Page 270 of The Redemption
“Mumma!” she exclaims. “Look how Daddy tied my hair today. And look at my sandals!”
I glance down at the sandals and can’t help but smile. They’re from my newest children’s collection. Recently, my brand expanded beyond luxury footwear for women. We now design for kids too. Most of the inspiration behind this collection came from the little girls in our family and every tiny princess who constantly demanded prettier shoes.
“They look beautiful, sweetheart,” I tell her.
She immediately grins. Beside her, Raghav looks entirely too pleased with himself.
I laugh and wave her towards the door. “Go on now. Ayaan Chachu and Meher Chachi are already leaving for the resort. Myra must be waiting for you.”
The moment I mention Myra, every trace of her earlier complaint disappears. Typical. Within seconds, she jumps off the bed and runs out of the room.
The moment she leaves, the room becomes quieter. Suddenly, it’s just Raghav and me. For a few seconds, neither of us says a word. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe how far we have come and how different our lives look now compared to where they started.
And somehow, despite how busy life has become, Raghav and I still manage to find our way back to each other every single day. I walk towards him and begin adjusting his suit and pocket square. Anything, really, just to have an excuse to stand a little closer.
His eyes never leave my face. Tonight, I’m wearing a stunning saree from Simran’s latest collection, paired with footwear from one of my own designs. His gaze briefly drops to them before returning to me.
“They look beautiful.”
“The saree or the heels?” I ask.
“Both.”
After a pause, he adds softly, “But mostly the woman wearing them.”
My cheeks immediately warm. Even after all these years, the man still knows exactly what to say. I’m about to reply when a loud knock at the door interrupts us.
“Mom!”
Both of us instantly know who it is. Only one person in this house manages to sound that dramatic at four years old.
Rudra,our son.
I open the door and find him standing there with his arms folded and a serious expression on his face. He’s dressed in a miniature black suit that makes him look just like his father. Unlike Riya, who inherited almost every bit of my personality, Rudra is frighteningly like Raghav. The same expressions, the same stubbornness, the same intensity… sometimes even the same intimidating stare. For a moment, I genuinely wonder whether I gave birth to a child or cloned my husband.
Rudra walks into the room with a small frown on his face.
“Mom, I want that.” He points directly at Raghav.
We both look at him in confusion.
“Whatthat?” Raghav asks.
Rudra points at his neck. “The chain.”
My eyes instantly move to the chain and pendant resting against Raghav’s chest. The same one he never takes off. I look at Raghav. He looks at me. Then we both look back at Rudra.
“Dad is wearing a suit. I am wearing a suit. Same same. My shoes are also same same. But Dad is wearing a chain. And I’m not. I also want a chain.”
A smile threatens to appear on my face, but Raghav is trying very hard to stay serious. He looks at me again, clearly unsure how to handle this one, but I step aside before he can say a word.
“Nope. This one’s yours.” I hide my smile.
Raghav sighs.
“I only came to remind you that everyone’s waiting. Even Ayaan and Meher must have left by now. We need to go.”
“I know,” he says, already reaching for our son. “Let me settle this crisis first.”
