His Sunshine, His Midnight Rain

08

As Ayaan and Prakash made their way back to the mansion, the sound of rain tapping on the car roof created a soothing background for the conversation that was about to unfold between father and son.

"I don't know why you hate her, Ayaan. Naina is one of the kindest ones," Prakash began, breaking the silence that hung between them.

Ayaan, staring out at the blurred city lights through rain-streaked windows, didn't respond immediately. Prakash persisted, "You know about me, Ayaan. I don't do anything without a reason. Naina has this great talent; you'll be amazed too."

This grabbed his full attention, but it was quickly clouded by memories of past incidents involving his parents. The emotional baggage from his family's history cast a shadow on the idea of welcoming someone new.

"You might think, why am I telling you all this, especially about Naina," Prakash continued, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I am soon gonna hand over the company to you, and seeing you have a bad opinion of Naina, I thought that you might cut the investment with her."

As Prakash continued, Ayaan grappled with the internal conflict between his heart and mind. His heart whispered a desire to explore the unknown, to follow the spark of curiosity about Naina. Yet, his practical mind, shaped by the relentless pursuit of success in the business world, urged caution, reminding him of potential risks.

After thinking deeply and fighting within himself, he released a few words from his mouth.

"Is she a trustworthy person, Dad?"

Prakash stopped the car since they reached home. Prakash nodded his head, assuring him that Naina is no harm.

"Ayaan, Naina is like a daughter to me... no, she actually is my daughter. And I believe in my daughter. You might think everyone is like your..." Prakash couldn't complete the last word and sighed.

"I don't know what to tell you, but not all people are the same; she is different," he said and got out of the car, walking into the mansion.

Ayaan, who was still sitting back, got struck with the words his father just now said.

'She is different.'

He didn't know why he suddenly blinked his eyes to come out of his thoughts and got out from the car, rushing towards his dad.

"Dad!"

Prakash stopped his track and turned towards his son.

"You want me to trust her, don't you?" Ayaan asked, making Prakash nod his head in a confused manner because his son was behaving a little weird.

"Then you should do something for me," Ayaan said, making Prakash think that he is doing something nuisance.

"What is it?" Prakash asked in a serious matter. If his son is trying to hurt Naina, then he would not allow that even in dramas.

"I want to..."

**NEXT DAY**

The following day at the cafe was like any other day, with Sejal and Krithika working seamlessly together. Although there were few customers in the physical cafe, the online and occasional orders kept them busy.

The warm and welcoming atmosphere prevailed, accompanied by the delightful aroma of freshly prepared cakes.

Sejal, as always, was engrossed in her cake preparations. She emerged from the kitchen and noticed that Krithika was managing tasks around the cafe efficiently. She came to the cash counter and sent Krithika inside to handle other responsibilities while she attended to taking orders.