Faded Ties, Rekindled Hearts

Chapter 2

After the incident in the garden, Ishita decided she couldn't take any more chances. She held Tanya's hand tightly and guided her back inside the house. The party had ended early, and the guests had left, but Ishita's heart still raced with anxiety. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

"Tanya, aaj tum mere saath room mein so jao," (Tanya, tonight you will sleep with me in my room.) Ishita said softly as she led Tanya up the stairs.

Tanya, still a bit shaken from the garden incident, nodded. She was usually very independent, preferring to sleep in her own room, but tonight, she felt a bit safer with her mother. Ishita helped her change into her pajamas and tucked her into the bed. Tanya lay down, resting her head on Ishita's lap, seeking comfort in her mother's presence.

Ishita gently stroked Tanya's hair, her mind racing with thoughts. "Kyu mere dil ko sukoon nahi mil raha? Baar baar aise thoughts kyu aa rahe hain? Akhir kya galat hone wala hai meri bacchi ke saath?" (Why is my heart not at peace? Why do I keep having these thoughts? What is going to go wrong with my child?)

Tanya, feeling the warmth of her mother's lap and the gentle strokes of her fingers, soon drifted off to sleep. Her breathing became steady, and her little face looked peaceful, but Ishita's mind was far from calm.

She decided she needed to speak with Arnav. She picked up her phone and dialed his number, hoping to hear his reassuring voice. The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer. Instead, it went to voicemail.

"Arnav," Ishita began, trying to keep her voice steady but unable to hide the worry. "Aaj jo garden mein hua... mujhe bilkul theek nahi lag raha. Mujhe lagta hai ki kuch aur bhi hone wala hai, aur Tanya ko lekar mujhe bahut dar lag raha hai. Please jaldi aa jaiye. Mujhe yaha par sab kuch theek nahi lag raha." (What happened in the garden today... I don't feel right at all. I feel like something more is going to happen, and I am very scared for Tanya. Please come back soon. I don't feel good about anything here.)

She hung up the phone, her hands trembling. She looked down at Tanya, who was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the turmoil brewing inside her mother. Ishita leaned down and kissed Tanya's forehead, a silent promise to protect her no matter what.

As the night went on, Ishita tried to calm her mind, but sleep wouldn't come. She kept replaying the day's events over and over in her head. The loose cable, the sparks, the fire—it all felt too coincidental. What if it wasn't an accident? What if there was more to it?

She got up carefully, not wanting to disturb Tanya, and walked over to the window. The moon shone brightly outside, but it offered her no comfort. She stared out into the darkness, her thoughts swirling like a storm.

"Arnav, tum kahan ho?" she whispered to herself, longing for her husband's presence. She knew he would know what to do. He always had a way of calming her fears, but tonight, she felt utterly alone.

Ishita's intuition screamed at her—something wasn't right, and she had to stay vigilant. She couldn't afford to ignore these feelings. Not now, not when her daughter's safety could be at stake.

As the first light of dawn began to break through the curtains, Ishita finally lay down next to Tanya, pulling her close. She hadn't slept a wink, her mind too consumed with worry. She knew today would bring new challenges, and she needed to be ready for anything.

She kissed Tanya's forehead again and whispered, "Meri bacchi, tumhara saath koi bura nahi hoga. Tumhari maa tumhe kuch nahi hone degi." (My child, nothing bad will happen to you. Your mother won't let anything happen to you.)

With that silent vow, Ishita braced herself for whatever was to come, knowing she would face it head-on to protect her daughter.

Suddenly, the sound of the gate opening was heard, and Arnav entered, looking completely exhausted. Seeing him, Ishita said, "Arnav, you're back so soon? How come?" Arnav, looking tense, replied, "As soon as the meeting ended, I checked your voicemail. What happened to my princess? And why are you so worried?"

Ishita hugged him tightly and told him everything. Arnav said, "You always have a habit of overthinking. Nothing will happen to her, please get rid of these unnecessary thoughts. By the way, is my princess asleep?" Ishita nodded, "Yes, she's sleeping. She was scared after yesterday's incident."

Arnav entered the room and felt relieved seeing his daughter safe. He kissed her forehead gently. Suddenly, Tanya felt something and, seeing her father, she was surprised and happily hugged him, saying, "Papa! You're here! I am so happy, Papa!" Then she sweetly said, "You won't go to the office today, right? Mom said that when you come back, you'll spend an entire day with me."

Arnav took Tanya into his arms and returned her affectionate hug. His exhaustion vanished in an instant as he looked into his daughter's joyful eyes. "Yes, my princess," Arnav said lovingly, "Today, Papa will only be with you. No office, no meetings. Just you, me, and your mom."

Tanya jumped with joy, "Yayyy! Thank you, Papa!" Seeing Tanya so happy brought a faint smile to Ishita's face, but she was still internally anxious.

Arnav noticed the worry on her face. "Ishita," he said, holding her hand lovingly, "I know you worry a lot. But you shouldn't always think like this. Your heart is telling you something might be wrong, but everything is fine. I'm here, and all the worries about you and Tanya are now mine."

Ishita listened to Arnav's words with a small smile, but her internal unease wasn't completely gone. "I don't know, Arnav," Ishita said softly, "But I still feel like something bad is going to happen."

Arnav took her face in his hands and, looking into her eyes, said, "You are very brave, Ishita. And as Tanya's mother, your heart speaks the truth, but we are together, and we'll handle everything. Don't stress yourself."

Arnav hugged Ishita and said, "Let's give Tanya a surprise. Her birthday celebration would be incomplete without her dad." Hearing this, Tanya, who was listening to her father, got excited and asked, "Papa, what kind of cake did you bring for me?"

Arnav smiled and replied, "Oh, my princess, I ordered your favorite chocolate truffle cake! And today, we'll cut it together."

Tanya excitedly clapped her hands, "Yay! I want cake right now!"

Though Ishita hadn't fully shaken off her inner fears, Arnav's return had calmed her a bit. She thought maybe she was indeed overthinking things. After hearing Arnav's comforting words, she felt slightly reassured, though a strange anxiety still lingered in her heart.

Ishita composed herself and smiled at Arnav. "Let's get the cake for Tanya," she said. Arnav, Ishita, and Tanya all headed to the kitchen, where Arnav had brought a large chocolate truffle cake for Tanya.

Today was special for Tanya, and Arnav and Ishita made sure their princess's birthday would be memorable. Arnav spent the day having fun with Tanya and making her day beautiful.

When it was time for the cake, everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to Tanya. Arnav cut a large piece of the cake and gave it to Tanya, who jumped with joy.

As everyone celebrated happily, Ishita said a silent prayer in her heart, "God, always keep my daughter happy and safe."

The day was happy, but this was just the calm before the storm. Very soon, an eclipse was about to cast its shadow over the lives of the three of them.