Naina stepped out of Sahil's ward. Just outside, she was met by Kabir and Manik, Sahil's elder brothers, accompanied by Sahil's wife, Kavya.
Kavya immediately asked, "How is Sahil?"
"He's fine now," Naina replied, her tone professional and cool. "But he needs to take proper care of his health and follow a strict nutritional diet." She tried to move past them, but Kavya reached out, her face etched with regret.
"Naina, please, wait," Kavya pleaded. "I need to talk to you about Maya and... everything. I'm so sorry that I hurt you both. I truly didn't know that you are our sister-that was something Maya and our mother kept hidden from all of us." She didn't press, knowing that Naina had only just learned the truth yesterday.
Naina merely nodded and continued on her way. She had an office to get to where her twin sister, Maya, was waiting for their lunch.
The Lunch Confession
Maya was already seated in the office, waiting eagerly for their lunch date. Though Naina was still grappling with a torrent of emotions-anger, sadness, and the shock of this new family-her deep love for Maya prevailed.
Once they were seated at a restaurant, the silence was thick. Finally, Naina broke it. "Tell me everything about Kavya."
Maya sighed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "Kavya is our little sister. Before I met you, things were different. Me, Father, Mother, and Kavya were a happy family. I was meant to marry first, as my fiancé, Vivek, had gone abroad for a business trip, delaying our wedding. Father and Mother were happy about my marriage... but Kavya ran away from her wedding to be with Sahil, who is now her husband."
A shadow crossed Maya's face. "For Father and Mother's sake, I agreed to marry the man I didn't love, leaving Vivek. But when I reached the mandap, Kabir's guards kidnapped me. Sahil had been in college with Kavya, and when she left him, he got drunk and had an accident. Sahil is Kabir's younger brother, so Kabir wanted revenge on Kavya. But by mistake, he kidnapped me and forcefully married me without seeing my face."
"When he realized his mistake..." Maya's voice cracked, "I slapped him. I was furious. But... Kabir forcefully intimated with me."
Naina's fists clenched under the table.
"When I reached home the next morning," Maya continued, tears welling up, "Father had a massive heart attack. He died. Mother and I left India shortly after. And then... we met you, Naina, my lost twin sister."
Naina felt a terrible ache in her chest. She empathized with Maya's suffering, but a persistent feeling that something was wrong with her father's death lingered. She filed the thought away-she would need to check into that later.
Their food arrived, breaking the heavy atmosphere. They ate mostly in silence, and soon after, Maya left for her company. Naina told her, "I have some work, I can't leave with you."
The Husband's Command
Naina returned to the hospital, determined. She sought out her special unit, Shadow, a team of experts in scientific and medical research. Her priority was clear: she needed to know the true cause of her father's death. Was it just a heartache, or was it something more direct?
Naina threw herself into her research, juggling patient rounds with her deep-dive into the circumstances surrounding her father's death. She was perpetually busy, which led to her continuously ignoring calls from Manik, her husband. Their marriage was a secret kept from the Manik family, only known to Maya and their mother. No one in his family had ever even seen his face.
Manik was calling non-stop, wanting to discuss the complicated situation between Kavya and Kabir. To keep everyone from worrying, Naina spoke regularly with her mother, Maya, and her three children, along with her niece and nephews, but she still avoided Manik.
One day, Manik's guards delivered a stark message: meet him at a five-star luxury hotel. Naina knew better than to refuse. If she didn't comply, Manik would come to the hospital and forcibly take her, making a scene she couldn't afford.
Naina reached the hotel and was guided to the luxurious suite. Manik's guards greeted her and opened the door.
A Passionate Interruption
Manik was inside, sitting on a sofa, slowly sipping wine. Naina marched in. "Why did you call me?"
He didn't answer with words. He merely fixed his intense gaze on her, then stood, crossed the room, and pulled her down onto his lap.
Naina struggled to stand, but his hands tightened around her waist, trapping her. "Manik, what are you doing? What's going on?"
He didn't speak. Instead, he leaned in, his lips finding hers, and he began to kiss her with a desperate, passionate intensity. At first, Naina resisted, pushing against his chest, but the fire in his kiss quickly melted her resolve, and she responded, returning his deep affection.
They kissed for twenty minutes, only breaking apart when the desperate need for air forced them to. He kept his face buried in the curve of her neck, peppering it with soft kisses.
Naina's grip on his hands tightened. "What happened?" she whispered. "Why are you behaving like this?"
"Why are you ignoring me and my calls?" he murmured against her skin.
"I was busy," she replied simply.
"Hmm," he hummed, still kissing her neck. "You call our kids, your mother, and Maya. But not me. I'm your husband."
Naina made a small sound-a mix of exasperation and desire, as his continued assault on her neck made it hard to concentrate. "I didn't want Mother or Maya to worry, and the kids... my three kids couldn't sleep. They needed to speak to me."
"And what about me?" he pulled back slightly, his eyes demanding. "You don't care about me. I just wanted to speak about Kavya and Kabir, but you ignored me. So, first, I wanted to deal with you. Then we can speak about them."
"What do you want to say about Kavya and Kabir?" Naina asked, trying to steer the conversation back to his brother's issues.
Manik kissed her softly on the mouth. "Your husband comes first," he declared, "then everything else."
Naina tried to ignore him and get off his lap, but he pushed her back down and kissed her again, deeper this time. He then carried her to the bed, and they gave themselves over to their passion. For nearly six hours, they were intimate, their love making a frantic, beautiful exercise of two people starved for each other.
Finally, Naina tried to push him away, needing a break, but he held her tightly by the waist, keeping them entangled in the sheets.
Naina turned to face him. "What happened now? Can you tell me?"
"Sorry," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "Sorry that I hurt you, and I love you." He paused, a deep sincerity in his eyes. "For two things: Our one night, which I forced on you, and our kids, for which I forced you to marry me."
Naina was stunned, though not entirely surprised. She knew he had hurt her in the beginning, but now they were husband and wife, parents to three beautiful children. After a moment of thought, she spoke.
"I forgive you. And I love you too," she said, sealing the words with a kiss.
"Let's start in a new way," Manik suggested.
They enjoyed their intimacy a little longer before Manik finally allowed Naina to leave. He sent her back to the hospital, not alone, but with his guards.
Naina returned to her office, and there, waiting for her, was the report she had been waiting for.
What do you think is in that report about Naina's father?