Ira's pov
Delhi.
The moment I stepped out of the cab, the city greeted me like an old friend — loud, chaotic, and full of forgotten memories.
My shoes touched the ground, and I paused for a second, letting the city sink into my bones.
It smelled like dust, petrol, hot bread from roadside stalls, and something else… something familiar.
Home.
I dragged my suitcase inside and dropped it by the door.
"Maa! Papa! I'm home!" I called out, even though I already knew the house was empty.
A strange silence followed me as I stepped into the living room.
The same wooden shelf. The same dull wall clock that always ran five minutes slow.
And then, tucked in the corner — my childhood.
Books with curled pages. Old notebooks. A cracked photo frame from our Manali trip.
I sank onto the sofa, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes.
I had been gone too long.
---
That evening, I had dinner with Papa and Bhaiya.
Maa had gone to visit a relative, but the house still felt full — thanks to the way Bhaiya argued about politics and Papa kept correcting his facts.
"Eat more," Papa said, passing me a bowl of dal. "You're always running around. Don't starve yourself."
"She's getting engaged, Papa. She'll have someone else to nag her about food now," Bhaiya teased, grinning.
I rolled my eyes. "You both are worse than Maa."
But inside… I smiled.
The dining table had always been our war zone. And our safe place.
Later, when Papa fell asleep watching TV, Bhaiya and I sat on the balcony sipping chai.
"You okay?" he asked, watching the traffic below.
"I think so," I replied. "It just feels strange… being back after everything."
He nodded. "Strange, but good?"
I looked at him. "Strange, but healing."
---
The next evening, I met my girls at our favorite spot — Café Yellow Tree, a cozy rooftop place near Green Park with yellow fairy lights and paper lanterns.
The moment I walked in, I was tackled into a group hug.
"Iraaaa!" Tanya screamed.
"You look so thin and so glowing at the same time. Witch," Rhea muttered.
Sanya grabbed my hand. "Sit. We've got drama, tea, and emotional blackmail waiting for you."
We talked for hours.
About everything and nothing — jobs, breakups, skincare, exes we pretended not to miss.
When the conversation turned to my engagement, they all went quiet for a moment.
"You're really doing this, huh?" Tanya asked gently.
"I am," I said. "It feels… stable."
"Stable is good," Sanya nodded. "But is your heart in it?"
"I think… it's getting there," I replied after a pause. "I'm learning to choose peace over passion."
They didn't press. They just held my hand.
That's what I had missed most — being known without having to explain.
---
The next morning, I left home without telling anyone.
I needed air. Movement. Solitude.
I walked through streets that once held pieces of me.
The grocery shop where I had my first awkward conversation with a boy.
The temple lane where I'd prayed before every exam.
The tiny paan stall where Kabir once dared me to try a fire paan.
And then… I saw it.
Lodhi Garden.
Still vast. Still serene.
I walked in, unsure why my legs were taking me there.
But somewhere deep inside… I knew.
I reached a quiet spot beneath an old banyan tree.
And just like that—
---
Flashback
"Ira, slow down!"
Kabir jogged up the slope behind me, slightly out of breath.
It had just rained, and the garden smelled like wet leaves and mud.
I turned, grinning. "You're the one who said 'let's go for a run,' remember?"
He caught up and gently pulled me back by my wrist. "I said walk-run. Not Olympic sprint."
I laughed. "You're getting old."
He gave me a playful glare, then pulled me under a large tree to avoid another wave of drizzle.
"Great. Now we're stuck here," he said.
"Romantic," I teased, brushing water droplets from my arm.
He looked at me — not laughing, not joking.
"Let's promise something," he said suddenly.
I blinked. "What kind of promise?"
"The kind that feels stupid now… but will matter someday."
I tilted my head. "Okay… go on."
He looked around, then at me.
"No matter what happens — where life takes us, who we become — let's promise that this version of us will stay untouched in memory. This moment. This day. This feeling."
I felt something shift in the air between us.
He wasn't smiling.
He was serious — gentle, but serious.
"I don't want life to ruin what we are now," he added. "Even if things change, let's hold on to the way we feel today."
I felt tears prick my eyes without warning.
"I promise," I whispered.
His hand found mine, fingers warm and steady.
We stood there for a long time, rain tapping softly above, hearts quiet.
Just two people in love, too young to know what lay ahead.
---
End of Flashback
I opened my eyes and looked at the same tree.
Same place.
But we weren't the same anymore.
That moment — that innocent promise — had stayed buried inside me like a secret capsule of joy.
I sat down on a nearby bench and closed my eyes again.
A breeze passed through my hair, and I smiled faintly.
But then a tear slid down.
And then another.
I didn't stop it this time.
I let them fall.
Not because I was broken…
But because I had finally learned how to let go.
---
End of Chapter 6
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