The unexpected meet

SURVIVING

Aahana's pov :- 

The silence that followed after Abhimaan and Ayaansh left was suffocating. It wasn't the kind of silence that brought peace—it was the kind that gnawed at my insides, filling every crack in my heart with dread.

Kiara hadn't let go of my hand, her grip tight as if she feared I'd shatter completely. And maybe I would. Because the longer Reyaansh was missing, the more the panic inside me grew like wildfire.

Then my eyes landed on my mom rushing towards me followed by Reyaansh's mom, my dad, Kartik bhai and Naina. 

I suddenly forgot how to breath.

What am I going to tell Reyaansh's mom? That her son is missing? That we have no idea if he's alive or— 

 I shake off that thought. No, I need to be strong. But how? 

"Aahana? What's going on?" my mother demanded, her sharp gaze flickering between Kiara and me. "Why do you look so pale?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How was I supposed to say it? How was I supposed to tell them that Reyaansh—their son-in-law, my husband—was missing? That all we had left of him was a wrecked car near a deathly silent cliff?

Kiara stepped forward, her voice soft but steady. "Reyaansh's car... they found it near a cliff."

The room plunged into chaos.

"What?" Reyaansh's mother gasped, her hand flying to her chest as she stumbled backward. My father caught her just in time before she collapsed onto the couch.

"No, no—this has to be some mistake," Reyaansh's mother muttered, her voice laced with denial as she shook her head. "Where is he? If the car was found, where is my son?"

My throat was too tight to speak.

Kiara inhaled sharply. "Abhimaan and Ayaansh went to find him. They won't stop until they do."

My mother clutched my hands, searching my face frantically. "Aahana, say something!"

I blinked, but my tears wouldn't stop. My lips parted, but all that came out was a broken whisper.

"I... I don't know if he's alive."

Reyaansh's mother let out a strangled cry, and that was it. That was when the weight of the situation truly hit.

"God..please not my son...."  She begged for her son's life. The woman who lost her husband years ago and now her son is missing. 

A wail tore through the room, a mother's heartbreak spilling into every corner.

I sat there, frozen, my hands gripping my lap so tightly that my nails dug into my skin.

 My baby.

 My Reyaansh.

Author's pov :-

The car's headlights sliced through the darkness, illuminating the rough terrain ahead. Ayaansh gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white as he sped toward the location where Reyaansh's car had been found.

Abhimaan sat beside him, his jaw locked, his eyes scanning every inch of the surroundings as if willing Reyaansh to just appear from the shadows.

The road was treacherous, winding dangerously close to the cliff's edge. The mere sight of it sent a sickening churn through Ayaansh's gut.

"How the fuck did this happen?" he growled, slamming his fist against the steering wheel. "He was supposed to be at the venue—he was supposed to be with us."