One day, One love

Beneath the Night Sky

After the mehndi function, everyone gradually retired to their rooms, the house quieting down as the night deepened. Abhishek changed into more comfortable clothes, his mind still occupied with the events of the day. He decided to take a walk in the garden, hoping the fresh air would help clear his thoughts. As he stepped outside, he was startled by a faint noise. Following the sound, he saw Manisha sitting alone on the grass, her figure barely illuminated by the soft moonlight.

"Hey, what are you doing out here at this time?" Abhishek asked, concerned, as he approached her. Manisha quickly wiped her tears and turned her face away, trying to compose herself. "Nothing, just watching the stars," she replied, her voice shaky but attempting to sound casual.

Abhishek wasn't convinced. He sat down beside her on the cool grass, the night air carrying a subtle chill. "What happened to you during Riya's mehndi?" he asked gently, trying to meet her eyes. Manisha hesitated, her gaze fixed on the sky as if searching for answers among the stars. "Nothing," she repeated, but her voice lacked conviction.

Abhishek sighed, sensing her reluctance to open up. "It's okay if you're not comfortable telling me," he said softly, trying to reassure her. He looked up at the sky, the stars twinkling like distant memories. "By the way, the sky is looking—,". Before he could finish his thought, Manisha cut him off, her voice trembling with the weight of what she was about to reveal. "I saw my mom today."

Abhishek turned to her, confusion etched on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked, his concern deepening. Manisha took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. "Sameer's mom, Aarti Desai... she's my mom. She was once Aarti Gupta,". Abhishek stared at her, bewildered. He had no idea about this part of her life.

"When I was 19, my mom left us," Manisha began, her voice distant as she recalled the painful memories. "She left our family, left us without any explanation. My father tried so hard to stop her, to keep our family together, but in the end... he lost his life because of it,". Abhishek's heart sank as he listened, the weight of her words pressing down on him.

"Arjun and I were devastated," Manisha continued, her voice cracking with emotion. "We called her so many times, begging her to come back, telling her that we needed her. But she never listened. She never came back. Eventually, we stopped calling, stopped hoping. We had to accept that we didn't have either of our parents anymore."

She paused, wiping away the tears that had begun to flow freely down her cheeks. "We were completely broken," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "But Arjun... he started picking up the pieces. He took on jobs to pay for my college fees, using Dad's savings to start a business. Somehow, that business grew, and he even sent me abroad to finish my education."

Manisha's voice faltered as the memories overwhelmed her. "When I returned home... everything had changed. And now, seeing her today, with Sameer..."

She couldn't continue, her tears choking her words. Abhishek felt a deep ache in his chest as he watched her struggle with the painful recollections. He wanted to comfort her, to take away her pain, but he knew that nothing he could say would make it better.

"Manisha..." he began, his voice gentle, but he didn't know how to finish the sentence. What could he say in the face of such deep-rooted pain? Manisha shook her head, wiping her eyes again. "I've spent so many years pretending she didn't exist, pretending that she didn't matter. But seeing her today... it brought everything back. All the hurt, all the anger. I don't know how to deal with it."

Abhishek reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "You don't have to deal with it alone," he said quietly. "I'm here for you, whatever you need."