A few days after the hospital incident, Nothing changed siara slipped back into her cold, distant persona. Mahir, too, became his usual structured, unemotional self. The once fleeting moments of shared understanding between them seemed to evaporate into the air.
Meanwhile, the younger generation of the Sehgal family-whom Siara had always kept at arm's length-had developed a small, almost begrudging affection for her. Despite her coldness, they could see the layers beneath the surface, the way she cared for her work and others, even if she never outwardly expressed it.
Today, the family was invited to the Malhotra Mansion for lunch. Siara had attended several family functions there before, but only as a guest. Never as a daughter. She is not unaware of the glances of her family when she goes there but her new self betrays her.
A fine mist of anticipation filled the air, with the entire Malhotra estate buzzing in preparation for the distinguished guests. The estate's long, winding driveway, lined with tall hedges and expensive landscaping, suddenly became a parade ground for security vehicles. The shimmering black cars, sleek and polished, rolled in one after another, their tinted windows reflecting the sun like dark glass. A large convoy of luxury vehicles, adorned with the Sehgal insignia, made its way towards the entrance, followed by a few unmarked cars-security teams, private guards, and personnel on high alert.
Siara's family, the Sehgals, were not just any family. Their name alone carried weight, and their arrival demanded an entire operation. The guards at the gates, the driveway, and the mansion's entrance were in full uniform, each one standing straight, scanning every movement. Their security, tight as ever, ensured no one was left unnoticed-every vehicle checked, every guest carefully monitored.
She stood next to Mahir, her hand lightly resting by her side, her face an unreadable mask.
"Welcome, welcome!" Riya beamed as she opened the door. "I swear, you guys are like a full-on parade every time you visit. Hope you're all hungry!"
Her cheerful voice echoed in the grand foyer as the Sehgals trickled in, each one taking in the familiar grandeur of the Malhotra household. While the men exchanged pleasantries, Riya couldn't help but steal a quick glance at Siara. She noticed the usual mask of detachment on her face, but Riya had always been perceptive.
"Siara, are you going to be grumpy today or are you going to bless us with one of your rare smiles?" Riya teased, giving her sister-in-law a playful wink.
Siara just gave her look
Riya smirked. "Well, can't blame me for trying, can I?"
The Malhotras hosted the Sehgals with flair, during lunch siara noticed that everything was prepared according to what she used to love but her family is not aware that now she doesn't have any choice of favourites, she eats just to live. Nothing more nothing less.
After lunch, the families settled into the living room. The tension between Siara and her family was palpable, though no one spoke about it.
Her father and mother exchanged glances, their eyes full of unspoken emotions. Siara knew what they were feeling. They missed her. The baby portrait on the front wall of the living room spoke volumes. That was her, their doll. Her brothers, too, seemed to sense the same, but no one acknowledged it directly. She had perfected the art of wearing this mask-the one that kept everyone at arm's length.
"Isn't this the perfect setting?" Shivay whispered to Kabir, nudging him.
Kabir shook his head, a sly smile on his lips. "Well, if you call family tension perfect..."
"You can feel it too, right?" Shivay asked, leaning closer. "The elephant in the room. I wonder if Bhabhi's going to speak today."
"I don't think she will," Kabir replied, shaking his head. "She's still cold as ice."
Siara, overhearing their conversation, ignored it, letting the words float past her as if they didn't matter.
But then, just as she had settled into her quiet withdrawal, the door swung open, and her world shattered.
Avyaan, Siara's bhai, walked in, looking pale and grim. His shirt was soaked in blood, and his hand was pressed to his chest where a deep knife wound had slashed through the fabric.
"bhai" Siara gasped
The whole malhotra family stood shocked, their doll after all these years spoke that word which used to brighten up their world.
Avyaan controlling his tears after hearing her calling him bhai"It's nothing. Just a little scrape. Don't worry
Siara's heart thudded in her chest, but she didn't show it. She didn't move forward.
"Get him a doctor!" Reyansh barked.
" Doctor are reaching but it will take them half an hour" Vivek informed them.
"Ohh God beta, why can't you take care of yourself for once," his mother scold him
Siara's face was unreadable as she grabbed the medical kit. The malhotras are now aware of her profession as mentioned by Reyansh and Ekansh. Any parent would be proud of seeing their child working as such a renowned professional but siara's parents ,they didn't want that. They wanted her to follow her passion. She was crazy for her passion but today she is not what she used to be. Siara moved to Avyaan without a second thought. The sight of her brother in pain was too much for her to ignore. "You'll faint in 10 minutes, move. Let me treat you"
"On one condition or else don't," avyaan grabbed the opportunity to ask her what he wanted to know from a long time
"Go on," siara said without wasting a second
"After treating me, you'll answer my one question,"
"Okay, now sit down" she said
As she stitched him up, the family watched, unsure of how to react. The once cold woman they had seen over the years now looked vulnerable, her hands trembling as she carefully worked on her brother's wound. This wasn't the professional doctor they had been hearing about. This was Siara-the sister who had once been their everything.
"I never thought I'd see bhabhi like this" murmured shivay
"That's once in a lifetime moment guys, record it in your minds," divya said dramatically.
"True, she didn't even shed a tear when her dadu passed away," agreed Myra
Siara focused entirely on the stitches, trying to keep herself composed. But there was a tremor in her fingers, something that never happened before.
Finally, she finished, and as the last stitch was tied, she stepped back, her expression completely void of emotion again. The cold mask was back.
"Done. He'll be fine." She wiped her hands clean and turned to Avyaan waiting for the impending question. Not just her, every single person present over there was Waiting for that one question.
Avyaan's voice cut through the room like a blade. "Why don't you dance anymore, doll?"
The question hung in the air, and for the first time since she had started stitching her brother, Siara's eyes flickered with emotion. The reason was not the question he asked, but it was her bhai calling her doll after all these years.The family could see it-the flash of something that wasn't cold. But it disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
" Why don't I dance" she said, her voice now a dull monotone, "because someone called my dancing the art of seduction. That passion died the day when someone told me that."
The room went silent. The Malhotras stared at her, eyes wide with disbelief.
Malhotra brothers turned their gaze on aryan Malhotra, who stood like a statue. His mind recalls those words which he still regrets. Somewhere The brothers and her parents were aware that this can be the reason why she doesn't dance anymore but their mind was not ready to accept it.
When all eyes turned to aryan, the Sehgal's realised that it was him who said such statement to siara which affected her so deeply that she left her passion
" And You?" Ekansh asked, his voice barely a whisper. "You believed his words"
Siara didn't respond directly, but her eyes told him everything. They locked for a moment, and it was then that the realization hit everyone. It wasn't the words that killed her passion-it was the man who had shattered her trust.
Siara turned sharply, her cold expression returning with an icy finality. "I'm done here," she said flatly. Without another word, she walked out of the room, leaving her family stunned and speechless behind her.
Back in the living room, the younger clan of the Sehgal family stood frozen, processing the events that had just unfolded. The family had known Siara as the professional, the detached woman who never showed her emotions. But today... they saw something completely different.
The family was left in silence, each of them piecing together the shattered pieces of Siara's story.
Mahir, who had been silent through most of this, stood in the corner, his arms crossed, watching Siara walk away. He hadn't said a word during the entire incident, but his mind was racing. What more has happened in the past that she became like this.
As Siara's footsteps echoed in the hallway, Mahir sighed. His heart ached, but he didn't show it. He couldn't. Not here. Not now.
As Siara left the room, her family stood frozen in place, wondering what had just happened. They had gotten a glimpse of the real Siara-the woman who was once their sister, their daughter, their everything. But they couldn't reach her anymore.
And for the first time, Mahir felt that strange, unsettling feeling that maybe, just maybe, he had missed something along the way. Something important. Something he would never get back.
Siara was no longer just the cold woman, the detached professional. She was someone else entirely, and the question that had haunted her for so long would remain unanswered-at least, for now.
For the first time in all these years Arav Malhotra had tears in his eyes and he was not hiding it.
But one thing everyone realised was that the girl was broken beyond repair.
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