"Ashok bhaiya's here! Ashok Bhaiya's here!" Dhrupad ran around, announcing the happy news.

"Kaurvaki di, what are you doing? Come out to greet Ashok bhaiya!" He knocked on my door, but his voice was rather muffled.

"Now now Dhrupad, calm down. You're shouting as if Ashok's here." I shook my head.

"HE IS HERE!"

"WHAT?!" I left the chores in my hand and opened the door, rushing to the balcony. To my surprise, I saw a large crowd columned along the sides of the path, allowing a horse carriage to go through. A small figure stood waving to all the subjects and I immediately knew who it was.

"Rani Dharma! Rani Dharma! Ashok's here! Hurry up!" I said in desperation.

"What?!" She cried and immediately opened the door.

"Quick, we need to get the arrangements done and -" I trailed off emotionally.

"This is the first time he's coming back after Ahankara's death." Rani Dharma finished off for me.

I nodded. *sad music plays*

"Err - anyways, forget all that. Come on down."

There was laughing and chuckling around the household as all the servants gossiped about his unexpected arrival.

I hurried down the stairs and stopped at the bottom, just before the doorway.

"What's the matter?" Rani Dharma asked at my sudden halt.

"You... carry on. I'll just be - in my room." I said.

"But, surely you need to welcome him?"

"No! I mean - you do it. I'll just be....getting the room ready." I said uncomfortably.

I raced back upstairs and opened up the curtains quickly, allowing a vast amount of light to flood in through the glass windows.

Most importantly, I check my hair and straightened up my clothes. Goodness - I don't want him to come back and think I look like a baboon do I? After all these years I still worry about judgements; maybe I should I have learnt to give those melancholy thoughts up....

💓

The whole family stood gathered on the raised platform where Ashok made his way through the crowd and to the platform to seek his blessings from the elders. I watched with excitement from my balcony.

As I sensed his head moving upwards, I quickly went back inside and leant against the wall, sighing deeply. I hope he didn't see him watching him like a stalker.

"Welcome back, son." Rani Dharma stroked his cheek, teary-eyed. I gulped with sadness, yet joy of this yearning reunion.

As a tear slipped down her cheek, Ashok brushed it off for her gently.

"I remember last time when father was here. The joy would have been doubled. Nevertheless, I have my beautiful brother and sons now don't I?" He replaced his shaky voice with a courageous smile and bent down on one knee to allow his children to hug him.

Before I started to cry, I looked away.

"Er - Kaurvaki's ... not here?" He asked after a while.

Upon hearing his muffled voice, I sensed that he said my name.

"No, can't be." I whispered to myself.

"She's in her room. When she heard of your arrival I can't describe the enthusiasm on her face, son." Rani Dharma said sweetly.

I grinned shyly and went to the window on the other side of the room, looking out happily at the sunset.

"Well, I really am offended that you didn't come out to greet me." A familiar voice struck.

I didn't turn around, yet tried to stop smiling ever so much.

"Now that your husband's here, you won't even look at him?" The voice said again.

I still didn't move.

"Fine then, I shall go...." the pattering of feet began and I swung myself around so suddenly that Ashok drew a smile on his face.

I walked towards him in awe, stopping a few meters away from him.

We both felt slightly awkward; our past did haunt us at times and - alright, Ahankara wasn't here and lately he had been struggling to get used to her inexistence. I looked down at the floor, twiddling with my frayed bit of sari in my fingers.

"The room is.... as it is." Ashok said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah. I preserved it for you." I replied quietly.

"Thanks. I needed preserving." He said, barely above a whisper, walking slightly closer - but not much. His light brown eyes beamed into mine and I felt the warmth of his presence seek into my heart.

"I never really liked these curtains." He said more loudly. "They seem too - too old." He walked around with his hands behind his back, observing the room like a museum. He circled me in his endeavor: and I just stood still in the middle, fiddling with some material and looking around, not meeting his gaze.

"Old is gold, as they say?" I replied back.

He stopped, facing in the opposite direction. He pivoted around and walked towards me slowly.

I felt too scared to move at all, so I just stayed there, taking the risk to look into his deep eyes which seemed to read my mind.

To my surprise, he stopped inches away, so near that I could almost feel his hot breath on my neck. He ran his hands up my arms until they reached my shoulders. I closed my eyes and sighed at the electrifying sensation. His hands were chipped from battle, but I didn't care. The gentleness of his palm made my shoulders almost melt, and I found myself sinking into his arms before I completely melted down, onto the ground from his overwhelming feels.

He closed his eyes with a few tears at the sides and wrapped his arms protectively around my back.

"I missed you, Kaurvaki." He held me close to his chest and I felt like there was no safer place in the world.

"I missed you more." I said quietly, not wanting him to sense my sadness. It would just made him sadder.

We pulled apart at the sound of Dhruv's happy voice chirping outside the door.

"Mother, look what father brought me!" Dhruv said excitedly.

Ashok stood with his hands behind his back, smiling contentedly at his son.

"Oh, what?" I said, trying to match up to the excitement levels, wiping my eyes quickly.

"A new sword! Krishna's is great too! Now we can cut each other!"

My smile vanished. "No, you are not to cut anyone. Especially not Krishna."

Ashok looked towards me and flashed a look of surprise on hearing my care for his other son.

"I don't want to hear any complaints from anyone afterwards." I said, looking towards Ashok while I spoke to my son.

Ashok sighed gently.

He went off to play with Krishna and I faced Ashok again.

"Hope all is well with the two children." He said.

"Do you doubt me?" I asked bluntly.

"No. That's why I asked if it is well, not weak." He responded, not startled by my acrimonious responses. He smiled at me slightly and left. I gave up on my knitting and paused to just rest my eyes on the dark sky outside.