonight means so much more. It’s our birthday too. And what makes this evening truly special is that, for the first time in all these years, we’re actually celebrating it together.
Life never made it easy before. Sometimes Ayaan was buried under field assignments for GLEN somewhere across Europe. Other times, I was here at RK Estate, overseeing the vineyards, the resort, and everything that came with it. So we rarely got the chance to celebrate our birthdays together.
Today, the entire family is under one roof, which is exactly why we decided to make the celebration bigger than ever.
Almost everyone is here tonight. The only ones missing are Aksh, Devika, and little Avika.
A political event back in Mumbai demanded their presence, something important enough that it couldn’t be skipped, no matter how much they wanted to be here.