Her Dangerous Obsession

Chap 57 - The Father-Son Conversation

Author's POV

The hall remained silent, each person lost in their own thoughts. The strained atmosphere, however, wasn't quite as thick as it had been earlier — all because of Adhrit's humourous joke.

Still, Adhrit felt as though he were seated in a gathering of the profoundly depressed, an oppressive mood, that was beginning to infect him as well.

He had already sensed, this was how the meeting would conclude.

His conversation with Pranay earlier had already left him feeling a tangle of bad emotions and guilt, and now, the very same suffocating situation had reappeared.

He knew, their past was undeniably painful, yet that trauma certainly didn’t give them the right to inflict hurt on others — not on him, and definitely not on his family.

Despite all this, he found himself feeling bad for them, a consequence of his soft nature and empathetic heart.

It wasn't just him — his entire family was wired the same way. That's why, they were all sunk in sadness, and all because of the despair of the very people, who had insulted and hurt them seemingly without provocation.

Adhrit let out a heavy sigh, drawing everyone's attention. He announced loudly, "I'm hungry... Will I actually get breakfast today, or am I expected to starve?"

His voice snapped everyone out of their trance.

Gayatri shifted her gaze to Pranay, and said in a gentle tone, "Please stay, and have breakfast before you leave. Regardless of what has happened, there is still a connection between our families, and you are here today as our guest."

Pranay responded with a thankful nod and a smile, and Gayatri then signaled to Mamta to go ahead.

Mamta and Ruchi retreated to the kitchen to prepare the meal. Ruchi quickly set a pan on the gas, and began making parathas with practiced speed, while Mamta placed the vegetable curry on another burner to heat.

As she worked, Ruchi couldn't hold back the question, that had been nagging her. "Mumma, are you really going to forgive her and her family? You and Papa let her in, and you're even letting her stay here..."

Mamta was taken aback by Ruchi's bluntness for a moment. She took a deep breath before replying, "Perhaps, your Papa saw the same thing I did. That must be why, he decided to give her a chance for redemption."

Ruchi was confused and asked, surprised, "What did you two see?"

Mamta’s voice grew serious. "Feelings. Or, more accurately, Love. I saw the love for her, for Anaisha, in Adhrit’s eyes. He loved her before, if you recall — he confessed it, and love doesn't die. It only grows stronger with time. And his love has definitely grown stronger during the time he spent with her. He's only holding himself back for our sake. That is why, I want to give her a chance — a chance to prove to us, that she truly is the best choice for our son."

Ruchi nodded in understanding. She still vividly remembered the day she first saw Anaisha — the day of Adhrit and Bani's engagement.

Soon, they finished preparing the breakfast and began serving it on the dining table, where the rest of the family had already seated themselves.

Adhrit and Arjun were still sitting in the hall, and Anaisha was there too, sitting directly in front of Adhrit — her gaze fixed on him. This continuous staring was beginning to irritate Adhrit intensely.

The dining table wasn't quite large enough to accommodate everyone comfortably, so Adhrit and Arjun were content to remain in the hall.

Neither of them minded — especially Adhrit, who preferred to avoid the immediate awkwardness of the main dining area. However, he did mind Anaisha's relentless stare.