It was a quiet Thursday afternoon. Rain tapped gently against the apartment windows, and the aroma of cardamom chai drifted from the kitchen where Naina stirred a pot while humming an old Lata Mangeshkar tune. Mishti sat at the dining table, crayons scattered, her tiny hands busy drawing what looked like three stick figures holding hands.
“One’s you,” she explained proudly, holding up the paper. “One’s Daddy. And this is me — the smiley one.”
Naina chuckled. “You gave yourself a crown.”
“Because I’m the princess!”
Naina leaned down and kissed her head. “You are. And you’ve got the world’s kindest heart.”
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Naina wiped her hands and walked over, expecting maybe a delivery boy. But instead, a woman stood at the door in a formal blue saree, holding a notepad and a government ID badge.
“Ms. Naina Kapoor?”
“Yes?”
“I’m Leela Joshi from the Family Welfare Department. I’m here for a surprise home visit, as per the court’s order regarding Mishti Sharma’s custody case.”
“Oh!” Naina blinked, surprised. “Please come in.”
The woman walked in, glancing around the apartment. It was warm and tastefully arranged — mostly Aarav’s doing — with some of Naina’s recent touches. The scented candles, the children’s books now filling a shelf, and a cheerful blanket draped over the couch gave it a homey feeling.
Leela turned toward Mishti. “Hello, sweetheart.”
Mishti smiled politely. “Hi! Want to see my drawing?”
“She’s been making a family portrait,” Naina added, offering tea.
“Lovely,” Leela replied, smiling. “Is Mr. Rathore home?”
As if on cue, the door opened and Aarav walked in, tie loosened, hair slightly damp from the rain. He froze upon seeing the officer.
“Mr. Rathore,” Leela greeted. “We’re just making sure Mishti’s in a safe and nurturing home.”
“Of course,” he replied, offering a handshake. “Sorry for not being here earlier.”
“No worries. I prefer catching families as they really are, not staged.”
Naina winced internally. Aarav’s brows twitched.
Leela began her questions while observing everything — the fridge covered in Mishti’s doodles, a picture of all three of them in the hallway (Naina didn’t even remember when it was taken), and the child’s bedroom filled with plush toys.
“Who does bedtime?” Leela asked, pen hovering.
“I do,” Naina said at the same time as Aarav.
They looked at each other.
“I tell her stories,” Naina clarified.
“And I check under the bed for monsters,” Aarav added smoothly.
Leela raised a brow, clearly amused. “Sounds like a good balance.”
Mishti tugged on her sleeve. “Wanna see how my mummy sings to me?”
“Maybe later,” Naina muttered, cheeks turning red.
But the officer nodded. “Sure.”
To Naina’s horror, Mishti dragged her toward the child’s room and leapt into bed, pulling the covers to her chin dramatically. “Mummy always sings Chanda Hai Tu,” she announced.
Naina looked helplessly at Aarav.
He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching with quiet amusement.
So she did. Softly. And by the time the second verse came around, Aarav was no longer leaning — he had stepped in and sat beside the bed, watching both of them.
Leela scribbled something down.
When they returned to the living room, Leela looked more than satisfied. “Mishti seems happy, loved, and emotionally secure. That’s exactly what we hope to see.”
“Thank you,” Naina said, relaxing just a little.
Leela paused at the door, smiling. “You two… seem very genuine. I’ve seen many fakes over the years. But if you’re pretending, you’re both very good at it.”
She left, and the door clicked shut.
Later that night, after Mishti had fallen asleep between a pile of books and her stuffed tiger, Naina walked into the kitchen where Aarav stood leaning against the counter, sipping water.
“That was intense,” she said.
“She liked you.”
Naina smiled. “That’s good. Hopefully it helps your case.”
He looked at her quietly. “You were amazing with Mishti.”
“You make it easy to love her.”
“And me?” he asked, before he could stop himself.
Naina froze.
She looked up, eyes catching his. “What do you want me to say?”
He took a step closer.
“That you meant what you said in court.”
She swallowed. “I said we’ve been together three years.”
“Were you imagining it?” he asked, teasingly — but his voice was softer than usual.
Naina laughed nervously. “Don’t flatter yourself, sir.”
Aarav stepped even closer. The air between them changed.
“She called me Daddy.”
“I know,” Naina whispered. “I didn’t tell her to. She just... sees what we’re pretending to be and believes it’s real.”
He nodded slowly. “Sometimes I forget we’re pretending.”
Naina’s breath caught.
Then, gently, she smiled. “Well... don’t fall for me, remember?”
“I told you not to fall for me,” he replied, eyes warm.
“I think you broke the rule first.”
They stood in silence, the closeness between them thicker than any legal document could define. His hand brushed hers briefly, then dropped away.
“I’ll clean up,” he said quietly, turning away.
But that night, as Naina lay in bed, Mishti’s tiny body curled beside her, she stared at the engagement ring again — and whispered into the dark:
“I think I already have.”
End of Episode 3
💌 Emotional Note:
When love is faked for the world, sometimes... the heart forgets the difference. 💍❤️
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 19 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments