The next day morning sought my husband and me with important mails on counselling dates and processes. We had to select our colleges based on our ranks and apply for them.

Well, you know how counselling works right?

It seemed tedious, but after last night, I realised I could find even the impossible level of strength with my husband on my side. We took a list of all the colleges for which we were eligible and that were close to our place. The outcome to it wasn't really pretty.

Raj ji's dream college was about a 2 hour ride from our home, and mine wasn't any closer; a 1.5 hour drive and completely in the opposite direction. We were literally stuck with another challenge thrown into us. Our ideology to take up education was to get more family time, not spend it all on traveling.

There were no optimised solutions that were striking to both our heads and we knew that all our excitement has gone south. We really cannot move to another city or state. That's not fair and that would be selfish. Rekha had sacrificed when she was given the opportunity, it was our turn to be selfless.

What do we do?

We decided that it was the best to discuss the situation with our family. Dev somehow was really silent today and I thanked my son for being so understanding of his mother's plight! He is a great kid afterall!

Ma ji, Babaji and Rekha were already in the living room. Looking at our dull faces, Rekha asked if everything was okay.

"No dear.", I confessed to her.

Raj ji placed a list of medical and business colleges at the table in our living room. Rekha somehow picked up from the silence and went through them.

"None near our place?", she exclaimed!

"But how did we not see this coming?", I asked.

"I don't know, this factor somehow blinded us all!", Raj ji exclaimed.

"Do you have a solution that is feasible to all of us?", Babaji asked.

"No, that's why we've come to you, Baba.", Raj ji said.

"Wait a minute!", Rekha chirped in epiphany.

"What happened, Rekha?", Ma ji asked her.

"Ma, Baba look!

Their dream colleges are very close to my engineering college. Bhabhi's is a 5 minute ride towards the east and Bhai's is a 15 minute ride towards the west."

Oh!

A tensioned silence saw its presence amongst us. No one was ready to address the elephant in the room. Dev felt a bit weird with the aura of the room and rigorously moved his arms and legs, cooing and letting out all sounds he knew over the past month.

Our eyes didn't leave him, whole our minds were roasted about what to do next.

Ma ji intervened by saying, " Let's do it then!"

"Let's do what Ma?", asked Raj ji.

"Whatever is in your mind, beta.", Babaji said.

"Wha-what?", my husband exclaimed.

"Babaji, Raj ji is right. How can we even think of it?

Raj Ji's business is here and this house is your anscesteral home. We really can't think of leaving it all and finding a new place-"

"Why not, Bahu? If everyone is benefitted out of this decision, then why not?

Everyday Rekha travels so much. Thanks to that Sushant boy, she reaches home safely. If this decision is going to bring the best to all, then we should think about it. "

"Ma ji, what about the money? And Raj Ji's business here?"

"Bahu, I'll come over and take care of the business for a year. I can travel right?", Babaji proclaimed.

"And for the money, we have made some savings Bahu and we can sell this house for a good amount. We can move to a bigger house in that area. I think we certainly can manage.

You, Raj and Rekha are anyways getting admissions through scholarships. So we wouldn't be spending much on that. Dev's medicines and appointments can be taken care of with your savings from the tuition centre and well, Shukla tuition centre can be reopened anywhere right?"

"Or Ma?-", Raj ji interrupted.

"Why don't we hire people to run the tuition centre here as well?"

"Oh Bhai that's a great idea!"

With just a little brainstorming, we found the stability that we were looking for. All decisions were huge, but being with a family made it all sound so easy.

The sacrifices that we make to look after one another was definitely something that had to be lauded and cherished. I was finding ways to express my gratitude and my mother in law was kind enough to come over and hug me. In the next few hours, we worked out the finances, logistics, places where we could find a good house for ourselves and other things.

Well, this is it, if you have to grow in life, you seriously cannot stay rooted at a single place. You have to be willing to take risks, glide through challenges, fight for your dreams and venture out. That's what makes life so beautiful.

Cheers to this venturing!

❤️❤️❤️

A/N:

Hello, my lovely readers!

I come bearing a happy and a kinda sad news. This book is almost in the ending stages. Thanks a lot for all your lovely support to this book.

I'll promise that you've definitely got some amazing surprises waiting to be revealed, in just a couple of days.

In the meantime, if you haven't checked out my other books:

1. The Journey from Miss Sharma to Mrs Who

[Daily Update; Romance and Family Genre]

2. The Shadows of Royalty

[Weekly Update; Historical Fiction and Mystery Genre]

Please do!

Have a wonderful day and week ahead!

Cheers
❤️