Love Across Time

Hundred

-𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓤𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓪 𝓑𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓷 𝓢𝓴𝔂-

Aanya's hand trembled as it hovered over the cool brass knob. Thirteen years. Thirteen years of stolen moments, of whispered prayers for a daughter she hadn't held in her arms since she was a tiny wisp of a girl, all sunshine and giggles who left trails of muddy handprints across the palace floors. Each sunrise had been a fresh pang of longing, each sunset a silent promise to see her again. Now, on the threshold of that reunion, a kaleidoscope of emotions threatened to drown her. Fear, tinged with a desperate hope, warred with a love that had only intensified with absence.

Arjun squeezed her hand, his silent reassurance a lifeline in the churning sea of her heart. His eyes, usually so full of life, mirrored her own turmoil, a well of unshed tears shimmering beneath the surface. They had come so far, endured so much, all for this single moment. A wave of dizziness washed over Aanya, and she leaned against the heavy door, finding solace in its cool solidity.

Dust motes danced in the air, catching the light like fireflies, teasing forgotten memories to life. The scent of jasmine and sandalwood, a faint echo of a life spent running through these very halls, filled Aanya's nostrils, tightening the knot of emotions in her chest.

And then she saw her.

Aashvi sat at a large easel in the center of the room, her back to them. Her raven hair, a cascade of midnight silk, flowed down her back, reaching almost to her waist. It moved with a life of its own as she focused on the canvas, wielding a brush with a focused intensity that spoke of a passionate soul. Each stroke seemed imbued with a magic that whispered of forgotten dreams and stories waiting to be told.

For a timeless moment, Aanya couldn't breathe. The little girl with muddy handprints was gone, replaced by this captivating woman, a stranger with eyes that held the echo of a familiar smile. A wave of grief washed over her. The years they had lost, the milestones missed, the stories untold, they pressed down on her like a physical weight. Yet, amidst the grief, pride bloomed in Aanya's heart. This woman was her daughter.

Aanya stood there, silently capturing the moment in her eyes, etching it onto her own canvas of memory.

Suddenly, Aashvi turned, her brush poised mid-air. Her eyes, a startling reflection of Aanya's own, widened in surprise as they met her gaze. A frown, a fleeting shadow of confusion, crossed her features before dissolving into pure shock. The brush clattered to the floor, the sound shattering the fragile silence.

"Maa?" Aashvi whispered, the word barely audible but laced with a tremor of disbelief. It was the same word, spoken in the same questioning tone, that her little Aashvi used to greet her with after a long day. The dam within Aanya broke. Tears streamed down her face, blurring the vision of her daughter, a torrent of emotions finally finding release. A choked sob escaped her lips, a sound that echoed through the chamber, a testament to the years of yearning.

Arjun stepped forward, his arm finding hers as he offered a silent support. He was fighting back tears, his eyes glistening with a love that had weathered the storms of separation. Aanya gripped his hand, feeling herself to be drown by the sheer force of her emotions.

Aashvi rose from her chair, her movements a hesitant dance. Each step forward was a tentative negotiation with the gulf of years that separated them. The air itself seemed to thicken, heavy with unspoken words and a lifetime of longing. Time, once a relentless river, now stood frozen, a silent observer of the reunion it had carried them towards.

As Aashvi reached them, Aanya finally dared to breathe. A trembling hand emerged from her side, its journey towards her daughter the longest mile she'd ever walked. Her fingertips hovered in the space between them, hesitant as a butterfly alighting on a flower. It felt like an eternity since she'd held Aashvi, yet the memory of her tiny form nestled against her chest remained as vivid as a sunrise. With a shaky breath, Aanya bridged the gap, her touch a feather brushing against Aashvi's cheek.