Faded Ties, Rekindled Hearts

Chapter 15

In Singhania Mansion, Yuvraj stormed inside, his emotions boiling over. "Mom! Mom, where are you?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hallways.

Avantika, who was inside her room, came out hurriedly, concerned by the tone of his voice. "Kya hua, Yuvi? Sab theek to hai? Itna kyu chilla raha hai?" she asked, her eyes scanning his face for any clues.

Yuvraj's face was a mixture of anger and confusion as he blurted, "Tanya wapas aa gayi hai, aur aapne mujhe bataya tak nahi!"

Avantika froze, shocked. "Tanya wapas aa gayi? Mujhe toh kuch nahi bataya Ishita ne!" She paused, trying to make sense of it. "Shayad aaj hi aayi hogi, lekin aisa kya ho gaya jo wo achanak se wapas aayi? Aur tujhe kaise pata chala? Tum kab mile usse, aur kaha?"

Yuvraj, still fuming, recounted the events of the day. "Woh mere school mein admission lene aayi thi. Aaj hi mila hoon usse." His voice was laced with frustration, the flood of emotions he had suppressed for years now rising to the surface.

Avantika placed a hand on her forehead, trying to process the situation. "Main shaam ko hi Ishita ko call karungi aur baat karti hoon. But... tu itna jaldi kaise wapas aa gaya? Teri toh extra practice thi na?"

Yuvraj ran a hand through his hair, clearly agitated. "Mera mann hi nahi lag raha tha aaj kisi cheez mein. Mai room mein ja raha hoon. Aap please mere liye protein shake bhijwa dena," he muttered, and without waiting for a response, he turned and headed to his room.

Once inside, Yuvraj slammed the door shut behind him, his chest heaving with a mix of anger and confusion. His gaze fell on the telephone sitting on the side table—an object he hadn't touched since the day Tanya left. Memories of their late-night calls, their endless conversations, and the comfort they once shared flooded his mind.

Without thinking, his hand moved towards the receiver. He picked it up and dialed Tanya's room number at Kapoor Mansion. Each ring seemed louder than the last, his heart racing with every second as he waited for an answer.

Meanwhile, in the Kapoor Mansion, Arnav and Tanya arrived home. Ishita greeted them eagerly, curiosity clear in her voice. "Toh kaisa raha? Sab theek se ho gaya admission?" she asked, her eyes hopeful as she glanced at Tanya.

Arnav nodded, "Haan, sab formalities complete ho gayi hain. Tanya kal se school join karegi."

Ishita smiled warmly, trying to engage with her daughter, "That's great! Tanya, I'm sure tumhe school pasand aayega. Tumhe sab kuch suit karega, aur agar tumhe kuch chahiye hoga toh mujhe batana, theek hai?"

Tanya, however, remained cold. She shrugged dismissively. "Kuch nahi chahiye," she said sharply. "Main apna khud dekh sakti hoon. Fikar karne ki koi zarurat nahi hai."

Ishita's face fell at Tanya's rude response, but she maintained her composure, unwilling to react emotionally. "Beta, main sirf tumhara khayal rakhna chahti hoon. Tumhara school bhi—"

"I said, I don't need anyone's concern," Tanya interrupted, her voice harsher this time. "Mujhe apna khud dhyaan rakhna aata hai."

With that, she turned on her heel and made her way upstairs, leaving Ishita standing there, hurt but silent.

Once Tanya reached her room, she closed the door and sat down heavily on her bed, holding her head in her hands. The events of the day swirled in her mind like a storm, overwhelming her. She thought about the encounter with Yuvraj on the football field, the way he had saved her, and the shock that had followed when she realized it was him—the Yuvraj from her past.

"Wo Yuvraj tha?" she whispered to herself, a small, sarcastic smile tugging at her lips. "9 saal... itna zyada change ho gaya hai wo." She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away. "No, Tanya. Stop thinking about him. Tera koi nahi hai apna. Faltu hopes lagaegi toh bas aur pain hoga jab log tujhe tod denge."