In that small town, the past presented itself gently; faces, smells, and the worn path to a house that still smelled of cumin and sunlight. Her father’s hands were rough but unthreatening. He reached out first in apology; Meera met him halfway. Watching from the doorway, Aarav felt a pride that was not his alone. It belonged to the two people who had chosen to stay together, who had learned that holding a finger could steady you enough to face the world.