The Birla siblings 💕

shiya ❤️

The living room buzzed with warmth and laughter as the family enjoyed a rare moment of peace. Akshu and Aarohi, though still anxious from the old woman's cryptic warning from a week ago, did their best to immerse themselves in the joy of family. The laughter of Abhir, Ruhi, and Ruhanika filled the air, easing the tension that had silently settled within the hearts of the two sisters.

Suddenly, the sound of the door creaking open echoed through the room. Shivu stood in the doorway, his face pale and drawn. Beside him was a woman no one recognized, cradling a tiny baby in her arms. The air seemed to freeze as the entire family turned to face the trio. Conversations halted, smiles faded, and confusion quickly replaced the previous atmosphere of light-heartedness.

Parth, who had been laughing with Abhimanyu just moments before, stood up abruptly, his face darkening with a mix of confusion and dread. His eyes darted between Shivu and the woman with the child, his mind racing.

"Shivu," Parth's voice trembled slightly, though he tried to maintain composure, "who is this? What is going on here?"

Shivu swallowed hard, his throat dry as sandpaper. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing in his ears. He couldn’t look his father in the eyes. He couldn’t look at anyone. He had known this moment would come, but nothing could have prepared him for how it felt now that it was here.

"This... this is Maya," Shivu finally managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper. "And this is… our baby."

A sharp gasp escaped Shefali’s lips, and her hand flew to her chest. Akshu and Aarohi exchanged shocked glances, while Abhimanyu and Neil stood frozen, their faces masks of disbelief.

Parth’s face contorted with anger, his eyes blazing with fury. His hand shot out before anyone could stop him, and the loud slap that followed echoed throughout the room, stunning everyone into silence. Shivu stumbled backward, clutching his cheek as the stinging pain spread through his face, but it was nothing compared to the ache in his heart.

"How dare you!" Parth roared, his voice thick with rage. His eyes, once filled with love for his son, now only showed the weight of betrayal. "Did you ever think about your family? Did you ever think about your mother and me? Our reputation? You’ve humiliated us, Shivu. You’ve ruined everything!"

Tears welled up in Shivu’s eyes, but he blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. He couldn’t bring himself to speak. He couldn’t find the words.

Shefali, still in shock, covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. Her gaze flickered between Shivu and Maya, her mind struggling to process what had just happened.

Akshu, sensing that the situation was spiraling dangerously out of control, quickly moved to Parth’s side and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Bhaiya," she said softly, "I understand how upset you are. We’re all shocked, but please, shouting won’t help right now. Let’s take a breath. Let’s try to handle this with calm minds."

Aarohi stepped forward, her voice soothing but firm. "Bhaiya, the baby is here now. We need to think about what’s best for everyone, especially the child."

Neil, who had been standing silently in the corner, finally spoke up, his voice strained with the heavy emotions he was holding back. "Parth Bhai," he began, his eyes meeting his elder brother’s, "what’s done is done. There’s no way to undo the past. But Shivu is still your son, and this child is innocent in all of this. We have to figure out how to move forward from here."

Abhimanyu nodded in agreement. "Shivu has made his decision. We can’t change that. But we can choose how to respond. And right now, we need to welcome them. That’s the right thing to do."