The clock ticked slowly for Yuti as she tried to stop a grumble from escaping her throat. She had been sitting at the table for the last 2 hours while Khusi was teaching her how to do simple addition and subtraction. Undoubtedly she was a good teacher, but Math was out of her domain, even primary school level.

Yuti was tapping her feet restlessly on the ground beneath the table while Khusi tried to explain how to do two digit addition. But her mind was wandering off every 2 minutes.

"Did you get it?" Khusi enquired to which Yuti nodded, her eyes barely open.

"Show me then, how to do this addition." Yuti was tired of doing arithmetic. She loathed that subject but couldn't ignore it no matter how much she wished she could.

Without a blink of an eye it was done, and she passed the notebook back to Khusi.

"Excellent. You're a really fast learner," Khusi praised and ruffled Yuti's hair to which she blew her bangs off her forehead and heaved a deep sigh.

"Can we stop now? I have already learned how to do addition and subtraction," Yuit whined. She was already in a bad mood from that morning because of her father's absence from their home. Abhay had promised Yuti to spend time with her that weekend but work load kept him occupied.

"2 more sums, and then I promise. No more arithmetic for today."

"Okay Khusi Ma. Bring it on," Yuti groaned and rested her head on the table, smacking her lips in annoyance.

Khusi smiled at her impatience but jolted down two tricky sums for her to solve. Needless to say Yuti was smart for her age and it didn't even take her a minute to solve the two.

"Done for today!" Yuti didn't even let Khusi utter another word before she jumped off her chair and dashed outside the room leaving a slackened jaw Khusi behind.

•••

It wasn't until noon when Khusi finally got a glimpse of Yuti in the kitchen. She was preparing chicken curry and Khusi knew the scent would drive Yuti back inside the bungalow.

"Are you really cooking?" Yuti hovered beside Khusi, her eyes stuck to the cauldron and a slight drool dripping down her chin.

"Yes, and we will be taking lunch for papa today." A wide beam spread on Yuti's lips as she threw her hands up in the air in joy.

"Yippee. Give me 2 minutes. I will change and be back." With that she dashed away. Khusi chuckled at her enthusiasm before bringing her attention back to the cauldron.

After the day when Khusi had come back to their bungalow with Abhay by her side and a cardboard box in his hand containing her things, Yuti's first question had been, 'Are you my mother from today, then?'

Khusi had welcomed her in her embrace with a stretching smile and open arms and had nodded profusely.

It has been over a month since that incident but the memories keep on playing in her head like a tape recorder. Especially Abhay's words. Quickly shaking her head to extricate the distraction she brought her eyes back to the cauldron.

She rarely got the opportunity to cook so she wanted to prepare something special for Abhay. Specifically after he informed her on the call that today he might not get enough time to have lunch.

The food was ready within a few minutes and the duo departed for Abhay on a car waiting for them 24X7 outside their bungalow, always at their service.

•••

Khusi took a deep breath as she climbed down the car and took the sight of the enormous building in front of her. She missed visiting his old office but the new one was a sight to behold.

Yuti however was too impatient to wait and rushed inside, hardly caring about the other officers for whom Yuti was almost a complete stranger.

"Where's my papa's room Mister?" She asked a brooding uniformed man who looked down on Yuti skeptically.

"And you, young lady?"

"I am Yuti Mathur."

"Mathur? I am so sorry madam. You must be SDPO sir's daughter. Please come this way." The officer guided them towards Abhay's room before disappearing again.

Abhay was busy analyzing a special case when the door of his room banged open and a small figure ran inside.

"Papa!" Yuti's body collided with her father's as she hugged his side and grinned up at him with doe eyes.

"Hey!" Abhay was too flabbergasted for a minute to see Yuti, until his gaze landed on Khusi who was standing near the door with a small smile on her lips. He swiftly kept the file away and sank down on his knees to pick Yuti up.

"Hey there my little devil. What a surprise!" With Yuti on his hips he strode towards Khusi and took her in his embrace, leaving a gentle kiss on her temple before pulling back.

"It's clear that you don't have time for us, so we decided to come and visit you. And look, Khusi Ma has also made lunch for you." Yuti pushed the Milton canister in Abhay arms and scampered out of the room, leaving behind a giggling Khusi and shell shocked Abhay.

"She's too full of energy." Abhay shook his head and kept the container on his table, taking a deep breath. A longing was visible in Khusi's eyes but she quickly blinked it away and strolled towards Abhay, pulling him into a hug. With her head resting on his chest Khusi took a deep breath and sighed dreamily as Abhay's smell wafted into her nose.

Without any hesitation or wasting a second, Abhay tightened his grip on Khusi's waist, squeezing her into him. He had missed her terribly as well, and couldn't wait to spend some time with her soon.

"I was missing you," Khusi mumbled on his chest, sadness visible on her face and in her tone. Abhay didn't say anything but tightened his hold around her and his face in her neck to express his longing for her.

Pulling back slightly, he plastered his lips upon her and kissed her vehemently, their lips gliding upon each other's.

It had hardly been 1.5 months since he joined as the SDPO of the subdivision. Shimla wasn't an option for him, given he can't leave Khusi and Yuti behind at Chamba. So he had rejected the DSP's position. As a result he got posted as the SDPO in Chamba. The rank was similar, his posting just wasn't in the capital town.

"Thank you for coming. I was going insane with the workload. I will manage to finish today's work now." Abhay whispered into Khusi's hair, his lips grazing her throat to which Khusi hummed. Sparks ignited instantly in each other body at their propinquity making Khusi bite her lips.

"It's your birthday in a few hours." Abhay was devouring his meal, savoring the taste of Khusi's handmade food when Khusi spoke up.

"Umm humm." he gulped down water from the water bottle and licked his fingers clean. Khusi seldom made food but whenever she did, Abhay never left a single crump behind.

"Thank you so much for everything," he kissed Khusi's crown and basked in her warmth for a few seconds before pulling back. Adjusting to the new environment hadn't been difficult for him but he missed spending more time with his family.

Before Khusi had to depart, she grasped Abhay's collar and pulled him down to her height to whisper her next words.

"I have a special night planned for your birthday, with your old handcuffs. Don't be late tonight." Khusi's lips hovered above Abhay's, making his blood flow straight down his manhood.

A growl escaped past his throat and rumbled in his chest. "This is pure torture. How the fuck am I supposed to work for the rest of the day now?" Abhay groaned, his fingers gripping Khusi's hips.

"Figure it out," Khusi murmured and pecked Abhay's lips before dipping down and escaping his grasp, stepping out of his room.

Abhay rubbed his face, tilted his head up and adjusted his slack before strolling behind Khusi as well, following her like a lost puppy to see both of them off. They had just stepped out of the threshold of his room when the sight in front of them halted their movements.

"This color doesn't suit you at all. Next time I will bring a yellow and white one for you, okay?"

"Definitely madam. I will be waiting," The officer replied to Yuti before adjusting the bead bracelet on his wrist, and sat down beside her on the table to chat with her.

"And this little devil is winning hearts here as well." Abhay's words brought a smile to Khusi's lips. She wasn't shocked at all to see Yuti adjusting too well with her father's new coworkers. She just had a way to wrap people around her fingers.

"Of course she is. Let's not forget whose daughter she is," Khusi gloated, her chin tilted up.

"Whose?" Abhay asked, getting confused for a second.

"Mine, obviously."

•••

It was two-day later until Abhay finally got enough time to take a day off. Khusi wanted him to take rest and stay at home but he had other plans. The little time he got, he wanted to devote it to Khusi and Yuti. But Yuti had already made plans with David that day. So after dropping her at Diyasha's, the duo decided to take a lazy stroll around the town.

It was late in the afternoon and the sun rays were already slanting down the horizon, as Khusi and Abhay ambled down the market street hand in hand. They didn't have any plans and just wanted to spend some time with each other. Abhay, like a sneak he was, continued stealing kisses from Khusi every time he was getting the chance, making Khusi blush with his PDA.

In the beginning she had told him not to do it in public but his only reply was, 'You're my woman. And I will never hesitate to show the world how much I adore you.'

The market, as usual, was crowded but only a few people were paying them attention, everyone lost in their own world.

"I can't believe Yuti will be in class 1 from next week. She's growing up so fast." Abhay was excited for Yuti to finally join primary school. Due to the transfer from Bangalore a few years ago, she was already running late in her school years.

"Yeah, and I was wondering whether to buy the books for her already or should I wait for the school to reopen?" Khusi asked, looking up at Abhay, her movements sluggish.

"Whatever you deem fit. I have complete trust in you," Abhay stated bringing their adjoined palms to kiss Khusi's knuckles. Her cheeks felt hot and blood rushed to her neck at Abhay loving gestures. Those little actions and words meant a lot to Khusi.

Khusi was ambling beside Abhay, tucked beneath his arm as he babbled about a particular incident at his new office when an excited shriek reached Khusi's ears.

"This is an IG worthy picture bro. I am definitely uploading this one!"

The girl was a complete stranger to her but her words brought a strange sensation to Khusi's stomach. Her feet came to and her gaze shifted towards her.

She gazed at her for a prolonged period, her actions reminding Khusi of her old days when she was a social media addict. Once in a while, she wished to be back on IG, but it also scared her.

Abhay's eyes went towards the girl as well at Khusi's abrupt stop. "Do you know her?" he asked, curious of Khusi's silence.

"Not exactly," she murmured and shook her head before releasing a deep sigh and continuing her journey with the man of her life.

•••

Harsh Agartala's tall stature stood immobile across the wide open plot beside the school. A few workers were bringing and dropping bags of cement.

"Where are the rest of the materials? It was supposed to be delivered by today." His strict tone could make even adults shiver as the worker shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"It will be delivered by today itself sir. Before the sun goes down."

"It better be." Mr. Agartala snipped before turning away from the worker as the rest continued with their job.

Khusi was gazing at the land from a distance when Mr. Agartala caught her attention and she decided to pay him a visit. As Khusi came to a halt beside him, he looked down at her and passed her a thin smile.

"So, this might take a few months before the building could be ready, isn't it?" Khusi enquired, already aware of the answers. Though Khusi and Harsh shared a better relationship now, they still were awkward while talking to each other.

"It will, Ms. Mukherjee. Also, I need to conduct an examination as well for the recruitment. Thankfully I already have my first teacher ready beside me." He gave her a side glance as Khusi looked down at the ground, a small smile grazing her face.

After Abhay had gone on her knees and begged Khusi not to leave him, Khushi had rejected her call back to Shimla. She was happy in Chamba and the reason for her existence resided in the town, so she didn't need a second thought. Moreover Shimla carried bitter memories for her and she herself knew she never wanted to go back to that hell.

Needless to say, Harsh Agartala was one of the few who was delighted with Khusi's decision to stay back. He was aware of the important position she held in a few people's lives.

Surprisingly a few days later he had called Khusi in his office and had given her a letter.

"What is this, Sir?" Khusi asked.

"Why don't you check it?" There was a sneaky smile playing on his lips which was making Khusi suspicious.

As soon as she opened the letter and read it's content, her eyes went round and her eyebrows were almost touching her hairline.

"Is this for real?" Khusi mumbled, reading the letter all over again. She was too shocked to react.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's very much real," she chuckled as tears welled up in her eyes.

Mr. Agartala had finally managed to convince the higher officials of the school authority to give him the permission to open a high school section, after trying for months.

"Guess who is going to be the first teacher under the high school section?"

"Who?"

He gave a pointed look. "Are you that shocked that I really have to spell it out to you now?" he asked quizzically to which Khusi sniffled and shook his head, a wide grin etched to her face.

"I am really thankful to you for doing this, sir," Khusi murmured, lost in her own thoughts.

"Don't be. I owe you a lot. Think of it as a return gift for what you did for my family." He was a man of few words but his actions spoke louder than his words.

•••

Abhay was sound asleep, after their strenuous activities an hour ago. His mouth was slightly parted, as Khusi brushed her palm down his face and adjusted her weight in her elbow before dropping a kiss on his stubble covered cheek.

Passing him a last glance, she climbed down the bed and wrapped the white blanket around her stature. The cold wasn't bitter or chilly around mid year so Khusi didn't have a problem with star gazing with only a blanket wrapped around her.

Taking a deep breath she unlocked the door of their balcony and stepped out, exhaustion nowhere visible on her face. A small smile grazed her lips, as she looked up at the sky.

Hundreds of stars twinkled, bedecking the pitch black oblivion with their shimmer. The silence of the night was thick as she paid no heed to anything and stood there for what felt like hours but were minutes.

Countless thoughts and old memories invaded her brain and rushed past the back of her eyes, where she was around 2 years ago, and where she was now. How relationships and people changed. How she was miserable and heart broken, and then how she found love in the mountains, and got her perfect family.

We're only gettin' older, baby
And I've been thinkin' about it lately
Does it ever drive you crazy
Just how fast the night changes?
Everything that you've ever dreamed of
Disappearing when you wake up
But there's nothing to be afraid of
Even when the night changes
It will never change, baby
It will never change me and you

The lyrics of an old song by One Direction sparked in her head and she hummed the tone, her eyes falling close. A deep relieved sigh escaped her mouth when a pair of callous hands snaked around her waist.

Her smile elongated but she didn't need to open her eyes. Pushing her weight back on Abhay's chest, she basked in the feeling.

Abhay dropped a kiss on a tattoo sitting on top of her right shoulder blade and Khusi leaned her head back on his shoulder. Abhay's gaze remained fixed on the tattoo and he tightened his arms around her and relished in her scent.

Khusi had got it a few months back and couldn't be more proud of the design.

It was a minimalistic drawing of the mountains along with some pine trees, and on top of it was written thrivin'. A small symbol of how time changes everything.

Once upon a time she hated winter and mountain regions. But now, hell would freeze if she ever left the icy chilly mountains where her heart resided.

~ • • • • • ~

Khusi's tattoo is a mixture of these two 😌

Just an epilogue and the story would be over lovelies 🤧 But Khusi would always remain my favorite protagonist. ❤😭

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if you're liking my story. 😇🥰

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