Realised Embraced Sacrificed

Bonus Chapter

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Much later, in the month of June

Third Person's POV

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A woman clad in black saree closed the pages of a thick diary, kept it safely in her bag, wiped her tears and exhaled a sigh as the airplane prepared to land at the Dehradun Airport.

She hurried off towards the exit, checking her watch, hoping she wasn't late, even by a minute. She hailed a cab as she requested it's driver to drop her to the Indian Military Academy.

She sat among the crowd of the family members, all sitting proudly to witness their sons, spouses, and brothers' passing out parade.

The parade soon ended, and the family members were invited to pin the badges on the shoulders of the proud young men, who would now set on a path to serve the nation.

She too made her way.

She stood proudly with a big smile adorning her lips as she pinned the badge on the shoulders of a tall man.

"Lieutenant Kabir Sethi." She called out and a young man in his uniform turned.

He was tall, fit, handsome, and well built. He had wide eyes, thick eyelashes, an edgy nose, and smiling lips. Anybody who knew his father could easily spot the resemblance between the father-son duo.

They hugged each other hard.

"Maa, see, I fulfilled our dream. I am an army officer now, just like Papa.", Kabir said with pride.

"Yesss, my son", Meera replied with tears in her eyes.

Kabir hugged his mom tightly, and promised, "I promise Maa, I'll fulfill all the dreams Papa had but couldn't fulfill."

"Of course, you will.", Meera replied.

All of a sudden, Kabir remembered the day and wished, "Ohh, how can I forget this? Happy Father's Day, Maa!"

Meera wiped her tears and thanked her son, for whom she was both - his mother as well as his father.

Suddenly, a young girl in a pink saree came running to the mother-son duo. She hugged Meera and then happily looked at Kabir, who gave his biggest smile on seeing her.

"Sorry, I got late.", whispered the girl.

"Hey, Maya, It's okay! Anyways, Lt. Kabir Sethi reporting!" Kabir asked.

"Lt. Kabir Sethi! So nice. I am so proud of you.", she replied and got emotional. She continued, "Do you know how much I missed you these days?"

"I know, love. I missed you too. Thank you for being my strength. I love you so much.", said Kabir with pure love in his eyes.

"But I hate you.," Maya mischievously replied.

"Aree, what did I do?" Kabir asked.

"Why did you ask me to wear a saree, huh? I am not able to carry it properly. I was just about to fall in the mud over there.", answered Maya.

Kabir laughed wholeheartedly and then said, "But, you look so beautiful in a saree, love. So beautiful."

Maya's cheeks turned red and she smiled.

She then hugged Kabir tight and whispered, "I love you, Lt. Sethi."

"I love you too, Maya!," Kabir said.

"You see, Maya, one day, I'll have so many stars pinned up on my collar patch.", Kabir said in a voice filled with sheer determination and dedication.

"You'll have it, Kabir. You'll have it all", Maya smilingly replied.

Meera looked at the couple with so much love.

Kabir was a spitting image of his father. Not only name, he took all other traits of his father.

And, Maya, she was no less than Meera.

Meera could see the same pride in Maya's eyes that she had when "her Kabir" had got inducted in the army.

Meera looked up to the sky and then whispered, "Can you see it, Kabir? Our son is just like you. I just hope his dreams don't get shattered like yours. May he gets a chance to fulfill all the dreams he sees with his love."

She then prayed, "God! Please be kind to my son. Let history not repeat itself! Now that this new love has been realized and embraced, let this be celebrated and cherished and not sacrificed."

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P.S. - Don't forget to check out the Special Chapter, a recount of Meera and Kabir's IMA Ball at the end of the book.