The room was faintly faded, the only noise the soft whir of the ceiling fan. Aarav sat at the edge of his bed, his fingers gripped tightly around the frame of a photo. His puffy eyes bore the burden of sleepless nights, his mind suffocated by questions without answers.
Arjun and Annu were there. Arjun stands near the window as hopeless. Annu was beside Aarav, she was also like Arjun. Both had no idea what to do.
The quiet in the room was interrupted by the slow creaking of the door. Rajesh Malhotra, Aarav's father, entered the room slowly. His expression showed concern, but his eyes were resolute. He had been observing his son's gradual disintegration for days, and now, he simply could not hold back any longer. Arjun and Annu were shocked by looking at him.
He asked both to leave them alone. They went downstairs.
Rajesh sat next to Aarav without a word, putting his hand softly on his son's shoulder. Aarav didn't glance up his eyes were still on the floor.
"Aarav," Rajesh started softly. "I understand you're in pain. But sometimes, the individual to remain in our lives." love the most is n't the one meant.
Aarav's lips seemed as if they were speaking about anything, but no sound emerged. Rajesh inhaled and went on, his voice growing weightier.
"Today, things are not like they used to be. Girls like her hesitate, having trouble selecting the right words. Sometimes they know only how to hurt and leave. If she really loved you, Aarav, she wouldn't have gone away like that."
The words cut through Aarav's heart like a knife.
He finally raised his gaze, tears obstructing his vision, and breathed softly, "Papa, you believe she cheated me?"
Rajesh paused but slowly nodded. "If she wished to remain, nothing could have prevented her. And if she left, perhaps it is for the best."
Aarav's breathing became labored. His shaking hands wiped away a lone tear that managed to slip through despite his attempts to suppress it.
"You don't get it," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I… I don't want anyone else, Papa. I just want her. You can't understand me, Papa."
Rajesh's chest constricted hearing his son's voice break like that, but he couldn't reveal his vulnerability. He lightly cupped Aarav's face, making him look into his eyes.
"Hear me, beta, I can understand you," Rajesh stated resolutely. "If she's gone, let her go. And if she sees sense, she'll return one day. But if she doesn't, then she was never yours in the first place. Do you know that nowadays love is like this? Forget her."
For a moment once more, there was complete silence in the room. Aarav shut his eyes, attempting to suppress the turmoil within him, but his heart would not accept the harsh reality that his mind was forcing upon it.
A weak, fractured smile creased his lips as he whispered. "Papa, another girl may enter my life in the future, but she can never be her. I don't… I don't want anyone else. And Papa, you still can't understand me. Please, Papa, leave me alone."
Rajesh's face softened for one moment, but he covered it up at once, slapping Aarav's shoulder lightly. "Give yourself some time, beta. You need to heal."
Not waiting for an answer, Rajesh rose to his feet and quietly left the room.
Downstairs, Rajesh's face had lost its composure. His jaw clenched, his eyes smoldering with held-back fury. He couldn't stand to witness his son this shattered, desperate, and lost in endless questions.
He entered the living room directly, where Arjun, Aarav's best friend, sat tensely on the sofa. Arjun had attempted to console Aarav for days, but he too was helpless, not knowing how to handle his friend's suffering.
Rajesh stood in front of him, voice sharp but even. "Arjun, tell me her number."
Arjun was momentarily frozen, taken aback by the sudden request. "Uncle… whose number?" he stuttered, even though he already knew.
Rajesh scowled. "Don't play clever, Arjun. I want her number—the girl who did what she did to my son. I need to speak to her."
Arjun gulped, fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat. "B… but Uncle…"
"I don't want to hear anything," Rajesh cut in firmly, his voice heightened slightly. "Just give me her number."
Arjun stared down at his phone, hesitant. He knew the situation was complicated—there were things Rajesh didn't know, and sharing the number might make things worse.
"Uncle, but—"
"No buts, Arjun," Rajesh interrupted sharply, overruling him. "I'm not asking. I'm telling you. Hand me the number."
Arjun fell silent. His thumbs shook a little as he opened his phone, his thumb straying over the screen.
Rajesh's gaze remained fixed on him, unblinking, unbending.
When Arjun scrolled through his phone, his heart pounded. Something was off about this. He opened a folder, but rather than share Rajesh the number straight away, his eyes widened in shock as he saw something on the screen that he didn't expect.
Rajesh saw his hesitation. "What is it?" he snapped.
Arjun swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "Uncle… actually, there's something you should know—"
But before he could get the words out, Rajesh interrupted him abruptly. "Don't say anything, Arjun. Just give me the number. Don't worry, I'll handle her—not strictly but calmly."
Arjun stiffened, taken aback by the brusque dismissal. His throat was parched, but he nodded wordlessly. He tapped at the screen without a word, opening up something—but what he was viewing wasn't what he had anticipated.
Rajesh leaned in, observing intently as Arjun's face changed from puzzlement to incredulity. And then…
The phone screen flashed. A strange thing materialized.
Arjun's breathing caught.
Rajesh scrunched up his brow. "What's on your screen?"
Arjun remained silent. His silence spoke volumes more than any words ever could.
The tension intensified in the room. Rajesh got shocked after seeing this. "Are you sure, Arjun? That is the girl…
To be continued…