Aditya’s House…
11:00 PM
Aditya was sitting by the window at his desk. He had a habit of reading storybooks before sleeping.
Moonlight was spilling across his table, making the letters on the page look even more beautiful.
As he kept reading, his head slowly rested on the desk and he murmured, “Hmm… why are writers so cruel?! Why don’t they ever give their characters an easy happy ending?!”
Sighing deeply, he looked up at the glowing moon and smiled.
Meanwhile
It was Saaniya’s mother’s grave.
Pouting like a kid, Aniket muttered, “Where’s your daughter, huh? I gathered so much courage to tell her the real reason behind that gift, but she’s nowhere to be found! It’s been hours, and she’s still not home! God knows where she is!”
His eyes were fixed toward the cemetery gate when he saw a car stop nearby.
He looked closely—and saw Saaniya stepping out.
Immediately, he stood up and hid behind a nearby tree.
Once hidden, he frowned and whispered to himself, “Why did I hide? Wasn’t I supposed to talk to her?!”
By then, Saaniya had already sat down in front of her mother’s grave.
But Aniket didn’t have the courage to step out suddenly. He didn’t want to worsen the misunderstandings already between them.
Saaniya took a deep breath, gently touched her mother’s grave, and said softly, “Ammi… how are you?”
Smiling faintly, she brushed off the dust on the grave and said, “Every human ends up like this… turning to dust. And yet, they walk around so full of pride, don’t they, Ammi? Well… your daughter isn’t any different either!”
Hearing that, Aniket thought to himself, “She’s being more honest here than she ever is with anyone else.”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Saaniya continued, “But Ammi… what does that jerk even think of himself?!”
Aniket couldn’t help but smile — he knew exactly who she meant by “jerk.”
Saaniya went on, “Who gives someone such expensive earrings for no reason?! I thought… I’d wear them once, show him, and then return them so he wouldn’t feel bad. At least he’d think I respected his gift. But that jerk—he’s nowhere to be found!”
Aniket peeked slightly from behind the tree, trying to see her wearing the earrings, but her back was facing him.
Saaniya’s complaints didn’t end there. “Ammi… do you think he had any real reason behind that gift? Or is he just showing off his wealth?! Whatever it is… I’m not wearing these earrings anymore! Tomorrow morning, I’ll go to his house and return them myself! If he’s not there, I’ll go to his office—but I will give them back!”
Hearing that, Aniket sighed deeply and whispered, “Why does she want to return them so badly? I bought them with so much love… and she’s in such a hurry to give them back! Isn’t she being arrogant now?”
Then he heard her voice again—soft but full of bitterness.
“Ammi… people give gifts without reason only when they’re hiding something or when they’re about to cause pain! I remember… Abbu used to bring you gifts only when he was going to that other woman. He pretended to love you, just to hide his guilt. I hate such fake love! If someone suddenly starts treating you kindly—it only means they’re about to hurt you! I don’t know what Aniket thinks he’s doing, but… I just want to live peacefully now. I don’t want any more pain!”
Aniket stood still… It felt like he had just gotten his answer.
After a while, Saaniya left.
Aniket slowly stepped out from behind the tree.
Looking at Saaniya’s mother’s grave, he smiled faintly and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll do what time demands right now. Rushing things never ends well—I know that. I’m not a bad person, really. It might take time for your daughter to trust me… but I hope you already do.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
The moonlight above seemed to softly light his path.
Meanwhile
He had laid out a mattress and was staring happily at the starry sky.
Mr. Shah came up and said, “Boss, you’re not well. You should sleep in your room.”
Rivan pulled Mr. Shah’s hand and said excitedly, “Come on, lie down beside me! Look at the stars—they’re beautiful tonight!”
Mr. Shah sat down, looked up at the sky, and said, “They really are beautiful, Boss. But my opinion’s still the same—you should be resting in your room.”
Rivan made a face and replied, “Oh, come on, Mr. Shah! Can’t you be a little less serious sometimes? Just enjoy the moment!”
Mr. Shah sighed, “I’m sorry, Boss, but for me, taking care of your health matters more than enjoying this moment. You had a high fever today, remember?”
Rivan frowned, “Yeah… I remember!”
He then got up and stomped away like an annoyed child.
Watching him, Mr. Shah chuckled softly and looked back at the stars.
There was a quiet comfort in the night sky — After a moment, he too got up and went downstairs.
While Rivan was being dragged indoors… Rudra, on the other hand, was free from such restrictions.
He sat on his balcony with a telescope.
The sky was crystal clear tonight—each star and the moon visible in perfect detail.
Rudra could spend entire nights just watching the stars.
Meanwhile
It had been another exhausting day.
Her brother Rahul quietly entered her room.
Seeing his sister sleeping peacefully, he smiled warmly.
He gently brushed her hair from her forehead and closed the window, so she wouldn’t catch a cold.
Elsewhere
Her eyes were fixed on the road.
Saaniya had texted her saying she’d be back in half an hour.
Dinner was still untouched on the dining table.
Anamika hadn’t eaten either — she wanted to wait for Saaniya.
After about twenty minutes, she finally saw Saaniya’s car approaching.
A smile spread across her face as she walked toward the door.
