24
Chapter 24
The Morning After
Anaya didn't sleep.
Not really.
Every time she closed her eyes, she replayed the previous night.
Kabir calling Aarav "Dad."
The truth finally coming out.
The look on Aarav's face.
Everything had changed.
And there was no going back.
By morning, she was exhausted.
Unfortunately, children didn't care about life-changing revelations.
They still woke up hungry.
"Mumma!"
Anaya groaned.
"Five more minutes."
"No."
The response sounded suspiciously familiar.
Too familiar.
She opened one eye.
Kabir stood beside her bed with his arms crossed.
Exactly the way Aarav did when he was annoyed.
The resemblance had never been clearer.
"You've changed."
Kabir looked confused.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Absolutely nothing.
---
The breakfast table felt strangely awkward.
Not because of Anaya.
Because of Kabir.
The little boy seemed unusually thoughtful.
A dangerous sign.
Very dangerous.
Finally, he put down his spoon.
"So."
Anaya immediately became suspicious.
"So?"
Kabir looked serious.
"Do I call him Dad now?"
Anaya nearly choked on her tea.
Straight to the difficult questions.
Of course.
"Whatever makes you comfortable."
Kabir thought about it.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
That was it.
Apparently he'd solved the issue in under ten seconds.
Meanwhile, Anaya had spent years worrying about it.
Children were unbelievable.
---
Across the city, Aarav was having a much worse morning.
Mainly because his entire family somehow already knew something was wrong.
His grandmother entered his office without knocking.
As usual.
"You look emotional."
Aarav looked up.
"Dadi."
"You never call me Dadi when you're happy."
He immediately regretted speaking.
The older woman sat down.
Then smiled.
A dangerous smile.
The kind that usually ended with personal questions.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"You're lying."
"I know."
For a second, his grandmother simply watched him.
Then her expression softened.
"You found something important."
Not a question.
A statement.
Aarav remained silent.
Because he wasn't ready to explain.
Not yet.
Not even to her.
---
Meanwhile, someone else was having a very good morning.
Rhea.
She sat in a private office overlooking the city.
A satisfied smile played on her lips.
Across from her stood Sameer.
The man who had spent months watching Anaya and Kabir.
"You're happy."
Rhea laughed.
"Of course."
The truth was finally out.
Exactly as she'd planned.
Years of secrets.
Gone.
Destroyed.
And now the real damage could begin.
"What's next?" Sameer asked.
Rhea's smile widened.
"Now we make sure they never get their happy ending."
The words carried pure malice.
No sympathy.
No guilt.
Just hatred.
Because exposing the truth had never been her final goal.
It was only the beginning.
---
That afternoon, Aarav arrived outside Anaya's apartment.
For the first time, he wasn't there as a guest.
Or a client.
Or an old lover.
He was there as a father.
The realization still felt surreal.
When the door opened, he found Kabir standing there.
The little boy froze.
Aarav froze too.
For a second, neither seemed sure what to do.
Then Kabir smiled.
A huge smile.
And everything became simpler.
"Hi."
"Hi."
Very smooth.
Extremely smooth.
Two generations of awkward men.
Anaya appeared behind him.
Looking equally uncertain.
"Come in."
Aarav stepped inside.
And suddenly felt nervous.
The feeling annoyed him immediately.
He negotiated with criminals.
Faced armed enemies.
Managed billion-rupee deals.
Yet one five-year-old child had somehow made him nervous.
Unacceptable.
---
The afternoon started awkwardly.
Then slowly became easier.
Kabir showed him school projects.
Drawings.
Toy cars.
Random facts about dinosaurs.
Apparently dinosaurs were extremely important.
Aarav listened to every word.
Because for five years he'd missed all of it.
And he wasn't making that mistake again.
At one point, Kabir climbed onto the couch beside him.
Completely comfortable.
Completely trusting.
The simple act hit harder than expected.
Because children didn't trust easily.
Not like this.
Not without reason.
And somehow, despite being absent for five years, Kabir had already made space for him.
The realization was both beautiful and heartbreaking.
---
Later that evening, while Kabir was distracted by cartoons, Aarav and Anaya finally found themselves alone in the kitchen.
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Not hostile.
Just complicated.
Too many emotions.
Too much history.
"Aarav."
He looked at her.
"What?"
Anaya hesitated.
Then asked the question she'd been dreading.
"Do you hate me?"
The silence that followed felt endless.
Because part of her believed he should.
Maybe he did.
Maybe he always would.
Finally, Aarav sighed.
"No."
The answer surprised her.
"But I'm angry."
That was fair.
Painfully fair.
"I know."
His gaze softened slightly.
Not much.
Just enough.
"I don't hate you, Anaya."
The honesty in his voice almost hurt more.
Because forgiveness was somehow harder to face than hatred.
---
Before either of them could say anything else, a loud crash echoed from the living room.
Both immediately rushed out.
Kabir stood beside a broken picture frame.
Looking guilty.
Very guilty.
"Oops."
Anaya closed her eyes.
Again.
Always again.
Aarav picked up the fallen photograph.
Then stopped.
His expression changed instantly.
Because the picture inside wasn't recent.
It was old.
Very old.
A photograph from six years ago.
Aarav and Anaya.
Taken before everything fell apart.
Before the threats.
Before the pregnancy.
Before the heartbreak.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Kabir tilted his head.
Confused.
"Wait."
His eyes moved between the photograph and the two adults.
Then widened.
"Oh."
Aarav immediately became suspicious.
"What?"
Kabir looked completely betrayed.
"You were dating?"
The horror in his voice made both adults freeze.
Apparently the child had just discovered that parents had lives before becoming parents.
And he wasn't handling the information well.
To be continued...