22.

NAINA

The celebrations come to an end as I make my way towards the bedroom, dropping myself onto the bed. My body relaxes against the soft mattress, and a low groan of satisfaction escapes my lips.

I close my eyes, just as my phone pings with notifications. Roaming my hand around the bed lazily without opening my eyes, I reach for my phone.

Opening my eyes, I see a text from an unknown number. Wait, I know this number. My thumb hovers over the notification, my heartbeat getting faster with each passing second. I click open the notification.

Unknown number:
Had fun, princess?

My lips twitch in distaste, a sour expression forming on my face. I immediately call Kabir. He answers the call in two rings. I move to the balcony in case Reyansh enters. Not that I'm hiding anything—I'll tell him later, just not now.

"Hi," he says from the other side.

"Hi Kabir, I need your help."

"Tell me?"

"Remember the number I sent you? Did you track it?"

"I am trying, Naina, but it's really hard to."

"I received a text again just now. I'm forwarding you the number. I hope it will be easier to trace."

"Sure, I'll meet you tomorrow. I need to show you something."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye and happy birthday!" he says with a cheerful voice. A small smile spreads across my face.

"Thanks," I answer softly before ending the call.

I throw the phone somewhere on the couch before making my way to the shower. Stripping off my clothes, I let the hot water wash away everything. Each droplet calms my nerves. I close my eyes, the horrible scenes flashing in front of me.
"NAINA DIDI!"
"MUMMA!"
"BUA!!"

Kainaat's screams echo in my ears. I cover my ears with my hands, my tears mixing with the water. My legs give way, and I sink to the ground. Taking support of the wall, I try to calm my racing heart and stop my tears.

After about 30 minutes, I walk out of the shower and change into one of his hoodies. I mean, his clothes are my clothes. And my clothes are my clothes, duh.

He was tidying up the room. I mean, yeah, it's my fault that the room is a mess. He looks at me, passing me a small smile, but soon his eyebrow twitches in worry. WAIT!!! ARE MY EYES RED???? I mentally cry.

He comes forward to me. I lower my lashes, mentally cursing myself. I don't want to worry him, but I always end up messing up.

He places two fingers under my chin, making my blue orbs meet his brown ones. My favorite pair of eyes in this world—the ones that provide me solace and comfort, the ones that feel like home.

"Why did you cry?" His soft voice reaches my ears, breaking my trance of thoughts. I bite my lower lip, unable to handle his intense gaze. His eyes soften.

Pulling me into his embrace, he wraps his arms around me softly. My body relaxes against his, my heart feeling at ease.

It feels like home here.

"Was it another panic attack?" he asks softly, stroking my hair. His voice is calming. I hum in response.

"It's okay. I am with you. Always and forever," he says, holding me more firmly. The assurance in his voice makes me tear up.

He breaks the hug, looking at me. I am only wearing his hoodie, my wet hair falling on my shoulders. He picks me up and makes me sit on the vanity table. He plugs in the hairdryer.

As he dries my hair, I watch him through the mirror—his perfectly shaped jaw, those big doe-like brown eyes, and the soft pink lips.

His eyes are fully concentrated on my hair, his hands holding a few strands as he dries them. The soft and calm expression on his face right now is endearing.

I am so lost in admiring him that I don't even realize when he finishes drying my hair. "Done checking me out?" he asks in a mischievous voice, a smirk playing on his lips.

I turn around, and he bends down. Kneeling, he connects our lips in a slow, tender kiss. It's a kiss that shows how much we love each other. A kiss that melds our souls together.

Breaking apart he looks at me, my blue orbs meeting his brown ones, and I see something flicker in them before I could figure out my phone rings, I look at it.
Kabir name flashes on the screen I excuse my self making my way towards the balcony "yes?" I saw answering the call.

"Is Reyansh around you?" He asks me his voice filled with tension. "He is inside the room" I answer him. "Naina listen to me carefully be careful and keep a close eye on the men of Singhania family pls something is very wrong, I'll explain you everything in detail tomorrow" he says in a hurry his voice showed the amount of stress and anxiety.

"Don't worry I'll be careful meet me tmrw by 10 AM" I tell him he replies with a okay before ending the call, I pocket my phone letting out a deep breath.

Just when two arms wrap around my waist from the back, and it didn't take me rocket science to find out who it was. I recognise his touch. His scent. This feeling is what I live for. He is the reason for my sanity.

"Reyansh, I love you" he rests his chin on my shoulder, "I love you more than love" he says leaving a soft kiss on my neck, then my cheek and finally my head.

"Let's sleep it's really late" i tell facing him, he looks at me with a soft smile before placing a kiss on forehead, I close my eyes savouring the moment.
We both cuddle into each other, not letting even space for air to pass through, soon sleep consuming.

-•-•-•-

I was sitting in my cabin, the soft hum of the air conditioner the only sound, when I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I called, my eyes not leaving the stack of papers on my desk. The door creaked open, and Kabir stepped inside, carrying a bouquet of flowers.

"Here," he said, handing me the bouquet. It had a small, colorful card nestled among the blooms. "Happy birthday," it read in elegant cursive.

"Thanks for these," I said, offering him a soft smile, which he reciprocated before taking a seat across from me.

"Naina, look at this," he said, passing me a file with a grim expression. "I asked one of my friends to study the case of your father's, Aakriti's, and Raihaana's fathers' deaths. Here are the common dots. We all know it was murder for all three of them, and there was a pattern. They each had a mark on their necks, made by the same weapon."

A chill ran down my spine as I opened the file, scanning the detailed reports and photographs. "There's more," Kabir continued, his voice low. "The locations of their deaths are very close to each other, and the time of death was exactly the same: 11:42 PM. The dates are exactly a week apart."

My heart pounded in my chest as I absorbed the information. "Are you saying these murders are connected?"

Kabir nodded solemnly. "It appears so. And the precision suggests that whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing."

The room seemed to grow colder, the weight of the revelations pressing down on us. "We need to find out who did this," I said, my voice steely with determination. "And why."

Kabir leaned forward, his eyes intense. "I agree. But we have to be careful. Whoever is behind this is meticulous and dangerous."

As I stared at the file in front of me, a sense of dread settled over me. We were up against a calculated killer, and the stakes had never been higher. The clock was ticking, and we had to uncover the truth before it was too late.

"Naina, whoever is behind these actions has a significant motive, and I believe it's the crown. Your father's death marked the first loss for the Malhotra family. Consequently, it was decided that Aakriti's father would be the next king. According to the rules, his coronation was scheduled for a week after your father's passing. However, he died a day before the ceremony. The same fate befell Raihaana's father. Even Reyansh's father faced multiple attacks in the past. Based on this pattern, I fear Reyansh might be the next target. The crown is the common thread in all these tragedies, and someone is willing to go to great lengths to claim it.

This motive is not just about power; it's about the legacy and control over Singhania and Malhotra family's lineage. Each death has been meticulously timed to prevent the rightful heirs from ascending to the throne, creating a vacuum of power that benefits the orchestrator. The attacker knows the rules and the history intimately, exploiting every opportunity to strike at the heart of our family.

Naina, this means we are dealing with someone who has access to our inner circle, someone who understands our traditions and can manipulate them to their advantage. The stakes have never been higher. We must be vigilant and protect Reyansh at all costs. The enemy is calculating and ruthless, and if we do not act swiftly, we could lose another member of our family. We need to uncover their identity and stop them before it's too late. The safety of our family and the future of the Singhania and Malhotra dynasty depend on it."