27th May, 2025

Five Years Later

The Ibrahim Mansion had aged gracefully—like fine wine or classic poetry. The ancient chandeliers still shimmered with nostalgia, the courtyard still smelled of jasmine and old secrets, but something fundamental had changed within its walls.

It finally felt like home.

Sunlight poured into the grand living room where Shumail Ibrahim sat cross-legged on the floor, struggling to wrap a birthday present that had no business being shaped like a spaceship. He had once closed billion-rupee deals without breaking a sweat, but now, he was being bested by glittery wrapping paper and a very judgmental tabby cat named Queenie, who watched from the couch like royalty witnessing peasantry.

“Baba!” Liyana’s voice rang out from the hallway. “Why is the cat wrapped in pink ribbon?”

“Because she refused the tiara,” he muttered, scowling at Queenie. “Also, she scratched me. Twice.”

“You lost to a ten-pound cat again?” Eram called from the kitchen.

“I’ve been through corporate takeovers less hostile than this feline,” Shumail deadpanned.

Eram walked in, her now very pregnant belly leading the way, holding a plate of freshly baked cookies and looking radiant in a way only motherhood could justify. There were faint shadows beneath her eyes, tell-tale signs of late-night cravings and toddler tantrums—but her smile could still silence storms.

“You're not seriously giving our daughter a spaceship for her fourth birthday, are you?” she asked, eyeing the mangled gift.

“She asked for something that could fly, land, and shoot lasers. This was the closest thing!”

Liyana came bounding in a second later—barefoot, cheeks flushed, hair a frizzy halo around her face. She stopped in her tracks, looking between the half-wrapped gift, the scowling cat, and her parents.

“You two are so weird,” she declared proudly, grabbing a cookie and running back out.

“We made that,” Eram whispered in awe.

“She has your sass.”

“She has your sarcasm.”

“God help us.”

They laughed together. The kind of laughter that came from having survived the worst—sleepless nights, broken trust, complex pasts, courtroom dramas, family betrayals—and still choosing to wake up next to each other every day.

Shumail reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers.

“Remind me,” Eram said, tilting her head against his, “how did we get here?”

Shumail looked out at their little chaos—their perfectly imperfect family.

“We fought,” he said simply. “We broke. We healed. And then we chose each other. Over and over again.”

She turned to face him, her smile tender. “Let’s keep choosing.”

He kissed her slowly, like a promise.

From the window, they could see the garden where Zain was chasing Liyana with a party hat in one hand and a bubble gun in the other. Even Queenie had eventually slinked out to observe the chaos like a disapproving chaperone.

Life hadn’t gotten simpler. In fact, it had become beautifully complicated. The mansion now had rooms full of laughter, a closet of mismatched baby socks, walls covered with crayon art, and a doorbell that never stopped ringing thanks to surprise visits from nosy neighbours and loyal friends.

But there was peace in the noise. Stability in the unpredictability.

And love… in every room.

They had fought for this—clawed through misunderstandings, secrets, and insecurities to get here. And though the past hadn’t magically disappeared, it no longer dictated their future.

Now, it simply reminded them of how far they’d come.

“Do you think we’ll be good parents to two?” Eram asked quietly, watching their daughter try to feed bubbles to a flower.

Shumail squeezed her hand gently. “We’re not perfect. But we love hard. And we show up. That’s more than enough.”

She leaned into his shoulder, teary-eyed.

“You saved me, you know,” she whispered.

He turned to kiss her temple. “You saved me first.”

And as the sun dipped low behind the garden trees, casting the mansion in a warm golden glow, Eram and Shumail stood in the center of their chaos, love, and legacy—proof that sometimes, second chances weren’t just possible.

They were worth everything.

Because in the end, love didn't need a flawless beginning.

It only needed two people brave enough to begin again.

***

Okay!! I took a very very long break! An update after 2 whole years! Does anyone still remember Shumail and Eram???👉🏻👈🏻
With this epilogue, Dear Shumail has finally come to an official end!
Thank you so much for all the love you guys showered on Shumail, Eram, their story and me❤️
I will start updating Something in the first snow now...do give it a read.