Chapter 1

*Mohan Pov*

I closed my eyes in fatigue after two continuous sleepless nights. Even after a month, it is still not stuck that my wife passed away just like that in a blink.

And now my daughter is continuously getting admitted to the hospital because of that day. This time it's already two days since she lost her conscious but there is no sign of her waking up.

"Mohan! Our boss is here." Hearing those words from Pramod, I glanced up to find Mr. Ashok Guptha standing with him along with a boy.

"Sir!" I greeted him standing up while he gave a nod before glancing at the private room she is staying in and that too with the help of Sir who made sure she gets to stay here.

"How is she?" he asked turning his attention towards me.

"They are still observing her condition and right now waiting for her to wake up." I replied and he nodded slowly.

"You need not come here directly, Sir. You must be busy with the works and I am already causing trouble by taking leave at this crucial time." I mumbled.

"I am already thankful for Pramod's wife who is taking care of my daughter right now." I added glancing at Pramod.

"Don't think about all these things. You are not in the right condition too. So, you need to care for yourself and let everyone help you a bit." Ashok Sir commented.

Who would have thought when I was busy with the work I need to finish, my family would get subjected to a robbery at night. In the struggle with the thieves, my wife passed away under a knife attack while Shrishti fell down the stairs. Right now I don’t know whether I can continue to work with this regret sweeping inside.

I should have lifted her call which my wife made while feeling distressed as per Shrishti’s report to the police but I switched it off during the meeting. If I had… I had then, all this… I felt pain sweeping in just thinking about how I should have been there or at least received that call. Now, my daughter has survived it but is not able to cope up with everything that happened.

"He is?" I asked glancing at the boy who is silently standing with us without making a sound.

"My Son! He will be the future of Guptha Holdings." He replied and I stared at the boy who seems to be not even ten years of age with the way he is looking.

"He must be of my daughter's age." I mumbled while Pramod chuckled hearing that.

"Even I thought the same and even thought he is younger than my son as he doesn't look older than an eight-year-old boy but he is actually twelve." I slowly nodded while surprised at that.

Why does he look so small? I shook my head before smiling at the boy but he doesn't have any expression on his face.

"Dad! She woke up!" we all heard a voice with the door opening completely and found Pramod's Son smiling at us.

"I will go and get the doctor." Saying that Pramod walked off while I rushed inside the room and found Shrishti is still lying there on the bed with eyes closed but she is moving a bit as if waking up.

"She could be just moving but Prathap got excited and rushed out." Leela voiced out and I nodded at her before holding my daughter's hand.

She slowly opened her eyes saying, "Dad!"

"Yes! How are you feeling?" I asked in a small tone.

"Where is Mom? I want to see Mom." She replied and I looked down hearing those words.

Every time she wakes up, this is the same question she asks but then accepts what happened and after some time gets the panic attack which brings her back to the hospital. She was hurt in the accident and her hand is still healing along with the wounds on her body but her mental state is of our major concern.

"Everyone, step out of the room while we check on the kid." We all calmly walked out of the room hearing the doctor's voice.

"Don't worry! She will be fine. She is just a kid and needs some time to accept it." Leela consoled me and I nodded at her.

****

"Hey! Thanks for looking after her." I said reaching the room and found Leela stepping out of the room.

"It's fine! The doctor said she can get discharged today." She informed and I sighed in relief before opening the door only to pause after hearing her laugh.

"She is smiling today with Prathap and Vikranth. I didn't do anything while they both kept her company." Leela commented.

When the boss casually announced that Vikranth will spend time with Prathap and Shrishti as he doesn't know anyone else, I didn't think much but somehow he ended up taking care of these both.

"Shrishti!" I said entering the room and she turned to face me with a smile.

"Dad! You need to teach Vikranth timetables as you taught me. He is very bad at this." She said shaking her head.

"Yes! If my Dad scolds me about my marks then I will say even Vikranth is bad at it." Prathap nodded laughing.

"Prathap!" Leela warned her while I reached Vikranth who is looking down.

"Don't worry! You will learn very fast." I assured him and he glanced up to stare at me before nodding.

"Dad! I want to go home. Vikranth will come with me and we all will play." Shrishti said sitting up.

"Just for this week and then school starts." I mumbled and she nodded smiling before glancing at her friends.

"Will you be able to handle these three?" Leela asked shaking her head.

"I will not cause trouble." Vikranth whispered and I smiled looking at him before leaving the room to take care of discharge papers.

*Shrishti Pov*

"Say something!" I continued to stare at the floor after my fiance... no! Ex-fiance walked out of my place while my Dad is trying to make me talk.

"Shrishti!" I closed my eyes hearing his voice.

It is my fault to trust someone so easily after meeting just a few times and even taking a big step of marriage with that person.

But I was running away... I was running away from becoming a person whom I hate. I don't want to hang over the feelings I have for Vikranth and be around him and his wife which is completely wrong.

I can't even genuinely smile at her and that is nothing but disgusting to like someone who is already married and it doesn't matter how weird they are behaving for a married couple.

I finally thought, everything will be fine and I can spend time with my friends normally after getting married and start my new life.

However, it turned out that he was with me just because I am the one holding valuable shares in Guptha Holdings.

"You could have just told me everything instead of doing all this, Dad." I mumbled remembering how he just made me hide before letting that guy know I will be giving up my property and everything else to marry him.

And that man just directly voiced out that he doesn't want to marry me anymore. Is he stupid? If he is really planning, couldn't he be a bit smart about it?

"I was worried whether you will believe me or not. And it is not a small matter." He said sighing.

"I didn't understand for a month why you were mad at me and thought you just didn't want me to marry this early. If you had given me the reason the I wouldn't have ignored your concerns, Dad." I continued.

He already investigated this guy and has enough clues but he planned all this instead of just telling me.

I glanced up with tears in my eyes saying, "I believe you more than anyone in this world, Dad. You couldn't have really just told me and I would have trusted you."

"It's my fault! Don't think much about it. Take a deep breath." He worriedly reached closer to me.

"I am not getting any panic attack." I whispered brushing my tears away before turning around to leave.

"Shrishti! Let's talk!" he called but I continued to walk ignoring him.

How can I talk to him about what I am actually feeling? Will he give me a disgusted look if I say that what hurting me most at the present is that I don't have an option to forget Vikranth?

Will he be sad to know that am relieved that my Ex-fiance didn't actually like me otherwise I would have felt guilt until I fall for him in the true sense?

Oh god! I am a mess and a huge one at that. I took a cab this time to reach the bar where I just threw an engagement party and left them to rush here.

I hope you guys are still there as I am in the mood to drown myself just like you guys. I sighed finally controlling my tears along with my breathing and finally reached the bar before rushing inside to reach the spot where I left them.

I frowned finding the spots empty and looked around. They already left? I thought shaking my head before sitting down on the same spot.

I called Vikranth first to make sure they both left safely only to hear his wife's voice saying, "He is drunk right now and can't talk."

"Oh! I... I just called to make sure they both left safely." I mumbled clearing my throat.

"Yes!" that's all she said and didn't say anything else.

I sighed cutting the call after greeting her good night before ordering a drink to leave after at least one drink.

"Congratulations on your engagement." The waiter said before walking away and then I remember the mess I made earlier while ordering the drinks for these both and didn't stop saying that I am engaged to anyone I found.

"Why are you so depressed? Don't like to be engaged?" I got startled hearing a voice from my side and turned to find someone sitting on the seat beside mine.

He sighed sipping from the glass, the other waiter delivered before saying, "If you don't like it then don't get married. Why is everyone obsessed with it?"

I kept quiet without saying a word thinking he just needs to vent and he is somehow venting it by sitting beside me and I need not say anything.

"You must have cried. Is someone forcing you?" I frowned turning to stare at me.

"Excuse me?" I asked and he shook his head before passing a tissue saying, "Your eyeliner is messed up."

"Are your parents forcing you?" he asked frowning.

"Why are you talking to me? Am I not ignoring you?" I asked back and he snorted before finishing off the drink.

"I just thought I will talk to another depressed soul so that I will not be sad by myself." He replied shrugging.

Well, that could be one of the methods to not feel sad by oneself. I nodded before turning to stare at him.

"Why is your soul depressed then?" I asked staring at his profile.

He doesn't seem to be older than me but who could say that for sure. And the suit looks like the one my Dad wears which is costly for sure.

So, if he is talking about pressure regarding marriage then this could be some story of him getting that pressure from his parents following his words he just voiced out.

"My Grandmother is dying." I covered my mouth hearing those words suddenly which is not something I am expecting.

"I am sorry!" I whispered not knowing what else to say.

"How can you believe a stranger's words so easily?" he asked frowning and I glared at him.

"You were lying?" I asked leaning away and thinking to just leave this place.

"I am not lying but how can you believe whatever I am saying. What do you think is a lie?" he asked raising his eyebrow.

"I hope that your grandmother is not ill but if she is not then... I hope you will be strong at this time." I replied after thinking for a few minutes.

"Good answer!" he nodded and then we stopped exchanging words and just got lost in our own thoughts.

"I am no longer engaged. My fiance seems to like my shares than me as a person." I mumbled not able to bear the silence and I must be crazy to share this information near a stranger.

"My grandmother took care of me from the time I was a baby because of the work my parents have. So, I am really close to her but now she is going to leave me so soon." He said sighing.

"Actually, I like or liked someone for a long time but he got married when I was away on a business trip. It's been a year and somehow it doesn't hurt anymore but it is not a pleasant feeling to continue to spend time with him. I thought with someone in my life, I can come over it and then move on to have a happy life with my husband and be a good friend to my friend." I shook my head thinking how stupid my plan was.

"My grandmother's wish is for me to get married to the person I love. But that is not possible anytime soon." I turned to stare at him hearing those words.

"I am ashamed that I am even sad about what happened after listening to you. Don't worry! I am sure she will understand if you don't get married. As she wouldn't wish for you to marry someone forcefully just to satisfy her and then be unhappy." I assured him and he turned to stare at me with a smile.

After some time I stood up to leave and found him still drinking without pausing at all. I sighed tapping on his shoulder saying, "Can you leave on your own?"

"Yes! My secretary is there drinking a cool drink." He replied pointing at the other end of the bar and I found a man staring at this side without looking away.

"Okay! I will be leaving then and... again stay strong." I mumbled nodding at him.

"Thanks for lending your ear even though I forcefully shared the information but don't worry about meeting me again and feeling embarrassed about your engagement and everything. I am leaving the city tomorrow morning and I will not return anytime soon." He assured me and I smiled nodding.

"Thanks for that assurance and now I will not hide my face while going out from tomorrow to escape from you." Saying that I gestured my hand for him to shake which he did chuckling before I walked away from that place while thinking about tomorrow.