Months had passed since Neel's wedding, and life had begun to settle into a new rhythm for everyone. Ashaas threw herself back into her work, planning extravagant weddings, high-profile corporate galas, and intimate family gatherings. Every event she curated seemed to carry a piece of her own journey, her belief that every celebration deserved to honor not just love, but growth.
Yet, despite her busy schedule, she found herself reflecting often. It wasn't about Neel anymore, not in the way it once had been. Instead, it was about the larger truth she had uncovered — that life was a series of seasons. Some people belonged in your spring, others in your winter, and a rare few managed to stay through every storm.
Neel, meanwhile, was adjusting to married life with Sophia. His café, "Cinnamon & Clove," had become a small but beloved spot in the city. Couples met there for first dates, students lingered over cappuccinos, and office workers dropped by for their daily fix. It gave Neel a quiet pride to see people weave his café into the fabric of their own lives.
But marriage was not without its lessons. Neel and Sophia were learning the art of compromise — from how to decorate their tiny apartment, to how to handle the long hours Neel often poured into the café. Sophia, with her gentle patience, reminded Neel of the importance of balance. And Neel, with his steady determination, gave Sophia a sense of groundedness she hadn't known she needed.
One evening, as Neel was closing up shop, Ashaas walked in. She had just finished setting up for a corporate gala nearby and decided to stop by for tea. For a moment, it felt like old times — their easy banter, their laughter over small things. But there was a difference now, an unspoken understanding that what bound them together was friendship, not longing.
"Your place is doing really well," Ashaas said, glancing at the line of empty coffee cups stacked neatly on the counter. "It feels alive."
Neel smiled, wiping his hands on a towel. "Kind of like us, huh? Different lives, still moving forward."
Ashaas nodded. "Exactly."
After that night, their meetings became less frequent, but more meaningful. They didn't need to see each other constantly — life had scattered them into different directions — but when they did cross paths, it was always with warmth.
Meanwhile, a quiet change was stirring in Ashaas's life. At one of the weddings she planned, she met someone — Arjun, a photographer with a sharp eye and a disarming kindness. What began as small conversations about lighting and flower arrangements slowly grew into dinners, late-night walks, and eventually, something she hadn't felt in years: a flutter of possibility.
By the time Neel and Sophia celebrated their first wedding anniversary, Ashaas was no longer just an event planner watching other people's love stories unfold. She was living one of her own.
And though their journeys had diverged, Ashaas and Neel carried the quiet knowledge that sometimes, closure isn't about endings. It's about beginnings — the ones you never saw coming.