Pragmatic : Epilogue

“Okay, listen—this is important.”

Lavanya didn’t even look up from her phone.

“Every time you say that, NK, something ridiculous follows.”

NK placed a hand dramatically over his heart.

“Lavanya Kashyap, you wound me. I am a man of depth. Of vision.”

She sighed, finally looking at him.

“Last time your ‘vision’ involved matching outfits and a dance reel at 2 a.m.”

He grinned.

“And it was iconic.”

They were in the living room of Shantivan, lights dim, music playing softly in the background—something upbeat, something very them.

Chaotic, Effortless and Alive.

“Come on,” NK said, extending his hand toward her. “Just one dance.”

Lavanya raised an eyebrow.

“There’s no occasion.”

“Exactly,” he replied instantly. “Best kind.”

She stared at him for a second.

At the boyish excitement.

At the sincerity hidden under all that dramatics.

And then—

She placed her hand in his.

“Fine,” she said. “But if you spin me and I fall—”

“I will catch you,” he interrupted.

“Confident much?”

“Always.”

The music picked up slightly as he pulled her closer, not perfectly in rhythm, not flawlessly practiced—but completely, undeniably joyful.

She laughed when he missed a step.

He laughed when she tried to correct him.

And somewhere between the teasing and the movement—

They fell into something that didn’t need perfection.

“See?” he said, breathless but grinning. “Unscripted. Still perfect.”

Lavanya shook her head, smiling despite herself.

“Only because I’m here.”

NK leaned in slightly.

“Exactly my point.”

And just like that—In laughter, in lightness, in the kind of love that didn’t take itself too seriously—

They found their forever..

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The kitchen was calm. Softly lit.

Payal stood by the counter, carefully arranging the last of the dishes, her movements as gentle as ever.

She didn’t notice him at first. Akash leaned against the doorway, watching her.

Not saying anything.

Just… watching.

Like he often did.

“You’re staring again.”

Her voice was soft, but certain.

He smiled faintly.

“Can you blame me?”

She turned, a hint of shyness still there even after all this time.

“You’ve seen me a thousand times.”

“And I’ll see you a thousand more,” he replied simply.

There was no grand gesture in his words.

No flourish. Just truth.

Payal walked toward him slowly, wiping her hands on the edge of her dupatta.

“Everything’s done,” she said.

A small pause.

“What now?”

Akash straightened slightly, his gaze never leaving hers.

“Nothing,” he said.

She frowned, confused.

“Nothing?”

He stepped closer.

Close enough that the distance between them felt intentional.

Comfortable.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “Nothing… together.”

Something in her expression softened.

Because she understood.

It wasn’t emptiness.

It was peace.

He reached for her hand, his fingers lacing through hers in a way that felt as natural as breathing. Payal leaned into him just slightly, her head resting against his shoulder.

And he let her.

The house was quiet around them.

Life was still moving.

Things would change.

They always did.

But this—

This steady, unwavering presence—

This quiet kind of love—

It stayed.

Akash pressed a gentle kiss to her hair and caressed her baby bump.

“We’re okay,” he murmured.

Payal closed her eyes, a soft smile settling on her lips.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“We are.”

Devyani watched both the couple Nk- Lavanya , Akash-Payal with a content smile.

Not all love stories are intense like Arnav and Khushi's …Some are meant to make you smile for a lifetime like NK and Lavanya's. and some love stories don’t need to be loud… They just need to last. Just like Akash and Payal's.

...........................................................

The night had settled gently over the house, wrapping everything in a calm Anjali had once believed she would never feel again.

There had been a time when silence frightened her.

When it echoed too loudly.

When it reminded her of everything she had lost.

But tonight…Tonight, it felt different.

She stood by the window, her fingers lightly holding the edge of the curtain, watching the soft glow of the city beyond.

Lost in thought. Not painful ones.

“You disappear like this a lot.”

His voice came softly, without accusation.

Vijay.

Always observant and  patient.

Anjali turned, offering him a small, almost shy smile.

“I didn’t disappear,” she said gently. “I was just thinking.”

He stepped closer, unhurried, his presence steady in a way that never demanded attention—but somehow always held it.

“About?” he asked.

She hesitated.

Not because she didn’t want to answer.

But because putting it into words made it real.

“About how strange it is,” she said finally, “to feel… peaceful again.”

Something softened in his expression.

Not surprise.

Understanding.

“You make it sound like peace is unexpected,” he murmured.

Her eyes lowered briefly.

“It is,” she admitted. “At least… it used to be.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The past lingered there—not heavy, not suffocating, but present.

Acknowledged and Accepted.

Vijay reached for her hand, his touch warm, grounding.

“You don’t have to hold on to it anymore,” he said quietly.

She looked at him then.

Really looked.

At the man who had never tried to replace her past.

Never tried to erase it.

But had simply… stood beside her until she was ready to move forward.

“I’m not,” she said softly. “Not like before.”

Her fingers tightened slightly around his.

“I just… don’t want to lose this.”

His thumb brushed gently over her knuckles.

“You won’t.”

There was no hesitation in his voice.

No doubt.

Anjali exhaled slowly, as if releasing something she hadn’t realized she was still carrying.

“And how are you so sure?” she asked, a faint hint of her old vulnerability slipping through.

He stepped closer.

Close enough that she could feel the warmth of him, steady and reassuring.

“Because this isn’t fragile,” he said. “It’s not built on fear… or silence.”

His gaze held hers.

“It’s built on choice.”

The word lingered between them.

Choice.

Not obligation.

Not circumstance.

Not sacrifice.

She smiled then—fully this time.

A smile that reached her eyes.

“I choose you too,” she whispered.

Something shifted in the air.

Subtle. But undeniable.

Vijay lifted his hand, gently brushing a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers lingering just a moment longer than necessary.

Not rushed.

Not uncertain.

Just… sure.

Anjali didn’t step back.

Didn’t hesitate.

Instead, she leaned into that touch—quietly, naturally—as if she had finally found a place where she didn’t have to guard herself.

“You’re not afraid anymore,” he said softly.

It wasn’t a question.

She shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Never with you.”

The honesty of it settled between them, deeper than anything louder could have been.

He drew her closer then, slowly, giving her every chance to pull away.

She didn’t.

Her hand came to rest against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm beneath her palm.

Grounded and Real.

For a moment, they simply stood there—

Close. Breathing the same quiet air.

Sharing something that didn’t need urgency to prove its depth.

When he finally wrapped his arms around her, it wasn’t with intensity.

It was with care.

With intention.

With the kind of warmth that didn’t overwhelm—But stayed.

Anjali closed her eyes briefly, letting herself sink into it.

Into him. Into the rare, beautiful certainty that she was no longer standing alone.

“I didn’t think love could feel like this,” she murmured against him.

Vijay’s hold tightened just slightly.

“What does it feel like?” he asked.

She smiled softly, her voice calm and sure.

“Safe.”

And this time—They found everything they had been waiting for... 

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The house had finally gone quiet.

Not the daytime quiet filled with movement and laughter—

But the deep, still quiet of the night.

The kind that wrapped around everything softly… protectively.

Finally kids are asleep. Khushi stepped into the room, closing the door gently behind her. 

For a moment, she just stood there. 

Taking it in.

The dim lighting.

The faint scent of sandalwood.

The familiarity of a space that had once held distance… and now held something entirely different.

“Lock it.”

Her breath hitched.

Arnav’s voice came from behind her—low, steady, and unmistakably certain.

She turned slowly.

He was leaning against the edge of the bed, sleeves rolled up, watching her in that way that always made her forget everything else.

“What?” she asked, though her voice had already softened.

“The door,” he said, pushing himself upright. “Lock it.”

A small, teasing smile curved her lips.

“Afraid someone will interrupt?”

His gaze didn’t waver.

“Yes.”

The simplicity of that answer made something shift inside her.

Because this wasn’t the old Arnav—

The one who hid behind control and distance.

This was a man who knew exactly what he wanted.

And wasn’t afraid to say it.

Khushi turned, her fingers brushing the lock.

A soft click echoed in the room.

And somehow, it felt louder than it should.

Final.

Intentional.

When she turned back—

He was already closer.

Not rushed.

Not impatient.

Just… there.

Like he had closed the distance between them without effort.

“You took your time,” he murmured.

She raised an eyebrow.

“You’ve waited years, Arnavji,” she replied softly. “You can wait a few seconds more.”

A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes.

But it faded quickly.

Replaced by something deeper.

“Not tonight.”

The words weren’t forceful.

But they carried weight.

Promise.

Her breath slowed as he reached for her, his fingers brushing against hers before fully holding on.

No hesitation.

No pulling away.

“You still overthink,” he said quietly.

“And you still assume too much,” she shot back, though her voice lacked any real defiance.

“Then tell me,” he said, stepping closer, his voice dropping just enough to make her pulse quicken. “What are you thinking?”

She held his gaze.

Didn’t look away.

Didn’t hide.

“That for the first time in last 2 years…” she whispered, “…we’re not being stopped.” She said with a smile. 

His hand tightened slightly around hers.

Not enough to hurt.

Just enough to say he felt it too.

“No,” he agreed. “We’re not.”

The silence that followed wasn’t empty.

It was full Of everything they hadn’t had before.

Time. Choice and Freedom.

He lifted his hand, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face, his fingers lingering just a second longer than necessary.

“Khushi…”

The way he said her name—

Not sharp.

Not guarded.

Just… hers. She stepped closer on her own this time.

Closing the last of the distance.

Resting her hand lightly against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm beneath.

Something in his expression shifted.

Relief. Maybe even gratitude. for giving him another chance.. Gifting him a happy life with two beautiful kids.

Neither of them said it out loud—

But they both knew what the silence meant.

The world outside stayed exactly where it was—Distant and Irrelevant.

Because for the first time—

They weren’t racing against time.

They weren’t fighting circumstances

They were just…Together.

Love

ST