CHAPTER XXVI
As soon as Sita and I arrived at the airport, the reality of everything began to settle in. The moment the car came to a halt, there was a strange stillness in the air — the kind that always comes before goodbyes. We both stepped out slowly, each of us lost in our own thoughts.
I turned toward Sasha and Mia, my heart tightening just a little. Without a second thought, I walked over and hugged them both tightly — the kind of hug that says everything words can't.
Sasha, with her usual sass, whispered in my ear, "Take care of her, okay? She's a hurricane, but she's yours."
I smiled and nodded, trying to hold back the lump in my throat. Then Mia pulled me into a warm embrace, her voice softer than I expected. "Come back soon. The house already feels a little emptier without you both."
I didn't say anything. I couldn't. Some moments are too full to be broken by words.
After one last lingering glance and a few silly waves, Sita and I turned toward the airport entrance, our fingers interlocked like a silent promise. We walked inside together, stepping into the cold, polished world of check-ins and terminals, leaving behind a chapter — a comfort — that we'd grown to love.
Inside, the chaos of the airport buzzed all around us — the sound of announcements echoing, the wheels of luggage rolling across tiles, and families saying their own hurried goodbyes. Yet, somehow, in that moment, it felt like we were in our own bubble.
We found a quiet spot near our departure gate and sat down, side by side. The flight was scheduled to arrive in just ten minutes, but every second felt like it was stretching, asking us to pause, to reflect.
I glanced at Sita. She looked calm, but I knew her well enough to sense the storm of emotions beneath that serene face. She was holding her belly a little protectively now, maybe out of instinct, maybe because it had all started to feel real.
I reached over and gently squeezed her hand.
"We're really doing this," I whispered.
She looked at me and nodded, her eyes soft but determined. "Yes… together."
And so, in that waiting area, surrounded by strangers and the hum of a thousand untold stories, we sat — two souls preparing to return not just to a country, but to a past, a family, and a future still uncertain. But we had each other. And sometimes, that's all you need.
Our flight finally arrived, and as the boarding call echoed through the terminal, Sita and I stood up, tightly gripping each other's hands. With our hearts full and minds racing, we stepped onto the plane together — leaving London behind and heading toward India.
The journey ahead was long, almost daunting. But the weight in my chest wasn't because of the hours we'd spend in the air — it was because of what awaited us on the ground.
As we settled into our seats and the plane soared above the clouds, Sita leaned her head on my shoulder and drifted off to sleep. Her face — calm, soft, glowing even without trying — made me smile. She looked like peace itself. Innocent. Pure. So unaware of the storm I feared was waiting for us.
But inside me… a different world was unraveling.
A war between fear and love.
I stared out of the window, watching the endless blue sky stretch on, and questions kept spinning inside my head like a cyclone I couldn't escape.
What will happen when we land?
How will my family react when they find out I've married Sita? That too, without their permission… against their wishes?
I could already hear the angry voices echoing in my mind.
What if they refuse to let us enter the house? What if they shut the doors in our faces? What if they disown me completely… cut every tie they have with me?
I tried to smile in front of Sita, pretended to be strong — but the truth was, I was terrified. I was drowning in a sea of "what ifs", and no one but I knew how deep I had sunk.
Sita stirred beside me in her sleep, her fingers brushing mine. Even in her dreams, she reached for me — and something about that made my heart ache in ways I couldn't explain.
How could anyone hate her? I thought.
How could anyone possibly reject this kind, gentle, beautiful soul — especially when she's carrying a life inside her… our child?
And that thought broke something in me.
How would I bear it if my family humiliated her? Disrespected her? Treated her like an outsider?
I couldn't. I wouldn't.
She didn't deserve that. She deserved warmth, love, acceptance — not suspicion, not judgment, not cold stares and bitter words.
A knot tightened in my stomach.
Was this a mistake?
Should I have stopped her? Told her not to come?
But then another part of me — louder, braver — answered:
No. I couldn't have lived without her, not anymore.
Her health had already been fragile. The very idea of her being alone in London, without me by her side, would have driven me mad. My soul wouldn't have rested knowing she was hurting somewhere far away.
I gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face and whispered in my heart, "Whatever comes next… I'll face it. For her. With her."
Because in that moment, I realized — no matter what my family says or does… Sita is my home now. And I would protect her with everything I have.
Sita was fast asleep beside me, her head resting gently against my shoulder, her breath calm and steady. I reached out and softly ran my hand over her head, my fingers moving slowly through her hair, as if trying to imprint this moment into my memory forever.
She looked so peaceful… so trusting… like she had left all her worries behind simply because she was by my side. And yet, inside me, a storm was quietly raging.
My thoughts refused to rest.
Once we land in India, everything will change.
The very first thing I wanted to do was take her to meet my sister — the one person in my family who had always supported me, who had stood by me in every decision, even when the world didn't. She had always understood me without the need for too many words. I knew in my heart that when she'd see Sita — truly see her for who she is — her heart would open instantly. I imagined the joy in her eyes, the way she'd smile and maybe even pull Sita into a warm embrace.
That thought gave me hope. A fragile, flickering hope.
But then…
Like an unwelcome shadow, a fear crept in. A fear that had been haunting me for months now.
What would happen after three years?
When Sita would walk away from me…
When she would no longer be mine to hold, to love, to protect.
What would I do then?
How would I survive the emptiness?
How would I breathe knowing she was out there in the world, no longer walking beside me, no longer waking up to my voice or falling asleep in my arms?
No.
I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't.
I turned to look at her sleeping face again — and in that moment, a quiet determination filled my chest.
I wouldn't wait for time to decide our fate.
Before that day ever comes…
Before destiny even thinks about pulling us apart…
I will win her heart completely.
Not just because I want her to stay, but because I want her to choose to stay. I want to become so deeply rooted in her soul that the very idea of leaving would feel like tearing herself apart.
I want to become her home — the place she feels safest, the place she belongs, the person she loves above all.
She will love me. Only me.
Not just out of obligation, not because we share a past —
But because she wants to.
Because she feels it.
Because her heart won't let her choose anyone else.
And when that day comes — the one I used to fear — I will no longer be afraid.
Because I know…
She'll still be mine.
Not because I held her tight… but because she held on tighter.
To be continued....