After 3 years..

Anav's POV

"Dharini Mishra,"

the announcer's voice rang through the auditorium, and my heart swelled with pride as I watched her walk gracefully across the stage. She received her BA degree from the Chief Guest with a radiant smile. The applause that followed seemed to echo forever, not just from the audience but from her biggest supporters,Ma, Baba, Mumma, Papa, and Drishti. All of us were here, cheering for her, for the journey she’s been on. What makes today even more special is that she’s already set for her next adventure, interior designing. I suppose you could say she got the offer handed to her on a silver platter.

Flashback

"Anav!" She leapt into my arms the moment I stepped through the door, her excitement contagious.

"Yes, love?" I asked, chuckling as I caught her.

"Remember I told you about that art exhibition? The one where we had to design and decorate a model room?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Of course."

"You won’t believe who showed up!" Her voice was full of anticipation, like a child on Christmas morning.

"Who?" I asked, pretending not to know.

"Guess na!" she said, pouting playfully.

"Uh... the college owner?"

"Nooo!" she giggled, lightly hitting my arm. "It was Mr. Vasudev Ghatak."

"Wait, the Vasudev Ghatak? The famous builder?"

"Yes!" Her eyes lit up as she continued, "And he loved my design so much, he offered me a job on the spot. And he’s even going to pay me!"

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. "Dhara, people often say these things to praise someone's work, but it’s not always a real offer."

She shook her head vigorously, "No, Anav, this is real! He handed me an offer letter right there."

"Show me." I reached out for it, still not fully believing her. But as I read the letter, my heart skipped a beat. It was real. Dharini had landed a job with one of the biggest names in the industry.

I pulled her into a tight embrace. "I’m so proud of you, Dhara."

Flashback ended

As I waited backstage, I couldn't help but think about that moment. My heart was full as I saw her approach me, glowing with happiness. "I’m proud of you," I said softly, pulling her into my arms again. Public displays of affection weren’t really our thing, but today, I couldn’t hold back.

She looked up at me while resting her chin on my chest, concern crossing her face. "Anav... are you crying?"

I smiled down at her, feeling the warmth of her hands on my chest. "Let them flow. These are tears of happiness, love." I replied

*****

"Anav, I'm going to office, I have made everything, you just re heat it before eating." Dharini said.

"Ok Madam"

"Don’t call me that," she said with a playful glare, before leaning down to plant a soft kiss on my lips.

As she left, I turned the page of my book, smiling. Life had changed so much since Dharini came into it. I was back to studying, thanks to her and Rajeev. He had known about my dream to pursue further education long before Dharini and I got married. But when Dharini came into my life, I put that dream on hold.

It was over a dinner with Rajeev and his wife, Pratishtha, yes, the same Pratishtha he used to flirt with back in college, that the topic of my PhD came up again. Rajeev casually mentioned, "Now that Dharini is earning, why don’t you go back to your studies? You’ve been wanting this for years."  and that was it. Dharini ate my brain for three days about why didn't I told her about this The next thing I knew, she’d enrolled me in a PhD program.

I tried working and studying for a few months, but it was overwhelming. Dharini insisted I quit my job to focus on my studies, and despite my reluctance, I eventually agreed.

When Dharini was promoted and we had to move to Delhi, it was a tough decision. We’d lived in our village all our lives, surrounded by familiar faces and comforting routines. Moving to a big city felt daunting, especially for Dharini. She cried and was even ready to reject the promotion. But I couldn’t let her do that. She deserved this opportunity, and I wasn’t going to let her throw it away. So we packed up our lives and moved to the bustling capital.

Our new home in Delhi wasn’t as big or cozy as the one back in the village, but we made it work. After all, it’s not the size of the house that matters, it’s the love that fills it.

Last year, Dharini surprised me with a new bike for our anniversary and I gifted her a mobile phone, though, in reality, both of us use it more than we’d like to admit.

This year, Dharini’s hard work landed her a position with the Singhania Group. She hesitated at first because the opening was in Delhi, but with a little encouragement, she accepted the offer. It’s not common for women in India to enter this field, but Dharini, she’s special, she’s talented. And all I can do is support her the best I can.

Hopefully, by this time next year, I’ll have my PhD in hand. Dharini has been dropping hints, more like emotional blackmail, about starting a family. Ever since she met Shravan's one-year-old son, Shradhyay, she hasn’t stopped talking about having a baby.
But I keep putting it off. Raising a child is expensive, and with Dharini's career and our house payments, we need to be smart. Plus, I want to be settled in a stable job before we welcome our baby in the world.

But with Dharini by my side, I know everything will fall into place.