The entire house was filled with happiness.
Lakshmi was already thinking about the things they needed to buy for the baby. Pushpa was excitedly talking about how she would take care of the little one.
Mrunal was sitting quietly, watching her parents celebrate.
For the first time in several days, she had managed to smile.
Just then, her mobile phone vibrated.
It was a message from Vishwak.
She immediately picked up her phone, hoping to see something loving from her husband.
But the moment she read the message, her smile disappeared.
Vishwak's message:
"Do we really need a child at this stage? I think we made the wrong decision. Honestly, I'm not happy about it."
Mrunal read it again.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
The man who was supposed to share this happiness with her was questioning the arrival of their baby.
Her eyes filled with tears.
Without saying a word, she got up and walked straight into her bedroom.
Lakshmi and Pushpa looked at each other.
"What happened to her suddenly?" Pushpa asked.
Lakshmi had no answer.
A few minutes later, Raghav returned from the sweet shop with several boxes of sweets.
"Where is Mrunal? Let's celebrate!" he said happily.
Lakshmi looked at him.
"She went into her room. Something happened after she received a message on her phone."
Raghav's smile slowly disappeared.
He placed the sweet boxes on the table and walked towards her room.
Inside, Mrunal was sitting on the bed, holding her phone tightly.
She was crying, but this time her sadness was mixed with anger.
She looked at Vishwak's message again.
"How could he say this? What does he think of himself?"
She wanted to call him immediately and shout at him.
"Vishwak, do you even understand what you're saying? This is our baby! How can you call it a wrong decision?"
But she stopped.
She knew another emotional phone call would not change his attitude.
For months, she had tried to understand him, made excuses for his behaviour, and waited for the affection that never came.
But now, things were different.
She was carrying their child.
She couldn't keep suffering in silence.
For the first time, she asked herself whether she had made the biggest mistake of her life by choosing Vishwak against her family's wishes.
She remembered how her parents had warned her, how her brothers had opposed the marriage, and how she had fought with everyone because she believed Vishwak was the right person.
She had ignored their concerns because she loved him.
But what had that love brought her today?
A painful message from her own husband.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock.
"Mrunal, can I come in?" Raghav asked.
She quickly wiped her tears.
"Come in, Daddy."
Raghav entered and sat beside her.
"What happened, dear? Why did you suddenly leave?"
Mrunal handed him the phone without saying anything.
Raghav read the message.
His face changed immediately.
For a few seconds, he couldn't speak.
He had expected Vishwak to be distant, but he had never imagined that he would react this way to the news of his own child.
Raghav looked at his daughter.
"Is this what he replied when you told him about your pregnancy?"
Mrunal nodded.
"Daddy, I don't know what to do anymore. I thought he would be happy. I thought this news would bring us closer. But look at his response."
Her voice broke.
Raghav gently held her hand.
"Don't cry, dear. You need to be strong now. Your health and your baby are more important than anything else."
Mrunal looked at him.
"Daddy, why did I fight with everyone for him? Why didn't I listen to you?"
Raghav felt deeply hurt seeing his daughter in that condition.
He didn't want to remind her of the past, but he knew the situation could no longer be ignored.
"Mrunal, what happened has happened. Don't blame yourself for choosing someone you loved. But now, you shouldn't face this alone."
He paused and continued,
"You didn't listen to anyone when you decided to marry him. We respected your decision and accepted him as our family member. But if he thinks he can treat you this way, we cannot remain silent."
Raghav stood up and took out his phone.
"That's enough. I'm calling Sidharth and Vamshi today. They need to know what is happening to their sister."
Mrunal looked at her father, but this time she didn't stop him.
Outside, the sweets were still lying on the table.
The house that had been filled with laughter just minutes ago was now completely silent.
A single message had destroyed their happiness.
And somewhere in the middle of all this, one question remained:
Was Vishwak simply rejecting fatherhood, or was he planning to walk away from Mrunal altogether?.