Morning sunlight spilled softly through the thin curtains of Ashburn's room. The air was fresh, carrying that calm silence that only winter mornings could hold. He sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes, feeling oddly at peace after a long restless night. Maybe it was because the power was back. Maybe it was something else — something he couldn't name.
He took a deep breath and smiled faintly. "A new day," he murmured. "And maybe… new answers."
After a quick shower and breakfast with his parents, he helped his father load a few boxes for Khan General Store. His little sister giggled nearby, wrapping her scarf too tightly around her neck.
"Brother, bring me sweets today," she demanded.
Ashburn smiled and ruffled her hair. "Only if you promise to behave."
"I always do!" she said proudly and ran off to tell their mother.
By the time he reached the shop, the streets were already half-alive with the sounds of customers and carts. He unlocked the shutter, dusted off the counter, and went about setting up for the day. A calm rhythm returned — the clinking of glass jars, the smell of spices, the distant chatter from nearby stalls.
He was halfway through checking inventory when he heard soft footsteps behind him.
"Ashburn?"
He turned and saw Aisha standing at the entrance, her usual calm expression touched with something new — something tender.
"You're early today," he said, surprised.
"I couldn't stay at home," she replied with a small smile. "Too many thoughts."
He smiled back and motioned her inside. "Join the club."
They worked side by side for a while — arranging jars, taking a few customers, talking about random things: prices, suppliers, the new decorations for the New Year event. But beneath every word, there was a quiet current — like something waiting to surface.
When the rush slowed, Aisha looked up from the counter. "Ashburn… can we talk? Just for a minute?"
He nodded and stepped aside with her, near the back shelves. The air there felt still.
"I read your letter," she began softly, eyes fixed on the floor. "And I thought all night. About everything — about you, me, and… Kainat."
She paused, breathing slowly. "It wasn't easy to understand my own feelings at first. But I realized… love isn't about possession or comparison. It's about truth. You were honest with both of us. You didn't hide, you didn't lie. And that honesty made me realize how deep this really is."
Ashburn stayed silent, watching her face as she spoke — her eyes trembling slightly but full of conviction.
"I don't want to fight the person who stood beside you when you needed someone," she continued. "And I don't want to lose what we've built either. So… I accept it. I accept you. And I accept her too."
Ashburn's throat tightened. He wanted to say a hundred things, but words refused to come. Finally, he just smiled and said quietly, "You've made this harder journey feel like something worth walking."
Aisha looked up and smiled faintly, her eyes glistening. "Don't make me regret it."
"Never," he said softly.
They both returned to work, but the air between them was different now — calmer, lighter. And when a customer complimented how beautifully decorated the shop looked, they exchanged a quick glance that said more than words could.
Around noon, Kainat appeared with her usual energy, carrying a few lunch boxes.
"Special delivery from Kainat's Kitchen!" she announced cheerfully, setting them down on the counter.
Ashburn grinned. "You never fail to surprise me."
"Of course not," she said proudly, then looked around. "Aisha's here too?"
"She was," Ashburn replied. "Had to leave for a bit, deliveries."
"Hmm," Kainat said, opening the lunch box. "Then I guess I get all your appreciation for now."
They laughed, and for a while it felt like old times — teasing, sharing food, customers smiling at their light banter. But when the laughter faded, Kainat went quiet. Her tone changed slightly as she said, "I got your letter too."
Ashburn's heart skipped a beat. "And?"
She looked down at her hands. "You know, I kept thinking I'd be angry. Or confused. Or maybe jealous." She smiled faintly. "But I wasn't. I just kept remembering all the moments that brought us here — the nights we worked late at the kitchen, your endless advice, the way you always stayed calm when everything else was falling apart."
She looked up. "And I realized something. I'm not afraid to share you. Because I trust you. I trust that you'll love both of us right — without making either feel less."
Ashburn's voice softened. "Kainat, you have no idea how much that means to me."
She chuckled lightly. "Well, don't make me regret it either."
They both laughed again, but there was emotion behind it — a quiet understanding neither needed to explain. For a moment, the world felt perfectly aligned.
As evening descended, Ashburn closed the shop early and called both of them to the rooftop of Khan General Store. The sky was painted in golden orange, fading into purple. A soft breeze carried the faint music of laughter and distant chatter from nearby houses preparing for New Year celebrations.
Aisha arrived first, then Kainat, each standing a few steps apart. The air held that nervous stillness before something beautiful.
Ashburn turned toward them, his voice calm but filled with emotion.
"I never planned for any of this," he began. "I never imagined I'd meet two people who would change my life this way. You've both been my strength — in different ways, but equal in meaning. I can't promise perfection, but I can promise honesty, respect, and care. Always."
Neither spoke for a moment. Then Aisha smiled softly. "Just don't forget to breathe between promises."
Kainat laughed quietly. "And don't forget to divide your time fairly, mister manager."
They all laughed together, the sound mingling with the cool air. The tension that once lingered between them dissolved, replaced by something warm and steady.
When the first firecracker burst in the distance, painting the sky red and gold, all three looked up silently. The reflection of the fireworks danced in their eyes — and in that moment, Ashburn knew life had changed forever.
Aisha nudged him lightly. "You're smiling too much. People will think you won a lottery."
He smiled wider. "Maybe I did."
Kainat stepped closer, whispering, "Don't get used to it. We'll still argue about everything."
"I'll take every argument," Ashburn replied. "As long as it ends with us still standing together."
They stayed there until the lights dimmed and the stars began to take over the sky. For the first time in a long while, Ashburn felt no confusion, no rush — only peace.
As they began to leave, he glanced up at the faint glow of fireworks in the distance and thought quietly,
Maybe this time, life has chosen peace for me.