Manav turned to him, his voice soft with concern.
"Jai… are you crying?" he asked, almost in disbelief. "For the first time in all these years, I'm seeing tears in your eyes. I've seen you face the toughest of situations, but you never broke down. And today... you're crying?"
He paused, trying to lighten the moment.
"Look, don't cry. You don't even look good when you cry—and honestly, you don't even know how to cry properly."
Jai's throat was dry, his voice hoarse, almost as if the weight of the pain had settled there. His breath came out slowly, heavy with grief.
"Manav…" he exhaled, "I know… I know I've become a father. But where is my child? In what condition is he? Is he even okay? What does he look like? I know nothing."
He ran a hand through his hair, the helplessness pouring out with every word.
"We've spent all these years searching for Vani, and still, we don't know where she went with my child. Not a single trace. Nothing."
"My child must be seven by now… Right? Seven years old. Does he even know I exist? Did she ever tell him about me? Or did she… did she marry someone else?" His voice broke. "No! If she did… I swear I'll take my child away from her. I won't let that happen!"
Jai kept rambling, his thoughts spiraling. Manav, sitting across from him, struggled to understand where Jai's whirlwind of emotions was leading. He had never seen this side of him before—the ever-reserved Jai, today, was unrecognizable.
Was this really Jai? Manav thought. Did Anant's soul sneak into his body or what?
Today, for the second time, Jai had hugged him. For the first time, he had cried. And now, he just wouldn't stop talking. God, how many shocks do you have planned for me in one day?
"Jai," Manav finally interrupted, trying to calm him. "Take a deep breath. Let's sit down and talk this through."
He gently led Jai to a chair.
But Jai was far from composed.
"You don't get it, Manav. She hates me. I know she does. She'll never tell my child about me. And what if… what if she poisoned him against me? What if he ends up hating me?"
That was it. Manav lost it.
"Shut up! Just shut up, will you?" he shouted. "You've been ranting nonstop and haven't even let me speak! Do you even realize how much you're spiraling?"
He grabbed a glass of water from the table and moved towards Jai, but then abruptly pulled back.
"Nope. I need this more than you do," he said, and downed the whole glass himself.
Jai was stunned into silence, his mouth shut by Manav's sudden outburst. And Manav—he simply glared at him, almost like he would eat him alive with that look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Manav snapped. "Seriously, I needed that water more than you did. I've been watching you lose your mind for the past half an hour—I felt like I'd faint just from hearing you."
He sighed and sat beside him.
"Jai, listen. First things first—we need to find Vani. Only after that can we think about our next step. But this time… please, no more stupidity."
Manav's eyes locked onto Jai's.
"Do you even remember what you did to her? Any other woman in her place would've hated you with every fiber of her being."
Jai's expression twisted with guilt.
"Once you find her, you'll have to convince her… with love. She's not just Vani anymore—she's the mother of your child. If she refuses to give you your child back… she might not even let you see him."
Jai interjected, his tone sharp, "She can't do that! I'll get my child back, no matter what it takes."
Manav cut him off, sternly,
"And what if your child doesn't want to come with you? Will you repeat the same mistake again?"
He softened a bit, voice lower but firm.
"Jai, whether you admit it or not… you still love her. She only hurt your ego, but you couldn't accept it. That's what this is about."
"You've had so many high-profile proposals these past few years, and you turned every one of them down. You know why?" Manav pointed to his chest, directly over his heart.
"Because she lives right here. And no one else ever had a chance."
He leaned in.
"Win her back with the same love, Jai. I'm sure she'll come around. She's not like other girls who jump from one relationship to another."
"As far as I've understood her, once you broke her trust… she must've closed her heart to everyone. No one would've entered her life after you. And no one ever will."
Jai sat there in complete silence, listening to Manav's words, but everything felt like a distant echo. His mind was clouded, his heart heavy. He had no idea what lay ahead. Would he ever get to see his child? Hold him? Hear him call him papa?
A lump formed in his throat at the very thought.
Yes, it was true. Jai had fallen for Vani at first sight. Her simplicity, her innocent face, the quiet strength in her eyes—something about her had stirred his heart in a way no one else ever had. She hadn't just walked into his life; she had stormed into his soul. From the very first moment, he had felt something unfamiliar yet powerful. His heart had pounded wildly the day he saw her for the first time. It was like the universe had whispered her name into the rhythm of his heartbeat.
He had wanted her. Desperately. Obsessively.
But Vani? She had rejected him—outright.
Not once, but twice.
And the second time? She had slapped him. In front of his friends. That moment had shattered something inside Jai. How could someone hurt his ego so ruthlessly? How could anyone dare to humiliate Jai in front of others?
No. He couldn't bear it.
The sting of rejection turned into the fire of revenge. He hadn't wanted her love anymore. All he wanted was to see her broken, just like she had broken his pride. So he decided he would make her pay. And he did.
Or at least he thought he did.
But now, years later, standing at the edge of this emotional storm, Jai wasn't sure what he had truly done back then. Was it revenge? Or just a wounded boy lashing out because he couldn't handle the pain of loving someone who didn't love him back?
He didn't have the answers.
All he had now was a gaping hole in his heart, a restless longing to find the child he never got to hold, and a quiet prayer that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't too late to make things right.
Back then, even his stubbornness refused to accept the truth—that he loved Vani. He had buried that feeling deep, disguising it as obsession, convincing himself over and over that she was nothing more than a challenge… a fixation born out of wounded pride.
"I don't love her," he used to tell himself. "It was just an attraction. A moment of weakness. Nothing more."
But his heart—relentless and unkind—mocked him every time.
Oh really? Then why can't you forget her, even after all these years? Why does her memory still haunt you at night? Why are you still waiting for her, Jai?
He clenched his fists, trying to silence the voice inside. But it echoed louder than ever.
Yes, she had insulted him. Publicly. In front of his friends. That sting hadn't faded with time. In fact, it had only deepened.
But then another voice—colder, more logical—spoke from within, his mind confronting the truths his heart tried to ignore.
And what did you expect, Jai?
You stopped her in the middle of the road. Forced her to listen to your grand declaration of love. Proposed marriage out of the blue, without even trying to understand her, her world, her feelings. What was she supposed to do—smile and say yes?
No, Jai. She did what any girl with self-respect would do. She slapped you. And maybe… you deserved it.
Jai sat in silence as his own thoughts crashed into him like waves, each one peeling back a layer of denial. He had built his entire life around a lie—that he never loved her.
But the truth?
The truth was cruel and simple.
He had always loved her.
And maybe... he still did.