One day, One love

In Search of Answers

The next morning, Manisha woke up feeling much better, the fever having finally broken. She blinked slowly, adjusting to the soft light streaming through the window. As she turned her head to the side, she saw Abhishek sleeping beside her, his hand still gently holding hers. A soft smile tugged at her lips, but before she could say anything, he stirred, his eyes fluttering open.

The moment he saw her sitting up in bed, he shot up in a panic, his face a mixture of relief and worry. "What happened? Do you need anything?" he asked urgently, his voice filled with concern.

Manisha shook her head gently. "I don't want anything," she whispered, her voice still soft from sleep. Without a second thought, she reached out and hugged him tightly, her arms wrapping around him as if she needed to feel the security of his presence.

Abhishek hesitated for a moment, caught off guard, but then he looked down at her and hugged her back, his embrace firm and comforting. "You scared me last night," he murmured, pulling back slightly to check her temperature again, his hand resting on her forehead. "I didn't know what to do."

"I'm sorry," Manisha said, her voice trembling slightly. There was a weight in her words, something unspoken lingering beneath the surface. She looked down, avoiding his gaze for a moment before finally speaking again. "Abhishek... I need to meet Maa."

He nodded, assuming she meant his mother. "I'll call her right now," he said, starting to move, but her hand caught his wrist, stopping him.

"No," Manisha said softly, her eyes locking onto his. "I want to meet my mother... Aarti."

Abhishek froze, the name sending a shockwave through him. His expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, his heart racing as he processed what she had just said. "Your mother?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, as if saying the words out loud made them more real.

Manisha nodded, her grip tightening on his hand. "Yes... I need to meet her, Abhishek. There's so much I need to understand. About her, about everything. After what I learned last night... I can't keep living with all these questions."

Abhishek stared at her, his mind swirling in confusion. "Last night?" he asked, his brow furrowed, trying to make sense of what she was saying. He hadn't understood why she had mentioned meeting her aunt the previous day, and now there seemed to be a deeper reason behind it. He searched her face for answers, realizing that something important had been left unsaid.

Manisha took a deep breath, knowing she needed to explain everything to him. "Abhishek... I didn't tell you everything before," she began, her voice shaky but determined. "When I went to meet Sarita Aunty, it wasn't just a casual visit. She told me things—things about my past, about my mother that I never knew."

Abhishek's eyes widened in surprise. "What did she say?" he asked, his voice a mixture of concern and curiosity.

Manisha took a moment to gather her thoughts, then recounted her conversation with Sarita, how her aunt had revealed secrets that had been hidden for years. She spoke of her mother, Aarti, and the complicated circumstances surrounding her absence from Manisha's life. As she spoke, the weight of the revelations pressed down on her, and she could see the shock registering on Abhishek's face.

When she finally finished, Abhishek sat in stunned silence, trying to process everything. He had always known there was pain in Manisha's past, but he hadn't expected something like this. "I don't know what to say," he whispered, his voice filled with disbelief. "I had no idea..."

"I didn't either," Manisha said, her voice thick with emotion. "But now I need to hear her side of the story, Abhishek. I need to know the truth from her. I want to meet my mother, but..." She paused, biting her lip. "I don't want anyone in the house to know about it. Not yet. Not until I understand everything."