Raghav POV:

I had come home early, expecting a quiet evening with Aarti. As I stepped inside, the house was quieter than usual, but then I heard it,the familiar, soft sound of a veena coming from the attic. My curiosity piqued, I slowly made my way upstairs, unsure of what I would find.

I paused near the attic door, listening to the notes. It was unmistakably Aarti’s playing. I had never seen her like this,so immersed, her fingers dancing on the strings. There was something incredibly peaceful about it, and I stood there for a moment, just watching her.

When she noticed me standing in the doorway, she froze. "Raghav ji?" Her voice was soft, and she quickly stopped playing, her hands lingering over the veena, clearly embarrassed. "Aap... yahan?" (You... here?)

I smiled gently, trying to ease the tension. "Tum yeh kya kar rahi ho, jaan ? "(What are you doing?,jaan)

Her cheeks turned pink as she looked down at the instrument. "Yeh... yeh  Jab mujhe safai karne ke liye kaha gaya tha, maine ise wahan dekha," she said softly, her voice almost a whisper. (This... it was in attic. When I was asked to clean, I found it there.)

The veena had clearly been there all along, hidden away, forgotten,much like her own passion. But this was the first time I had ever heard Aarti play it since our marriage. I could feel a pang in my chest, a sudden realization that she had been hiding this from me, keeping this part of herself locked away.

"Aarti," I said, taking a cautious step forward. "Tumne yeh kyun chhupaya tha?"

(Aarti, why did you hide this?)

She hesitated, biting her lip, and then slowly looked up at me. "Mujhe lagta tha ki... shaadi ke baad yeh sab... yeh sab mujhe nahi karna chahiye tha," she admitted, her voice trembling.

(I thought... after marriage, I shouldn’t be doing all this.)

I cupped her face in my hands, turning her towards me. "Tumhare sapne tumhare apne hote hain, Aarti. Tumhe kabhi bhi apne aap ko rokne ki zarurat nahi hai."

(Your dreams are your own, Aarti. You never need to hold them back.)

She broke down in my arms, her sobs muffled against my chest. "Mujhe lagta tha ki main apne sapne tumse baant nahi paungi," she whispered through her tears.

(I thought I wouldn’t be able to share my dreams with you.)

I held her tighter, feeling the weight of her emotions. "Tumhare sapne meri zindagi ka hissa hain, Aarti. Tum jo chahti ho, main tumhare saath hoon. Tum khud ko kabhi akela mehsoos mat karo," I whispered, brushing her hair away from her face.

(Your dreams are a part of my life, Aarti. Whatever you want, I am with you. Never feel alone.)

She rested her head on my lap, still crying softly, but I could feel her body relaxing in my arms. As she calmed down, I softly spoke to her, my hand gently stroking her hair. "Aarti, tumhari har ek baat mere liye zaroori hai. Tumhare sapne, tumhara dard, sab kuch mere saath hai," I said with quiet conviction.

(Aarti, everything about you is important to me. Your dreams, your pain , everything is with me.)

Aarti looked up at me, her eyes filled with unshed tears. Her voice was barely a whisper when she spoke again, her hands clasped in mine. "Mujhe yaad hai jab meri veena meri maa-baap ne le li thi... unhone kaha tha ki mujhe ghar ke kaam mein dhyan dena hoga, aur veena ko chhodna hoga. Wahi waqt tha jab maine apne sapne ko chhupana shuru kiya tha."

(I remember when my parents took away my veena... they told me I had to focus on household chores, and I had to leave my veena behind. That was the time I started hiding my dreams.)

I could feel my chest tightening at her words, knowing how deeply her parents actions had affected her.

She continued, her voice trembling. "Aur shaadi se pehle, main sochti thi ki tum mujhe sirf apni biwi bana ke rakhoge,Mere jazbaaton ki ek vyakti ke roop mein izzat nahi karega  ... aur humare shaadi ke raat, tum mujhe apne upar karoge. Par tum... tum bilkul alag nikle. Tumne kabhi mujhe aise mehsoos nahi karwaya."

(And before the wedding, I thought you would keep me as only your wife,wouldn't respect my feelings as an individual... and on our wedding night, you would force yourself on me. But you... you turned out to be completely different. You never made me feel that way.)

I was stunned, the weight of her fear and hesitation crashing into me. I gently stroked her hair, a soft sigh escaping my lips. "Aarti, maine kabhi tumhe aise Mehsus karane ka socha bhi nahi. Tum mere liye sirf meri biwi nahi ho, tum meri dost ho, meri saath chalne wali ho."

(Aarti, I never even thought of making you feel that way. You are not just my wife, you are my friend, my partner walking beside me.)

She closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Main darr gayi thi ki tum mere sapno ko samajh nahi paoge, ki tum mujhe kabhi apna nahi samjhoge," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

(I was scared that you wouldn’t understand my dreams, that you would never accept me as your own.)

I kissed the top of her head, holding her close. "Aarti, tum jo bhi ho, jese ho, main tumhe apnaata hoon. Tumhare sapne, tumhari khushiyan, tumhara dard,sab kuch meri zindagi ka hissa hai."

(Aarti, whatever you are, however you are, I accept you. Your dreams, your happiness, your pain - they are all part of my life.)

She rested her head on my lap, her breathing steadying as she lay there. The room was silent except for the soft sound of her breath, and I gently traced patterns on her back, still absorbing the weight of everything she had shared with me.

In that moment, I knew we were no longer just husband and wife. We were two souls, connected by trust, by shared silence, and now, by the courage to speak the truths we had hidden from each other.

As I looked down at her, a soft, heartfelt kiss pressed to her forehead, I thought to myself: I will never let her dreams die. I will fulfill every wish she has, no matter what. The distance between us had been erased. I finally understood why she had always been silent, never conversing. But now, I would make sure she never had to hold anything back from me again.

And with that, I vowed that nothing would ever stop her from pursuing her dreams again - not in this life, nor in the next.