Naina was lounging on the bed, engrossed in a lighthearted movie, munching on a bag of chips. Suddenly, her phone buzzed, interrupting her. Glancing at the screen, she saw her mother's name flash across. With a smile, she picked up the call.
"Hello, Ma! Kaisi ho aap?" she greeted her.
âI am good. Tum kaise ho, sab theek hai na?â her mother asked, her voice filled with warmth and concern.
"Sab theek hai, Ma," Naina replied, her tone equally affectionate.
âI called to ask for your address. I want to send you something by courier,â her mother continued, her words laced with curiosity.
Naina hesitated for a moment, then sent her the address of Rivaanâs house, not thinking much of it. âTheek hai, Ma. Address bhej diya,â she confirmed.
A while later, Rivaan came home, his presence filling the room with an easy calm. He settled on the sofa beside Naina, looking at her with a raised brow. âDid you order something?â he asked, hearing the doorbell ring.
Naina shook her head. âNo, I didnât. Oh, wait! My mother mentioned she was sending something. It must be the delivery guy,â she said, getting up to open the door.
But as she swung the door open, she froze. Instead of a delivery man, her mother stood there, looking around, her eyes widening as they landed on Nainaâs noticeably pregnant belly.
Shock painted her motherâs face, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke. Nainaâs heart raced, panic bubbling up inside her. Rivaan, sensing something was off, stood up and moved toward the door.
âWho is it, Naina?â he called out, but she still couldnât find her voice to respond.
As Rivaan reached the doorway, he too was taken aback. Standing there was a woman in her fifties, her expression a mixture of confusion, disbelief, and something elseâsomething that made Nainaâs chest tighten with guilt.
When the womanâs gaze finally shifted to Rivaan, realization dawned in her eyes. She looked back and forth between them, her breathing quickening. Before either of them could say anything, Nainaâs motherâs face turned pale, and she swayed on her feet.
âMa!â Naina gasped, reaching out just as her motherâs eyes rolled back and she collapsed in a faint.
Rivaan moved swiftly, catching her before she hit the ground. Naina stood there, her hands trembling, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts, none of them coherent.
They stood frozen in the doorway, the gravity of the situation pressing down on them. Neither of them knew what to say or do next, but one thing was clear: things were about to get a lot more complicated.