Chapter 23: A Blessing Full of Emotion
The morning sun cast a gentle glow over the modest home of Saraswati's mother. Trees swayed softly in the breeze, as if celebrating the arrival of someone long awaited.
Saraswati stood at the front door, her hand tightly clasped in Boase's. Her heart was pounding—not from fear, but from hope. Today, she would introduce Boase to the two women who had silently carried her through some of her darkest days: her own mother, and her mother-in-law—the mother of her late husband. These were the women who had once seen her broken, and now, they would witness her healing.
Boase glanced at her gently. "Are you ready?"
Saraswati nodded. "It's time."
The door opened slowly, revealing a middle-aged woman who instantly embraced Saraswati, without a word. Her mother held her in silence, stroking her hair the way she used to when Saraswati was a child.
"I always knew you were strong," her mother whispered. "But today… you also look happy."
Saraswati returned the embrace tightly. Her tears fell, not from sorrow, but from a profound sense of gratitude.
Boase stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Ma'am. I'm Boase."
Her mother gave him a quiet, observant smile. There was warmth in her eyes, but also a firmness—like a lioness still watching over her cub. "Take care of my daughter. Don't make her cry again."
"I promise," Boase said, with a voice filled with sincerity and conviction.
After a warm breakfast and soft conversation, the time came to visit her late husband's mother. Saraswati felt a different kind of tension rise in her chest. This visit would not be as easy. Their relationship had grown distant after her husband's passing, especially when Saraswati chose to raise Amara independently without much involvement from the late husband's family.
But today, she wanted to mend what had frayed.
They arrived at the small house just as her mother-in-law appeared on the porch. Her hair had turned completely white, but her eyes remained sharp, filled with history and judgment. Saraswati took the lead, walking ahead of Boase, who followed at a respectful distance.
"Mother…" Saraswati greeted softly.
The older woman studied her for a long moment, then shifted her gaze toward Boase, and back to Saraswati.
"You look more at peace now," she finally said, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "I heard you're planning to marry again."
Saraswati nodded slowly. "If you will allow it… I would like to ask for your blessing."
There was silence. Then, with slow steps, the woman approached Saraswati and took her hands in hers.
"I was angry, Saras. Not because you wanted to move on—but because I wasn't ready to let go of the past. But now… I see that your happiness is also the happiness of my granddaughter."
She turned toward Boase. "And you… this man sees the light in Saraswati—light that even I had once failed to notice. I entrust her to you… and Amara too."
Boase bowed his head, holding back emotion. "I will protect them with all that I am, Ma'am."
The embrace that followed was more than just arms encircling one another—it was a quiet reconciliation of broken hearts, finally being mended with love and understanding.
On the way home, Saraswati sat quietly in the garden behind the house. Boase joined her, offering the comfort of silence.
"I still can't believe what happened today," Saraswati whispered. "The two women I respect most… gave me their blessing. It feels like the weight I've been carrying in my chest all these years… has finally been lifted."
Boase took her hand gently. "Because you dared to take the first step, Saras. Because you didn't give up, even when life tried to break you."
Saraswati smiled and turned to him. "Happiness doesn't come to those who simply wait. It comes to those who fight for it."
Boase nodded. "And you've proven that."
As the sunset cast golden hues across the sky, Saraswati looked upward, as though the heavens were listening. She didn't know what the future would bring, but at this moment, she felt whole. There was blessing. There was love. There was hope.
And at the center of it all, stood herself—
a woman who had once stood alone,
who had endured,
and who now, with open arms,
was ready to begin a new chapter in her life.