Mahir's pov-
I was standing leaning against the wall with my arms crossed listening to the banter. My gaze was fixed on her. Siara, true to her nature, remained composed, her expression cold as ever. Yet, for the first time, she wasn't ignoring them entirely-she was listening, her eyes occasionally flicking toward whoever spoke, and her lips... well, they almost twitched.
Kabir, snapping out of his trance, clutched his chest dramatically, staggering backward as if struck by lightning. "Bhabhi. Talked. To me. More than 2 lines," He turned to Shivay, his eyes wide. "Is this real life? Pinch me, Shivay!"
Shivay didn't hesitate. He grabbed Kabir by the ear and twisted it hard.
"OW! I SAID PINCH, NOT DETACH!" Kabir yelped, rubbing his ear furiously.
"Well, clearly, Bhabhi's words didn't knock enough sense into you," Shivay retorted, rolling his eyes. "Also, can we talk about the fact that she called our flash mob a disaster? I think I need therapy."
"You need therapy?" Myra snorted, her arms crossed. "She told me to stop matchmaking! Do you know what that means? My dream career-gone!"
Divya groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Oh, please. She told me not to dance again. My instagram audience of 312 people will never recover from this betrayal!"
"Oh, Divya," Kabir said, his voice dripping with mock sympathy as he leaned toward her. "I don't think they'll notice. Your dancing looks like a bird trying to escape quicksand."
"EXCUSE ME?!" Divya lunged at him, only for Shivay to grab her arm and pull her back, laughing.
Meanwhile, Siara watched the scene unfold with her usual icy demeanour.
Divya glared at kabir,"Says the guy who can't keep a beat if his life depended on it. Remember your 'solo performance'? Looked like you were trying to swat invisible flies!"
Okay, okay!" Shivay cut in, barely holding back his laughter. "Let's not forget the real tragedy here-she told me to drop my event management course. What am I supposed to do now? Join as Mahir Bhai's Secretary?"
"He'll not even employ you as a Peon, shivay,"said Myra.
The room erupted in laughter, except shivay, who pressed a hand to his chest as if mortally wounded. "By the way bhabhi, that abs thing felt like a person attack,"
They all stopped their antics for a few seconds while looking at siara as if she was a piece of museum.
"Well, she is still Mrs. ice-queen, wife of Mr.Rock king. I feel bhabhi is a secret spy from Antartica, what say?," Divya said once they were done accessing siara.
I shook my head, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes. They're impossible.
"Enough," I said sharply, my voice cutting through the noise like a whip.
The room fell silent instantly, all heads snapping toward me as I fixed them with a stern glare.
Shivay slowly whispered,"And here comes the king of Rocks to defend the queen of Antarctica."
My single glare at him and he shut his mouth.
"She's supposed to be resting, not playing the audience to your circus act," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. My eyes swept over each of them. "Want me to use my ways to shut you all up?"
Divya looked like she wanted to protest but thought better of it. Myra exchanged a look with Kabir before muttering under her breath, "Buzzkill."
"I heard that," I snapped, and they quickly straightened.
One by one, they filed out of the room, mumbling complaints as they went. Kabir, of course, couldn't resist a final jab. "Fine, but if Bhabhi actually smiles and we miss it, that's on you, Bhai!"
I gave him a pointed look, and he hurried out after the others.
Then everyone from the families asked her about her health and she replied in her usual monotonous way,"I'm fine"
The tension between siara and her family was very obvious. Her brothers looked like they will break down any moment. Her Father was just looking at her like she is the most precious part of him. Her mother was still crying. But no one said a thing. They just stayed silent. Siara stayed silent though I felt like she was trying her level best to make her family realise that she is Ok.
After sometime everyone left leaving me and siara alone. As the door clicked shut behind, silence settled over the room.
I leaned back against the wall, hands in my pockets, stealing a glance at my wife. My wife, this word felt foreign on my lips.
She sat there on the hospital bed, propped up by a couple of pillows. Her face was as composed as ever, her eyes fixed somewhere beyond the window, as though the world outside was far more intriguing than the room we were in.
I wanted to say something-anything. My mind was buzzing with a thousand thoughts, a jumble of emotions I didn't even fully understand. Anger at what had happened. Admiration for her strength. Frustration at her silence. And... something else. Something that felt foreign, unsettling.
But where would I even begin?
"You should try to sleep" I said, my voice quieter than I intended.
She didn't respond. Not a word, not even a glance in my direction. Typical.
I took a step closer, the weight of the quiet pulling me toward her. "Mrs. Sehgal" I said again, a little more firmly this time, "resting is part of recovery. You know that better than anyone."
Finally, she turned her head, her gaze meeting mine. Her eyes-dark, cold, and unreadable-felt like a wall. One I couldn't climb, no matter how much I tried.
"I'm fine," she said, her tone flat, dismissive.
Fine. That word again. The word she always used to shut down any conversation, to keep the world at arm's length.
"Fine doesn't cover it, Siara," I countered, my frustration slipping through. "You've been through hell today, and you're acting like it's just another day at work. It's not normal."
Her expression didn't change. She just looked at me, unblinking, as though my words were nothing more than noise.
"I don't act mahir, this is what I am," she said but the only thing I heard was her calling me by my name. I froze, my mind went blank and my heart skipped a beat. This is the first time she replied to me casually by using my name.
Her words settled heavily in the room, and for once, I didn't know how to respond. She wasn't pushing me away out of spite or malice-it was just her way of surviving.
Even if she couldn't see it, I was starting to. Things were changing. And maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as alone as she thought.
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After 2 days
Siara's pov-
From the moment I opened my eyes in the morning, I knew it would be another chaotic day.
The entire Sehgal family was packed into the hospital room, making it feel less like a place of recovery and more like a circus.
There was Kabir, sitting on the windowsill, pretending to read something but definitely eavesdropping on every conversation while Myra was balancing on the edge of a chair, flicking through her phone and grinning at whatever was on the screen. Avya was sleeping on the couch.
Divya was arguing with Shivay over whether or not she could redecorate the room in neon colors-at least that's what I gathered from the random bursts of laughter and fake protests.
I was sitting on the hospital bed, propped up with a couple of pillows. Physically, I was almost healed, but mentally, I was still the same. I had been stuck in this madhouse for two days, and despite my efforts to block them out, I could hear every word, every laugh, every playful jab.
It was odd, though. Normally, I would have distanced myself, turned cold and detached. But for some reason, this time, I didn't. I couldn't bring myself to pretend I didn't hear them, or that I didn't care about their antics. I stayed silent, just listening to their banter, letting their words swirl around me like a distant hum.
"Bhabhi," Kabir said from his perch, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Are you sure you're feeling better? Because you look like you are Missing bhai."
My eyes flicked toward him, but I didn't say anything. It wasn't worth my energy. Besides, he wasn't really expecting a response.
Myra chimed in, barely containing her laughter. "I'm pretty sure that's the last thing in bhabhi's mind. Maybe bhabhi is planning a surgery in her mind instead?"
"Bhabhi, I think you need to prescribe me something for my sleep issues," Kabir announced with mock seriousness, waving the chart around. "Every time I close my eyes, I see your glaring face scolding me for my dance moves."
Mahir's Dad scolded them,"Can you all stop acting like five-year-olds? We're in a hospital! Let her rest for sometime"
"Papa sehgal, strike-3," kabir whistled
"Siara, did you eat the soup I sent earlier? It's very nutritious, and you need to regain your strength." Mahir's Mom asked me.
"Yes," I replied simply, my voice as cool and composed as ever.
"You didn't finish it, did you?" she then asked, narrowing her eyes.
Before I could respond, Kabir jumped in. "Oh, she finished it, Badi ma! I saw her looking at the bowl like it had insulted her medical degree. Trust me, she finished it just to shut it up."
Just then, the door opened, and Mahir walked in, his tie slightly loosened, his face showing the exhaustion of a long day. The room, however, erupted the moment he stepped inside.
"Here comes the king," Shivay said sarcastically
"Hey don't insult DAD,"Divya dramatically copied her trademark dialogue,"
Mahir looked around taking in the scene and raised an eyebrow. "I thought this was a hospital room, not a picnic spot."
"We forgot to bring the footfall so no, it's not a picnic spot," Shivay smirked
Mahir sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He turned to me,"How you've been dealing with this circus for two days?"
He stepped closer to my bed, pulling up a chair. "Siara, are you okay? Do you need anything?"
Before I could answer, Shivay interjected, "She needs noise-cancelling headphones to block us out. Or maybe just Kabir."
He glared hard at him for interrupting the conversation.
"No, I am fine. Help me get up,"I asked him as I'm done sitting here as sack of potatoes. My face as blank as before.
He looked at me, his brow furrowing slightly as if processing my request. For a second, I wondered if he'd hesitate, if he'd try to stop me for my own good. But instead, his gaze softened, and he stood up without a word.
"You're sure?" he asked, his voice carrying a gentle concern.
I nodded, not trusting myself to say more. I just needed to move, to feel something other than this suffocating stillness.
He stepped closer, and I could feel his presence, firm and steady. His hands were warm as they reached out to steady me. I don't know why but I don't feel uncomfortable from his touch. That doesn't change the fact that I don't care.
The moment my feet hit the floor, a wave of dizziness swept over me, and my hand instinctively reached for him to keep my balance. My hand rested on his biceps to steady myself.
"Bhabhi 2.O upgrading," shivay commented.
"Woah, Bhabhi," Kabir grinned, trying to suppress a laugh. "Looks like Mahir bhai has gone into lockdown mode."
"Baharo phool barsao, mera mehbub aaya h," divya started singing.
"Mera mehbub aaya h," Myra joined her.
The elders were trying hard to hide their chuckles.
"Ignore them," Mahir told me
I replied lazily with my same blank expression,"Doing it from two days,"
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