TARA'S POV:

The morning after my performance, I woke to the kind of silence that doesn't press on your chest—it cradles it. Kartik was still asleep, his arm heavy over my waist, his breath warm against my neck. His hold wasn't tight. It was trusting. Like he knew I wouldn't run anymore.

I stayed like that for a while, not moving, just watching the light stretch across my ceiling, filtering through the curtains like a soft promise.

Last night had changed everything.

The performance. The reveal. The applause.

The tears in Kartik's eyes when I called his name.

And later—when he held me so close backstage, like I was both his victory and his safe space.

We had made it here. Together.

But I knew... he hadn't seen my whole world yet.

Not truly.

So today, I was going to show him. And not just him—everyone. The people who'd loved him long before I came along. The people who had fought with us, cried with us, and stayed.

This was more than a city tour.

It was a quiet declaration.

That I wasn't just a girl who danced for him. I was someone who could belong with all of them.

BREAKFAST AND BLUEPRINTS

By mid-morning, the villa's giant dining table was full of chatter and mismatched mugs.

Kartik's uncle sat at one end, enthusiastically dissecting last night's footwork like a sports analyst. My aunt was flipping parathas. Iti and Sam were already arguing about where to shop. Adi looked like he needed four more hours of sleep.

And Kartik? He was lounging in my oversized "Drama Queen" hoodie, coffee in one hand, me in the other.

I stood up and tapped a spoon on my glass.

"Okay, family!" I announced. "Today's plan is simple. I'm giving you the ultimate tour of my Toronto. My corners. My comforts. My chaos."

Sam groaned, "Please tell me there's food involved."

I rolled my eyes. "You'll be fed every hour. Scout's honor."

Iti smirked. "Do we get an itinerary? You seem like the Google Sheets type."

I tossed her a printed pamphlet.

"Color-coded and laminated, darling."

Kartik pulled me closer, whispering, "You're terrifying when you're this organized."

"And you're adorable when you're not interrupting me," I replied sweetly.

STOP 1: KENSINGTON MARKET - MY CHAOS OF COLOR

We piled into two vans—Team Sass (the girls), and Team Sarcasm (the boys).

Kensington Market welcomed us like it always did—with graffiti, smells of cinnamon and incense, and an endless parade of street performers.

"This mural," I pointed out, "was my landmark for years. The day I could afford a studio apartment, I walked past this every single morning."

Kartik's uncle took photos like a tourist. My aunt bought soy candles. Iti disappeared into a bookstore. And Sam? He bought neon sunglasses shaped like hearts.

"Subtle," Kartik teased him.

"Bold," Sam replied. "Like love."

I caught Kartik watching me more than once—his eyes soft, lips tilted up, like he was seeing a new chapter of my story in every alley we passed.

🌊 Stop Two: Lake Ontario – My Stillness

We drove toward the waterfront, and I brought them to a quiet spot—a curve of rocks overlooking endless blue.

"This is where I mourned my father," I said gently, sitting down. "Where I journaled. Screamed. Learned to breathe again."

No one spoke for a while.

Even Iti held my hand quietly.

Then Kartik sat beside me and laced our fingers together.

"You okay?" he whispered.

I nodded. "I'm just remembering who I used to be. So I can be proud of who I am now."

He kissed my temple. "You should be proud. Because I am."

His uncle and my aunt shared a long glance nearby—something unspoken passing between them. It felt like generations of grief and resilience sitting side by side.

And it felt like family.

🥖 Stop Three: St. Lawrence Market – My Taste of Home

It was lunchtime by the time we reached St. Lawrence Market, and all thoughts of sadness melted away in the smell of garlic shrimp, caramel popcorn, and handmade pasta.

"Eat this," I told Kartik, holding up a salmon tartine.

He took a bite, chewed thoughtfully, then said, "I'd marry you just for this."

"Say that again with less salmon in your mouth."

We tried everything.

Iti discovered fruit tarts she called "heaven circles."

Sam found a stall selling masala chai and cried actual tears of joy.

Kartik fed me a maple-glazed doughnut. I pretended to be dramatic about it.

He wiped sugar off my lips with his thumb and whispered, "You're sweeter."

My knees almost gave out.

🎓 Stop Four: My College & Dance Studio – My Becoming

We reached my old university after lunch.

I showed them the quad where I once slipped and broke my ankle.

The library where I fell asleep on a stranger's backpack.

The auditorium where I danced my first solo.

Kartik took photos of me everywhere. On stairs. Under trees. In front of bulletin boards.

"I want to remember all the places that made you," he said.

Then came the dance studio.

The minute we stepped inside, the world slowed down.

Wooden floors. Faint scent of jasmine. Mirrors catching soft reflections.

I let them all watch a short clip I had recorded earlier—a rehearsal from years ago.

My aunt had tears in her eyes.

Kartik looked at the screen, then back at me. "Even then... you danced like someone who had fire in her veins."

"I had to," I whispered. "No one else would've carried me through."

🌇 Stop Five: CN Tower – My Skyline

Golden hour.

The city looked like it was wearing a halo.

From the top of CN Tower, everything felt infinite. The water stretched like silk. Buildings shimmered like dreams. And our people—our mad, loving, messy crew—stood there in awe.

Kartik held me close.

"I wish I had met this version of you sooner," he whispered.

I smiled. "You met the version who needed you. This one... just needed to remember herself."

Then, quieter: "This city broke me once. And now? It's healing me."

He turned to me and said something I'll never forget.

"You didn't just give me your city, Tara. You gave me a place in your life."

"You know," he said, "if we weren't surrounded by family, I'd probably propose to you right here again."

I laughed. "Nope. Only red roses and violin quartets for me, Sehgal. You already set the bar."

He kissed the side of my head. "Noted."

🔥 Final Stop: Bonfire – My Heart

That night, we lit a small bonfire in my backyard.

Everyone was wrapped in shawls or sweatshirts. Music floated softly. My aunt served hot cocoa in mismatched mugs. Sam danced like a penguin. Iti recorded everything for future blackmail.

Kartik pulled me to the center of the grass.

"No more stages," he whispered. "Just this moment."

We danced barefoot.

Slow. Silly. Sweet.

Around us, our families laughed and sang and roasted marshmallows.

Under the stars, with flames flickering, he looked at me and said:

"I want to build something here."

"Here as in Toronto?" I asked.

"No," he said, brushing hair from my face. "Here, with you. Wherever you are."

🌙 Late That Night – My Forever

Back inside, after everyone had gone to bed, we lay side by side on my floor—pillows everywhere, sugar-dusted lips, and hearts full of softness.

"You know what I loved most about today?" I asked.

"What?"

"That you didn't just watch me. You let me lead."

He turned to me. "That's because I trust where you're taking me."

I touched his face. "You always say you'd fight the world for me. Today, I realized... I'd do the same for you. Quietly. With snacks. And laminated schedules."

He laughed.

Then he kissed me—slowly, deeply.

And I knew—

Toronto wasn't just a chapter of my life.

It was the place where he met my past.

And chose to love me more.

We fell asleep with the windows open and the city breathing around us.

And in the quiet, I realized—

You don't need to be born in a place for it to be your home.

You just need love.

And the right person beside you.

Now it wasn't just my city.

It was ours.

—

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— With all my heart,

Hope Lune 🌙