Smokescreen

After Arjun left the room, Mr. Rahal looked at his daughter with affection and hope, his heart betting against odds that he might be able to convince her to go home with them this time, as she was not well and she was practically a stranger to the city they had relocated to twelve years ago, after the accident. Thinking this, he smiled as he started to speak, while also bracing himself for disappointment, “Manu, kiddo, let's go home now, it's getting late.” He said this matter-of-factly, as if Manya wouldn’t notice anything wrong with the suggestion if he said it causally enough.