Silent Cries

Chapter 25

Dev stormed into the bar, his anger seething just beneath the surface. The encounter with Abhinav had left him furious, his mind replaying the harsh words, the blows exchanged, the way Abhinav had spoken about Navya and Ayaan as if they belonged to him. Dev’s fists clenched at the memory, and he strode straight to the bar counter, his face a mask of simmering rage.

"Whiskey, neat," he barked at the bartender, his voice sharp and edged with bitterness. As the bartender poured the amber liquid into a glass, Dev grabbed it with shaking hands, his eyes fixed on the swirling drink. He could feel his pulse racing, the anger bubbling up, threatening to spill over. The glass hovered close to his lips, but suddenly, he froze. A different thought crept into his mind, halting him in his tracks.

*"What am I doing?"* he thought, his eyes narrowing as he stared down at the drink. Memories of Navya flooded his mind—the way she used to look at him with silent disapproval whenever he drank. She never said it outright, but he could always tell it upset her. She wanted him to be better, to live a life free of such vices. And Ayaan… Dev felt his chest tighten at the thought of his son.

*"Navya doesn’t like it when I drink,"* he realized, guilt washing over him. *"She never told me, but I could always see it in her eyes. She hated it, and I kept doing it anyway."* He gripped the glass tightly, feeling the chill of the drink seep into his skin. His gaze fell, and the fury that had filled him moments before began to dissipate, replaced by something far more potent—shame.

*"Even my son…"* The thought cut through him like a knife. *"Ayaan doesn’t deserve a father who drinks his problems away. What kind of example am I setting for him?"* Dev's eyes began to sting, but he blinked rapidly, refusing to let the tears fall. He had made so many mistakes, hurt so many people, all in the name of his misguided pride and anger.

He set the glass down slowly, the decision forming in his mind. *"I shouldn’t drink anymore,"* he resolved, his heart pounding with the weight of his realization. *"Not if I truly love Navya. Not if I want to be a father Ayaan can look up to."*

Dev leaned forward, his elbows resting on the bar as he buried his face in his hands. He felt like a fool. *"What have I done?"* he berated himself silently. *"Why did I challenge Abhinav over Navya? She isn’t a prize to be won in some petty contest. She’s a person, a human being with her own will, her own feelings."* The enormity of his mistake hit him hard, his heart sinking under the crushing weight of regret.

*"I challenged him like she was some kind of object,"* he thought bitterly. *"Navya isn’t a thing to be fought over. She deserves respect, not my arrogance. I’ve wronged her… I’ve wronged them both."* Dev’s hands trembled as he pressed them against his temples, the words ringing in his mind like a relentless bell.

*"I have to seek their forgiveness,"* he admitted to himself, the thought both humbling and terrifying. *"Not challenge them. I’ve been so focused on proving something, on claiming what I think is mine, that I forgot the most important thing: their feelings."* He lifted his head, staring at the untouched glass in front of him. It seemed to mock him now, a symbol of his past mistakes and his selfishness.

He clenched his jaw, determination flaring within him. He pushed the glass away, his decision solidifying. *"I won’t drink. I won’t lose myself in this again."* He needed to be clear-headed, needed to be strong if he was going to make things right.

Taking a deep breath, Dev closed his eyes and folded his hands together. He had never been the most religious man, but in that moment, he felt the need to reach out, to seek guidance and strength. *"Bhagvan,"* he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, *"I know I’ve made mistakes… many mistakes. I was wrong to challenge Abhinav over Navya like she was something to win. Please, forgive me for my arrogance."*