Chapter 2 : Unanswered Echoes

"Maira?" Maan called out softly, stepping closer to her. "You're alive? How... how is this possible?"

Maira, terrified by the sudden movement of a stranger, backed away instinctively, her retreat cut short as her heels hit a small side table. A metal jar and a glass rattled against the surface, startling her. She gasped, shrinking further into the corner.

Maan, overwhelmed by the impossible sight of her, didn't notice her terror. "Maira, all this time... we all thought you were dead! Why didn't you reach out to us? Do you have any idea what happened back home? Maysha was so shattered by the news of your death that she stopped eating for days—it made her postpartum depression so much worse! And Ishaan... did you even care to think about him for a second?"

Driven by raw emotion, Maan reached out and firmly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maira, are you even listening to me?!"

Shaken by his booming voice and panicked by his sudden physical touch, Maira’s survival instinct kicked in. She snatched a heavy steel glass from the side table and flung it with all her strength, striking Maan squarely on the side of his head.

"What the hell, Maira?!" Maan yelled, clutching his forehead in shock.

The sheer volume of his scream sent a jolt of panic through Maira. She dropped the remaining glass, which clattered loudly across the floorboards.

Maan pulled his hand away, staring at the dark red crimson staining his palm. "Here I am, trying to make you realize the absolute mess you've made by hiding away in a place like this, and you attack me? Look at this! See how much I'm bleeding?"

Tears welled up in Maira's wide, confused eyes. Her lip trembled as she shrank back. "I... I got scared..." she whimpered, her voice dropping into the small, fragile tone of a terrified child.

Maan froze, confused by her sudden regression. "What did you say?"

"I got scared..." she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "That's why I hit you..."

Before Maan could process her unsettling demeanor, a sharp, loud knock echoed from the other side of the bedroom door.

Maira peeked out from between her fingers, her tear-streaked face laced with genuine guilt. "Is it... is it really hurting you?" she asked softly, looking at his bleeding head like a remorseful little girl.

Surprised and unnerved by her childish behavior, Maan hesitated as the knocking at the door grew more insistent. He took a slow step back, pressing a cloth to his head, and turned away from her without another word, exiting the room into the hallway.

Behind the closed door, left entirely alone in the dim light, Maira curled into herself and began to sob hysterically, crying like a lost, frightened child.

*

Maan pulled the door open to find Maddy standing in the hallway, his arm raised as if about to knock again.

"Bro, are you okay?" Maddy asked, his eyes wide with concern. "I heard a loud crash and yelling from outside, so I rushed over to check on you. Wait—Maan, you're bleeding! What happened to your head?"

Maan pressed his sleeve against the cut, blocking Maddy's view of the room behind him. "It's nothing. Just an accident. Can we please get out of here? This entire place... it’s really not my type, Maddy."

Maddy looked past Maan toward the dim room, then back at his friend's shaken face. "Yeah, Maan. Let's get out of here right now. I'm sorry, man. We'll find a 24-hour chemist on the way, get that cut patched up, and check into a hotel for the night. In the morning, we can meet up with Yuzi and Shalu and head straight back to Mumbai."

Maan offered a silent, exhausted nod, pulling the door shut behind him as they turned to leave the hallway.

*

Back in Mumbai, after a day...Sunday had finally arrived.

Maan pulled his car up the long driveway of the Luthra Mansion. Stepping into the grand foyer, he was warmly greeted by Preeta.

"Good morning, Maan," Preeta said with a gentle smile. "If you're looking for Ansh and Ayushmaan, you'll find them upstairs in their room getting ready."

"Thanks, Preeta Aunty," Maan replied, heading up the central staircase.

Reaching the boys' bedroom, he knocked softly on the wood before opening the door just a crack. "Boys? It's me... Bade Papa."

"Come in, Bade Papa... you are indeed very much needed right now," came Maysha’s exhausted, low voice from inside.

The moment the door opened, the twins—finally dressed in their weekend outing clothes—let out a collective squeal and sprinted across the room. "Bade Papa!" they cheered together, slamming into his legs in a tight group hug.

Maan chuckled, crouching down to ruffle their hair before looking up at Maysha. She let out a long sigh, leaning against the edge of the changing table.

"I’m so glad it’s finally Sunday," Maysha admitted, offering a weary smile. "I mean, usually I miss them like crazy on Sundays, especially now that they're growing up so fast, but..." She trailed off, her eyes dropping to the floor.

Maan stood up, looking at her attentively. "But?"

Maysha lifted her gaze to meet his. "Ever since I tested positive on a home pregnancy test a couple of days ago... things haven't exactly been easy."

Maan’s smile faltered, his jaw dropping slightly as the words hit him. "What? You're pregnant?"

A soft blush crept up Maysha’s cheeks. "Yeah. Ayush and I are expecting our third child. Honestly, it wasn't planned, especially given how tough my first pregnancy journey was. But this surprise pregnancy made us realize we're completely ready to welcome another child into our lives. We’re really hoping for a girl this time, so we can name her after Di... if that’s what God has planned for us."

Maan took a quick, quiet breath, forcing down the sudden sting of old jealousy. He pushed it aside, replacing it with a genuine, albeit teary-eyed, smile. "I’m so happy for you guys," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "Finally... a child whose responsibilities I don't have to share!"

Maysha laughed softly, though her expression quickly turned earnest. "Speaking of sharing responsibilities, Maan, I can never thank you enough for everything you've done. You're not just the twins' second dad—you were my absolute lifeline during my first pregnancy with them. Back when my postpartum depression hit so hard, and both boys were in the NICU..."

She took a breath, remembering those heavy months. "Ayushmaan needed so much more time to recover than Ansh. Even though I religiously pumped milk for them once they were allowed to feed, everything fell apart after the news of Maira Di’s death.I was so shattered that I stopped eating and drinking entirely... "

At the mention of Maira, Maan's mind instantly flashed back to that dim, claustrophobic room at the brothel—the terrified girl, the bloody head wound, the ghost of a face he thought died in the hospital fire. A cold shudder ran through him, though he quickly forced the memory down. It was just the alcohol, he reassured himself frantically. I was drunk out of my mind. It couldn't have been her.

Maysha, unaware of the turmoil behind his quiet stare, continued, "My milk dried up, and I couldn't even function, let alone feed them. While Ayush and the rest of the Luthra family were trying to pull me out of that dark place, you stepped up completely. You took charge of feeding them formula and taking care of them as your own."

She rubbed the small of her back with a light wince. "And honestly, the back pain from the C-section and those pregnancy spasms that started in my sixth month never really left me. Running after two energetic boys has only made it worse. Now with this new pregnancy... ah, Maan, I'm going to need their Bade Papa to share the load more than ever."

Maan let out a warm laugh, trying to keep the mood light. "Well, thank God I’m single! At least I can do all of this without a partner complaining that I don't give them enough time."

Maysha’s eyes softened with concern. "No, Maan, please don't say that. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I’m pressuring you with the twins' responsibilities. You are completely free to live your own life, find someone special, and settle down. It’s really high time you got hitched!"

A quiet ache bloomed behind Maan’s chest at her words. Find someone special. The thought felt hollow, almost cruel. As far as his heart was concerned, the only 'someone special' he had ever truly wanted was standing right in front of him, hopelessly out of reach. The idea of seeking out another woman, of forcing himself into a relationship when every piece of his soul was still tethered to Maysha, felt like an impossible lie. He couldn't—and wouldn't—hand his heart to a stranger when it wasn't even his to give anymore.

Pushing the bittersweet wave of emotion down, Maan shook his head and let a self-deprecating smirk touch his lips. "Maysha, come on. Who’s going to marry a forty-one-year-old man who became a dad to twins through a rare medical phenomenon like heteropaternal superfecundation? Besides, I don't feel pressured at all. Ansh and Ayushmaan are my responsibility, and I love being there for them. Now, stop worrying, take some rest, and look after yourself."

He gestured toward the door. "When the day ends, I’ll drop the kids back home—or Ayush can swing by my place to pick them up. And listen, if you two need me to take care of the twins even more throughout your pregnancy, I’m more than happy to do it."

Relief washed over Maysha's face, and her smile broadened. "Thank you, Maan. I’ll hold you to that. And yes... I definitely need to lie down."

She turned her attention to the two little boys jumping around Maan’s feet. "Bye, babies! Take care and have lots of fun today. Mama loves you both so much."

Maysha began to lower herself down to their level, but a sharp twinge in her back made her pause. Maan quickly offered his arm, supporting her weight as she dropped to her knees. She gave each boy a warm kiss on the forehead and a tight hug. With Maan gently helping her back up onto her feet, she waved them goodbye before the trio turned and headed downstairs toward the exit.

*

Inside the outhouse of the Khurana Mansion, the cozy living space hummed with warmth and muffled laughter.

Roshni and Malvika were busy in the kitchen preparing a fresh tray of snacks and smoothies, while Maan was completely squeezed on the main couch. He was surrounded by a sea of little limbs—Ansh, Ayushmaan, Yash, Yuvaan, along with Malvika's daughter Siya and her son Samarth. Maan held the TV remote high above a chorus of enthusiastic requests, casually scrolling through the options to pick a fun animated movie for their afternoon watch party.

Watching her brother navigate the clutter of kids with effortless warmth, Malvika couldn't help but smile.

"Bhabhi, it's so lovely to see Maan bhai with all the kids," Malvika said softly, leaning against the counter. "He really makes such an amazing father and uncle. The cousins are finally having a great Sunday getting entertained right here at home."

"Yeah," Roshni agreed with a tender smile. "Last Sunday’s picnic at Water Kingdom was absolute chaos, but Maan managed to take care of the kids even though Ishaan and Katha were around as well with Mahi and Aarav.He really had some great quality daddy-uncle time. He’s such a natural father figure. But Malvika Di, I only wish he had a life partner of his own. He’s immersed himself so deeply into dance and setting up his own academy that he’s completely shut off his heart from the idea of a relationship. Even when he briefly dates, he’s always the one to back out before things get serious. I just wonder when we'll get to see him settle down with someone who gives him the love he truly deserves. He shouldn't spend his whole life just giving love to everyone else—he needs to be on the receiving end for once."

"I hope so too, Bhabhi," Malvika reassured her with a gentle nod. "Don't worry, he’ll find his person when the time is right."

Gathering the loaded trays of crispy snacks and colorful smoothies, Roshni and Malvika walked into the living hall, setting the spread down on the central coffee table in front of Maan and the children.

"Alright, bachha party!" Roshni announced brightly. "Dig in and enjoy your home theatre!"

"Yayyy!" the kids cheered in unison, instantly diving toward the food.

Maan looked up from the couch, offering Roshni a warm smile. "Thank you," he mumbled softly.

Roshni smiled back affectionately, giving his shoulder a gentle pat before stepping back to give them space.

As the movie began to play and the room filled with the rhythmic sounds of munching and animated dialogue, Maan leaned his head back against the cushion. His fingers absentmindedly combed through the soft hair of Ansh and Ayushmaan, who were curled up on either side of him.

Despite the lively atmosphere, his mind drifted hundreds of miles away—back to that dimly lit, suffocating room in Budhwar Peth. The lingering image of Maira’s terrified, tear-streaked face flashed sharply in his mind.

What if she really is alive? Maan thought, staring blankly at the glowing screen. His lips moved in a barely audible whisper, lost beneath the loud cinematic audio and the kids' laughter. "If it was really her... why on earth would she end up in a brothel in Pune? Why wouldn't she reach out to any of us after the accident? And why was she speaking in that frightened, childlike voice? There are too many unanswered questions... Damn it. I think I have to go back to that brothel."