Meera’s Apartment

Chhaya stood at the door, her expression unreadable.
Meera’s voice was flat, her eyes narrowing.
“Ivaan’s ex-girlfriend.”

Chhaya gave a small nod. “May I come in?”

On the other end of the hidden call, Jharna whispered urgently, “Meera di, talk to her. Maybe Chhaya is the one we’ve been searching for.”

Meera stiffened at her sister’s voice in her earbud. After a pause, she stepped aside. “Come in.”

Chhaya entered, her heels clicking against the floor. Meera shut the door and the two women sat opposite each other on the sofa, the air thick with suspicion.

“What do you want to talk about?” Meera asked bluntly.

Chhaya folded her hands, her tone careful. “I know how much you love your sister. You’d never want anything bad to happen to her.”

“Speak clearly,” Meera pressed, her brows furrowed. “What are you trying to say?”

Chhaya inhaled deeply, gathering courage.
“Jharna is not safe with Ivaan.”

Meera’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

Chhaya’s words dropped like stones.
“Jharna didn’t marry Ivaan out of love. He forced her—by blackmailing her. He kidnapped Miransh to make her agree.”

Meera’s breath caught. On the call, Jharna froze, panic surging through her. She wasn’t supposed to tell di this…

“You’re lying!” Meera snapped, shaking her head. “Ivaan loves Jharna and Miransh more than anything. He would never—”

Chhaya cut her off sharply.
“He can do anything, Meera. I lived with him, I know. Jharna never wanted this marriage. Ivaan compelled her… and maybe he’s still compelling her. What you see isn’t the truth—it’s only what Ivaan wants you to believe.”

Meera’s face paled, her mind spinning. She had never imagined something like this, not from Ivaan.

Chhaya leaned closer, her tone dripping urgency.
“He’s using Jharna, and perhaps even Miransh. That boy is his weapon—his way of keeping control over your sister. I’ve seen the real Ivaan. He’s a criminal, Meera. He doesn’t think twice before taking a life. If his anger flares one day… who knows what he might do to Jharna and Miransh? You’re the only one who can save them. Save your family before it’s too late.”

Her words left a chilling silence behind.

Chhaya stood, smoothing her dress.
“I should go. The rest is in your hands now. Protect them… before it’s too late.”

Without waiting for a reply, she walked out. The door clicked shut, leaving Meera trembling in the quiet room.

On the call, Jharna’s panicked voice broke through.
“Meera di, don’t believe her! I’ll explain everything—”

Meera’s tone was low but sharp.
“Is it true?”

“Di, calm down, please. Let me—”

“I don’t want explanations,” Meera cut her off. “Just answer. Yes or no.”

“Di, please listen—”

“Yes or no, Jharna!”

There was a pause. Then, Jharna’s voice cracked.
“It’s true, but—”

Meera’s breath hitched. Before Jharna could finish, she cut the call, her hand trembling.

“Di… di!” Jharna cried desperately, but the line had already gone dead.

***

Meera threw her earbud aside, her chest heaving. Just then, the doorbell rang.

She knew. Miransh.

Wiping her face, she opened the door.
“Mumma!” Miransh shouted happily, throwing his little arms around her.

She hugged him tightly, swallowing her storm. “Welcome back, baby.”

As they stepped in, she cupped his cheeks. “Miransh, can I ask you something?”

He nodded, his big eyes blinking up at her.

“How did your momma and dadda get married? I mean… I wasn’t there, so I want to know. Was your momma happy, or sad?”

Miransh tilted his head, thinking. Then he said innocently, “I don’t know. I wasn’t at the wedding.”

Meera froze. “What do you mean? Where were you, baby?”

“At dadda’s villa. The one we stayed in yesterday,” Miransh replied simply. “I was there with Black Panther.”

Meera’s heart skipped a beat. Her grip on him tightened.

Miransh continued cheerfully, “Before the wedding, dadda took me there. He told me if I stayed at the wedding, momma would only look after me and not enjoy the ceremony. So, I agreed. I stayed with Black Panther and played.”

Meera’s throat burned. She pulled him into a crushing hug, tears spilling silently down her cheeks.

“My baby,” she whispered brokenly.

***

Meera was furiously packing a bag while Miransh sat silently, watching her. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Miransh got up and opened the door.

“Momma…” he smiled, seeing Jharna.

Meera turned and looked at her. Their eyes met—one filled with anger and the other with confusion.

Jharna bent down to Miransh. “Baby, will you please go inside for a while?”

Miransh nodded obediently and left.

Jharna walked up to Meera and asked softly, “Di… what are you doing?”

Meera’s voice was cold, sharp. “We’re going back to Shimla, Jharna.”

Jharna froze. “We?”

Meera snapped the zipper of the bag shut and replied, “Yes. Me, Miransh and you.”

Jharna’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Di… what are you saying?! This is exactly what Chhaya came here for—to poison your mind. And you’re actually believing her?”

Meera’s expression hardened. “And what if she’s right? Was she lying when she said you and Miransh aren’t safe with Ivaan? Miransh told me Ivaan left my little boy—my baby—with a wild animal. A black panther, Jharna! Tell me, is that not true?”

Jharna went silent.

Meera gripped her shoulders. “Answer me, Jharna! Is that why you married him? Out of helplessness?”

Jharna slowly nodded.

Meera staggered back, holding her head. “God, how foolish I was! I actually believed no one could ever love you more than Ivaan. I thought he was the best husband you could have.”

Jharna tried to defend him, “Di, that was the past. He’s not the same anymore. You’ve seen with your own eyes how desperately he searched for me for three years—”

Meera cut her off, “And what guarantee do we have that he won’t go back to being the same? Do you know what happens when his anger explodes? He forced you once, what if he forces you again? What if this time it costs you or Miransh your life? No, Jharna. I cannot take that risk. I lost you both once already—I cannot lose my family again.”

Her voice cracked but her decision was firm. “We are leaving now. We’ll live in Shimla, far away from all this madness.”

Unbeknownst to them, Ivaan stood silently at the door, listening. His face was unreadable.

Meera noticed him. She walked straight to him, her eyes blazing with anger and pain.

“Yes, you’ve suffered a lot. Maybe back then you had your compulsions, maybe your intentions weren’t entirely evil. Maybe. But tell me this—Ivaan, what if something had happened to my son? What if in forcing my sister, she has done something wrong? These guns, these enemies, these landmines… they were not meant for my sister! But for your wife. She is your wife now, yes, but why should she bear the punishment for that? Do you realize she almost died that day—only because she carries your name? And what’s the guarantee it won’t happen again?”

Ivaan said nothing. His eyes, however, never left hers.

Meera’s tears spilled. “After Mumma and Papa, I only had Jharna. And after her, my son. I cannot… I will not… lose them again.”

She joined her hands before him. “Please. Don’t try to stop me. I’m taking them away. That’s the only way I can keep them safe.”

Turning to Jharna, she added in a trembling voice, “When Mumma and Papa were leaving, Mumma made me promise… ‘Take care of Jharna.’ She left you in my hands. So now, I will decide. And you will have to accept it.”

Jharna’s eyes filled with tears. She looked at Ivaan, her heart breaking, but his gaze was already locked on her—haunted, pained, but silent.

Meera zipped the bag shut and called out, “Miransh!”

The little boy came running out. His eyes lit up when he saw Ivaan. “Dadda!”

Ivaan instantly composed his face into a faint smile, but Miransh could sense something was wrong. He looked at all three adults, puzzled.

“Why do you all look so sad?” he asked innocently.

Meera bent down to his level and stroked his cheek. “Miransh, we’re going to Shimla.”

“Shimla? But why?” Miransh asked in confusion.

“Because it’s necessary, beta.” Meera replied.

His innocent eyes darted to Jharna. “Momma and Dadda are coming too, right?”

Meera shook her head. “Only Momma.”

Miransh frowned. “But… why not Dadda?”

Silence filled the room. Finally, Jharna turned to Ivaan, her voice trembling but sharp. “Say something! Won’t you stop us?”

Ivaan’s lips curved into a helpless smile. “She’s right. You’re not safe with me. Maybe it’s better if you both stay away.”

Jharna’s anger burst. “So you’ll just stand here like a statue and let your wife be taken away? Is that how much I mean to you?”

Ivaan whispered, his voice raw, “And what else should I do? Maybe this is the right thing… for you.”

Jharna’s eyes flamed. “Fine then. I’m leaving. And I swear—I’ll never come back. Not even if you beg me.” Saying this she quickly left.

Her words cut through the room like knives. But Ivaan remained silent, his pain buried deep inside.

Meera’s decision was final. She turned to Miransh. “Come, beta.”

Miransh hesitated. “Can I at least say goodbye to Dadda?”

Meera nodded and then left.

The boy ran to Ivaan and hugged him tight. Ivaan closed his eyes, hugging him back, fighting the tears that threatened to escape.

***

Miransh hugged Ivaan tightly and whispered, “I heard what Meera Mumma said. I’m a big boy now, so I understood everything… Superhero.”

The word Superhero made Ivaan freeze. His expression shifted.

Miransh pulled back a little, looking straight into his eyes. “The first time I saw you… you saved my Momma from that falling chandelier.”

At once, Ivaan’s mind replayed the moment—the glittering chandelier crashing down, and how he had thrown himself forward to shield Jharna.

Miransh continued, “Since that day, I started calling you my Superhero. Then, when Momma was kidnapped… you were the one who brought her back.”

Another flash hit Ivaan—the night he stormed through the goons, blood and fury in his eyes, carrying Jharna back in his arms to Maurya Mansion.

Miransh’s voice softened but grew more intense, “And the day Momma fell from the helicopter—you jumped after her. You didn’t even think about yourself. You’re the one who found her in Cape Town and brought her back.”

Ivaan’s chest tightened. He could see it all—the rope slipping from his hand as he leapt after her, the endless search across streets until he found her.

Miransh’s eyes shimmered with tears. “It doesn’t matter whose fault it was that Momma got into danger. The truth is—you’re the one who always protected her. If she goes away from you, she’ll be sad. Please, Superhero… stop Meera Mumma.”

Ivaan’s eyes burned, wet with tears he couldn’t hold back. His heart twisted. Then, suddenly, he wiped his face, determination replacing the despair.

“Come,” he whispered. And then he ran—fast, desperate. Miransh followed him.

***

A cab stood waiting at the entrance. Meera and Jharna were standing there waiting for Miransh.

Jharna’s face was cold, her anger wrapped around her like armor. Yet beneath it, her eyes betrayed her hurt. Meera, on the other hand, looked torn—her heart in conflict. Am I doing the right thing?

And then came the voice.

“Meera.”

They both turned to see Ivaan. Jharna quickly opened the cab door and sat inside, avoiding him.

Ivaan walked straight up to Meera, his voice low but urgent. “I know… whatever I did in the beginning—it was wrong. But trust me… that black panther—it was trained. It would never have harmed Miransh. And you’re right, Jharna is in all this because of me. But believe me—so long as I am alive, nothing can touch her.”

Meera stared at him, stunned, uncertain. His words carried both guilt and conviction. She didn’t know what to say.

Ivaan’s voice broke as he pressed on. “Tell me, Meera. What do I have to do? What should I do to make you believe… that I am the best for Jharna and Miransh? Just tell me… and I’ll do it.”

Meera’s gaze shifted to the cab, to Jharna sitting inside with her storm of anger and pain. She turned back to Ivaan, her eyes softening for a moment.

“Win her back,” she said quietly.

And with that, she took Miransh’s hand and walked back toward the apartment, leaving Ivaan standing there, facing the battle of his life.

Ivaan rushed to the cab and pulled at the door handle, but it was locked. His voice trembled with urgency.

“Jharna… come out. I need to talk to you.”

Inside, Jharna sat stiff, her eyes blazing with anger. She turned to the driver sharply.
“Drive.”

The driver hesitated. “Where to, ma’am?”

“Anywhere,” Jharna snapped, her voice breaking. “Just get me out of here. Please… start the car.”

The cab engine roared to life. Ivaan banged on the window, calling her name again and again, but she didn’t even glance back. Her jaw was tight, her fists clenched in her lap.

The cab pulled away, leaving Ivaan standing there, his heart tearing apart. Within seconds, he ran back to his own car and started it, determination burning in his eyes. He wasn’t going to lose her like this. He followed.

***

In the cab, Jharna’s face was turned toward the window, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her voice trembled as she whispered, almost choking on the words,
“Why did you say that, Ivaan? That I should just leave? All my life, I was the one running away from you… and you were always the one pulling me back. But now… when I finally want to stay by your side, when I finally want to belong to you… how can you say something like that?”

Her tears wouldn’t stop, falling faster with each word, soaking her hands as she pressed them against her lap.

***

In his car, Ivaan’s knuckles turned white around the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tight. His breath came ragged as he muttered under his breath, almost like a prayer no one could hear,
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. I know I’ve hurt you. But this was the last time… never again. I’ll never let a situation like this come between us again. Just this once, Jharna… come back to me.”

The words cracked out of him in whispers, as if he was afraid even the wind might steal them away.

***

Sitara’s Note

Sometimes love doesn’t break because of absence, but because of silence. In this chapter, every heart spoke—Meera’s fear, Jharna’s anger, Miransh’s innocence, and Ivaan’s quiet desperation. Love stood at a fragile edge, torn between trust and betrayal, protection and possession, leaving behind only one truth: to hold on is painful, but to let go is unbearable.

Thank you for walking with me through every storm, every tear, and every unspoken word of this journey. This chapter is not an end… but a pause, until the heart finds its way back.

— Sitara Chandria