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POV AUTHOR
She stood frozen, breath caught in her throat as the shadow crept silently across the corridor. The silence pressed in like a weight, and her heart pounded against her ribs, raw with a fear she couldn’t quite name. Her fingers clenched around her phone, the flashlight’s beam flickering slightly as it trembled in her grip. She took a wary step back-
BAM!
A deafening burst shattered the tension.
Suddenly, the entire house lit up in a blinding blaze of color and noise. Party poppers exploded from every direction, a riot of confetti cascading through the air like a sudden monsoon. Streamers, lights, and cheers all erupted in perfect, chaotic unison-
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TARAAAA!!!”
Tara gasped audibly, stumbling back as her flashlight clattered to the floor.
She stood in shock, her mind struggling to catch up with what her eyes were seeing.
Her home-once dim and silent-was now glowing with warmth. Fairy lights looped across the ceiling, balloons shimmered under the golden glow, and amidst it all stood faces. Familiar ones. Her people.
Her parents, Manav, Tiya, Vivaan, and surrounding them-her childhood friends: Shivi, Mahi, Ishita, Rahul, Rohan, Rajveer. Smiling.Laughing.
It was as if someone had pressed play on a paused moment from her past.
And then, her breath caught again.
Bade Papa,Badi Mummy and her cousin Vanya-family from Delhi she hadn’t seen in years-were right there, clapping and cheering. How were they here? Why?
The room seemed to tilt slightly as a truth dawned on her.
The date.
Her eyes widened. She blinked. Her lips parted but no sound came.
It was her birthday.
Something inside her shattered quietly.
For the last thirteen years, her birthdays had passed like any other day-forgotten. After that day, she had buried it all. She hadn’t cut a cake, heard a song, or smiled for a camera on this date since. The world moved on-but that one part of her had been locked away in silence.
So when this moment hit-this surprise, this uproar of joy-it didn’t just catch her off guard.
It shook her to her core.
She wasn’t just surprised.
She was overwhelmed. Staggered. Awash in something too big to define.
For the first time in over a decade-
Someone is celebrating her birthday.
Her thoughts were still spinning, her senses overloaded by the sudden explosion of joy, light, and long-lost faces-when a pair of familiar arms wrapped around her, grounding her like only one touch ever could.
Her mother.
Warm. Trembling. Unmistakably hers.
“Happy birthday, meri jaan…” came the choked whisper, soft as prayer and soaked in tears.
It broke something inside Tara.
A sob escaped her lips, uninvited. Her hands flew to her mother’s back, clutching tightly-as if afraid this was another dream. “T-thank you so much, Maa…” she whispered, her voice breaking as she pressed her face into the crook of her mother’s neck. It still smelled like home-faint sandalwood, comfort, and time.
Ten years.
Ten long years.
And in a single embrace, it all came rushing back.
This woman had been her first best friend, her silent strength, the keeper of her secrets and childhood dreams. And here she was again-real, alive and holding her as if afraid she’d vanish again.
Her mother’s body trembled, her fingers curling tightly into Tara’s kurti as she murmured, her voice thick with unspoken grief, “Apni maa ki ek baar bhi yaad nahi aayi? Isiliye abhi dus saal baad shakal dikha rahi hai…?”
[Not once did you think of your mother? Is that why you’re showing your face after ten years…?]
It wasn’t an accusation.
It wasn’t anger.
It was heartbreak wrapped in humor-a mother’s pain laced with love.
Tara pulled back just enough to look into her eyes-those eyes that had stayed in her dreams for a decade-and shook her head, tears spilling freely now.”I missed you every single day, Maa. I just… didn’t know how to come back”
Her mother cupped her cheek with both hands, brushing her thumb over the wet skin. “Toh bata bhi nahi kar sakti thi? Ek baar bhi phone nahi kiya?” Her voice cracked again. “Main har saal yeh din poori raat jagti thi. Tere bina yeh din poora hota hi nahi tha”
[So you couldn’t even tell me? Not even one phone call?Every year on this day, I stayed up all night. This day never felt complete without you.]
Tara pressed her forehead against her mother’s. “I’m sorry… I was scared. Of seeing everything again”
The room had fallen silent. Not out of awkwardness-but reverence.
Because everyone knew: this wasn’t just a hug. It was a reunion of a bond untouched by time, distance, or silence.
The Princess of the Sharma family-the missing heartbeat of the house-was finally, truly, home.
And as mother and daughter held each other beneath a ceiling of fairy lights and confetti, everyone in the room felt it-
This wasn’t just a birthday. It was a resurrection.
And then-
“Aree bas bhi kar, Shruti!” came a loud voice from the back, thick with mock-scolding and drama.
[Oh come on now, Shruti, that’s enough!]
All eyes turned.
Jaya Sharma, Tara’s Badi Mummy, her mother’s who stepped forward with her bright red dupatta fluttering and hands on her hips. “Bichari itne saalon baad ghar aayi hai, aur tu Rona dhona chalu kar di. Aaj toh iska din hai! Rona dhona MANA hai!”
[The poor girl came home after so many years and you’ve started crying already! Today’s her day! Crying is not allowed!]
Laughter rippled through the room.
Tara sniffled, half-laughing, half-crying and Jaya took her in a hug while saying “Welcome home, drama queen” tara threw her arms around Jaya, who pulled her in with the same loud affection she was known for.
Just then, a small tug on her kurti made her pause. She looked down to see Vivaan, his wide puppy eyes blinking up at her.
“Maa… you forgot me?” he asked in the softest, most heartbreaking voice.
Tara’s face melted. “Forgot you? NEVER!” she said dramatically, scooping him up into her arms with a gasp. “How can I forget my baby?”
He giggled and wrapped his tiny arms around her neck. “Happy birthday, Maa”
Her heart clenched. “Thank you, baby…” she whispered, kissing his forehead.
With Vivaan still in her arms, she moved toward the only person standing with folded arms and pretending to be emotion-proof-her father.
He was doing a good job. Almost. Until she smirked at him with glistening eyes and said, “Kitne bekar ho aap. Koi aise darata hai bhala?”
[You’re so useless. Who scares people like this, really?]
For a heartbeat, he didn’t move. Then his arms opened without a word, and Tara fell into them like she was eight years old again. No barriers. No pride. Just the warmth she had missed for a decade.
His hand rested protectively over her head. “Tum toh aa nahi rahi thi aise bulane par… isiliye jhooth bolna pada”
[You weren’t coming even when we asked… so I had to lie]
She let out a wet laugh. “Sabse badla lungi main yeh bakwas mazaak ka. Ek ek se”
[I’ll get revenge on each and every one of you for this awful prank]
And then-
“Owwww!”
Vivaan’s muffled whine cut through their moment, and both of them instantly pulled back.
“You both crushed me!” he pouted dramatically, caught between them like a pancake.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Tara’s father chuckled and took Vivaan gently from her arms. “Arre sorry, baby! Dada forgot you were in the sandwich.” He lifted Vivaan high, making him squeal and giggle again.
Tara, wiping her tears, turned toward the one group she hadn’t yet faced.
Her friends.
They stood together near the corner of the decorated hall, a mini wall of silence in the middle of a room filled with joy. Shivi, Mahi, Ishita, Rahul, Rohan, Rajveer-her constants, her people-each stood with crossed arms and unreadable expressions.
Not angry exactly. But something deeper. Something wounded.
She swallowed.
They hadn’t spoken yet. Not a single word. And Tara knew why.
After the news of Tarun’s accident, back when the world had gone dark for her, she’d done the one thing her friends never deserved-she shut them out. She had ghosted their calls, left messages unread, ignored video notes filled with concern and prayers. They’d tried-oh, they had tried. But her grief had built walls taller than she’d ever meant to build.
And now, standing before them, every inch of her felt the weight of that distance.
She took a hesitant step forward, eyes glimmering with unspoken guilt. Her voice came out softer than intended.”Maafi nahi milegi?”
[Won’t you forgive me?]
Her trademark cute pout made an appearance, but this time, it wasn’t a performance-it was an honest plea. A child asking to be let back into the circle she never meant to leave.
No one replied.
Shivi dramatically turned her face to the side.
Mahi rolled her eyes with flair.
Ishita folded her arms even tighter, lips pursed.
Tara’s heart dropped. She stepped closer, desperation creeping into her voice.”I know I was wrong. I hurt you all when I needed you the most. I ran away instead of letting you in. But I never-” her voice broke, “never stopped loving you all. Not for a second”
That was it.
In the very next heartbeat, she was swallowed by a wave of limbs and love.
Rohan crashed into her first, arms wide. “We hate you, bandariya”
Then Mahi wrapped her arms around her waist, Ishita held her tighter than she thought possible, Shivi cried into her shoulder, and the rest folded around like a protective blanket.
A warmth she hadn’t felt in over a decade poured into her all at once, like the universe clicked back into place.
“I love you all too, idiot gang… I missed you so, so much” she whispered, voice trembling with happy tears.
“Duffer. We were always here. You just forgot the address to your heart” Rajveer muttered as he pulled her into the hug even tighter.
Suddenly-
“OYE!!”
The dramatic shriek cut through the mush, making everyone turn.
Tiya, standing with hands on her hips and the most exaggerated pout in history, stormed toward them. Her lehenga swayed behind her as she marched like a general entering battle.
“Group hug without ME?! Tum logon ko toh main-“
[Group hug without ME?! You guys-I swear I’m gonna-]
“Aah gaye hamari Bhabhi!” Rahul teased, grinning.
[Here comes our bhabhi]
Rajveer grinned.”You’re not in the group anymore, Tiya. You’re Bhabhi now. Reserved for Manav only.”
“Yeah, yeah-ab tu family wali ho gayi hai. Friends zone se nikal.” Rahul added.
[Yeah, yeah-now you’re family. You’re out of the friends’ zone.]
Everyone burst out laughing, while Tiya glared at them with mock rage. “Badtameez log ho tum sab!” she muttered and then pounced into the hug anyway, pulling Tara to the center with all her strength.
[You all are so rude!]
Tara laughed through the chaos, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, her heart fuller than it had been in years.
Surrounded by the warmth of the people who knew her before the world changed, she finally felt like herself again. Whole. Found. Home.
******
Soon after the last round of hugs and teasing had subsided, the lights dimmed once more-but this time, with purpose.
The soft notes of a birthday tune played faintly in the background, and from the far corner of the room, someone began to wheel in a magnificent cake. It was tall and elegant-layers of rich chocolate and cream, wrapped in soft pastel icing, adorned with golden accents and tiny edible flowers that shimmered under the fairy lights.
But what caught Tara’s breath was the writing on top, scripted in delicate, pearly letters:
“Welcome Home, Tara. Happy Birthday.”
For a moment, everything around her faded into a blur. That message, those four words-“Welcome Home, Tara”-held a weight that only she could feel. It wasn’t just a cake. It wasn’t just a birthday.
It was a declaration. A reassurance.
She belonged.
She was wanted.
She was finally… home.
Tears pricked her eyes again, but this time, they didn’t fall from pain or grief. They brimmed with something else. Gratitude. Love. Relief.
Vivaan tugged her hand. “Maa, let’s cut the cake now!”
She smiled and picked him up in her arms, the tiny weight of him comforting and familiar. With him holding the cake knife alongside her, she looked up.
And then it started.
Her friends. Her insane, beloved group of lunatics. They didn’t sing the normal birthday song.
“Happy birthday to you,
Tara eats like a shrew,
She left us for decades-
But now we forgive youuuuu!”
Everyone burst out laughing-even her father, the strict patriarch, couldn’t help but chuckle at their wild remix.
“Whaaat is this?” Tara laughed, holding Vivaan close as he giggled too, watching the candles flicker. “Who even made up these lyrics?!”
“Your very own dholak team!” Shivi declared, clapping off-beat while Mahi played imaginary drums on the table.
Meanwhile, Vanya was in full director mode, recording the entire scene from every angle on her phone, giving a running commentary.
“And here we have the long-lost Sharma princess, cutting her cake while being serenaded by tone-deaf hyenas-oh look, she’s crying again!”
“I will throw this cake at you, Vanya!” Tara shouted through her laughter.
“With pleasure. Make sure it’s the chocolate side” Vanya smirked and continued filming.
Tara took a deep breath, looking around at everyone again. They were clapping, whistling, and singing out of tune with the loudest voices and the biggest grins. It was a mess of love. The kind of love that filled the cracks she’d carried in silence for years.
And then-she leaned forward and cut the cake, her arm around Vivaan, his tiny hand on the knife with hers.
The room erupted in cheers. Poppers burst again. Confetti flew.
Her heart was full.
She picked up the first slice and turned to her mother.”Maa”
Her mother’s eyes welled instantly, even as she tried to laugh through it.”Bas kar ab, rona mat karwa har jagah” She took the bite with trembling hands and kissed Tara’s forehead.
[Enough now, don’t make me cry everywhere]
Next came her father. Her Bade Papa. Her Badi Mummy-each of whom received a piece with words unsaid, eyes shining, hearts full.
And all the while, Tara stood in the center of it all-with her vivaan in her arms, her people around her, her soul slowly stitching itself back together.
And across the room, just slightly apart from the buzzing crowd, Tarun stood quietly.
He hadn’t moved.
He had laughed when others did-but his eyes… his eyes had never left her.
They had followed her from the moment the lights came on.From the second her shock turned into awe, and awe into tears, and tears into the most breathtaking smile he’d ever seen.
He had orchestrated most of it-every call, every secret message, every guest coordinated, every flower chosen, all the decorations everything. But when the time came to reveal it all, he hadn’t stepped forward.
Because this wasn’t his moment.It was hers.
And that’s all he ever wanted-for her to smile like that again. Freely. Loudly. Completely.
Without ghosts haunting her. Without pain in her eyes.He didn’t need the spotlight. Just to stand on the edges, and soak in her happiness like sunlight.
But then-her name fell from Vanya’s lips, and his quiet corner no longer protected him.
“Feed the person because of whom all of this was possible.”
Tara turned.
And for the first time that night, their eyes met.
Time, once again, seemed to pause. Everyone faded into a soft blur around them.
Tara’s smile faltered-not in sadness, but in a kind of overwhelming realization. Her heart thudded against her ribs. So much unsaid flickered in her eyes.
He was still the same.
Still the boy who waited.
Still the man who protected her from shadows she didn’t even see coming.
She slowly handed Vivaan to Tiya’s arms, picked up a fresh slice of cake, and walked toward him.
Tarun didn’t step forward. His hands stayed tucked into his pockets, shoulders relaxed, gaze unwavering.
As she stopped just before him, the distance between them felt thick with everything left unspoken over the years.
She raised the cake slice, eyebrows raised, lips curling with a beautiful smile “Thank you so much for everything love”
His smile deepened-quiet, calm, overflowing with warmth and he shook his head.
And then, slowly, he leaned down. Not rushed. Not dramatic.
Just enough.
His lips touched her forehead in a kiss that held no expectations, no claims-only reverence.
“Happy birthday, jaana.”It was barely a whisper. But in that whisper was a decade of waiting. Of loving her from afar. Of standing still when she needed space and running when she called.
Tara’s breath hitched.
She blinked back a tear, bit her lip to hold back emotion, and offered him the slice.
He took the bite, still not taking his eyes off her. And as if the universe exhaled at once-
The room exploded behind them.
“Awww, romance just happened!”
“Official bhai-bhabhi moment, done and dusted!”
“Somebody shoot them-this just turned totally filmy (like a Bollywood movie)!”
Tara blushed furiously, trying to duck behind Tarun, who only chuckled softly, shielding her with a hand on her back.
But there was no hiding now.
Love was no longer a quiet corner. It was out in the open, draped in laughter and hoots and the overwhelming joy of being surrounded by those who mattered.
And just like that, the chaos returned-the Friends Cake, a riot of colors and inside jokes and edible glitter.
Someone smashed frosting on Rohan’s face. Ishita wore a crown that said “Drama Queen.” and Vanya was filming like she was directing a Bollywood sequel.
In the middle of it all, Tara and Tarun stood, hand in hand, smiling.
There would be time later to talk-about the past, about the silence, about the ache.
But right now?
Right now, she was home.
And he was home, because she was.
******
Finally all the sadness faded away and now guys get ready for #Tarunkinoor wedding and don’t forget to wish your tara!
In next chapter sone revelations are going to happen so complete the target soon soon so that I can upload fast.
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Hey, lovelies! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don’t forget to hit that vote button and leave your thoughts in the comments. Till then byy see you soon ❤️
Thank you for your love and support!
Love from,
Miss Sharma ❤️
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