"his darkness, my desire"

The morning sun spilled golden light across the white marble floor of the coastal villa. The scent of sea breeze, brewing coffee, and roses filled the air. It had been five years since Ananya had last cried herself to sleep, and three years since Aadvik had learned how to love without fear.

Their lives had changed.

"Mommy!" A tiny voice squealed from the garden. Ananya turned from the kitchen island, her soft pink sari brushing against her ankles. A little boy with wavy black hair and large, curious eyes ran toward her, a paper plane in his hands.

"Careful, Ruhan!" she called, smiling. "You'll trip again!"

Behind him came a little girl—barefoot, determined, and wild-eyed just like her father. "He cheated, Mumma! He flew it from the swing again!"

Ananya laughed, kneeling down to gather both children into her arms. "That's not cheating, Pari. That's strategy."

Pari pouted. "You always take his side."

Ruhan grinned, sticking his tongue out at his sister.

"Okay, okay," came a deeper voice from the doorway. Aadvik stepped inside, barefoot and in a loose white kurta, his once-shadowed eyes now softened by time—and love. "Who wants chocolate pancakes?"

The kids erupted in cheers.

Ananya stood, watching as Aadvik lifted both children—one on each shoulder. Her heart warmed. There was a time when this version of him felt like a fantasy. A man who once couldn't stand touch now craved their nightly cuddles. A man who had pushed her away so many times now built a life wrapped entirely around her.

After breakfast, while the kids played with their dog outside, Ananya and Aadvik sat under the patio's shade. He poured her tea without asking. She took it without thanking. There was a quiet understanding between them now—a comfort deeper than words.

"Do you remember the night you asked me to leave?" she asked suddenly.

Aadvik froze, then slowly nodded. "I hated myself that night. I thought… I didn't deserve you."

"You didn't," she teased lightly, then touched his hand. "But you earned me."

He looked at her, truly looked. "I think I was waiting my whole life for you. I just didn't know how to hold on when I finally had you."

She smiled. "But you learned."

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You taught me."

The kids' laughter echoed in the garden.

"You're not scared anymore, are you?" she asked.

"Not of loving you," he said. "Not of being loved. But I'm still terrified of how lucky I got."

They both laughed.

And in that moment—with two children, one stubborn dog, and the crashing ocean beyond the horizon—Ananya realized that love doesn't have to be perfect. It just had to be chosen, every day, even in darkness.

And Aadvik had chosen her.

Again and again.

Forever.

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