In a different world and a different timeline, Vishakha sat on her bed, the warm glow of a single lantern casting soft shadows around the room. She cradled her daughter gently in her arms.
"Radha... Ara Radha Black," she whispered, her voice a mixture of love and melancholy. The name rolled off her tongue like a prayer, one that carried the weight of countless memories she couldn't shake, no matter how hard she tried.
Her fingers brushed through her daughter's soft hair as her thoughts drifted. *Orion.* His name was a whisper in her mind, but his presence felt as vivid as if he were still beside her. She could still remember the way he would hold her, the way his voice would rumble when he said her name, the gentle way his thumb would caress her cheek when he thought no one was looking.
Vishakha's heart ached. "Your father…" she began, her voice trembling as she looked down at her daughter. Radha cooed softly, her tiny fingers curling around Vishakha's, bringing a bittersweet smile to her lips. "He would have spoiled you rotten, you know? You would've had him wrapped around your little finger in no time."
She glanced out of the window, where the moon hung low in the night sky, its pale light bathing the world in silver. Her thoughts wandered further back to the moment she and her cousin Meenakshi had stumbled into a world that wasn't theirs.
She smiled faintly at the memory of Orion and Abraxas, two powerful, dramatic, and utterly ridiculous men who had won their hearts with a mix of sheer determination and charm. They weren't perfect, but they loved fiercely, and that love had been her anchor in a world she didn't understand.
"Radha," she murmured again, leaning down to kiss her daughter's forehead. "I hope you get to meet him someday. Your father. Your brothers. Your family." A tear slipped down her cheek as she hugged her daughter closer. "I don't know how, but I'll make sure you find your way to them, my little one. You deserve to know them… and they deserve to know you."
The room grew quieter, the only sound the soft rustling of the breeze outside. Vishakha closed her eyes, her heart heavy with longing but steadfast with resolve. No matter what it took, no matter the distance between worlds or timelines, she wouldn't let her family remain lost to each other.
Her daughter stirred in her arms, and Vishakha whispered softly, "We'll find our way back. I promise."
Vishakha carefully laid her daughter down on the soft mattress, ensuring she was comfortable before settling on her bed. The dim light of the lamp illuminated the room as she reached for the files stacked neatly on her bedside table. Running her late father's business was no small task, but it gave her a sense of purpose.
Before she could lose herself in the paperwork, a gentle knock interrupted her.
"*Arey bacha,* can I come in?" her aunt's familiar voice called out from the other side of the door.
"Come in, Bua," Vishakha replied, setting the files aside. "What's the matter?"
Her aunt entered, holding a photo in her hand. She walked over and handed it to Vishakha with a small smile. "So, you see, this is the Oberoi family's heir. Handsome boy, isn't he? I was thinking, if you liked him, we could arrange a meeting..."
Vishakha's brows furrowed as she stared at the photo for a moment, then looked back at her aunt. "*Bua, bas kijiye.*" She held up her hand firmly, her voice calm but resolute. "I am already married and have three children."
She reached up and held the mangalsutra that rested around her neck, letting it glint in the dim light as if to reinforce her words.
"But, bacha…" her aunt hesitated, clearly uncomfortable but insistent.
"Bua," Vishakha said, her tone dropping into a warning, "Orion is my husband. There is no one else. There will *never* be anyone else." Her voice broke slightly as she continued, "How can you ask me this, when he—" She stopped, her eyes brimming with tears that she quickly blinked away.
Her aunt froze, unsure of how to proceed. The weight of Vishakha's pain was palpable in the room, and she finally realized she had overstepped.
"*Theek hai,* I'll go," her aunt said softly, retreating toward the door.
As the door closed behind her aunt, Vishakha exhaled shakily, her fingers tightening around the pen in her hand. For a moment, she stared at the papers in front of her, but her mind was elsewhere.
The faint giggles of her children echoed in her heart, and the memory of Orion's laughter filled her ears. Clutching the mangalsutra tightly, she whispered to herself, "*Tumhara vishwas kabhi nahi todenge, Orion.*" (I will never break your trust, Orion.)
*********
So yes Dumbledore there are a lot of changes required in your you know the curriculum -orion
And we will talk about that in the board meeting -abarax
Then gentlemen let's talk and I will send someone to bring your misters black.-dumbledore
Sirius and regulus arrived
Let's go -orion
It was nice meeting you again lord Dumbledore -orion and he told the black mansion to the floor place and went followed by Sirius and regulus
It was nice meeting you professor -abarax said and went to the Malfoy mansion through the floor.
"So yes, Dumbledore, there are quite a few changes needed in your curriculum, you know," Orion said, his tone firm but polite, a hint of command in his voice.
Abarax nodded, leaning back slightly in his chair. "And we'll address those matters in detail during the next board meeting."
Dumbledore, sitting behind his desk with a knowing twinkle in his eyes, clasped his hands together. "Then, gentlemen, I look forward to that discussion. In the meantime, I will arrange for someone to fetch your young Mister Blacks."
Orion inclined his head in acknowledgment, a small smile playing on his lips.
Moments later, Sirius and Regulus entered the office, both looking mildly confused but curious.
"Let's go," Orion said briskly, motioning for his sons to follow him.
Sirius and Regulus nodded politely at Dumbledore before joining Orion.
"It was nice meeting you again, Lord Dumbledore," Orion added, his tone formal yet cordial. He then activated the floo network with a wave of his wand, stepping through to the Black mansion. Sirius and Regulus followed closely, disappearing into the green flames.
Abarax lingered for a moment, offering Dumbledore a charming smile. "Always a pleasure, Professor. Until next time."
With that, he activated the floo network himself, vanishing to the Malfoy mansion in a swirl of green flame.
Dumbledore sat back in his chair, the faintest of smiles tugging at his lips as he watched the room settle once more. "Ah, the winds of change," he murmured softly to himself. "Always such an unpredictable force."