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Vikrant jolted awake, his breath heavy and uneven. He looked around quickly, disoriented. After his conversation with Sharda and Jhankar, he had come to the garden, lost in thought—and somewhere along the way, he must have dozed off. But the dream had been so vivid, and real, it felt as if he had actually been standing in front of his mother, hearing her voice, feeling her pain.

He pressed his hand lightly against his chest, his heart pounding as he whispered to himself,

“Why…?”

Vikrant walked slowly into the house, his steps steady but heavy with thought. He was heading toward his room, but suddenly, his feet stopped on their own. His eyes landed on a photograph of his mother hanging in the hallway. The picture showed her smiling warmly, a smile that once held immense meaning for him. He closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to shield himself from the wave of emotion that was rising inside him.

But instead of continuing to his room, he turned around. His steps led him, almost unconsciously, toward his father’s room. He opened the door gently and switched on the light. The room, dim and untouched, was a shrine of memories. The walls were covered in photos of Sonia. In one, she was laughing beside Ravindra. In another, she held a baby Vikrant close to her chest, her face glowing with maternal pride. From his birth to his tenth birthday, every photo captured her unwavering presence in his life. Vikrant slowly walked up to a particular photo—one that seemed to be their last together. He reached out, his fingers trembling slightly, and rested his hand gently on her image. His eyes softened as he gazed into the frozen smile of the woman who had once meant everything to him.

“Why… why did you do all of that? Why did you leave?” he whispered. "When I hated you, at least that made sense. Jhankar keeps telling me I shouldn’t hate you. But I want to hate you—because hating you keeps me away from your memory. And now that I’m trying to stop hating you… now you’re showing up everywhere, in everything I feel. Why is this happening to me? I just want to be happy. I want to embrace this new life that’s finally starting to feel whole again. That’s why I’ve tried to forget everything connected to you—even the hatred. Please… let me be happy. When you left, you took my happiness with you. And now, when I’ve finally started feeling joy again through Jhankar, your memories, your name… they keep setting fire to my peace. Please… stop. I don’t want anything anymore. Wherever you are, stay well. And let me live well here.”

Vikrant stood there for a long while, surrounded by the images of the mother he’d tried so hard to erase from his heart. As he looked again at each photo, Sonia’s gentle hands, her loving gaze, and the way she had once held him. He found a faint smileforming on his lips. Something inside him had shifted. He wasn’t completely free of the bitterness, not yet. But he wanted to try.

He couldn’t tear the hatred out of his heart overnight. But life had changed—and it was beautiful now. And he didn’t want to risk losing this newfound peace, not for anything. Certainly not for a past that no longer had the right to dictate his future. Especially not when that future held someone like Jhankar.

~~~~

"You had said you'd be back in seven days, but you're still not here. I had told you, didn't I, that I needed to discuss some things with you about Jhankar and my wedding? Even if the wedding is a couple of months away, I don't want to leave any detail unfinished. You know very well that at this moment, I have no other option but to discuss this with you."

Hearing Vikrant’s words, Ravindra bursts into laughter. Vikrant, slightly irritated by his father’s reaction, goes silent and sits quietly. Sensing his son’s silence with fatherly instinct, Ravindra speaks, softening his tone.

"I’m truly happy that you’re finally considering getting married again. Honestly, her marriage has been troubling me too, and you know very well that the elections are just four months away. If you suddenly announce your wedding now—especially since people have believed until now that you were married to Viren Chandel’s daughter—do you realize how much impact this could have on the elections? Let’s say for a moment I forget all that and even give you all my suggestions for the wedding, but how can I forget that I’m deeply involved in election work at this time? I was away for only seven days, but it is impossible for me to return at this moment. In fact, assume that for the next fifteen days, I’ll be completely tied up with work. Look, this election is extremely crucial for me because, internally, the party hasdecided that they’re going to project me as the candidate for the chief minister’s seat. So I hope you can understand the gravity of my situation."

"That’s incredible news, Dad! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? You’ve waited for this for so long!"

"Exactly, and now you can understand my position. I’m genuinely happy for you, but can’t you postpone the wedding plans by a few months? Or at least wait until I return. Once I’m back, we can sit down together and handle everything properly. I’ll even speak to a few of my most trusted people. Look, we will surely find a solution. One thing is certain—the wedding will happen with full traditional rituals and grand celebrations."

Hearing his father's words, Vikrant smiles. For a while, they talk about business and politics. After hanging up, Vikrant immediately calls Akhil into the room.

"Akhil, is everything done? I don’t want a single mistake this time."

"Absolutely, sir. Everything is perfectly arranged. There’s nothing that we need to revisit. The consignment will definitely arrive by tomorrow evening, and all our men will be present on-site. I’ve personally checked everything thoroughly. You should come by this evening too and inspect everything yourself, just to be sure."

Vikrant nods slightly and continues typing on his laptop. Then, suddenly, he asks Akhil,

"Did you find out whether that girl regained consciousness? Her statement is crucial for clearing your name as soon as possible."

"No, sir. I checked, but it’s been two days and she hasn’t regained consciousness, nor has there been any improvement.I went and spoke with the doctor. According to him, her body is extremely exhausted, and mentally, she just wants to rest. In such situations, it’s not uncommon for someone to remain asleep for a long time. I’ve also spoken with her family. They’re just relieved to have their daughter back and are truly grateful. I explained everything that happened, and they believed me. Now, all they care about is that she regains consciousness. Once she does, they plan to leave the city quietly. They still don’t know exactly what happened to her, but they’re frightened."

Vikrant listened to him carefully, nodding slightly. A look of unease spread across his face as he stared at the building outside the window. Akhil, who had been observing him closely all morning, finally spoke up.

"Sir, is something bothering you? Madam Jhankar is doing perfectly well in the office. I’ve made all the necessary arrangements to ensure she faces no trouble. If any issue arises, we have several people there ready to assist her. Besides, she herself is extremely efficient—she’s learning everything quickly and handling it all exceptionally well."

"No, it’s not Jhankar. She isn’t the reason I’m feeling this way. To be honest, I’m not sure if anything specific is troubling me... but there’s a strange, indescribable restlessness that’s taken hold of me. And it feels like I don’t have any solution for it."

"Sir, I’ve known you for a long time now. You’ve never really opened up to anyone, nor have you had close friends. Most people talk to their friends and find relief in that. But you’ve always kept things to yourself. Maybe that’s why some thoughts, ones you probably don’t even share with Madam, are haunting you. Tell me what’s on your mind. Maybe I can help in some way."

Vikrant looked at Akhil silently. He trusted Akhil deeply, but he had never truly acted on that trust. After a few moments of quiet contemplation, he finally spoke.

"I always saw my parents deeply in love. Everything was fine—beautiful, really. I celebrated my tenth birthday with them, and it was perfect. And then, just a few days later, I found out that my mother was having an affair. There were fights between my parents, and she left. She wanted to go away from here, but then... she had an accident, and she died. Since then, I’ve been carrying this hatred with me. And now, I don’t know why, but everything around me seems to be changing. Jhankar never liked the hatred I carried toward my mother. I’ve tried to reduce my hate for her... but ever since I started trying to let go of that hatred, this strange uneasiness has begun to consume me."

"Madam isn’t wrong. A son should never hate his mother."

"But she betrayed my father. A man who loved her so deeply, how could she let another man into her life like that?"

"The bond between a husband and wife is something only the two of them truly understand. You saw what was visible from the outside, but you never knew what existed between them in private. Maybe there were things you were never told. Do you know who that man was? Did you ever try to find out how he came into your mother’s life?"