"We can't fully appreciate a picturesque sunset if we're wishing it would never rain again. We can't fully enjoy a moment of true connection if we're wishing we'd never feel alone again. We can't fully savor a relaxing day if we're wishing we'd never be busy again. The key to happiness is to focus less on making moments last and more on making the moments count."

― Lori Deschene, Tiny Wisdom: On Mindfulness

***

Everything was bathed in a warm, golden glow from the setting sun; the air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, buzzing bees, and colorful butterflies. Suman couldn't help but notice how the Sarab family's garden looked like a place of love and tranquility in the summer - a sanctuary that had been carefully nurtured over the years. She imagined that each corner of the garden held a precious memory and was witness to the eternal love of the couple who had been lovingly curating every plant, every tree, and every flower.

The first time Suman met Salma and Shafeeq Sarab, she felt envious of how they were the perfect definition of a loving couple. Upon seeing what they shared, her initial reaction had been that she wanted Shravan and herself to experience a relationship similar to that. A desire that still made her heart pang with longing and hope. A yearning that was stronger than ever as she sat in the center of the Sarab family's enchanted garden, gazing at her husband, who was kneeling on the soft dirt with Salma auntie as they planted new flowers together with care.

Due to the distance between them, Suman couldn't hear what they were talking about, but Shravan started to smile so warmly at the elder woman when she burst out laughing. The banter had been going on for about half an hour, now and then their laughter filled the air as they worked, creating a magical moment that seemed suspended in time.

"Are you sure you don't want to join them?" Shafeeq Sarab asked as he sat down next to her.

"I am not good with plants, uncle," Suman said with a half smile.

"Neither was I. You gotta start with somewhere because I think my wife has converted your husband into a real gardener," he chuckled as he handed her chilled lemon juice.

"That's true," she said as they looked at their respective spouses.

"I am seeing her laugh like that after years," the older man commented wistfully.

As they were supposed to be happily married, Suman couldn't confess how she had felt the same sentiment a few minutes before when she had heard her husband's carefree laugh. Nor could she let anyone know how her heart had skipped beats and her eyes had gotten misty when she had seen her husband glowing in the motherly care of Salma Sarab. So instead, she asked the man about his wife.

"I have never seen Salma auntie without a smile on her face," she commented. It wasn't a lie. The elder woman had permanent smiling lines and wrinkles around her mouth that demonstrated how joyful she was.

"That's right," the elder man said, his eyes twinkling with love as he watched his beloved wife.

"When did you both meet Shravan?" Suman asked.

"Didn't he tell you the story?" The older man frowned.

"He never went into details," she said with a forced smile.

"I guess he thought it wasn't his place," Shafeeq muttered with a sigh. "Well, we met when Shravan was about nine years old. He became fast friends with our daughter, Parisa. As she had no other friends apart from him, I and Salma decided to shift to the same building as the Malhotras. So from then on, after school, Shravan was always found in our home."

"Can I ask about how you and Salma auntie met and about your daughter?" Suman asked carefully, unable to hold back her curiosity.

"Some days I feel like talking about Parisa all day. Today is one of those days, so you can ask anything you want to," the elder man said with an empty laugh that hid so much pain.

"Salma and I fell in love during our university days and we got married before we even graduated. We were young and healthy, and it didn't worry us much that we couldn't conceive even after five years of marriage. However, it quickly became apparent to us that while we were achieving great success in our careers, it felt like something was missing. We consulted with numerous specialists and discovered that Salma was having miscarriages as a result of her early exposure to *DES and was unable to carry a child full term."

"As much as painful as it was, we accepted it as God's will and decided to adopt. That's how Parisa entered our world. We were ecstatic and delighted, but she suddenly fell ill. After tests, we found out that she had severe congenital heart problems, something that the orphanage had concealed from us so that we might adopt her and she could have heart surgery. In the end, it didn't matter how we were deceived; Parisa was ours, so we did everything we could to make her life easier."

"Salma left her job and dedicated her whole energy to Parisa. To give her some normality, we moved near Malhotras so she could be friends with Shravan. You should have seen them. They were meant to be friends; both book nerds, and spent hours solving the Rubik's Cube," he said with a chuckle, his eyes misty as he remembered the past.

"Parisa was twelve when she fell so ill that we had no other option but to agree to the heart surgery despite the high risks. She didn't survive," he muttered, tears finally escaped his eyes, his gaze lost somewhere in the pain.

"To parents, losing their child is a pain so severe that nothing can surpass it. And we had suffered that loss multiple times, but Parisa's loss overpowered everything else. We were on the verge of divorce. Sometimes I think it's a miracle we are still together," he confessed with a light laugh as he wiped his eyes.

"Your love is strong," Suman remarked with soft eyes as she passed a tissue paper to the elder man.

"Marriages don't survive just on love, Suman beta," Shafeeq said with a sigh. "You need to be fully committed and determined to make it work despite the odds or whatever may come your way. After almost losing Salma to pain, I realize that in the course of life, my spouse will change and so will I. All we can do is simply accept and fall in love with every new version of each other when that happens."

"I didn't let off her; I didn't let her isolate herself even when she pushed me away. I waited for her but didn't permit the silence and numbness to be there in our marriage for long. I worked each day to help her on her journey to heal herself. I didn't give up on my love. I didn't let her trauma and pain win her over and take her away from me. You shouldn't either," he said with a knowing glint in his eyes.

"I don't..." Suman stuttered in panic.

"As I said, we were Malhotras' neighbors for years. That child has seen too much and suffered too much," the elder man said with a sigh.

"I hope you will be patient with him, Suman. Childhood trauma doesn't heal easily, especially if it's aggravated by more traumas. But I will tell you from the experience of a spouse that it's not impossible. We just have to accept them, care for them, and love them so deeply that the brightness of our devotion would overshadow the darkness of their traumas."

"I plan to do just that," Suman whispered in a determined hope.

"That's right!" The elder man said with a laugh that made wrinkles around his eyes more prominent.

"What did you say to him to make him smile like that?" Salma auntie asked with a giggle as she walked towards them.

"That's our secret," Shafeeq uncle said. "You guys have your secrets. It's only fair for us to have ours."

"Fine. We don't mind, as long as you can get us chilled drinks, right Shravan?" Salma auntie said as she sat down on the empty chair.

"Only drinks?" Shravan asked playfully.

"You are right!" the elder woman nodded before turning towards her beloved husband. "Shafeeq sahab, we demand snacks as compensation for our hard work in this hot summer."

"As you both wish," Shafeeq uncle said, greatly amused by their antics.

As the banter between the three continued, Suman couldn't help but observe the changing emotions on her husband's face. Shravan behaved so differently around them than his own parents. If she didn't know any better and had not witnessed the unconditional devotion Shravan had for Ramnaath Malhotra, she would have thought her husband was related to the couple. The three of them behaved more like a family than Shravan did around his parents; he was so carefree and at ease with them. Suddenly she realized it wasn't only Salma, with her motherly nature, that was healing Shravan, it was both of them and their commitment to each other and their marriage; they were the prime example of how marriage can work if the couple put effort into making it work.

On their way home, when she asked Shravan, he confirmed her thoughts.

"I didn't remember them as a married couple. Back then, they were two parents dealing with their child's illness, always tired, and always so sad. Parisa used to try to make them smile as she felt so guilty for only being the reason for their pain. During those years, I had gotten used to the three of them. They were always there and then one day they just weren't. Whenever I asked, my parents told me they had gone to some other city for Parisa's surgery and that she was fine but they wouldn't come back. After a few months, I just stopped asking."

"When did you find out about Parisa?" Suman asked.

"I just knew," he responded with a half-shrug.

Suman waited to see if he would elaborate and when he didn't, she tried not to feel disappointed. It was a gradual process; she was learning that he didn't have to tell her everything. As Shafeeq uncle had said, she just needed to accept and love the new version of him. And as Doctor Jhanvi had said, she needed to wait for him, not snap at him or rush him in impatience, and listen to him when he came to her. With that, Suman realized she still needed to work on differentiating between the silence and the silence between them...

***

Jhanvi Agarwal was a marriage counselor, presumably famous in the elite circle. That was a given, as who else in this economy would be willing to spend a significant amount of money on couple therapy? Unfortunately, everything about that made the profession of marriage counselor not commercially successful, as many couples still rely on their families to solve issues between them. That was if both parties even agreed to seek help from outside. The majority of them struggled to reach an agreement on whether they even needed the intervention of someone else or not. There were countless people stuck in a marriage where their partners made them feel they were exaggerating about the supposed problems in their marriage.

With her being the daughter of a divorce lawyer and a family court judge, Jhanvi had witnessed how the supposedly strongest relationship in the world was the weakest when it went neglected. As her parents always said, marriage was a labor of love and required constant attention, effort, and determination to make it work; if even one of two people weren't ready to put in all the work, it was best to reflect on whether it was best to stay married or part away. When matters worsened and there was no other option, she reminded her clients that failing in marriage does not mean failing at marriage and did not imply that the person was a failure.

"Doctor Jhanvi, Mr and Mrs Malhotra are here," her secretary informed her before letting the said couple walk in.

Mr and Mrs Malhotra, or Shravan and Suman for her, have been coming to her office twice a week for the past two months. A very lovely couple, married for eight months now, seemed to love each other deeply- it was evident by how attuned they were to each other - but they admitted that they found themselves drifting apart due to a lack of communication. At first glance, Jhanvi had been perplexed as to why they were seeking help, but as they revealed their complex history, she could see what happened. Both of them were frustrated with the distance between them, yet confessed to being helpless about how to solve the matter.

During their first session with her, the couple had sat across from her, together yet unable to meet each other's eyes. They had been quiet for too long, only responding awkwardly to her queries. To snap them out of their passiveness, Jhanvi had prodded them with different questions, wanting to know what could crack them and get them talking.

"Are any of you seeing a therapist?" Jhanvi had asked.

"I am," Shravan had replied.

"You are?" Suman had gasped at her husband, apparently unaware.

"Since when?" she had demanded further when her husband had only nodded in response.

"For the past three months," he had muttered.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" The frown on Suman's forehead had deepened when Shravan had only shrugged at her.

"You never tell me anything," Suman had muttered, disappointment and hurt visible on her face.

Jhanvi had observed their interaction and how Shravan had reached out to his wife but had halted in the middle, appearing helpless to approach her after she had physically turned away from him.

"Sometimes it's difficult to share such matters. There is a lot of stigma surrounding seeking professional help," Jhanvi had said.

"That's not why," Shravan had muttered.

"Then why?" his wife had asked, finally turning towards him. "You know I will never judge you for anything."

"You just seemed so far away," he had confessed in a whisper.

"That's not true, Shravan, it's you who maintained the distance between us. You just stopped talking with me," she had complained.

"You don't understand," he had muttered after opening his mouth several times to say something just to stop himself.

Jhanvi had wondered what was stopping him: was he hesitating or couldn't put his emotions in words?

"Then help me understand," Suman had pleaded, and when her husband had shaken his head, she had turned towards Jhanvi. "See! This is what I am talking about. He just doesn't talk with me."

Jhanvi had observed them as the tug and pull continued, trying to find the depth of their problems. Fortunately, the couple didn't lack the perseverance to resolve their issues, so with the promise to pick up the conversation in the next session, they had walked out of her office when the hour had been up.

In the following sessions, Jhanvi had tried to find more reasons for the strained relationship between the couple.

"Let's talk about intimacy," she had said gently, leaning forward in her chair. "How do you both feel about the level of intimacy in your relationship?"

The couple had shifted uncomfortably in their seats, avoiding eye contact with each other. Taking in the blush on their cheeks, the marriage counselor had continued her queries.

"You have grown apart over months, or has it never happened?"

The silence continued.

"Any particular reason why it never happened?"

"It had taken him months to agree to sleep in the same bed as me. What happened with Aditya affected him more than it did to me. I know for a fact that he had been having nightmares about it for months," Suman had admitted quietly after a bit of hesitation.

"He was so affected by those nightmares that he even agreed to marry me unwillingly," she had added.

The bitterness in her voice seemed to have disturbed Shravan greatly as he had confessed: "You are the only one I ever thought of marrying."

"Then why are we sitting here? What has brought us here, Shravan? Why haven't we been able to solve things? What stopped you from being married to me?" She questioned.

"I never thought you would stay," he had whispered.

"Oh, right! I had forgotten that part. You thought our marriage was a form of entertainment for me that I would get bored with and be on my merry way to find someone new after a few months."

Jhanvi had hummed understandingly after hearing the couple. "I see why now. It's good that you are choosing to solve the issues between you before taking things further. Intimacy isn't just about physical closeness, but also about emotional connection, trust, and communication. As things improve between you two, I am sure you will feel more inclined to explore that side of your relationship as well."

After taking in their blush, Jhanvi had continued her observation. "But it's clear to me that you both miss the emotional intimacy you used to have. I recommend you both to rediscover your connection by revisiting the past. Go to the places you used to go and do the activities you used to do together, go on dates or walks. All of that may help reignite the spark in your relationship."

At her suggestion, the couple had looked at each other with a hopeful glance, full of longing, realizing that they both yearned to feel that connection again.

Jhanvi had smiled softly at them. "Begin by scheduling specific times for each other. Whether it's a weekly date night or simply spending quality time together without interruptions, make an effort to fortify your emotional bond."

When the session had drawn to a close, Jhanvi had concluded it with encouragement. "Remember that open communication is equally important. Don't be scared to share your feelings and desires. Sharing openly can help you close the emotional gap between you. So talk to each other about anything, about your day or dreams, what you want for yourself and your relationship, and what you desire."

As time passed by, Jhanvi noticed how speaking became easier, and the couple took turns expressing their frustrations and concerns. To her, it was so obvious that they were almost mirroring each other's insecurities and heartache and had just chosen to react to it differently. While Suman was more impatient, agitated, and active in hers, Shravan seemed to tend to shut off to the point of appearing indifferent and unavailable. They both had complaints that the other didn't understand their need for emotional support and communication and that they feared the other would leave and break off the marriage.

During the sessions, Jhanvi guided them through various communication exercises, encouraging them to actively listen to each other without interruption: something both of them accused the other of. The couple took turns speaking while the other partner listened attentively, without presuming the other's reaction. In between, Jhanvi kept asking them what they thought the other meant. It surprised them how, due to their insecurities, they had mistaken and misinterpreted what others had meant.

Once they discovered that, Jhanvi helped them adopt a healthy communication style in which they stopped talking over each other and instead listened to one another. In the hopes that this practice would prevent misconceptions and help them hear what each other had said fully, Jhanvi introduced them to active listening, directing them to rephrase and reflect on their partner's words before responding.

It took three months of counseling for Jhanvi to affirm that they didn't need her anymore. With pride and a bit of sadness, she said goodbye to the most interesting couple she counseled while wishing them the best for their married life. Only to meet them again after a few months at a party she was invited to by her parents. That night, the glow on Mr and Mrs Malhotra's faces was breathtaking, and she wasn't the only one who had noticed that. An ongoing conversation on the table next to her revealed that the attractive couple was currently the talk of the town. Jhanvi couldn't help but overhear them.

"They were childhood friends," Mrs Jaiswal, the best go-to person for gossip, said to her in a hushed manner. "Apparently he was forced to marry her, but look at them now. They seem like they never had a day of struggle in their marriage."

"Come on, Mrs Jaiswal, just because he looked tired at his wedding doesn't mean he was forced," Mrs Meena Shethy said, twisting her nose in distaste for the unfounded gossip.

"Exactly. You do not attend Salma Sarab's charity events. That's why you are unaware that Suman is always catering simply because Shravan volunteers for the organization. You haven't seen how he waits for every chance to brag about how supportive his wife is," Mrs Leela Shrama, the well-known shipper of the couple, said defensively.

"I had heard that his first fiance broke the engagement when he told her he wanted to work for charity," Mrs Jaiswal gossiped.

"They were meant to be," Mrs Payal Singh sighed dreamily.

"They are hands down the couple I stalk at most of the parties," Mrs Neha Mehta said unapologetically.

"Whatever you guys say, the glow that they have now on their faces wasn't there a few months ago," Doctor Naina Yadav said, to put a full story to the heated debate.

A few other voices agreed with the sentiment, giggling before adding their own two cents. Hearing them, Jhanvi felt pride swell in her heart. Shravan and Suman had come a long way, that's for sure. The painful conversations, the awkward pauses, the tears, and the suffering through session after session didn't go to waste. Seeing them happy and beaming at each other was a sight that would leave anyone awestruck. Jhanvi was sure that the couple felt that in the end, everything was worth it.

****

*Diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure is one of the reasons for infertility in men and women are exposed in the womb to DES, a drug used in the past to prevent miscarriages. DES daughters may have reproductive system abnormalities, miscarriages, and sometimes be unable to conceive a child.

***

A/N:- So, I finally updated. I hope you liked it. Apologies for the delay. I ran into the technical problem of writing believable marriage counseling sessions, though I am still not sure if it's any good, or believable, so please let me know your thoughts... :)

Readers who have read Being Loved may or may not remember Jhanvi Agarwal, the marriage counselor (Chapter 11) but they surely remember the members of the ShraMan fan club (Epilogue). They made an appearance here because crisscrossing characters in an alternative universe is fun and I don't think there is any universe where there wouldn't be ShraMan shippers who would gush over them in groups... That's a must! :D

The ShraMan POV of the three months of marriage counseling and everything that happened in between in the next chapter... ;) Which may end up being the last chapter or not. I have not decided yet because I don't want to say goodbye...T___T But a writer must know when to end the story and therefore, I shall figure out something... T___T

I am immensely grateful to each one of you who has waited and been on this journey with me. Thank you for commenting, supporting, liking, crying, and enjoying the story so far. I can't thank you enough! *hugs*

Thank you! <3

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