"Myra, is she still in the house?" Nandini asked over a video call.
"Hmm." She nodded her head.
"It's been a week over the month period which was given to her. What is she still doing at home?" Nandini's tone turned frustrated. "This is not acceptable. I am going to talk to Neil. What does he think of himself?"
This was the first time Myra did not defend Neil. From the time he had brought Meera to their residence, every time Myra had defended Neil, giving lame excuses to his parents on their outburst but today, she herself was pushed in the pandemonium.
Both talked for some more time, Myra strictly kept their conversation around Neev whereas Nandini took a mental note to have a detailed interrogative session with her son.
"Myra, you are my girl. This is your house. He is your husband. You have the utmost right over him. You need to be strong enough to fight back. You should confront him. He is answerable to you. You should not cover up for his misdeeds. You are his wife. He cannot do any injustice with you. My girl, raise your voice, show him your place in his life and his responsibilities towards you and your marriage." After a call with her mother in law, Myra slumped down on the nearby couch with closed eyes remembering Nandini's words.
Myra came down as Neev woke up, completing his afternoon nap. She prepared chicken nuggets for Neev. She settled down in the dining area to make him feed his afternoon snack when she saw her husband and her sister entering their home. It was almost a week after she was seeing her husband. She had avoided coming face to face with him last week.
Neil was dressed in his regular formal attire. Her husband was busy on the call, he was talking to someone over the call pinching the bridge of his nose and forehead. Myra could see his eyes, they had dark circles indicating his sleepless nights. He had lost his weight as well as his charm. His nose has turned red, telling her about his cold and cough. He was taking deep breaths while talking.
'He looks sick.'' Myra being a doctor could guess from his physical appearance. She felt churning in her stomach looking at his tired face. He loosened his tie slumping down on the living room couch. He was oblivious to his wife's and son's presence in the dining area.
'Neil is busy with office matters.' This was the message Myra has received from Julia. Over the last one week, either he locked himself in study or regular visits to his office. Julia acted as the perfect agent between the two.
Whereas Meera was in a one-shoulder neck black shimmery dress reaching till her knees but the long cut on left side was revealing her thighs giving a perfect sexy look to her slim body. Her lips were stretched in a sly smile while her smokey eyes were not moving from Neil's figure.
'Did these two go out together?' Myra scrunched her forehead, but pang in her heart resulted in glistening her eyes.
"Dadda" Neev screamed his lungs out, breaking the deadly silence of the room. It was after almost a week he was seeing his father.
Neil turned to the voice when his eyes landed on his son and wife. Both were looking at him, one with a smiling face whereas the other one was trying to push back tears forming in her big doe eyes with continuous blinking.
He immediately cut his call and talking long strides he reached to his two precious. His soul was at peace but his heart was thumping inside his ribcage when his eyes landed on them. He gulped heavily, his lips enriched with a bright smile.
"Neev" he picked up his son's arms.
"Dadda, kissie!" Neev asked, widening his eyes.
Neil peppered his face with his kisses, his son giggled in his arms trying to save himself from sweet assault by his father.
"Dadda, affis. No.. No" Neev was asking in his way to spend more time with him.
"Of course my baby." Neil smiled brightly after almost one week looking at his son's demands.
"Dadda will play with you." His eyes welled up with tears.
"Play... ball" Neev pointed towards the ball which was in one of the corners of the room.
"Mumma... Play ball" He turned to his mother.
Myra was staring at them with moist eyes, somewhere she cursed herself for keeping Neev away from his father for this one week. In her miseries she locked herself along with her son in the room resulting in both son and father missing their bitter-sweet interactions.
Both father and son turned their eyes to their favourite person who was still at her place, lowering her head.
"Mumma lectch play" Neev raised his hand calling his mother.
Myra raised her eyes to match with another pair of misty eyes but she could not control her inner anguish.
"Myra please." He squeezed his eyes in request.
"I... I... I have some work." Myra left the dining area giving lame excuse.
"Mumma... stop..." In her grief, Myra could not hear her son's pleadings. She took the empty bowl and headed towards the kitchen.
"It's ok. Mumma is busy." Neil clutched his baby, kissing his forehead. "I will play with you. Go. Bring your ball." Neil cheered up by showing a fake smile to his son.
"Hey Neev darling, I can play with you. Let's play together." Earlier Meera was observing the trio. When Myra left not saying any word, she considered it as her one more win over her twin.
"No no.." Neev shook his head in denial. "My Dadda." He turned his back to her, wrapping his father's neck in his small arms.
"Neev, come. Come baby. We will have fun. You, me and Dadda." Meera brought an extra sweet voice from her vocal cords.
"It's ok. It's been a long time since I have spent any time with him. So give us some time." Neil seconded his son.
Neil and Neev started playing with Neev's toys in the living area whereas Meera was sitting on the couch to depict a picture perfect family.
'Today, you have lost everything Myra. Now, I am the one who will rule over this house. Neil is totally trapped in my web of lies and now whatever I have done today... he trusts me blindly. Now the day is not far when he himself will throw you out of this house.' Meera passed a brief look at her sister's retreating figure.
Proofs and details Meera had given to Neil were verified as well in addition she gave her statement to a special investigation team of police against Ryan as well as Ashok Sehgal about their illegal activities and whereabouts.
In addition to Ryan, Neil had also asked her about her father's involvement in the past. She being a swell headed, egocentric and self-centred woman blurted out each and every detail about her father and stepmother falling in the trap Neil was weaving around her.
It's not even 15 minutes have passed, Neil took Neev in his arms and started leaving the living area.
"Neil, where are you going?" Meera asked, earlier she was hoping to showcase as a family infront of her sister.
"He needs a diaper change." Neil made an excuse to take away Neev. He took the stairs to go to his room along with his son.
'Neil, how long will you keep me away from you? If not today then tomorrow you have to come to me.' Meera smiled seductively.
Myra came out of the kitchen to see her sister gawking at her husband and son who were climbing stairs up.
"Hey little sister" Meera purposefully called, halting Myra on her way towards the stairs.
"Sorry, if you would have felt bad about me and Neil going away from home in the morning. It was kind of urgent so." Meera conveniently tried to broach the topic to tease her twin.
"No. Why will I feel bad about it when I trust my husband?" Myra responded pungently.
Even though these days she was not on talking terms with her husband as well as his recent actions have shuddered the trust level between them, Myra being a matured girl did not want any outsider, especially her sister, to know about the current issues going on between them.
"Wow! I must say I appreciate the trust level between you two." Meera tried to expand their conversation. "Neil trusts you blindly. And that's why he gave you full authority over OUR baby."
"Our baby. My and Neil's baby. Neev." Myra replied flatly yet confidently.
"But Myra, how long will this continue? You also have to think about your life." Meera wore a mask of a concerned sister.
"Neil and Neev are my life." Myra replied in the same tone.
"But how can you forget I am the first love of Neil and I am a biological mother for Neev." Suddenly Meera gained back her confidence. She replied, rolling her eyes. "And you... you are just a temporary arrangement."
"So all these days, you were just making a fool of me." Tears started welling up in Myra's eyes. Her voice was not coming out smoothly as her mind was fogged with many possibilities which were enough to make her feel defeated. "And my husband?" she added but her voice cracked this time. "You are making a fool of both of us?"
"Correction my dear twin. We both have been making fool of you. Neil is just binded with the favours you have done for him till today by taking care of our baby. He is fighting a debate between his love for me and his indebtedness towards you. But you know my little sister, love is a very powerful emotion which can defeat anything. AND NEIL SINGHANIA LOVES ME. That's what will happen in this case as well.... Just wait and watch." Meera responded snarkily. She was enjoying the anguish spread over Myra's face. She turned and stepped towards her room grinning widely over her recent win.
Listening to Meera's words, tears started rolling over Mrya's cheeks. Her words stroke the dagger in her heart. It was true, she had confessed her love to Neil on numerous occasions but he had never confessed his inner feeling reciprocating her love. She knew he cares, respects and trusts her but love?
He had never said those three words to her which increased her inhibitions, resulting in increasing her insecurities till its peak.
'I shouldn't believe her. She is trying to create a misunderstanding. I know her. She is evil. I am going to tell everything to Neil. He will throw her out. He says he cares about me. He said he has reasons to keep her here.
What are those reasons? He never voiced them out.
If he knows she is faking then why couldn't his security team find anything wrong with her medical reports.'
'Is Neil really giving a thought of forgiving her?'
'No... I have seen his hatred for her. For sure she is lying. Because if she is not, then it will impact my Neev. I would not have any rights over my baby. I won't be able to take him with me. It is the irony of his life that Meera has given him birth.'
'No Neil has to end this mess now itself.'
After a long thought, she decided to confront Neil, she stepped out of her room to go to him. Thankfully the door of his room was open. She opened it to see Neil and Neev.
Neil was sprawled over the bed where as his son was sitting on his stomach running his cars over his father's body. When she took a step inside, she could see Neil had slipped in deep slumber. Her heart twisted again to wake him up, earlier she had observed his exhausted state. She turned back to go back to her room without making her presence noticeable by the two inside the room.
One part of her mind was pushing her to confront him but the other part of her heart was scared to face his conclusions. Under any circumstances, she will not be able to tolerate the distance between herself, Neil and Neev. The battle between mind and heart took away her confidence, pushing her into a shell.
Next early morning Myra came down with first decision to confront her husband when she found out that Neil had left their home resulting in postponement of her plans. She had decided to confront Neil in the absence of Neev. Of Course she did not want to create any arguments in front of her son, scaring his innocent soul.
Reminder alert on her phone reminded her about today's Neev's vaccination appointment. After feeding Neev his breakfast, she headed to her room to get ready.
'Ohh but Neev's vaccination record card is in Neil's cupboard.' She talked to herself.
Stepping out of her room, she stood in front of Neil's room. Earlier, she used to step inside his room even in his absence to do daily chores but recent change in their equation pushed her in a thoughtful state.
Finally, after a long thought of 5 minutes she gave him a call.
Niel was busy with few official staffs when his phone started ringing flashing 'Nightingale Calling'
His lips stretched with instant smile. Next second he slid the green button receiving her call.
"Hey Myra. Thank god you...." He was interrupted.
"I have to take Neev for his vaccination appointment. I need his vaccination card, it's in your closet. Can I take it?"
"Myra, why are you asking me this? Come on Myra. It's your home. You can do whatever you want." He moved away from all other official folks.
"Ok. I will take it then." She cut the call without giving any chance to speak further.
"Myra.." but he heard the beep sound from the other side. He stared at her smiling face on his screen.
"James, Myra is going out with Neev to hospital. Make sure she takes security with her." Neil ordered before concentrating on the discussions going in front of him.
'Myra, please. Please listen to me. I will be at home in an hour or two. It's time to throw that dirt out of our house.' He typed on his phone and hit send.
"Ok Mr. Singhania, we will take care henceforth. You don't have to worry about anything. Singhania's name will not be ever uttered in any of the proceedings." Officer shook his hand with Neil, after one more hour of discussions.
"Once we receive your message we will take charge with further proceedings." Another official confirmed with a professional tone.
"James will coordinate with you. He will keep you updated. Thanks. Thank you so much." Both brothers shook their hands with officials bidding them goodbye in addition instructing his security head to complete the remaining formalities.
"So, we are heading to your home?" It was more of a question from Niren.
Niren ignited the car but his eyes captured his brother. He rested his head on the headrest of the passenger seat with closed eye. Dark circles, pale face, dropped shoulders gave an idea to Niren about the mental and physical stress his brother was going through.
"Neil, are you ok?" He asked, keeping eyes on the road.
"I am tired, Niren. I am exhausted. But finally, everything will be over now. I can be myself in front of my Nightingale. I am done with this hide and seek game." Neil replied leaving a deep sigh, still with closed eyes.
After 30 minutes of driving, both entered Neil's house to find it empty.
"Where is Myra?" Niren asked, he was hoping to see her and his nephew in the living room as usual.
"Ohh she had taken Neev to hospital for his vaccination appointment." Neil answered, but when his own words registered in his mind, he felt the floor beneath his feet was swiped away.
"Shit" Neil groaned, widening his eyes like his eyeballs would pop out of their sockets any moment.
"What happened?" Niren asked when he saw his brother pulling his hair out in annoyance.
Neil ignored his brother and ran towards his room followed by Niren who was unable to understand abrupt anxiety spread across his brother's face.
Neil frantically entered his room, opening the door and taking a good look of his room. It was empty. He stepped in to move towards the closet area when his eyes captured a shiny thing kept on the coffee table over some papers.
When he took a step, his mind captured the tiny shining thing that was not anything else but the ring which he had gifted Myra on her birthday as her wedding ring. His heart started thumping inside his ribcage with anticipation of his worst nightmare to be true.
Few more steps and his eyes fell on the contents of the page. Those were printouts of Meera's true medical reports which he had hid inside his closet.
'She came to know.'
His heart sank. He gaped like a fish.
"What happened? And what is this?" Niren asked from behind. He was still clueless.
"She gave up on our marriage." Niren could hear teary whispers from his brother. His hands started trembling.
"What do you mean?"
"Myra found out I knew about Meera's lie about her medical condition." Tears started streaming over his cheeks. His voice was cracking.
"Did she think I was cheating on her?" Neil asked his brother with black face.
Niren could not find words to form a sentence, he was shocked the same as his brother.
"Ohh god I fucked up." He palmed his face and slumped down on the couch holding his throbbing head in both his hands. Her smiling face appeared in front of his eyes, it gave him piercing pain of heartbreak.
'Did she really leave me?'
"Niren, I have to find her. I can't live without her." After a few moments, Neil gathered his mental and physical equilibrium. "I love her."
Tears were continuously rolling over his cheeks. He got up from the couch but stumbled feeling dizzy.
Niren held his arm in support.
"Neil, you are burning with fever." Niren immediately touched his forehead to check temperature. "Shit man you are burning like charcoal."
Neil started dialling Myra's number from his phone but it was unanswered from the other side. He could only hear the beep sound.
"Neil, you stay here. I will look after them." Niren tried to make his brother understand.
"No... not this time. I have lost her in the past but this time... No... I won't let anyone take away my Nightingale from me." Neil announced with determination.
"Julia" he called the old lady through the intercom. "When did Myra leave?"
"Ohh she left with Neev baby an hour back for his appointment." Julia was tired of being their messenger in this last week.
"I am sure she must be in the hospital."
"How can you be sure about this?" Niren asked.
"Because it's about Neev. No matter how much upset she is or angry or broken she is, when it comes to Neev, she prioritises his needs over everything. Over her own self as well. And today was Neev's vaccination appointment. For sure she would be in the hospital." Neil knew his wife in and out.
"Ok, then let's head to the hospital." Niren spoke instantly.
With faltering steps Neil came down, each passing moment his body was giving up but his strong will, and urge to see his nightingale was keeping him from getting going.
"Neil, I saw ..." Meera was waiting for Neil, she had received news about his arrival from one of the maids. She came out instantly in the living area.
But today, she was totally ignored by both Singhania brothers. Neil did not even spare a single glance at her and walked out to the porch area.
Niren took charge of the driver seat whereas Neil was on the passenger side.
"Jacob, where are you guys?" Neil asked over the call.
"Sir, I am standing out of the paediatric ward of Trillium Hospital, Mam is inside with Neev baby." Jacob, security professional turned driver, replied with professionalism.
"Ok. Don't move, stay there. I will be there in the next 15-20 minutes." Neil ordered. He rested his head back on the head rest recalling his sweet moments with her.
'I had to make her believe me once again. I will be dead without her. Please god please show your mercy on us.'
Neil ran inside the moment Niren stopped the car in front of the hospital.
"Where is she?" Neil huffed, asking Jacob a question.
"Mam is still inside."
Without giving any reply back he entered inside the paediatrics ward heading towards the reception station for nurses.
"Dr. Lucia?" He asked.
"Sir, she is attending patients." Of Course the head nurse knew he was the director on the hospital board.
"Myra was here right?" He asked again.
"Yes, she came here for a vaccination appointment. She met Dr. Lucia then she left." She replied with professionalism.
"She left?" Words were out even before he realised.
"Yes sir."
Neil gaped like a fish, he could not believe the words fell on his ears. He felt dead from inside.
"She is in the garden area, Sir." Nancy spoke carefully from behind. Her words brought back the life in his, he took a deep breath.
"Thank you." Just two words and he ran towards the garden area.
When he reached the garden area, he roamed his eyes over the place, it was deserted as it was afternoon, lightly snowing outside. His eyes settled on the figure sitting on the bench. He rushed to her.
Myra was looking far. Tears were rolling over her cheeks. Today, she had lost every battle of her life. She had lost the person whom she loved from the core of her heart.
In the morning, when she opened the side of the closet for Neev's vaccination record card, her eyes fell on the papers which fell down on the floor. Being a medical student, it did not take much time for her to grasp the contents of the page.
Tears of agony started streaming down her cheeks. She could not manage her balance and fell down on the floor. Pain inside her heart was taking her life away. She prayed to her lord almighty for her death.
'He lied to me.'
'She was right.'
'I was a burden for him.'
'He considered me as a duty... just a debt'
'You killed me Neil. Once again.'
She hugged herself pulling her feet near her chest burying her face in them.
"Mumma" Neev called her. He was waiting for his mother to come back to their room but she did not come after a long time. He strode to find her.
"Mummaaaa '' He started crying looking at his mother's tears.
Little soul did not understand the reason behind his mother's tears, her lifeless state, but her tears automatically filled his eyes with continuous tears.
Afterall his mother was his first love.
"Mummaaa" he sat besides her tapping her shoulder with his tiny hands.
She raised her head to look after her son shedding continuous tears. He was hiccuping, his big doe eyes were filled with fear, his whole self was trembling due to short breaths.
"Mummaaa. No.... No" He was telling his mother not to cry.
He mewled to her body to give her comfort.
"Neev, my baby." Myra pulled him in a bone crushing hug like her life depends on this small bundle of joy.
She cried her heart out holding her most precious possession near her chest.
"You are my baby. Only my baby."
"Only I have right over you... neither Neil nor Meera. You are just my baby." She clutched his little body.
"I have nothing to do with them. They both can go to hell but I am not going let them take you away from me, my baby." She kissed all over his face. Neev kept on looking at his mother with his innocent eyes.
After a long battle between her heart and mind she finally concluded. She took out her wedding ring, keeping it on top of medical reports on the coffee table. She left with Neev towards the hospital.
"Myra" her breath hitched when she heard Neil's voice. She turned her face to look at him. Her eyes had turned red due to continuous crying.
A smile invaded Neil's lips when he found her. He took a step and kept his arm on her shoulder.
In the next moment, his hand was thrown away by Myra's reflexive action.
"Myra?"
"Don't. Don't you dare to take my name." She seethed with anger shaking her head. "Just leave."
"But"
"Get out. I don't want to see your face." She yelled, turning her back towards him.
"I am not going without you." Neil exclaimed with surety.
"You don't have any right over me." Her every word was acting as a dagger for him.
"You are my wife." He took a step to hold her arm.
"Don't you dare, Mr. Neil Singhania. I am no one to you." She was a broken soul right now.
"Please... please for god sake listen to me." He knew what she was going through right now. He was at her place a year back.
"What should I listen to, Neil? Your lies? You conspiracy theories.... You... you used me Neil. You used me to get back your first love... your first wife. You used me to make her feel regretted for leaving you. You used me to ignite the jealousy in her heart for leaving her blessed married life. You used me to make her fall in love with you so that you can have her by your side." She held his collar outbursting, staring at his helpless eyes with her teary eyes.
"That's not true Myra..." He was interrupted with rigorous denials.
"No... Now everything is super clear in front of my eyes Neil... Everything was just a facade. You killed me Neil. You killed me once again. Congratulations." She took a step back, tightly closing her eyes.
"No... No... No..." He tried to hold her.
"Let's get this finished. I will never ever interfere in your and her life. You both can do whatever you want. I am ready to sign the annulment for the so-called marriage contract we have so you can go and spend the rest of your life with your love. I don't care about you two...." Every word she spoke was breaking her from inside.
She took a deep breath, "But I need custody of Neev. I will be his legal parent." She asked with determination, drilling a hole in his face. "I don't trust you two with my baby."
"Myra... please listen to me."
"It's over, Neil. Actually it was over long back... I am just formalising it right now." She turned, tear streamed down her cheek.
"I love you Myra." He screamed his lungs out, halting her in her place.
"I always loved you. You are my first and last love. I had lost my way to my nightingale. Please... please listen to me."
Her words kept on echoing in his head. His mind turned numb. He was staring at her stilled figure. He hissed the pain pierced from every cell of his body. His heart failed to bear the pain anymore and his body gave up. The breaths stuck in his throat and he collapsed on the ground.
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