Siara's pov-
The day began as usual, with the sounds of lively chatter filling the air. The younger clan of the Sehgal family was already stirring up the house, talking about the upcoming trip to their ancestral home in the village. It was one of those days when the energy seemed to spill out of every room, infecting everyone around.
I, however, remained detached, not fully participating in the banter. My gaze stayed fixed on my phone as I reviewed my schedule. As usual, the constant balance between work and family never seemed to stop. But today was different.
"Siara" Dadi's voice rang out, cutting through the noise of the house, "Can you take a leave for a few days?"
I looked up from my phone and met her gaze. Her expression was firm, yet warm. How could I say no to her request? I checked my calendar quickly. My surgeries were already covered by my colleagues for the next few days. âYes, Dadi, I can manage. Iâll check in remotely if needed, but itâs fine.â I answered blankly
"Good," she nodded, satisfied with my answer. "Then itâs settled."
She turned to inform everyone, and I could hear the excitement growing as the news spread through the house. The energy in the room shifted as everyone began talking about the trip, with some excitedly planning what to pack, while others joked about the quietness of the village. Trips doesn't excite me anymore, that word was gone from my dictionary years ago.I stayed still, my expression impassive, even though part of me couldnât help but feel the subtle change in the air.
But when Mahir declined, thatâs when the atmosphere grew serious.
"Iâm not going," He announced firmly as he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.
Dadi, however, wasnât having any of it. âYou will come, Mahir. You have no choice.â
âIâm busy,â Mahir protested, looking over his shoulder toward me as if I would back him up.
Dadi gave him a long, hard stare, a woman who never backed down from a challenge. âIâve already spoken to your mother, your uncle, your brothers. You are going. Your presence is important. We will not leave without you.â
Mahir gave an exasperated sigh, but it was clear that he wasnât going to win this round. "Fine," he muttered, his face betraying his annoyance. But even I could see the slight twitch at the corner of his lips. It wasnât angerâit was a resignation. Dadi had won, and Mahir knew better than to argue further.
The following day, the entire house was in preparation mode. Staff were packing the cars, and I could hear the usual chaos that accompanied any family trip. The sehgal clan was running around, joking about how many snacks they could fit into the car, while Mahir was in his study, trying to make sure everything in his schedule was in place.
When the time came, we all piled into the cars, with Mahir and I in one, everyone else in the others. It was strange, the quiet that settled between us. Normally, there was tension in the air whenever we shared a space for extended periods of time, but today there was something else. A strange silence. He wasnât speaking, and neither was I. This man sitting beside me knows very well about my past but he never asked. I don't care either way. This baseless relationship is just as absurd as my past.
The drive was long, and the only sounds that filled the air were the hum of the tires on the road and the occasional soft chuckle from the other cars ahead. Then, in the middle of the drive, Mahir asked me a question that took me completely by surprise.
âYou used to love me, didnât you?â
His voice was quiet, almost as though he wasnât sure if he wanted me to hear him.
I didnât flinch. I didnât even look at him. My gaze stayed straight ahead on the road, my hands resting on my lap. âI donât anymore,â I replied simply, as though the answer was as plain as day.
There it was. The truth. The cold, hard truth.
I heard Mahir take a deep breath, and I knew he had expected something else, something warmer, maybe. But I wasnât that person anymore, and I wouldnât pretend to be.
The rest of the ride passed in silence, and when we reached the restaurant stop, I was grateful for the distraction. The place was beautiful, nestled right next to a sprawling river, with flowers and trees that almost seemed to belong in a fairy tale. Fairy tale, well this word is also deleted from my life dictionary.
I got out of the car, stretching my legs as I looked at the others. They were all chatting excitedly, as though nothing had changed. I didnât blame them; they were still young, still vibrant, still hopeful like Avi. I used to be that way, too. I didnât feel the need to join in their light-hearted banter which I never did. I just followed along, as always, silent and distant.
Thatâs when I saw him.
The man who had sent me those roses. The same one who had dared to threatened my staff. My eyes narrowed slightly but my face blank as he approached, a smile on his face as he confidently walked toward me.
âWell, well, Dr. Siara," he began with an air of overconfidence, his eyes flicking over me, âItâs good to see you again. Thank you again for saving my life.How are you?â
I didnât reply immediately. Instead, I looked him over, assessing his presence. âIâm fine,â I said coolly, before turning slightly to face the rest of the family.
And then the chaos began.
Before I could say anything else, the man asked, âHow are your three kids?â
The words hung in the air, and I froze. Right now I want to restructure his face because I don't like his jaw but I can't as Mahir's family is here. His dadi will probably faint if she sees me breaking bones.
Just then, Kabir, Shivay, and Divya, three of Mahir's cousins, stepped forward. They had clearly overheard the conversation. Not just them but the whole family has heard and with the mischievous grins on the cousins faces, they knew exactly what to do.
âGood, good,â Kabir said, grinning. âWeâre doing great.â
âYes,â Divya added, her eyes twinkling, âWe have stopped here but uncle, mom is not letting me get chocolatesâ
The man blinked, clearly not expecting this. He took a few steps back, his face showing a mix of confusion and growing horror as he tried to process what was going on. Divya grinned up at him, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
The manâs face turned white as he stared at the three of them. âYour⦠your kids? These a-are y-your k-kidsâ
Shivay, ever the quick-witted one, leaned in and said, âYeah, weâre and we are doing fine.â
The man was sweating now, looking like he might pass out. âTheyâre so⦠so BIG,â he stammered, his voice cracking.
Shivay, who had been silently standing by, chimed in, âYeah, we are growing kids, you should see the amount of food we eat. Weâre practically a human vacuum cleaner.â
At this point, the manâs face had turned pale. He looked from one of us to the next, trying to make sense of the situation. His mouth opened and closed as if he were trying to find the right words but failing miserably.
âYou... youâre her kids?â he asked, his voice cracking slightly. His eyes were wide with shock, as though he had just witnessed the most bizarre thing in his life.
By now, the man was visibly sweating, his eyes darting between us, unsure of whether to laugh or run away. The sight of three âkidsâ this tall, standing in front of him, was clearly a shock to his fragile ego.
"You... three... kids?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper, as if the very concept of someone having such big children was incomprehensible.
âYep,â Kabir said, giving him a mock-pitying look. âYou really need to be careful about who you flirt with, mate..no no I mean uncle, look at us! You might have just hit on a whole family.â
And that was when the pièce de résistance arrived: Mahir. He appeared from behind, stepping up to stand next to me with that expressionless face he was so known for. The moment the man saw him, his face went from pale to downright ghostly white. Mahirâs imposing presence did wonders for the whole situation.
âIs there a problem here?â Mahir asked in his usual deadpan voice. But to everyone watching, it was clear he was just enjoying this spectacle, even if he wasnât showing it.
The man, looking like he might faint any second, nervously looked at Mahir and then at me. âU-uh, is... is he your... your fourth kid?â he asked, pointing at Mahir with a trembling finger.
Shivay, ever the comedic genius, burst out laughing so hard he nearly tripped over his own feet. âOh my God, thatâs rich! From this Richy rich guyâ he wheezed, clutching his stomach.
"HOW DARE YOU INSULT OUR DAD," Divya over dramatically growled
This brought everyone's attention and for complete 6 seconds they all looked at her.
Then Mahir stepped forward, his posture straightening, his face a picture of calm fury. âNo,â he said in a voice that sent shivers down the manâs spine. âIâm her husband.â
Devansh, not missing the chance to continue the fun, patted the stranger on the shoulder with exaggerated sympathy. âGenes brother genes.â
The man, looking utterly horrified, seemed to shrink under the collective attention. He looked at me one last time, then at Mahir, and without another word, bolted, stumbling over his own feet as he scrambled toward the exit. His hasty retreat almost comical in its desperation, the laughter that followed filled the air.
It felt like the tension of the moment had dissipated, and in its place, a burst of joy spread through the group.Even the restaurant staff who witnessed this were trying to cover up their laugh.
Shivay, unable to contain his laughter, almost fell down. The rest didnât fare much better. The younger cousins, Dadi, everyone burst out laughing.
Shivay, still holding his stomach from laughing so hard, wiped a tear from his eye. "I swear, I think he actually believed we were all your kids!" he said, between breaths. "I mean, he mustâve been expecting a daycare center, not a whole family."
âThat was brilliant,â Kabir said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. âHeâll be telling stories about this for a long time.â
The Sehgal familyâmost notably the younger cousins and Dadiâwas in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. It was rare for this crowd to experience such a chaotic, unplanned comedy show.
Shivay, barely able to keep himself steady, wiped his eyes, still laughing. "Did you see his face? It was like he saw a ghost... or, worse, a very, very angry mother-in-law."
Myra, always quick on her feet, chimed in, her voice dripping with mock sincerity, "And to think, he thought bhabhi is mother to these gigantic 'kids.'"
Shivay gave me a teasing nudge. âJust wait until we start giving out autographs. Youâll be so proud of your âkidsâ then.â
I just looked at them blankly but deep down, something shifted. I was usually annoyed by their antics, but today... I didnât mind so much. Maybe it was the fact that I used to have a family who could make me laugh, even if it was at my expense.
â Well The highlight of the day was Divya's remark,' how dare you insult my dad', " Devansh recalled.
"Bhabhi that Richy rich guy might have directly went to a psychiatrist," Mahi laughed out.
______________________________________
Once the chaos died down, we started the journey again. Mahir was driving constantly. I may be cold and stoic as they say but I am not heartless. He already looked tired as he finished his impending work before the journey.
"Let's switch"
"You know how to drive?," he asked
Flashback
Rey bhai's friend asked," Do you know how to drive, siara
Aryan bhai grinning mischievously "Know how to drive? She can barely keep her balance while walking in heels!"
Ekansh bhai laughed "She tried driving onceâended up in a tree and gave it a name. 'Tree, meet Siara. Siara, meet the tree.'"
"She tried to take a left turn but ended up in someone's backyard. Donât ask how that happened." avyaan bhai smirked
Vivek bhai snorts "Honestly, Iâm not sure she even knows which is the brake. Weâd be better off with her in the passenger seat screaming instructions!"
Aryan bahi chimes in, deadpan "She tried. I still have nightmares from the day she got behind the wheel. The carâs fine... but the airbags still havenât forgiven her."
Rey bhai said "Trust me, doll, youâre a danger to yourself and every living creature in a 5-mile radius."
I frowned, trying to defend myself,"I know how to drive!"
-----------------------
Present
I swallowed hard. My eyes burned, but not a single tear fell. I couldnât bring myself to cry, not now, not ever. The day Siara will cry, that won't be siara, that would be SIARA MALHOTRA. And that day will never come.
I felt the subtle shift in the carâs atmosphere, the way Mahirâs presence became more acute, like he was aware of something without even knowing what it was. His gaze was on me, though he said nothing, the silence was almost louder than the engine itself.
I knew he had noticed. How could he not? I checked out. I had mentally left the car, reliving every moment of my past, my loss, and my family's broken pieces. But as usual I ignored the heaviness in my heart. The weight of everything Iâd left unspoken, unresolved just like they did. It was always like thisâthis quiet storm inside me, always threatening to rise to the surface.
I could feel the weight of his gaze from the corner of my eye, but he didnât ask. He didnât push.
"Yes, lets switch," i said
He didn't say a word and stopped the car, He held out the door for me to get in the driver's seat. From the corner of my eyes I saw Kabir taking a picture of us from their car stopped at some distance. Does their teasings matter to me? No, Will there be love in this relationship ever? Never
______