The days passed in an unusual silence. Neither Nayra nor Vivan spoke much about what had happened, yet despite everything, Vivan never stopped taking care of her. No matter how cold he appeared, he still remembered her medicines, made sure she ate on time, and silently looked after her in ways she often pretended not to notice. After learning the truth about that day, Nayra finally understood why Vivan had made the decision he did. He had told her everything—the man had been responsible for his wife's suffering and death, and even his own children had lived in fear of him. Knowing the reality brought Nayra some relief, but it didn't erase the image from her mind. The scene still returned to her again and again whenever she closed her eyes. Because no matter how much she loved Vivan, a small part of her still feared the side of him she had witnessed that day.

And Vivan knew it.

He noticed the way she became quiet whenever he entered a room. He noticed how she sometimes stared at him as if trying to understand who he really was. In Nayra's eyes, he wasn't just Vivan anymore. He was a gunda. Every single time she looked at him, she would mutter the word under her breath in the tiniest voice possible.

"Gunda..."

Unfortunately for her, Vivan always heard it.

Each time, his jaw would tighten, and he would silently count to ten to control his irritation.

"What kind of wife did I get?" he would mutter to himself. "Seriously? Out of all the things, she calls me a gunda. At least mafia bol deti."

Meanwhile, Nayra remained completely unaware that her whispered comments were driving him insane.

Despite his annoyance, Vivan continued taking care of her. And Nayra, being Nayra, made his job as difficult as possible. Whenever dinner was served, she would refuse to eat. The moment Vivan found out, he would immediately appear in front of her with that familiar glare.

"Nayra."

The single word was enough to make every servant disappear from the room.

She would look at him innocently and shake her head.

"Nahi khana."

Then Vivan would scold her for skipping meals, and Nayra would instantly make a dramatic pout, looking as if she were the victim of a great injustice. Yet deep down, whenever she looked at him, guilt crept into her heart. After all, she had pointed a gun at the man who had spent months searching for her. And even now, despite everything she had done, he was still there—taking care of her in silence, loving her in silence, and waiting for her to stop being afraid of him.

Today, the entire Raichand family finally returned from their trip. The elders arrived in one car while the younger members followed in another. Everyone looked exhausted after the long journey. Within minutes, the grand living room was filled with voices, luggage, and tired faces.

Vivan entered the mansion and immediately bent down to touch his grandmother's feet before greeting the other elders. After exchanging a few words with everyone, he sat down quietly.

Dadi looked around the room and frowned.

"Nayra kaha hai? Kya use itni bhi samajh nahi hai ki ghar ke bade aaye hain? Kam se kam aakar sabko nashta-paani toh poochna chahiye."

(Where is Nayra? Doesn't she even have enough manners to come and ask if everyone needs water or refreshments after arriving?)

Her voice carried clear disapproval.

Vivan glanced toward one of the servants.

The woman immediately understood and nodded.

A minute later, Nayra entered the living room.

The moment she stepped inside, a few eyes turned toward her.

She looked tired.

Very tired.

The dark circles beneath her eyes were impossible to miss, and her face had lost its usual glow. Still, she forced a polite smile onto her lips. Walking forward, she bent down and touched the feet of every elder before quietly asking a servant to bring water and refreshments.

Most people didn't pay much attention to her condition.

Most.

But Kiaara noticed immediately.

"Bhabhi! What happened with you? Aap theek ho na? Aap bahut tired lag rahi ho."

(Bhabhi! What happened to you? Are you okay? You look really tired.)

Nayra looked up and gave a small smile.

Before she could answer, Aarohi joined in.

"Haan di, aap pehle se bhi zyada patli lag rahi ho. Kya hua aapko?"

(Yes, Di. You look even thinner than before. What happened to you?)

All eyes shifted toward Nayra.

For a brief second, her gaze instinctively searched for Vivan.

She found him.

But Vivan deliberately looked away, focusing on something else.

A faint sadness crossed her face before she quickly hid it.

Taking a deep breath, she answered calmly,

"Vo actually exams ka pressure tha. Shayad isi wajah se thodi weakness ho gayi hogi. Nothing more."

(Actually, it was probably the stress of my exams. Maybe that's why I've been feeling a little weak. Nothing more.)

Everyone nodded at her explanation.

Everyone except Kirti.

Kirti remained silent.

Her eyes stayed fixed on Nayra.

The answer didn't convince her at all.

Once upon a time, she knew Nayra better than anyone else. She knew the difference between Nayra's genuine smile and a forced one.

And right now...

The girl standing in front of her was hiding something.

Something far bigger than exam stress.

Her eyes then shifted toward Vivan.

He hadn't looked at Nayra properly even once since she had entered.

Not once.

Whenever Nayra unconsciously looked in his direction, Vivan would either look away or busy himself with something else.

The distance between them was painfully obvious.

Kirti frowned.

This wasn't normal.

Not for them.

These were the same two people who once couldn't spend five minutes without finding excuses to be around each other.

An uncomfortable silence spread across the room.

Meanwhile, Vivan quietly clenched his jaw.

He knew exactly why Nayra looked like that.

The sleepless nights.

The fear.

The trauma.

The guilt.

But he remained silent.

And that silence only made Kirti more suspicious.

For the first time since entering the mansion, a feeling of unease settled deeply in her heart.

Because the distance between Nayra and Vivan was visible even to a stranger.

And Kirti knew—

Something had happened.

Something big.

And nobody was talking about it.

"Main chai bana kar laati hoon."

(I'll make tea and bring it.)

Before anyone could stop her, Nayra hurried toward the kitchen.

Her sudden offer surprised everyone.

Because for the first time since her marriage, Nayra herself had volunteered to go into the kitchen.

A few moments later, Kirti quietly excused herself and followed her.

Inside the kitchen, Nayra was standing in front of the stove, completely lost in her thoughts. Her hands moved automatically while her mind wandered elsewhere. So much so that she didn't even notice the milk beginning to boil over.

Kirti entered at that exact moment.

"Nayu!"

She immediately rushed forward.

But it was already too late.

The boiling milk spilled over, splashing directly onto Nayra's hand.

A sharp hiss escaped Nayra's lips.

"Nayu!" Kirti screamed.

She quickly switched off the stove and grabbed Nayra's wrist.

"Dhyan kahan hai tera?"

(Where is your attention? What are you thinking about?)

Kirti scolded her, panic evident in her voice.

But Nayra remained silent.

As if she hadn't even felt the pain.

Kirti's heart sank.

Without wasting another second, she held Nayra's hand and brought her out of the kitchen.

The moment they entered the living room, everyone's attention shifted toward them.

The sight shocked everyone.

Not because Nayra was injured.

But because Kirti was holding her hand.

Ever since the wedding, the distance between the two sisters had been obvious. Seeing them together like this felt unusual.

The family barely had time to process that when their eyes landed on Nayra's reddened hand.

Vivan, who had been busy talking to his brothers, immediately stood up.

For the first time that day, his attention was completely on her.

His eyes darkened the moment he saw the burn.

He took a step forward instinctively.

Meanwhile, Kirti carefully made Nayra sit on the couch.

"Kiaara, first-aid kit lekar aao!"

(Kiaara, bring the first-aid kit!)

Kiaara immediately ran upstairs.

The concern on Kirti's face was obvious.

Seeing that, Vivan stopped himself from stepping closer.

For a moment, he simply stood there watching.

Watching Nayra stare blankly at her injured hand.

Watching Kirti fuss over her.

Watching everyone worry about her.

Then he cleared his throat.

The room fell silent.

His face became unreadable once again.

In a cold, detached voice, he said,

"Bhabhi, aap isse mere kamre mein le jaiye."

(Bhabhi, take her to my room.)

Everyone looked at him.

Vivan's gaze remained fixed elsewhere.

As if he didn't care.

"It's just a minor burn. She needs rest, nothing more."

His next words were even harsher.

"Aur dekhiye, iski wajah se sab disturb ho rahe hain."

(And look, because of her, everyone is getting disturbed.)

The words sliced through the room.

A stunned silence followed.

No one had expected Vivan to speak to Nayra like that.

Not after everything.

Not even Kirti.

And Nayra...

She simply looked at him.

Quietly.

Without saying a word.

Because she knew something no one else in that room knew.

Vivan Raichand's eyes had betrayed him.

The moment he had seen her burned hand, he had been the first person to stand up.

The first person to panic.

And perhaps the only person who was trying desperately to pretend that he no longer cared.

Kirti gently held Nayra's injured hand and led her toward Vivan's room. Making her sit on the bed, she settled beside her and carefully pressed an ice cube against the burn to ease the pain. For a few moments, silence filled the room before Kirti finally spoke.

"Tell me, Nayra, ladai hui hai teri Vivan bhaiya se?"

(Tell me, Nayra, did you have a fight with Vivan?)

Nayra immediately shook her head.

Kirti sighed.

"Dekh, jhooth mat bol. Sach bata. Teri shakal dekh kar hi lag raha hai ki kuch toh hua hai."

(Don't lie to me. Tell me the truth. I can tell just by looking at your face that something is wrong.)

Nayra lowered her gaze.

Kirti continued,

"Dekh Nayra, phir se Vivan bhaiya ko hurt karne ki mat sochna. Tu pehle hi itne mahine gayab thi. Pata bhi hai tere jaane ke baad unka kya haal ho gaya tha? Aur jab tu wapas aayi toh seedha unse shaadi karke. Vo tere liye sabke khilaaf khade ho gaye aur tu hai ki..."

(Don't even think about hurting Vivan again. You were already missing for months. Do you even know what happened to him after you left? And when you returned, you married him directly. He stood against everyone for you, and yet you...)

Nayra looked at her sister, barely holding back her tears.

"I don't deserve him, di..." she whispered.

The words broke something inside her.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she lowered her head.

Kirti immediately cupped her face.

"Chup kar. Ye bata hua kya hai? Tune unse ladai ki hai?"

(Stop crying. Tell me what happened. Did you fight with him?)

Instead of answering, Nayra suddenly wrapped her arms around Kirti.

For the first time in years.

For the first time since everything had fallen apart.

She hugged her sister.

"I'm sorry, di..." Nayra cried. "Aap mujhse itne din gussa rahi, sab meri galti thi. I'm really sorry..."

Kirti's eyes softened.

She hugged her back tightly.

"Main tujhse gussa kahan hoon?"

(I'm not angry with you.)

She gently stroked Nayra's hair.

"Bas ye bata, bina bataye kaha chali gayi thi? Pata hai kitna hurt hue the sab? Sab maan gaye the na tumhari shaadi ko. Haan, dadi thodi naraz hui thi, par baad mein sab theek ho gaya tha. Phir kaha thi tu do mahine? Kya tu sach mein..."

(Just tell me where you went without informing anyone. Do you know how hurt everyone was? Everyone had accepted your marriage. Yes, dadi was upset at first, but later everything became fine. Then where were you for those two months? Were you really...)

Before Kirti could complete her sentence, Nayra quickly stopped her.

"No, di. Trust me. Main jahan bhi thi, apni marzi se nahi gayi thi. Na hi main wahan rehna chahti thi."

(No, di. Trust me. Wherever I was, I didn't go there by my own choice. Nor did I want to stay there.)

Her voice was firm despite the tears in her eyes.

But she didn't tell Kirti the whole truth.

She couldn't.

Because she knew that if Kirti ever found out that it was her own mother who had destroyed Nayra's life, she would never be able to forgive her.

And that would destroy whatever remained of their family.

So Nayra stayed silent.

Just like she had stayed silent every other time someone had asked her where she had been during those missing two months.

Many family members had questioned her.

Even Vivan had stopped others from forcing he

r to answer.

The truth remained buried between only a few people—Nayra, Vivan, the Raichand brothers, and Kirti's mother.

Because everyone knew that if the truth ever came out, it would shatter the family completely.

Not because of Nayra.

But because society cared more about reputation than reality.

And some secrets were heavy enough to destroy entire families.

Hope you guys love it and also I had started a new book “ TWISTED FATE THE TALE OF LOVE AND HATE” it's full of mystery dark romance multiple couple....must check