"Dinner is ready!" called Reena from the kitchen just as Arjun finished his last article. It had been a busy day for all of them, and they were looking forward to a relaxing evening together.
As they gathered around the dining table, Kiara couldn't help but get reminded of the beautiful cage Reena brought into her new abode. Curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to inquire about it. Passing the food to Reena, she asked, "Reena, I wanted to ask you about the cage the other day."
Reena smiled warmly at her mother-in-law, saying, "Oh, absolutely, Maa! That cage has sentimental value for me. My father got it from a friend of his, who was in college with him and had moved to the US a long time ago. I was just ten years old when we got it home. At that time, there used to be a parrot living in it."
"Are you guys talking about Enu?" asked Arjun, joining the conversation as he pulled a chair to the dining table.
"Enu?" Kiara was puzzled. She has heard this name before.
"Yeah, that was the name of the parrot. He was my best buddy," said Reena.
Kiara looked at Arjun with interest, "You knew Enu too?"
Arjun grinned, "Not really! I only heard about him from Reena. She used to talk so much about him that I would get a bit jealous. I remember thinking, 'Thank God she set him free,' otherwise, I might have had to compete for her attention!"
Reena playfully nudged Arjun, her cheeks turning a shade of pink. "Oh, stop it," she said, trying to hide her smile.
Kiara found this revelation quite endearing. "What happened to Enu then?" she asked, genuinely curious about the parrot.
"Well," Reena explained, "On my 20th birthday, I decided to set Enu free. I realized he deserved to be out in the open, flying and living his life to the fullest. It was tough saying goodbye, but I knew it was the right thing to do. So, I kept the cage as a memory of our time together. I miss him sometimes."
Kiara couldn't help but admire her daughter-in-law's compassionate decision. "That's so beautiful, Reena. And the cage is also well-decorated. Very attractive!"
"I can vouch for that," Arjun added, "Reena is very artistic, and that's how I got to meet her in the first place."
Kiara's eyes twinkled with joy as she heard the duo talk about when they first met.
"But contrary to what Arjun thinks, the cage has always been like this. I didn't decorate it as much.", chimed in Reena.
As they continued their conversation over the delicious meal, Kiara couldn't shake off the feeling that this coincidence of Enu and the cage had unsettled her. There was something magical about how everything had turned out. Kiara wanted to share her story of how she and Aman met and how this finely decorated cage had made it back into their lives through Reena. More than sharing, Kiara wanted to know what destiny was trying to tell her. She wished she had a confidante to pour her heart—someone who would help her understand the intertwining of fate.
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