𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 : 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓼

𝟐𝟐. 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐊

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┌──❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚─┐
CHAPTER 22
└───❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚┘

Next morning, Mayuri and Nainika were in the kitchen preparing for the breakfast along with Kavya who looked weak even though she forced herself to look fine with the makeup and expressions but Nainika can look behind it because she knew everything.

Amid the calm of the beautiful morning, Nainika's mind was anything but peaceful.

Standing by the counter, she stole a glance at Kavya, who was making tea. Mayuri went towards the dining area to set the dishes.

Nainika quietly walked over and placed a small strip of tablets in front of her.

Kavya : "I don't need them"

Nainika: (softly, so only Kavya could hear) "Take these. They'll help with the weakness. Atleast consider it as women helping eachother."

Kavya : (with a small painful smile) "My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are Women only and after their actions I cannot even convince myself to trust on anybody not even *as women helping eachother*"

Nainika : "I don't know about anyone else but I'm definitely not like them and You know that"

Kavya: (hesitant) "I'm fine. Really."

Nainika: (offering a soft smile) "You don't have to be. Not with me."

Kavya blinked, caught off guard. For a moment, her pride flared, but Nainika’s gaze was gentle, understanding not pitying.
With a slow nod, she took the medicines.

Kavya: (whispering) "Thank you."

Nainika just nodded back.

Soon, the table was set, and everyone slowly began to gather.

And right there, infront of Nainika sat Yuvraj.

His eyes found her instantly, lingering longer than they should have. The weight of his gaze pressed heavily on her, burning into her skin like the sun at noon. She kept her head down, staring at her plate, as if the mere sight of her food could distract her from the storm swirling within her chest.

But she felt him watching.

And what made it worse?

Reyansh noticed that she was just playing with her food.

Reyansh, seated beside her, shifted his chair subtly closer. Without a word, his hand brushed against her knee under the table, light and reassuring. The kind of touch that was silent but spoke volumes. He glanced at her from the side, studying her face.

She hadn’t eaten a single bite. Her spoon lazily stirred her bowl of soup, but not once had it met her lips.

Reyansh: (low voice, only for her) "What’s wrong, Jaan? Why aren’t you eating?"

She shook her head gently, forcing a small smile.

Nainika: (whispering) "Nothing... just not that hungry."

But Reyansh wasn’t buying it. He leaned closer, his shoulder brushing hers, his lips ghosting over her ear.

Reyansh: "Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out when I can see through you. You haven’t even touched your food?"

She turned to him, and for a fleeting second, there was nothing else in the world. Just his brown eyes, filled with nothing but concern and softness, a softness the world rarely got to see in him.