One day, One love

A Deluge of Revelations

The next day, as the sun cast its warm morning light over the Malhan residence, Abhishek finally returned home. His clothes were slightly rumpled, and his eyes held the fatigue of a restless night. As he stepped through the front door, he was immediately met by his worried parents, who had been anxiously waiting for him.

"Abhishek!" his mother, Dimple Malhan, exclaimed as she rushed towards him. Her face was lined with concern, and she quickly reached out to check his forehead as if feeling for a fever. "Where were you all night? We were worried sick!"

His father, Vinay Malhan, wasn't far behind, his usual composed demeanor replaced by an uncharacteristic anxiety. "Abhishek, what happened? You disappeared from the party without a word. We've been trying to reach you since last night."

Abhishek sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He could see the fear in their eyes, and it only added to the guilt he felt for worrying them. "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional. I... I accidentally drank some alcohol at the party."

His mother gasped softly, and Vinay's brows furrowed in concern. "Alcohol? Abhishek, you don't usually drink."

"I know, Dad," Abhishek replied, shaking his head. "I wasn't thinking clearly. One of my employees noticed I wasn't feeling well and helped me to a quiet room in the party area. I ended up resting there for the entire night. I must have dozed off, and by the time I woke up, it was morning."

Dimple placed a hand over her heart, relief flooding her features. "Thank goodness you're okay. We were so worried that something had happened to you."

Vinay let out a deep breath, his tension easing as he gave his son a reassuring pat on the back. "I'm just glad you're safe, Abhishek. You should've called us, though. We had no idea where you were."

"I'm sorry," Abhishek said again, his voice heavy with regret. "I didn't mean to cause any worry. I just needed to clear my head."

As his parents' initial concern began to fade, Dimple asked, "Have you eaten anything? You must be starving after everything."

Abhishek offered a small smile. "I could use some breakfast, actually."

As Dimple hurried off to the kitchen to prepare something, Abhishek turned to his father with a question that had been on his mind since he returned. "By the way, Dad, where's Manisha? Is she home yet?"

Vinay shook his head gently. "No, she's not back yet. She's visiting her aunt in another city, remember? She'll be back tomorrow."

Abhishek nodded, recalling her mention of the trip. A pang of unease stirred in his chest, but he quickly brushed it aside, reminding himself that she'd be back soon. For now, he needed to focus on recovering from the previous night and getting his bearings back.

As he sat down at the dining table, waiting for his mother to return with breakfast, Abhishek couldn't help but feel that the events of the party were far from over. Something still didn't sit right with him, but he decided to push those thoughts aside for now. Tomorrow, when Manisha returned, he would talk to her and maybe find some clarity amidst the lingering confusion.

On the quieter side of the party, Manisha found herself gravitating toward a more secluded area, away from the buzz and chatter. She bumped into Sarita, a longtime family friend who had known her parents for as long as she could remember. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, their conversation naturally drifted toward the past.

Sarita's gaze softened as memories seemed to surface, her voice taking on a more reflective tone. "You know, Manisha," she began, her eyes slightly distant as though she were recalling events from another time, "your mother and I were once inseparable. We shared everything, but there are parts of her life that you might not be aware of."