Shimla - Night
The wind howled outside, and a storm brewed in the hills, but inside, Mannat sat by the hearth, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames. Aarush had drifted to sleep in her lap, but her heart was far from peace.
Mannat (softly, to herself):
"To him, I was just a name on a deal... a vessel for his heir... nothing more."
She shut her eyes, pain flaring through her chest.
Mannat (whispers):
"If only you had asked me to stay... just once... I would've never left, Vihaan."
But he hadn't.
He hadn't come after her. Not once in five years. Not a call. Not a message. Not even a glance back.
Or so she thought.
---
Rajput mansion- Same Night
Vihaan stood in front of the portrait of Mannat. His fingers brushed the glass frame, his eyes heavy with unshed tears.
Vihaan:
"I should've stopped you. I should've told you that you were never just a deal... never just a name on paper. You were it, Mannat. My peace. My home."
He turned slightly, watching Mehar sleeping peacefully-
Vihaan (softly):
"You live in her, Mannat. Every smile, every word... is you."
---
Back in Shimla
Mannat lit an incense stick and placed it by the window. Her fingers trembled.
Mannat (whispering):
"Do you ever think of me, Vihaan? Or did I become a forgotten mistake?"
She had no idea he had mourned her.
She had no idea he believed she died.
She had no idea... he still loved her.
And somewhere in the stormy distance, fate was already moving, preparing for the day their paths would collide again.
When love, loss, and truth would no longer hide.
---
Next Day - Rathore Empire
He stood near the glass panel of his cabin, sipping his coffee, when his assistant entered with a file.
Assistant: "Sir, there's a new project coming up in Shimla. A big luxury resort chain. All details are inside."
Ranveer took the file without a word, flipping it open. His eyes paused at the location.
Ranveer: "Shimla..."
He closed the file.
Ranveer (coldly): "I'm going there. Schedule everything. I'll leave in two days."
---
Rajput Office
Vihaan's attention shifted from the laptop to the file his secretary handed him.
Secretary: ""Sir, there's a new project coming up in Shimla. A big luxury resort chain. All details are inside
Vihaan leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin.
Vihaan: "Shimla..."
He stood, taking the file.
Vihaan: "I'm handling this. Tell them I'll be there myself."
A beat.
Vihaan (softly, to himself): "Mehar is coming with me. I never trust with her to anyone... not after Mannat once asked me to."
---
2 Days Later - Shimla
Two powerful men. Two different directions. Same destination.
Ranveer arrived in Shimla, his car pulling up to a grand heritage mansion surrounded by thick pines.
At the other end of the town, Vihaan stepped out with Mehar in his arms, greeted by staff at a sleek, modern hilltop villa.
Both men had no idea where they were going. No idea they were here for the same project. No idea what fate was about to bring their way.
Unseen by them... destiny had already arrived in Shimla.
Tucked between cedar trees and cobblestone streets, Café Evergreen had become a local favorite-warm lights, old wooden furniture, and the smell of cinnamon and fresh coffee always lingering in the air.
Behind the counter, wearing a simple sweater with sleeves rolled up, Mannat moved with grace. She poured hot chocolate into a ceramic mug, smiled at a little girl across the counter, and rang up an order.
A soft voice tugged at her from the corner.
Aarush (from a stool): "Mumma, can I have another cookie? Please?"
Mannat turned, mock sternness in her eyes.
Mannat: "One cookie. That's it. You already had two, little monster."
Aarush (grinning): "You said I was your sweet monster."
She shook her head with a soft smile and handed him one more.
The bell over the café door jingled. A tourist couple entered. Mannat greeted them, offered the day's special, and went right back to work. Her energy was calm, steady... but something in her eyes always seemed distant-like she carried a storm silently.
Her staff adored her. The regulars respected her. But no one knew her story. .
Later that evening, after closing time, Mannat sat by the window with her diary, pen moving slowly.
Mannat (writing): "Five years. I still dream of him. I still hear Mehar's laughter in this silence. And yet, I never stopped breathing-for her, and now for him. Aarush doesn't know he saved me... but he did."
Aarush had fallen asleep beside her on the couch, cookie crumbs on his sweater.
She brushed his hair from his forehead, kissed him, and whispered:
Mannat: "You're my reason to wake up now, baby."
Outside, snowfall had started gently covering the world in white.
Shimla hotel
The heater hummed softly, filling the cozy hotel room with warmth, but Mehar sat bundled in two oversized sweaters, her legs tucked under her as she clutched her soft toy.
Mehar (innocently):
"dedda... I want ice cream."
Vihaan (glancing up from his laptop):
"Ice cream? It's literally snowing outside, Mehar."
Mehar (grinning):
"Ice cream tastes best in winter! Everyone knows that."
Vihaan sighed, but there was a twitch at the corner of his lips. That expression. That stubborn spark.
Mehar (pouting):
"Please? Coffee walnut."
And there it was. That flavor.
His fingers paused over the keyboard.
Vihaan (quietly):
"Why that one?"
Mehar (shrugging):
"Just sounds yummy. You'll like it too, maybe."
But he wasn't listening to her anymore.
---
Flashback
The image was sharp.
Mannat. In front of the fridge. Her frown.
"I want coffee walnut."
"At this hour?"
"Yes."
And then...
Her head resting against the window.
Her smile as she took the first spoonful.
That unexplainable peace on her face.
---
Mehar (gently tugging his hand):
"Please, dedda? "
Vihaan (blinking out of it, voice low):
"Get your jacket."
Mehar (beaming):
"Really?! Yay! You're the best!"
---
Outside, Snowfall in Shimla
The streets were dusted in soft white, with golden lights glowing through fog. Mehar skipped beside Vihaan, her breath forming little clouds in the air.
They stopped at a small street vendor with a colorful ice cream cart tucked near the pine-lined walkway. It was quiet, peaceful.
Vihaan leaned on the wooden counter, eyes lingering on the names.
Vendor:
"What flavor for the little one?"
Mehar (loudly):
"Coffee walnut, please!"
Vihaan looked away for a second, .
Vendor (smiling):
"Good choice."
They sat on a nearby bench, Mehar eagerly licking her cone.
Mehar (cheerfully):
"I think coffee walnut is my favorite now."
Vihaan (softly):
"Yeah... someone else used to say the same."
Mehar (tilting her head):
"Was Mama like me?"
His gaze flickered to her, caught off guard.
A long silence followed.
Vihaan (without meeting her eyes):
"In more ways than I expected."
Mehar offered him a spoonful.
He took it, and for a moment-just a moment-the cold melted into something warm.
---
Next day
Late Afternoon - Local Park in Shimla
The park is buzzing with soft laughter, kids running around, and vendors selling cotton candy. Aarya is seated on a bench, watching Aarveer chase butterflies with his friends, his laughter echoing through the crisp air.
Just across the park, Ranveer steps out of a car with his assistant. He's here to survey He scrolls through some photos on his phone, barely paying attention to the surroundings.
Aarveer, still full of energy, chases his friend around a tree... and bumps right into Ranveer's legs.
Aarveer (startled):
"Oww!"
Ranveer (concerned):
"Hey, hey... careful, champ! You alright?"
He kneels down immediately, brushing dirt off the boy's jeans. Aarveer looks up, wide-eyed. They freeze-both staring.
Ranveer blinks at the little face. Something inexplicably familiar stirs in his chest. The boy's eyes... the way he scrunches his nose-there's a strange tug inside.
Ranveer (softly):
"You've got a brave heart, little soldier."
Aarveer (half-smiling):
"My mumma says I'm her forever."
Ranveer smiles, touched.
Ranveer:
"She's lucky."
Aarya notices the interaction from a distance. Her heart skips. As Ranveer stands and walks away, she only catches his back, not his face. But Aarveer watches him go-his eyes following him curiously.
Aarveer (murmuring):
"He looked like me..."
Aarya's POV
She walks up to Aarveer, kneels beside him, brushing his hair back gently.
Aarya (softly):
"Are you alright, baby?"
Aarveer (nodding, still thoughtful):
"That uncle... he called me 'little soldier.' Like someone I heard before."
Aarya's breath catches for a moment. A part of her freezes. Ranveer's voice still echoed in her mind too. But no-it couldn't be.
Aarya (with a shaky smile):
"Sometimes strangers feel familiar because our heart remembers love even before our mind does."
Aarveer blinks at her, not fully understanding, but snuggles into her warmth.
---
Next morning
Vihaan sat silently as Mehar asked in her soft, innocent voice, "How is Mumma, Dedda?"
His fingers clenched, breath caught halfway. The question struck deep, stirring the dust-covered chambers of his heart.
His mind drifted, unbidden-
Mannat. That first meeting. When she had walked into his office, uncertain, nervous... and walked out furious.
Her words echoed even now-"Some things in life can't be bought, Mr. Rathore."
He had scoffed then. But she returned. For Aarya.
He remembered their wedding at the temple-no emotions, just a deal. The night she had asked, "Will you ever tell our child about me?" Her eyes held a hope he didn't dare answer.
Then the accident. The OT room. Her whispered confession-"I love you vihaan I fall in love with you I knew it's deal ..."
He saw her. Mannat. Standing barefoot on the moonlit balcony that night, her dupatta fluttering in the breeze, her gaze drifting to their daughter sleeping peacefully behind the glass door.
"Can I just... once?" She had asked, voice trembling.
And then - kisses. Not of passion, but of memory. A gentle brush on his forehead, a whisper on his eyes, a farewell on his lips.
She had kissed him she was leaving pieces of herself behind.
And later, lying in bed, she had whispered, "Don't switch it off... not tonight. I want to remember this. Every bit of it."
That night, he hadn't stopped her.
The next morning, she was gone.
He had chased the train... missed it by seconds.
The news came like a death sentence-a crash, no survivors.
A single body... a mangalsutra clenched in a burnt hand.
His eyes snapped open.
She had done all of this only for Aarya.
And when Aarya had told her she loved Ranveer, Mannat had smiled... proud, happy, with no regrets.
His throat tightened.
"Dedda, Mumma loves me... right?" Mehar's voice pulled him back.
He cupped her little face gently, voice thick. "A lot. You're her heartbeat, Mehar. Her jaan."
Because love was never a word Mannat had asked for.
But she had lived it. For him. For their daughter.
And now, he would live for them.
He knelt down, his hand gently cupping her cheek. "She loved you more than life, Mehar. You were her everything. And you still are."
A tear slid down his face - but he let it fall.
Because love didn't end. It just learned to live... in memories.
---
---
Aarya flips through files, checking last-minute corrections on a proposal.
Her phone rings.
"Hello?"
A concerned voice replies,
"Ma'am, please come to school. It's about Aarveer."
Aarya straightens, alarmed.
"What happened to him? Is he alright?"
"Please come soon. We'll explain everything here."
The call ends.
Her breath catches.
She grabs her purse, not even shutting her laptop, and hurries out.
The elevator dings open.
As she steps out, she brushes past someone entering.
Ranveer stepped out of the elevator.
her hair swaying, her perfume lingering for a second too long.
Ranveer paused - something about that fleeting scent, that rush of energy - it tugged at him.
He turned, almost as if...
But Aarya was already gone.
He walked forward.
She raced away.
And fate smiled again - missing by a heartbeat.
Aarya rushes through the corridor, her heartbeat matching the fear rising in her chest.
"Aarveer?" she whispers to herself, eyes scanning every child she passes.
A teacher spots her.
"Ma'am, this way please."
She's led to a small room beside the principal's office. Inside, sitting on a chair with his head down, is Aarveer-silent, pale, his fists clenched in his lap.
Aarya kneels in front of him.
"Aarveer... baby?" she cups his face gently.
His lips tremble.
"Mumma... they said I don't have a father. That I was born by mistake."
Her breath catches.
"What?" she looks up at the teacher, shocked.
The teacher sighs.
"One of the boys overheard something from his parents and said it aloud in class... It escalated."
Aarya swallows hard, holding back tears.
She turns back to Aarveer.
"Baby, look at me. You are not a mistake. You are the most precious thing in this world. You are loved. Deeply."
"But who's my papa?" he asks, voice soft and raw.
She pauses. Her throat tightens.
"He's someone... very brave. And if he saw you today, he would be so proud of you.
Aarya's words hung heavy in the air.
Aarveer blinked up at her, his eyes wet but searching, still unsure.
"But why isn't he with us?" he whispered, almost as if afraid of the answer.
Aarya pulled him into a hug, her voice quivering as she whispered into his hair, "Sometimes, even the bravest people have to stay away to keep others safe. But that doesn't mean they don't care."
He didn't say anything for a long while. Just clutched her tighter.
Outside the room, the teacher quietly excused herself, sensing they needed the space.
Aarya closed her eyes, letting the silence soothe the ache in her chest. She didn't have all the answers. Not yet. But for now, this - her arms around her child - had to be enough.
---
Elsewhere...
Ranveer stepped into his car, a frown on his face.
That woman...
There was something oddly familiar. Not just her scent, but the way her touch
He shook his head, brushing the thought away as the driver started the car.
But the name he overheard from the receptionist echoed faintly in his mind.
"Aarya."
A beat passed.
---
Aarya sat in the backseat of the cab, arms wrapped tightly around Aarveer, who had dozed off with his head resting against her chest - his tiny fists still curled as if holding onto the weight of those cruel words.
She stared out of the window, but her eyes didn't register the roads or the passing city.
Her mind was spinning.
"I was born by mistake."
That one sentence kept echoing in her head, like a cruel reminder of everything she'd fought so hard to shield him from.
Tears welled up, but she blinked them away. Not now. Not in front of him.
Her fingers gently ran through Aarveer's soft hair. He looked so peaceful in sleep. So unaware of the battles his mother fought - both outside and within.
He shouldn't have to ask about his father.
He shouldn't have to carry questions he didn't deserve.
She'd prepared herself for this day. Told herself she'd be ready with an answer when the time came. But she wasn't.
She lied.
She wasn't ready at all.
Her heart twisted.
Was it selfish to raise him alone? To keep the truth buried - even from him?
But what else could she have done?
She looked down at his little face, the way his mouth parted softly as he slept. So innocent. So hers.
He deserved everything good in the world.
And yet today... he came home with a wound no mother could fix with a kiss.
Her hands curled into fists.
How dare someone call him a mistake?
No child is a mistake.
He was her reason, her purpose, her miracle.
The cab turned into their street.
Aarya didn't even realize her cheeks were wet until she saw the driver glance at her in the mirror.
She quickly wiped them, straightening herself, lifting Aarveer's head gently to settle him on her lap.
The car slowed.
Home.
But inside, she felt anything but steady.
Because for the first time in years, her past wasn't just knocking - it was crashing in.
And the question was no longer if the truth would come out...
It was when.
---
The door clicked shut behind her as she stepped into the house, the silence pressing in from all sides.
She carried Aarveer to his room, gently laying him on the bed. His hand clutched her finger even in sleep, as if afraid she'd disappear.
She sat beside him, watching his chest rise and fall. A part of her wanted to crawl under the covers, curl beside him, and never face the world again.
But instead, she quietly walked out and shut the door.
In the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of water, her hands trembling so hard the glass clinked against her teeth.
How many more lies would she have to stitch into her truths?
Her past wasn't buried - it was alive, breathing just around the corner. And today proved it was only a matter of time before it caught up to her.
She leaned against the counter, pressing a hand over her mouth to muffle the sob that finally broke loose.
Aarya wasn't weak. She had never allowed herself to be. But motherhood - it made her fragile in ways she never expected.
Not for herself.
But for him.
All this time, she thought love would be enough.
That her arms, her stories, her protection would be enough.
But how do you protect a child from the world?
From truths shaped like knives?
Her eyes fluttered shut.
And just for a moment... she let herself fall apart.
No strength. No façade. No answers.
Just a mother - breaking for her son.
_________________________________________