"Some goodbyes are never spoken. They echo in your dreams and wake you in tears.”

__

“Maa… don’t leave me,” little Devansh sobbed, clinging tightly to his mother as if his entire world depended on that one embrace.

“I’m not leaving you, Devansh,” she whispered softly, breaking the hug to cup his tear-streaked face. She gently pressed a kiss to his forehead—warm, loving, eternal.

And then, she wrapped him in another hug. A deeper, tighter one—as though she was trying to absorb his very being, like this was the last time she’d ever hold him.

Devansh smiled faintly through the embrace, but silent tears trickled down his cheeks. One droplet fell on his hand, catching his attention. He blinked, slowly pulling away.

His mother… was gone.

Nothing surrounded him but darkness—an empty void. A cold, endless room with no walls, no doors, no light… just him and the lingering warmth of a hug that no longer existed.

“Maa?” he called out, spinning in every direction. “Maa!”

He ran. And ran. Desperate, frantic, breathless.

But no matter how far he ran, the darkness stretched with him, swallowing his voice, his hope, his sanity.

After what felt like forever, he collapsed onto the cold floor, falling to his knees, broken.

“You said you’d never leave me…” he whispered, trembling as he sobbed.

“MAA!”

His cry echoed endlessly—aching, raw, helpless.

---

“Ma…”

Devansh’s eyes flew open.

He shot upright in bed, gasping. His face was soaked—not just from sweat, but from real tears. Trembling, he touched his damp cheeks. It wasn’t just a nightmare. He had cried in his sleep again… and in reality too.

His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths as he glanced at the wall clock.

3:13 AM.

He didn’t flinch. No shock. No fear. Just hollow numbness.

These dreams—no, these hauntings—were nothing new. Devansh barely slept more than two hours a night. And when he did, these memories came crawling back like ghosts, refusing to let him go.

He swung his legs off the bed and stood. Sleep was now a lost cause.

He walked to the washroom, flicked on the light, turned the tap, and splashed cold water onto his face. The reflection in the mirror stared back at him—bloodshot eyes from chronic insomnia, messy hair, and an expression that hadn’t changed in years: exhausted emptiness.

He wiped his face with a towel, said nothing, and walked straight to his workspace.

Opening his laptop, he dove into the only escape he had: work.

---

Time passed in silence, broken only by the soft taps of keys.

7:10 AM.

Devansh shut the laptop and headed to freshen up. His routine was mechanical—one step to the next, devoid of feeling, devoid of care.

He stepped into the kitchen, brewed a strong black coffee, and prepared a simple toast. Placing them on the table, he sat down.

His eyes rose slowly to a framed photo on the wall.

It was her.

His mother.

Her smile—frozen in time.

“You never let me leave the house without breakfast,” he murmured, staring at the photo. “And look… I’m still doing what you told me.”

He forced a bitter smile. “But it tastes like nothing. Bland, even if it's seasoned. Maybe... what’s missing is your love.”

His voice cracked, but his face remained stoic.

“I have everything now. Wealth. Power. Status. But love?” He laughed under his breath. “Love is a luxury I still can’t afford.”

He stared into her eyes—the eyes in the frame. The only place he could ever find her now.

“If only you could come back… hug me once. Feed me with your hands. Just once, Maa…”

Silence.

“But you’re in a place I can’t reach. Not yet.”

He looked down at his half-eaten toast and pushed the plate aside.

“I don’t know how many more years I’ll have to keep living without you.”

Grabbing his bag, he stood up and walked out—his coffee cold, the toast untouched.

---

In the parking lot, he slid into his sleek black car. Without a second thought, he revved the engine and sped out of the driveway, his foot heavy on the accelerator.

100 km/h. 110. 120.

He didn’t care. What was there to lose?

Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the towering glass building of DO Engineering Enterprises—his empire. The one he built. The one he ruled.

Security guards straightened up. Staff bowed their heads. Every eye followed him with respect… or fear.

Devansh stepped into the elevator. Alone. No one dared enter the lift when he was in it.

He pressed the button for the 12th floor.

Just then, a voice echoed from a distance.

“Please! Please hold the elevator!”

He looked up. A girl—rushing, breathless—was hurrying toward him. Her hair flowed loose, soft kohl lined her eyes, a delicate jhumki swayed with every step. She wore a white chikankari kurti over jeans, holding a bunch of files that were slipping from her hands.

“Please stop the elevator!” she called again, louder this time.

Devansh blinked out of his daze and quickly pressed the button to keep the door open.

“Thanks,” she said, stepping in, brushing her hair back with one hand and juggling her files with the other.

She looked up at him with bright, exasperated eyes.

“Can you hold these for a minute?” she asked, holding out the files.

“…Me?” Devansh replied, his deep, husky voice echoing in the small space.

She glanced around at the empty elevator and raised her eyebrows.

“Well, unless there’s a ghost behind you, yes. You.”

Devansh took the files, stunned. Nobody—nobody—had ever spoken to him like that in this building.

She quickly packed some things into her bag, then pulled out a claw clip and twisted her hair up.

Taking the files back from him, she smiled. “Thanks. You're a lifesaver.”

Then she extended her hand, cheerful and bright.

“Hi! I’m Aarohi.”

“…Devansh,” he replied curtly, turning to face forward, avoiding her eyes.

Aarohi pouted at his coldness but brushed it off. She was too used to serious men being buzzkills.

The elevator dinged.

Devansh stepped out first. Employees immediately stood straighter, bowing heads as he walked past.

Aarohi stepped out after him, puzzled as she watched people greet him with such reverence.

“Wait… he’s not the CEO or something, right?” she muttered to herself.

Then her eyes

widened. “D…D.O. Enterprises. Does the D stand for Devansh?!”

Her jaw dropped.

“Oh god,” she whispered, slapping her forehead. “I messed up.”

---