The next morning dawned with a heaviness that Dheeraj and Riya Chauhan could not shake. Sleep had been elusive, and the tension from the previous night lingered in the air like a cloud over their home. The once vibrant energy that had filled the Chauhan estate for the party had now been replaced by an oppressive silence. The weight of their daughter's actions and the fallout with the Agastyas hung over them both like a shadow.
Dheeraj sat at the kitchen table, staring blankly at his untouched cup of tea. His mind replayed Karna Agastya's furious words over and over again. The anger, the disappointment, and the feeling of betrayal—it had all come crashing down on him last night, and now he had to deal with the consequences.
Riya, pacing near the window, paused to glance at him. She could see the exhaustion in his eyes, the guilt etched into his every feature. She felt it too—an ache deep in her chest. The Agastyas had been more than just friends; they were practically family. And Diya's actions had jeopardized everything.
"She's still in her room," Riya said quietly, breaking the silence. "She hasn't come out since last night."
Dheeraj didn't respond immediately. His thoughts were too tangled, too clouded by frustration and regret. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and tired. "I don't know if she fully understands what she's done."
Riya sank into the chair opposite him, her eyes filled with concern. "I thought we raised her better than this, Dheeraj. I keep trying to figure out where we went wrong."
"I've been asking myself the same thing," Dheeraj admitted, rubbing his temples. "But right now, we can't focus on that. We have to deal with Karna and Devi."
Riya nodded, her expression growing more serious. "You're right. We owe them an apology, a proper one. But what about Dhruvansh? He's the one who was hurt the most."
Dheeraj sighed deeply, the guilt tightening around his heart. "I don't know how to fix this. Karna was furious, and I can't blame him. If the roles were reversed, I'd feel the same way."
The silence stretched between them for a few moments before Riya spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think he'll forgive us? Or Diya?"
Dheeraj looked at her, his eyes heavy with the weight of his thoughts. "I don't know," he said honestly. "But we have to try. We have to at least make the effort to fix this."
The sound of footsteps approaching made them both turn toward the doorway. Diya stood there, her face pale and her eyes rimmed with the red of sleeplessness. She looked hesitant, unsure of whether to step forward or retreat back into the safety of her room.
"Can I come in?" she asked softly.
Dheeraj motioned for her to sit, though his expression remained stern. "We need to talk, Diya."
She sat down slowly, avoiding their gaze, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. "I know I messed up," she began, her voice quiet. "I didn't mean for things to go this far."
Riya leaned forward; her voice soft but firm. "Diya, this isn't just about things getting out of hand. You hurt someone. You targeted Dhruvansh which I don't understand why you did it."
Diya flinched at her mother's words, tears welling up in her eyes. "I was angry because dad got him admitted in the same class as me in the scholar academy. And now you want me to make friends with him. I will become a joke in front of my friends if I make friends with him. Everyone will start making fun of—" She hesitated, her voice cracking.
Riya interrupted her saying, "That's no excuse, Diya. You can't tear someone down just because you're feeling insecure."
Dheeraj's voice cut in, sharp and filled with disappointment. "And you are saying your friends will make fun of you if you're seen hanging out with Dhruvansh. May I ask which friends? The friends you are talking about are just some snobbish pricks who are high on their parent's wealth, arrogant beyond reason, and are your friends just because to get close to you for the wealth that you will be entitled in future. They are not your friends and neither are their parents trustworthy nor are they which can be seen from their reactions to the last night's whole fiasco. And when you have the chance to take the stand for the right thing you lied to us. You tried to make us believe it was Dhruvansh's fault, that the Agastya kids were to blame. You took advantage of our trust."
Diya lowered her head, guilt and shame flooding her features. "I didn't know what else to do. I panicked."
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the ticking of the kitchen clock. Dheeraj and Riya exchanged a glance, both struggling with their emotions.
"Diya, you need to understand something," Dheeraj said, his voice steady but stern. "What you did was wrong, and there are consequences. You will apologize to Dhruvansh and the Agastyas. But more than that, you need to reflect on why you did this in the first place. We're not going to sweep this under the rug."
Diya nodded, her tears spilling over. "I will. I'll apologize. I'm sorry, Mom, Dad. I never meant to hurt anyone."
Riya reached out to take her daughter's hand, squeezing it gently. "We believe you're sorry, Diya. But you have to do better. This can't happen again."
Dheeraj stood up, pacing the room as if trying to burn off his frustration. "We'll visit Karna and Devi today. We can't wait. They need to hear from us directly."
Diya looked up, fear flashing in her eyes. "Do I have to go? I don't know if I can face them…"
"Yes," Dheeraj said firmly. "You'll face them. That's part of taking responsibility."
The family sat in somber silence for a few moments before Riya stood up as well, signaling that it was time to go. Diya, still pale and tear-streaked, followed them out of the house, her heart heavy with dread.
The Agastya estate felt colder than usual when they arrived. Dheeraj's heart pounded as they walked toward the door. Memories of better days, of laughter and shared meals, flashed through his mind, but they were overshadowed by the gravity of today's visit.
Devi answered the door, her expression unreadable. She glanced at Diya, then at Dheeraj and Riya, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Come in," she said quietly, stepping aside to let them in.
Dheeraj and Riya entered the living room with Diya trailing nervously behind them. The weight of her mistake seemed to press down on her shoulders, and her gaze flickered with uncertainty. The tension in the room was palpable, and even though no words had been spoken yet, the air was thick with expectation.
"We're here to talk," Dheeraj began, his voice calm but serious. "And to apologize."
Karna's eyes flickered and he wanted to say many things, but at last he just sighs and motions to Dheeraj, Riya and Diya to be seated on the sofa.
"Last night… things got out of hand. I'm not going to make excuses. Diya's actions were wrong, and we're deeply sorry for what happened."
Riya nodded, her voice soft as she added, "We failed to see the truth, and we let our daughter lie to us. We should have known better. We owe you and your family a sincere apology."
Diya, standing beside her parents, fidgeted nervously. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words seemed to get stuck in her throat. Finally, she forced herself to look up, her voice trembling as she spoke.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean for things to go this far. I know I hurt Dhruvansh, and I know I can't take that back, but… I'm really, really sorry."
Karna's gaze was hard, but he didn't respond immediately. He studied Diya for a long moment, as if trying to determine whether her apology was genuine.
Devi, sensing the tension, finally spoke, her voice softer than her husband's. "Apologies are a start. But the damage is done, Dheeraj. Dhruvansh is clearly hurt, and he's not talking to us from last night properly when we tried to talk to him last night after coming home from the party, he blamed us for keeping the truth from him."
Dheeraj swallowed, guilt gnawing at him. "I understand. And we're not asking for forgiveness right away. We just want to make things right, however we can."