Chapter 56
Guys The book is under editing so read this part now…
The night settled around them like a protective embrace.
No one moved.
No one seemed willing to break whatever fragile, beautiful thing had formed in the middle of that room.
Ashvik stood there with the wooden box resting against his chest, his mother’s photograph safely tucked inside. For years, that photograph had felt like a wound he was never allowed to touch. A piece of himself he had been forced to grieve in silence.
But not anymore.
Not tonight.
Tonight, he wasn’t carrying that grief alone.
Dante remained beside him, one hand buried gently in his hair, absentmindedly stroking through the dark strands the way someone comforts a child after a nightmare.
The gesture should have felt strange.
Instead, it felt like home.
For the first time in years, Ashvik didn’t tense when someone cared for him.
For the first time, he allowed himself to lean into it.
Just a little.
Just enough.
Amaira sat pressed against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. She hadn’t let go of him since he had broken down, and somehow that simple fact threatened to make him cry all over again.
Because nobody had ever stayed before.
People promised.
People lied.
People left.
But she stayed.
His Mimi.
His safe place.
His sister.
Abhimanyu-his Bhai-sat closer than he ever had in years.
Not because he was trying to fix anything.
Not because he had the right words.
Simply because he wanted Ashvik to know he was there.
And somehow that meant more.
Much more.
Ansh stood behind him, one hand resting on his shoulder.
Steady.
Protective.
Reliable.
The kind of presence that asked for nothing and offered everything.
Ashvik could feel it.
Could feel all of them.
Sebastian leaned against the wall, arms crossed, pretending to look indifferent.
But Ashvik wasn’t fooled anymore.
He had seen the softness in the man’s eyes.
The concern.
The affection.
The quiet pride.
Even if Sebastian would rather die than admit it out loud.
Luca and Xander stood nearby too.
No longer outsiders watching from a distance.
No longer unsure of where they belonged.
Tonight they were family.
Every single one of them.
Sofia stood beside Ansh, her hand locked in his, silently sharing his emotions.
The room was full.
Not with people.
With love.
The kind Ashvik had spent years convincing himself he didn’t need.
The kind he secretly craved every single day.
Then Armaan stepped forward.
The room fell silent.
Not because anyone was afraid.
Because everyone understood.
This mattered.
Armaan stopped directly in front of Ashvik.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Too much had happened.
Too many wounds.
Too many years.
Then slowly, Armaan extended his hand.
No authority.
No expectations.
No conditions.
Just an invitation.
A choice.
Ashvik looked down at the offered hand.
Months ago he would have hesitated.
Maybe even pulled away.
But not now.
Not after everything.
Not after tonight.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand in Armaan’s.
Warm fingers closed around his own.
Gentle.
Careful.
As if Armaan was terrified that even now Ashvik might disappear.
Then he helped him stand.
Not because Ashvik couldn’t.
Because he didn’t have to do it alone.
The moment his feet touched the floor, Ashvik looked around the room.
At Bhai.
At Mimi.
At Dante.
At Sebastian.
At Ansh.
At Sofia.
At Luca.
At Xander.
At Armaan.
At every single person who had chosen him.
Again.
And again.
And again.
His vision blurred.
Tears gathered once more.
But these weren’t tears of grief.
These were something else.
Something warmer.
Something that hurt less.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
His voice cracked halfway through.
“Thank you for staying.”
Silence answered him.
The kind of silence filled with emotion.
Then Amaira stood and immediately wrapped her arms around him.
As if she couldn’t help herself.
As if she never wanted to let him go again.
“I’ll always stay, Ash,” she whispered against his shoulder.
The tears finally escaped.
Fresh.
Hot.
Relentless.
Abhimanyu was next.
Pulling him into a fierce embrace.
The kind only an older brother could give.
Protective.
Possessive.
Unapologetic.
“My idiot little brother,” he muttered roughly.
Ashvik laughed through his tears.
A broken laugh.
A beautiful laugh.
And for the first time, he hugged back without fear.
Without hesitation.
Without wondering if he deserved it.
Because maybe…
Maybe he finally believed he did.
Dante stepped closer when the hug ended.
His large hand settling once more on Ashvik’s shoulder.
Giving it a gentle squeeze.
“I’m here, Kid.”
Just two words.
Simple words.
But they hit harder than anything else that night.
Because Dante had said them before.
Again and again.
When Ashvik was angry.
When he was broken.
When he was impossible.
When he pushed everyone away.
And somehow Dante had stayed anyway.
Ashvik swallowed hard.
Then looked up at him.
A small smile tugging at his lips.
“I know.”
And this time…
He truly did.
Outside, dawn began to rise.
Golden light spilled through the windows, slowly chasing away the darkness that had filled the room for so long.
The sunlight touched everyone.
Wrapped around them.
Warmed them.
Healed them.
Ashvik turned toward the window.
Watching the first rays of morning paint the sky.
Then he looked back at his family.
His people.
His home.
The past would always exist.
The pain would always leave scars.
Some wounds never disappeared completely.
But they no longer owned him.
Because he wasn’t standing alone anymore.
He had people who chose him.
People who fought for him.
People who loved him.
Not because he earned it.
Not because he proved himself worthy.
But because he was Ashvik.
And that was enough.
More than enough.
A slow smile spread across his face.
Not fragile.
Not forced.
Not temporary.
Real.
For the first time in his life, Ashvik didn’t feel like a broken boy searching for a place to belong.
He belonged.
Here.
With them.
And as the sunlight grew brighter, illuminating every corner of the room, Ashvik finally understood something his heart had spent years refusing to believe.
Family wasn’t always the people who gave you life.
Sometimes it was the people who stayed and helped you live it.
And surrounded by the people he loved most, Ashvik stepped into the morning-not as someone shattered by his past, but as someone finally ready for his future.
His story wasn’t ending.
It was only beginning.