39.

NAINA

The next morning, Reyansh and I sat in the hall, surrounded by family. The air was thick with an unspoken tension, a kind of silence that suffocates the room when everyone knows something devastating is on the verge of being revealed.

I could feel every eye on us, waiting, anticipating the storm to break. But no one dared to speak. It had to be me. I drew a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Papa," I began, my voice low but firm. "It wasn't your fault." My eyes locked with my father's, his weathered face etched with guilt and confusion. "You didn't kill Dad. Nihal did. That night, you were drugged."

His eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief mixing with the sadness. He searched my face, as if hoping for some hint that I wasn't telling the truth, but the truth stared back at him.

I steeled myself, knowing I wasn't done. There was a deeper wound I had to expose. "There's something else... something none of you know." My voice trembled as the weight of my words settled on my chest.

"The reason I reacted the way I did that day." I hesitated, the horror of the memory flooding back. "Dad's body wasn't just gone. It was deformed, crushed. As if he had been discarded... like a piece of paper crumpled and thrown away."

A gasp echoed through the room, the horror sinking in. No one could have imagined the truth was this dark.

Chachi was the first to speak, her voice shaky. "Who... who is Nihal, Naina?"

I took a sharp breath, preparing to reveal the full extent of the nightmare.

"Nihal was Dhruv's best friend, someone we've all known since school. I even rejected him once, but that's not what this is about." My voice sharpened, anger seeping through. "This wasn't personal for him—it was about power. The throne. He killed Dad for the title of King of Rajasthan."

Their faces were a mix of shock and disbelief as I continued, my voice growing colder with each word.

"He didn't stop there. He killed Aakriti's father, Raihaana's father... Dadu and Dadi." My gaze drifted to Reyansh, who sat rigid beside me, his fists clenched, jaw tight. "And when that wasn't enough... he tried to kill Reyansh, too."

Reyansh flinched at the words, the memories of the accident flashing across his face. But I wasn't done. There was one more truth that no one knew. Not even him.

"And... he tried to attack me."

The words came out quieter, but their impact was felt like a crashing wave. Reyansh's head snapped toward me, his eyes wide with disbelief and fear. I couldn't bear to look at him, my gaze fixed on the floor as my voice wavered.

"Naina—" he began, his voice raw with emotion.

I shook my head, cutting him off. "The day you got into the accident... the car you took that day... it was mine." My breath hitched. "I was supposed to be in that car, Reyansh. Not you."

The room felt like it was spinning. I could barely form the words. "The windows were tinted. Nihal didn't know it was you. He thought he was killing me."

I could feel the tension radiating from Reyansh, the shock that gripped him as the weight of my confession sank in. Aarav silently handed me a glass of water, which I downed in one gulp, my throat tight.

"Nihal thought his plan was perfect," I said, my voice regaining its strength. "But he underestimated me. He didn't know that the dash-cam in my car recorded everything."

I lifted my head, meeting the eyes of every person in the room. "He attacked the wrong person. And now... he's going to pay for every single life he's taken."

Adhira Bua was the first to move, her eyes filled with tears as she enveloped me in a hug. Her body shook against mine, her sobs muffled in my shoulder. I held her tightly, rubbing her back in comfort.

"I promise, Bua," I whispered, my voice steady but fierce. "I'll make him pay for what he did."

She pulled back slightly, her tear-streaked face lifting to meet mine. "I trust you, Naina," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "You'll make him suffer like no one else can."

We spent some time together, the earlier tension giving way to a quieter, more heartfelt connection. There was love in the room now, unspoken but present in every tear, every gentle touch.

Eventually, the family dispersed, leaving Reyansh and me alone. As we walked into the room, the ceiling was lit with soft stars and the glow of the moon—a calming sight in the midst of chaos. I had made those changes recently, a tribute to the night sky we used to admire together. A part of me wondered how different things might have been if that birthday had gone the way we'd planned.

Before I could lose myself in the memories, Reyansh gently turned me around, wrapping me in a tight embrace. "Don't overthink it," he murmured into my hair, his voice soft but reassuring.

"None of this was your fault. And we'll celebrate the next birthday together. Every one after that too."

I leaned into him, his warmth grounding me as he stroked my hair. "I'm not going anywhere, Naina. I'll be here for every single one of your birthdays until my last."

His words were a balm to my shattered soul, a promise that no matter what came next, we would face it together.

REYANSH

Naina was finally at peace, her face soft and serene, the tension that had haunted her for days now gone.

She lay beside me, completely relaxed, her body curled against mine, as if seeking comfort and safety in my presence. I could feel the warmth of her breath against my chest, each exhale steady and calm, a stark contrast to the storm that had been brewing inside her for so long.

For the past hour, I'd been gently running my fingers through her hair, the rhythmic motion calming not just her, but me too. The soft strands slid through my fingers,

a quiet reminder of how fragile this peace was, how fleeting. My mind wandered back to the old days, memories flooding in—some sweet, others painful, but all tied to the woman resting beside me now.

There was a time when I thought I could never hold her this close again. But here she was, her defenses down, trusting me to be her anchor in the midst of everything.

I shifted carefully, trying not to disturb her sleep. As much as I wanted to stay, to hold her and keep this moment forever, there was something gnawing at me, something I couldn't ignore any longer.

Moving quietly, I slipped out of bed and padded into the closet. The soft click of the door felt too loud in the stillness,

but I pressed forward. There was one thing lingering at the back of my mind—something I had to confirm. I needed answers. I needed to know if my suspicions were true.

On her side of the closet, I found it—an old, worn diary tucked behind a row of neatly folded clothes. My heart pounded as I pulled it out, the faded cover familiar yet heavy with the weight of untold secrets.

With trembling fingers, I flipped through the pages, past old entries that spoke of days long gone, memories etched in ink that seemed to echo with Naina's voice. But I wasn't looking for nostalgia. No, I was searching for something specific.

And there it was.