Chapter 14: Chapter 13- Periods

Mahir's pov-

The family drove back home, I am waiting here for siara to grab her things from her cabin.

She came back in a few minutes and without a word we left for my car as dad asked siara to travel home with me. Before I could open the car's door for her, she opened it herself and slid inside.

The drive back home was quieter than I expected. Siara sat beside me, her face pale, her shoulders stiff. She hadn’t said a word since we left the hospital, and I didn’t push her. I wasn’t an idiot—I knew she was in pain. She didn’t need to tell me; the faint trembling of her hands and the way she clutched her purse told me enough.

I adjusted the air conditioning silently, making it cooler, then passed her the bottle of water I kept in the car. She didn’t even look at me, just took it and sipped, her gaze fixed out the window.

My hands were holding the steering wheel tight, then I saw her applying vermilion and wearing her nuptial chain. I felt something I couldn't comprehend in words.

By the time we reached the house, she had dozed off. Her head rested lightly against the seat, her hair falling across her face. For a moment, I just stared at her—this woman who never showed weakness, who never let anyone close enough to see her vulnerability. I don't know what is happening to me.

With a sigh, I got out of the car and moved to her side. No way was I waking her up in this state. Without hesitation, I slid my arms under her and lifted her.

She felt very light, and that thought didn’t sit well with me. She was thin, too tired. This wasn’t how anyone should live. I noticed she doesn't eat much.

Walking into the living room, I was met with the sight of my entire family lounging around except dadi. Conversations died mid-sentence as every pair of eyes zeroed in on me carrying Siara. Their shock was so tangible you could cut it with a knife.

Kabir choked on his drink, coughing loudly. Shivay, always the first to start, raised an eyebrow. “Whoa, Bhai, this is... unexpected.”

Myra blinked at me, her expression a mix of confusion and amusement. “Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Mahir Sehgal?”

I ignored them, moving toward the staircase. Avya wasn’t as subtle. “Did we just witness the Mahir Sehgal being... nice? Someone check if it’s snowing in hell.”

My glare stopped any further commentary. Shivay made a zipping motion across his lips but leaned over to whisper something to Kabir, who immediately burst out laughing.

Placing Siara gently on the bed in our room, I adjusted the pillows and pulled a blanket over her. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake. She didn't sleep in bed from the day I arrived here, she took the couch. We are never in such talking terms that I'll go tell her to take the bed and I'll sleep on the couch. It's always awkwardness between us.

When I returned downstairs, the young ones were waiting.

“Care to explain?” Kabir asked, smirking. “Or should we just assume you’ve had a personality transplant?”

“She’s unwell,” I replied curtly, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

“Unwell or... you know, *unwell*?” Shivay asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Avya groaned. “Shut up, Shivay. Of course, he means the other thing. Do you not pay attention to anything?”

“Ohhh,” Shivay said, mock understanding dawning on his face. “So, Bhai finally decided to act like a husband. Congratulations.”

Kabir grinned. “Don’t tease him too much, Shivay. We don’t want him to retreat back into his icy shell.”

Rolling my eyes, I took a long sip of water. “You all done?”

“Not even close,” kavya chimed in. “But we’ll save it for later. Don’t think this makes you less of a robot, Mahir bhai.”

I didn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, I walked past them and filled a plate with food but my mind is still on Siara upstairs.

For all their teasing, one thing was clear. Even they weren’t blind to her exhaustion, her pain. And for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, that realization sat heavily with me.

I went upstairs and woke her up to eat. She didn't deny it, she just ate and slept again. I guess that's because of medicines.

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The room was dark, with only the faint light from the moon streaming through the curtains. I was sleeping on the couch, She lay quietly, her breaths even and soft, though I could tell earlier that she was still in pain. She didn’t cry or complain—she never did—but her silence spoke volumes.

I must have drifted off when a faint rustling woke me. I sat up, glancing toward the bed, but it was empty. My brows furrowed, and I scanned the room. The sound of water running clued me in—she was in the washroom.

Minutes passed, and she didn’t come out. Concern gnawed at me, and I was about to knock when the door creaked open slightly. Her face peeked out, her expression tight, yet still composed.

“Can you—” she started but hesitated. She looked uncomfortable, and that alone was unsettling.

“What is it?” I asked, keeping my voice calm.

“I need…” She swallowed. “Can you call someone from the house? A girl? I’m out of… pads.”

It took me a second to process her words, but I nodded immediately. “No need to wake anyone. I’ll go get them.”

she nodded stiffly and disappeared back inside the washroom.

Without another word, I grabbed my keys and headed out. The streets were eerily quiet at this hour, but I found a 24-hour convenience store not far from home. Walking in, I went straight to the aisle I assumed had what I needed. I paused, staring at the shelves lined with countless options. Wings or no wings? Ultra-thin or extra-long? Night or day use? Seriously it's not that she is going fly if she uses this.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. This was more complicated than I thought. After a brief internal debate, I grabbed a few options—better safe than sorry—and headed to the counter. I bought a few other items which  might help her. The cashier gave me an amused smile, but I ignored it, paid, and left.

When I returned, Siara was still in the washroom. I knocked gently. “ Here”

The door cracked open, and her hand slipped out. I handed her the bag without saying anything.

“Thank you,” she said quietly before closing the door again.

I returned to the couch, lying down and staring at the ceiling. This wasn’t how I imagined our marriage—though to be fair, I hadn’t imagined our marriage at all. Yet, as strange as it was, helping her tonight didn’t feel like a chore. It felt… necessary.

A few minutes later, Siara came out, looking more composed but still pale. She didn’t say anything, just climbed into bed and lay down.

“Do you need anything else?” I asked after a moment.

She shook her head, her voice barely audible. “No. I’m fine.”

As Siara settled back into bed, her pale face and stiff movements made it clear she was far from fine. I couldn’t go back to the couch and pretend I didn’t notice. She might not ask for help, but that didn’t mean she didn’t need it.

"I can see how fine you are" I whispered to myself and with that I got up, grabbed the hot water bag I bought and went downstairs.

Finding things in the kitchen was not an easy task but I managed to find some ginger tea packets. A quick search led me to the kettle, and soon, the soothing aroma of ginger and cardamom filled the air.

While the tea brewed, I filled the hot water bag. Filling it carefully, I made sure it wasn’t too hot before heading back to the room with both the tea and the hot water bag in hand.

Siara’s eyes fluttered open when I placed the hot water bag near her abdomen. She looked startled but didn’t say anything, just watched me as I set the cup of tea on the bedside table.

“You need this,” I said simply, handing her the tea.

She said plainly “You didn’t have to…”

“I know.” I sat on the edge of the bed, crossing my arms. “But you’re in pain, and you won’t ask for help. So here we are.”

Her lips parted, but no words came out. Instead, she sipped the tea, the warmth visibly relaxing her shoulders.

“I’ve seen you power through everything, but even you have limits, Siara,” I said, my tone softer which even shocked me.

She glanced at me, her eyes filled with something unspoken. After a moment, she sighed and leaned back against the headboard, the hot water bag cradled to her stomach.

“Thank you,” she murmured, her voice blank, barely audible.

I nodded, standing up and heading back to the couch. “Try to get some rest. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

As I lay down again, I couldn’t help but glance at her. The fierce, composed woman everyone saw was still there, but tonight, she allowed a flicker of vulnerability to show. And for some reason, I didn’t mind being the one to witness it.

And with that, the room fell silent again, except this time, her presence felt different—less distant, more real.

_______________________________________

Authors pov-

The morning in the Sehgal mansion was never quiet, especially not during breakfast. As the clock struck eight, the buzz of conversations and occasional arguments filled the dining area. Today was no different. Dadi was resting in her room.

Mahir had woken early, heading to the gym as part of his usual routine. The crisp morning air outside and the familiar clang of weights offered him a brief escape from the growing complexity of his personal life. After  solid three hours of working out, he returned, sweat-soaked but with a clear head.

Meanwhile, in the mansion, the younger Sehgal clan had gathered at the breakfast table, their usual chatter and teasing dominating the atmosphere.

“Where’s bhabhi?” Mahi asked, her tone unusually calm.

“She’s probably still sleeping,you know...” kavya said knowingly, sipping her orange juice.

Divya chimed in, “Can’t blame her. She looked like a zombie last night.”

Before anyone could add more, a soft sound of footsteps drew their attention. Siara appeared at the entrance, dressed in a simple cotton saree, her hair tied back neatly. Her face was pale, but she carried herself with the usual grace and composure.

The room fell silent momentarily as everyone took in her appearance. It wasn’t lost on them that she wasn’t her usual sharp self today.

“Good morning, bhabhi!” Divya chirped, breaking the silence.

“Morning,” Siara replied, her voice devoid of its usual sharpness.

She moved to the table and sit down. Advitya filled her place with necessary food and place in front of her.

Abhimanyu poured a glass of water and placed it in front of her. “You’re not leaving this table until you’ve eaten something substantial.”

“But—” Siara began, only to be cut off.

“No arguments,” Advitya stated, his tone brooking no refusal.

“Papa Sehgal strikes again,” Kabir whispered to Shivay, earning a stifled laugh.

Siara's eyes flickered but finally she didn't show her emotions.

Flashback- Siara

“Siara, how many times do I have to say this? Eat your vegetables!” Papa’s voice rang through the dining room.

“But Papa,” young Siara whined, poking at the bowl of boiled broccoli with her fork. “They taste like grass!”

“How do you even know what grass tastes like doll?” said avyaan bhai

“Because I bet it tastes like this!” young Siara exclaimed dramatically, earning laughter from everyone.

Papa sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose but failing to hide the smile threatening to break through. “Siara, if you don’t finish your broccoli, you can say goodbye to ice cream tonight.”

Her eyes widened in horror. “Papa! That’s… that’s cruel!”

“It’s life,” he replied solemnly, earning a snort from Aryan.

Vivek bhai, decided to chime in. “Siara, just eat it. I’ll give you my chocolate bar later.”

“No, no bribery!” Papa interjected quickly, pointing a warning finger at him “She has to eat it because it’s good for her.”

Young Siara crossed her arms, pouting. “Why don’t you eat it then, Papa, if it’s so good for you?”

The room fell silent for a moment before Papa leaned forward, his expression dead serious. “Because doll, I already ate mine.”

The entire table burst into laughter.

Present

Siara blinked back to reality as Mahir entered the room a few minutes later, freshly showered and dressed in a casual T-shirt and track pants. His sharp gaze immediately fell on Siara, noting her pale complexion and the way she seemed to hide her emotions.

He frowned slightly but didn’t comment. Instead, he took his usual seat and greeted the table with a curt, “Good morning.”

Shivay, never one to miss an opportunity, leaned closer to Kabir and whispered, “The Rock King has arrived.”

Mahir’s eyes darted to Shivay. “I heard that.”

Kabir laughed, raising his coffee mug in mock salute. “Good morning to you too, bhai.”

Ignoring them, Mahir turned his attention back to Siara. She was quietly eating under the watchful eyes of Advitya and Abhimanyu. He noted how his father and uncle were unusually attentive toward her today.

“What’s going on here?” Mahir asked, his voice calm but with an undertone of curiosity.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Advitya replied without looking up making everyone silent.

Of course, the silence didn’t last long. Younger Sehgals resumed their usual antics.

Siara, meanwhile, remained silent, focusing on finishing her breakfast.

When the conversations subsided, the elders exchanged glances Though they didn’t say anything, it was clear they were pleased to see Mahir showing even a hint of concern for his wife.