Epilogue

Epilogue

“Finally! The dreadful semester ends!” Nidhi put some books on Saavi’s desk and heaved a sigh of relief. Amused, Saavi watched her assistant crash on her chair. “I don’t understand… I have worked with other professors as well. But never have I seen students being this interactive with them, specially on their last class.” “Interesting… If I remember correctly, you used to ask the maximum number of question when I was taking your class.” “That was before I became a Teaching Assistant,” “Evidently,”

“Back then, I wanted to learn everything from everyone. Besides, you were our batch’s favorite teacher. Some of my friends who never attended any lecture, even they wouldn’t miss your class. Then how can you blame me for trying to spend some extra time with you in the classroom?” “Should I take this as an indication that you don’t enjoy my company anymore?” “No! Not at all! What I meant to say is, I love working with you. I have learned so many things under your supervision. But when you watch other students and RAs leave early while you’re stuck in a classroom with a bunch of overenthusiastic kids, it gets annoying.”

“Well, if it really bothers you that much, I can make it easy for you.” “How?” “I can make the class boring. Students won’t ask me any question but they’ll definitely bug you outside for help IF they want to pass. Still, you’d be out of the classroom earlier. What do you say?” “You really know how to turn the tables, don’t know? Although, I shouldn’t be surprised considering you were assigned one of the most difficult courses and yet, you managed to make it easy and interesting for us.”

“Perks of being a young lecturer of course… The seniormost faculty members always put dibs on the courses they wanted to teach and the remaining courses got distributed within the younger educators. For what it’s worth, within a very short period of time I got to interact with students from different batches. It also helped me understand their psychology. I mean… I might be your favorite but I was a nightmare in my first two semesters. You can’t imagine how many times the principal summoned me because some student had made a complaint.” “I don’t know what to say…”

“In their defense, I was a prick at that time. I guess I got a bit overboard with following rules and stuff and they wanted someone easygoing. Besides, every batch is different. The mistake most of us end up making is, we try to see our reflection in the students. We forget that they are distinct individuals. So obviously they won’t behave or solve a problem the same way as we would do. Hence pretty much every teacher goes through that phase.” “Couldn’t agree more. I just graduated last year and still it feels so different when I interact with students these days,”

“That’s the thing dear, things look vastly different when you become a teacher from a student’s perspective. The trick is to understand the students’ pulse. Once you find a middle ground and connect with them, things become pretty smooth.” “I hope I can do that sooner than later.” “You will; after all, you have a wonderful mentor.” Saavi winked at Nidhi. “Jokes apart, you are in a much better shape than I was when I started working. By the time you join this department or any other educational institution as a full-time lecturer, you will already be halfway there.” “Thanks! I…” Suddenly Saavi’s phone rang. “I guess that’s my cue,” Nidhi said with a smile as she noticed the caller ID on Saavi’s phone. “I’ll see you next week. Bye!” “Have a nice weekend!”

Once Nidhi left the office, she answered the call and a smile appeared on her face automatically. “Hello!” “Mumma! You won’t believe what happened today. I did…” As Saavi began to arrange the documents on her table, little Dafli continued narrating her how her day at school went - how she was praised for her performance, who got punished, how their math teacher looked like a cartoon when he was scolding them, Saavi couldn’t help but chuckle at her daughter’s imitation. No wonder she got her sense of humor from her father. On top of that, Dilruba’s infectious smile and her own jumpiness made the kid a firecracker of her own kind.

“When are you coming home? Baby’s crying, she’s missing you.” “Oh, so only the baby’s missing me, not someone else. That’s sad.” “Don’t be sad Mumma! I’m missing you too. But who’ll take care of her if I also start crying?” “That is also true. As long as my Dafli is there, I have nothing to worry about, do I?” “Nope.” “Perfect. You keep playing with your sister, I’ll be there in 15 minutes.” “Okay Mumma, I love you!” “I love you too kiddo!” She disconnected the call and started for home. Before starting her car, Saavi looked back at the college building one last time and let out a satisfied smile.

Seven years had passed since that fateful night… Seven years of bidding farewell to a bitter past and embarking on a journey of healing, self-discovery and protecting each other… Yet, at the end of every day she couldn’t help but wonder whether it was a beautiful dream or reality. And each time her heart filled with gratitude upon realizing life truly had given them a second chance to start anew.

Like any new beginning, it started with taking small steps. Saavi still remembered the look on Nishant’s face when she told him she wanted to go on a solo trip. Albeit surprised, Nishant knew she needed to clear her head before moving forward and granted her permission. For the next few weeks, she travelled to all distant places she wanted to visit as a child and realized her true passion lied in discovering new things and spreading that knowledge to others. Fortunately, she already had a major in Archaeology and years of experience in assisting Nishant. Hence, it made it easier for her to join academia and make a name for herself in that field.

Naman too, made an interesting career choice. The life he had witnessed in the dream world reminded him of his love for drawing and painting. He wanted to explore his options and joined a local magazine as a part-time cartoonist. Once he got confident with his craft, he ventured into establishing his very own comic books. However, the biggest surprise came in the form of the benevolent investor who helped Naman set everything up from the scratch - Ansh.

While he wasn’t as artistic as Naman, Ansh realized he might have a knack for story-telling. After all, the dream world he created inadvertently had such intricate detailing that puzzled everyone with regards to what was real and what was an illusion. Hesitant at first, he approached Naman with his ideas and proposed whether they could integrate some of their own stories about battling demons and Naman accepted it gracefully. Together, both of them weaved compelling stories, which slowly and steadily earned a niche audience.

This endeavour not only benefited them financially, but also helped them mend their complicated relationship. While Naman had moved on from Piya a long time ago and became the best version of himself, it was also a fact that neither did he ever properly apologized to Ansh for their troubled past history nor did Ansh formally accept him as a part of their family. At best, they were two fellow Reevavanshis who teamed up against the dark force to save mankind. After Dafli was born, their interaction became somewhat more natural as both bonded as fathers. Still, the formality was visible.

As the families began the preparation for Naman and Saavi’s wedding, the need for them to reconcile became even more important. Luckily, Naman shared his dream with Saavi around the same time and Piya encouraged Ansh to help Naman out. Ultimately, their professional commitment did wonders - Naman and Ansh opened up to each other and both owned up to their mistakes, which laid the foundation for a lifelong friendship and mutual respect between them.

Piya on the other hand, focused more on her family in the initial years. Her near-death experience and brief encounter with Divya made one thing clear for her - if not treated with utmost gentleness and care, childhood trauma can resurface at any stage of a person's life to overwhelm his/her consciousness. Even though Pari didn’t meet Ansh until she was five, she was happy in her own world, believing one day she would reunite with her father and brother. Unfortunately, Adi didn’t have that same assurance. He grew up knowing his mother had abandoned him and his father for some unknown reason. Even after their family became complete, Piya could always sense that quiet restlessness in Adi, always comparing himself with Pari and seeking validation as if he wanted to prove himself worthy of his mother’s affection.

Piya knew, if something ever happened to her, Adi would blame himself the same way she held herself responsible for Divya’s disappearance. And he would blame her for abandoning him again. What’s worse it wouldn’t simply end there. Adi would hate himself for holding malice against his own mother but won’t be able to forgive her or himself and suffer all alone. That’s why she tried to comfort him in what she thought to be her final hours so the boy could move forward without any baggage. It’s only after she had returned that she realized her words had a paradoxical effect on him. He grew even more restless dreading something horrible might have happened to her.

So, she decided to prioritize Adi over everything and everyone. She took a break from her postgraduate education and devoted all her time to her children. With Ansh’s help, gradually she told Adi about the reason behind their separation and all the other major incidents of their lives and what prompted her to take certain decisions in a way that would be understandable to a kid her age. Together, they made sure that Adi felt loved, and more importantly, eradicate any seeds of doubt that he could have about his parents’ affection or himself.

Concurrently, Ansh kept encouraging her to pursue her own dreams and set up an example for Adi and Pari. As usual, the Rathods rallied behind her and assured her of their support which helped her get back to her roots again. She started emailing prospective professors and eventually secured a PhD position in plant science. Initially reluctant, she accepted the offer and relocated to Germany temporarily while Ansh stayed behind and took care of their children and the family business while also ensuring that Adi and Pari got to meet Piya frequently until she returned from her studies. By the time Piya earned her doctorate, Adi had turned into a fun-loving yet responsible teenager and Pari also toned down her frivolousness, much to everyone’s relief. Once Piya returned, she joined a research institute and celebrated her success with her entire family.

Nishant also found a new purpose in his life. With Pandit Ji’s assistance, he started looking for the descendants of the other clans who were closely associated with them and helped them fight against demons. Together, they founded what could be called a magic school where they trained the next generation of Reevavanshis to prepare them for the ultimate battle between good and evil.

Life seemed perfect! Then one day Savi announced that she was expecting and it felt like a new beginning all over again! While she was eagerly waiting for her child, she also discussed with Naman in length and together, they decided to keep Dafli included in all their decisions whether it was about naming the baby or what color they should pick to paint the nursery so the child didn’t feel neglected at all. Nine months later when she gave birth to a baby girl, it was Dafli who celebrated the most. They decided to name the baby after Divya to honor her memories. Slowly and steadily, everyone stepped into their new routine with Dafli assuming the role of the best elder sister while Piya and Saavi simply relieved their childhood through her and little Divya.

“Mumma!” Dafli’s voice interrupted Saavi’s train of thoughts. Seeing her daughter running toward her direction, unknowingly a smile spread across her face. She got down from her car and picked Dafli up in her arms before throwing her up in the air. “Higher Mumma, higher!” Her gleeful chortle filled the air. “So tell me, how was your day?” “Today I…”

The little girl started narrating her adventures again while Saavi entered the house. Guru Maa heard their voices and smiled contently. Who would have ever thought that one day such peace would descend upon her chaotic household? When Naman and Saavi got married, she was certain about one thing - Saavi would never let Dafli feel Dilruba’s absence. But the way she took care of the child in the last seven years, often prioritizing her need over her own and later Divya’s, Guru Maa felt grateful that God had sent Saavi in their lives. Not only did she take care of Dafli, but she also supported Naman through thick and thin. However, there was one miracle that Guru Maa herself couldn’t wrap her head around that happened upon Saavi’s arrival - Naman became tolerable enough for her not to slap him so frequently as before.

“Namaste Guru Maa!” Saavi greeted the old lady politely. “I’m sorry I left in a hurry this morning. I hope she didn’t annoyed you too much.” “Not at all, your daughter is an angel.” She took the child from Saavi’s lap and continued, “You go and freshen up. I’m sure Dafli still has some activities reserved for her Dadi.” Dafli giggled cheerfully and nodded her head. Saavi placed a peck on her cheek and went to check up on Divya.

The rest of the evening passed smoothly. Since Naman was travelling with Ansh, they did a quick video call before Guru Maa went to sleep. Once the kids also dozed off, Saavi finished the remaining chores and started checking the Midterm Exam scripts. By the time she was done, it was almost midnight. “I guess I can call it a night and get some sleep.” Before going to her room, she stopped by the nursery and tucked the blanket around Divya properly. When she turned around, she found Dafli standing at the door, shaking, while her eyes were half-closed.

“What happened dear!” “I am scared Mumma, can I sleep with you tonight?” “Of course,” She picked her up and headed to her room. “Did you have a nightmare?” Saavi asked softly while gently stroking Dafli’s hair. “I think so. I woke up suddenly and couldn’t find you anywhere. I got scared.” “It’s okay, I’m right here. I’ll never leave you alone.” The little girl said nothing but hugged her mother tightly. “How about I read you your favorite story and you try to close your eyes?” “I could do that.” She nodded her head enthusiastically.

Saavi got down from the bed and picked up a specific book from Naman’s shelf. It was about their journey in the dream world, but written in his characteristically humorous style with amazing artwork. No matter how many times she read it to Dafli, the child never lost her interest in the story, for the happy ending always elevated her mood. “Once upon a time there lived a powerful entity…” “Mumma wait,” “What?” “You forgot to read the title.” Amused, Saavi glanced at her daughter and started reading again, “A Tale As Old As Time…”

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