Manik glanced at his mothers, Ishita and Nyonika, who had already melted under the charm of his innocent face. He leaned back in his chair, hands up in mock surrender. "I didn't do anything! It was just a little revenge for the prank they pulled on me yesterday!" he said, trying to sound as innocent as possible. But his eyes twinkled mischievously.

The whole table glared at him.

Aliya, still visibly upset, narrowed her eyes. "Why would you do that, Manik? Do you have any idea how long it took me to scrub that color off my face? My skin's going to break out, and I'll have pimples all over!" she huffed dramatically.

Manik rolled his eyes. "Oh please, Aliya, you're overreacting!"

Before anyone could respond, two men entered the dining area, catching the tail end of the conversation. Raman Murty and Raj Malhotra, the patriarchs of the house, exchanged confused glances as they walked over.

"What's going on here?" Raj asked, eyeing Aliya's distressed expression.

Aliya's face immediately turned sorrowful, as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. "Appa, Manik splashed color all over my face! Do you see this? My skin is ruined! Pimples, Appa! Pimples!" she cried out dramatically.

Manik groaned. "Dad, she's exaggerating!" he said, shooting a playful glare at Aliya.

Raj raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the chaos. "Then why is everyone glaring at you, Manik?" he asked, amused.

Before Manik could reply, Aliya pouted and turned to her father. "Because, Appa, he's a troublemaker. My face! Just look at it!"

Raman, watching the sibling bickering with a knowing smile, stepped forward. "Enough, you two. Can we start breakfast before it gets cold?" he asked, trying to maintain order.

Ishita finally spoke up, her voice calm but firm. "Everyone, that's enough. Let's sit down and eat."

Nyonika, trying to ease the tension, smiled warmly. "We made all your favorite dishes. Eat up before it gets cold," she encouraged them.

The family began to settle down, the argument momentarily forgotten as the smell of delicious food filled the room. Cabir, ever the drama king, took a bite of his breakfast and immediately exclaimed, "Oh my god, Mom! What kind of magic is in your hands? This food is divine! You should open your own restaurant!" he said, kissing Nyonika's hand.

Everyone rolled their eyes at his theatrics.

"Chup kar, Cabir. Stop acting like a filmi hero," Nyonika said with a playful smack to his head.

Abhi chuckled, shaking his head. "Mom's right, Cabir. You're being overdramatic, as always. Right, Manik?"

Manik nodded, chewing on a piece of toast. "True, but if Jaan were here, she'd probably finish the whole table. This is her favorite kind of breakfast," he said absentmindedly. Then it hit him—what he had just said. His face froze for a moment.

The room fell silent. Everyone had caught the slip, and their cheerful expressions quickly shifted. The mention of her—the missing piece of their family—brought an undeniable sadness. They all missed her deeply.

Cabir, always the one to speak up, looked directly at their parents. "Don't you miss her, Appa?" His tone had a sharp edge, as if daring them to deny it.

Raman looked down, his face filled with guilt and sorrow. "Of course we miss her, Cabir. She's my princess, my blood. How can I not miss her? But... how can I look her in the eye after what we did? I don't have the courage," he confessed quietly.

Raj, sitting beside him, placed a hand on his friend's shoulder in support, his eyes filled with understanding. Across the table, Mukti, Aliya, and Dhruv sat in somber silence. Ishita and Nyonika were already in tears.

Abhi's voice broke the silence. "She was the naughtiest in the house, the one who brought so much laughter and mischief. I miss her every single day," he said, his eyes watery with emotion.

Cabir, frustrated, spoke again. "You have to face her, Appa. It's been 14 years. You have to face her now. Enough is enough," he declared, his tone firm but not disrespectful.

No one rebuked Cabir for speaking so boldly. They knew he was right. They had all been at fault.

Ishita, wiping her tears, nodded. "Cabir is right, Raman. We can't keep running away from this. We've avoided her for too long. We made a mistake—a huge mistake. We need to go to her, to apologize, and try to make things right."

Raman stood up from his seat and embraced Ishita, his own tears now falling. "You're right," he whispered. "We'll go to Mumbai and meet her. It's time we faced her. We owe her that much."

Everyone around the table smiled softly through their tears, relieved that the decision had finally been made. They were going to make amends, no matter how difficult it would be.

Just as the emotional moment was reaching its peak, Manik, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly stood up. "Wait... I have something to confess to you all," he said, his voice hesitant. All eyes turned to him, curious.

Manik shifted nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, um... actually, what I wanted to say is..." he trailed off, glancing around the table dramatically.

The suspense in the room was palpable.

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