The journey to Kashmir was long almost twenty hours.but for Eira, every moment felt magical.

She sat by the window most of the time, watching the changing landscapes with wide, curious eyes. The crowded city roads slowly disappeared behind them, replaced by open highways and endless skies.

For someone who had spent most of her life within boundaries, this felt unreal.

Eira’s POV

"So this is what freedom feels like…"

The air grew cooler and fresher as they moved closer to their destination. Soon, mountains began appearing in the distance tall, majestic, and wrapped in mist.

Eira pressed closer to the window.

It felt as though she wasn’t simply travelling to another place

she was entering an entirely new world.

A prettier one.

A softer one.

The sight of snow-touched peaks and endless valleys left her mesmerized.

Meanwhile, the journey itself remained mostly quiet.

Kashan and Eira exchanged only occasional conversations. She was too busy absorbing everything around her, while Kashan stayed focused on driving.

But beneath his calm expression

his doubts still remained.

Taking a complete stranger home with him was far from a sensible decision.

Yet now

there was no turning back.

After hours of travel, they finally reached Gulmarg.

As the car stopped in front of Kashan’s house, Eira looked outside in awe.

The house was beautiful.

Built with warm wooden architecture, it stood peacefully against the breathtaking Kashmiri backdrop. A small garden bloomed outside, filled with colorful flowers swaying gently in the cold breeze.

For a moment, Eira simply stared.

The place looked like something out of a dream.

Eira’s POV

"It’s… beautiful."

She stepped out of the car, completely mesmerized.

But while she admired the scenery

inside the house, a storm of questions was already waiting.

The front door opened.

Kashan’s mother and younger sister, Zoya, welcomed them inside, though their expressions quickly shifted to confusion when they noticed Eira standing beside him.

As soon as they entered, Kashan’s mother looked at him with surprise.

“Kashan… who is she?”

But Eira was so busy admiring the carved wooden interiors and cozy warmth of the house that she barely noticed the tense atmosphere.

Zoya and her mother exchanged confused glances before looking back at Kashan, silently waiting for an explanation.

Before Kashan could speak

Eira smiled brightly.

“Hi! I’m Eira… Eira Usman Ali Khan.”

The room went quiet.

All three looked at her.

Completely unfazed, Eira continued,

“Actually… I need to charge my phone first so I can inform my parents about my whereabouts.”

Her words stunned everyone.

Kashan’s mother blinked.

Zoya looked even more confused.

And Kashan quietly rubbed his forehead, already sensing the chaos about to unfold.

Trying to be polite despite her curiosity, Zoya finally stepped forward.

“Come with me,” she said gently. “I’ll get you a charger.”

Eira followed her upstairs, still fascinated by every little detail of the house.

The moment she disappeared from sight

Kashan’s mother turned toward him with narrowed eyes.

And that was when Kashan finally began explaining the entire story.

After listening to Kashan explain everything, his mother, Aisha, remained silent for a moment.

Her expression carried concern rather than anger.

“Kashan,” she said calmly, “this isn’t right.”

Kashan looked at her.

“We need to inform her family about everything that happened. She is someone’s daughter, and they must be worried sick.”

Her voice grew firmer.

“If and only if her family agrees to let her stay here, then she may stay. Otherwise, she will have to go back.”

She looked directly at him.

“Do you understand my point?”

Kashan nodded quietly.

He understood.

No matter how difficult Eira’s situation was, hiding her from her family was never the answer.

Meanwhile, upstairs

Eira sat near the window, trying desperately to charge her phone and search for network signals.

The weak connection kept disappearing.

She paced around the room anxiously.

“Come on… come on…”

Finally, a small signal appeared.

Without wasting another second, she called her mother.

The call connected.

“Mama"

The moment her mother heard her voice, relief and anger mixed together.

“Eira! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” her mother exclaimed, clearly shaken. “We’ve been worried out of our minds!”

Eira lowered her eyes.

She quickly explained everything how she reached Delhi, what had happened on the road, and how Kashan and his family had helped her.

Her mother listened, furious yet deeply worried.

But there was another presence listening silently beside her

her father.

Usman Ali Khan.

The moment he took the phone, Eira’s heartbeat stumbled.

“Where are you right now?” he asked in a stern voice. “Tell me. I’m coming to take you home.”

The sound of her father’s voice made her throat tighten.

For a second, she felt like the same little girl who had always feared disappointing him.

“B-Baba…”

Her hands trembled.

“Just… just this once,” she pleaded softly. “Please let me stay.”

Her voice shook with emotion.

“I want to live for myself… just once.”

Tears threatened to rise in her eyes.

“Please trust me. These people are really nice,” she said, referring to Kashan’s family. “You can talk to them yourself… but please, Baba… just this once.”

Silence followed.

On the other side of the call, Usman remained quiet.

For all his strictness and rules—

Eira was still his only daughter.

And hearing fear and hope in her voice softened something inside him.

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Alright.”

His tone remained steady.

“Let me talk to them first. Then I’ll decide whether you can stay or not.”

A small smile appeared on Eira’s face.

It wasn’t a yes

but it wasn’t a no either.

Hope rushed through her.

Holding the phone tightly, she hurried downstairs, almost running in excitement. Zoya followed behind her, curious about what was happening.

In the living room, Kashan and Aisha looked up as she approached.

Eira walked straight toward Aisha.

“Aunty…” she said breathlessly, holding out the phone. “Can you please talk to my Baba? Please ask him to let me stay here for a few days.”

Her voice carried genuine desperation.

Aisha looked at the phone in her hand, still slightly puzzled by how suddenly this stranger had entered their lives.

Then, exchanging a brief glance with Kashan, she slowly took the phone

still unsure of what awaited on the other side of the call.