chapter 2

Mira stared at Vihaan, shock flickering across her face, followed by something softer. Something closer to hurt.

“How?” she asked quietly. “And why?”

Vihaan looked at her for a moment. Unlike his brother, there was a certain ease in him. He was kinder, a little more approachable.

“He had some urgent work, bhabhi,” he said.

“But he never goes like this,” Mira replied, her voice tightening slightly. “Not suddenly. At least he comes home first.”

She paused, her brows drawing together.

“Who just leaves from the fields like that?”

Vihaan noticed it then.

The question was simple, but the pain behind it was not.

He let out a slow breath.

“It was important,” he said. “He’ll come back… and stay longer this time.”

Mira looked at him for a few seconds.

Then she nodded.

Quietly.

There wasn’t much else she could do.

“But his things are still here,” she said after a moment.

“Yes,” Vihaan replied. “Give them to me. I’m going to Mumbai tomorrow. I have some work there. I’ll give it to him.”

“Mumbai?” Mira asked instantly.

Vihaan nodded. “Tomorrow.”

Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “Don’t touch his bag.”

Mira stilled.

A small sound left her, almost like a hum of acknowledgment.

She already knew.

No one touched his things.

—

Later, Mira sat in her room with her diary open in front of her.

Even after leaving her studies, she had never stopped writing.

The pen moved slowly across the page, forming words she barely registered.

Because her attention wasn’t on the diary.

It kept drifting.

Back to the same place.

His bag.

Her eyes lifted again and again, drawn to it as if it held something more than just clothes.

A question formed quietly in her mind.

Why?

Why was she not allowed to touch it?

It had never bothered her before.

But today…

It did.

Was he hiding something?

The thought stayed with her, circling again and again.

But what?

Mira’s fingers tightened slightly over the edge of her diary as another possibility crept into her mind.

An affair.

Her eyes widened, not suddenly, but slowly, as the idea settled in.

Before she could think further, there was a knock on the door.

A helper stood outside, asking for clothes to be washed.

Mira nodded and got up.

She began collecting the clothes from around the room, folding them absentmindedly before handing them over.

The helper turned to leave.

“Wait,” she said quickly. “There’s… more.”

Her gaze shifted to the chair.

To his bag.

For a moment, she just stood there.

Then she took a slow breath, steadying herself, and walked toward it.

Her fingers hesitated over the zipper before she finally pulled it open.

She took out his shawl first.

Then a few clothes.

Nothing unusual.

She handed them to the helper, who left without question.

The door closed.

Silence returned.

Mira turned back.

Her eyes went straight to the bag again.

Something felt… off.

Slowly, she reached inside and pulled out a smaller pouch.

Her brows drew together.

She opened it.

And froze.

A phone.

A gun.

And a watch.

His watch.

The one he said was lost.

Her heartbeat quickened.

She picked up the watch, staring at it for a moment before placing it aside.

Then she grabbed the phone.

It was switched off.

She pressed the button.

Once.

Twice.

Nothing.

A faint vibration came, then silence again.

Her frustration grew.

“Bhabhi.”

The voice snapped through the room.

Mira flinched.

She turned.

Vihaan stood at the door.

His eyes held something sharp.

Not just anger.

Something closer to panic.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Mira stood up quickly, her hands instinctively moving to close the pouch.

“Nothing,” she said. “I… I was just collecting clothes for washing.”

She placed the pouch back and zipped the bag.

“Why did you open his bag?” Vihaan asked, stepping closer.

Mira straightened slightly this time.

“I had to take out the clothes,” she said, a little firmer.

Vihaan looked at her.

Longer than necessary.

“And whose phone is that?” she asked.

He took a sharp breath.

“It belongs to one of his colleagues,” he said. “They were travelling together. He left it behind, so Bhai kept it.”

Mira watched him carefully.

There was doubt in her eyes.

But after a moment, she simply nodded.

“Okay.”

She didn’t question the gun.

Guns were not unfamiliar in this house.

Vihaan looked at her once more before picking up the bag and leaving the room.

The door closed behind him.

Mira let out a slow breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Her heart was still racing.

She turned back toward the bed.

Her gaze fell on something

The watch. She had taken it out earlier.

And forgotten to put it back……or she didn't put it back on purpose

Quietly, she picked it up, holding it in her palm.

Her fingers curled around it.

“What are you hiding…” she murmured under her breath.

Her eyes lifted slightly.

“I’ll find out.”

Mira stared blankly into the courtyard.

A few women sat nearby, talking with Radha about some household matter, their voices blending into a distant hum.

She wasn’t listening.

Her fingers tightened around her phone.

Without thinking much, she typed out a message. The words came quickly, almost as if they had been waiting.

She stared at the screen for a moment.

Then pressed send.

A wave of guilt crept in immediately.

Her eyes moved around the courtyard, as if she was seeing everything for the last time.

She swallowed and stood up.

Without saying anything, she walked toward Vihaan’s room.

He was inside, busy with his laptop.

“Vihaan,” she called.

“I want to go to Mumbai too.”

It wasn’t a question.

Vihaan looked up, slightly amused.

“No. You can’t,” he said.

“And don’t even ask Maa and Papa. They’ll get angry.”

“Why?” Mira asked. “I just want to go once. See where he lives… if he’s there, if he’s fine.”

“No,” Vihaan repeated, more firmly, his eyes returning to the screen.

Mira’s brows drew together.

“But why?” she asked, her tone sharpening.

“Because he’s my brother,” Vihaan said. “I know he’s fine. He lives well. You don’t need to worry about that.”

He paused for a second, then added, “If you want, I can ask him to send videos.”

Mira shook her head.

“No. I want to go and see it myself.”

“You’re already going,” she continued, her voice steady. “It will only take a few days.”

Vihaan sighed.

“Bhai is busy. He doesn’t have time. If you go, he’ll just worry about you.”

Mira’s jaw tightened.

“Worry?” she repeated quietly.

“Has he ever worried about me?”

Her voice was calm.

But her eyes weren’t.

Vihaan looked at her.

Then away.

Then back again.

Something in his expression shifted.

“Fine,” he said at last. “You can come with me. Pack your things. We’ll stay there for three days.”

Mira blinked, slightly taken aback.

He agreed… just like that?

“What about Maa and Papaji?” she asked.

“I’ll handle it,” Vihaan said. “Don’t worry. We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

Mira nodded slowly and walked out.

—

As soon as the door closed, Vihaan let out a breath and looked back at his laptop.

The screen was still active.

Dharam was on the call.

“Now what?” Vihaan asked.

“I’ll arrange everything,” Dharam replied. “She’s starting to doubt.”

He took a sharp breath.

“Smarter than I expected. Or maybe just slow. Took her long enough to notice.”

Vihaan’s jaw tightened.

“But find out who took my pen drive,” Dharam continued. “It was in my bag the last time I was there.”

Vihaan nodded once.

The call disconnected.

He closed the laptop slowly.

Then stood up and walked toward his father’s room.

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