Manik found Nandini sitting on the swing in the garden, her shoulders trembling as she wept. He leaned against the swing, watching her with concern before bending down and pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead, letting his lips linger there as if trying to absorb her pain.

"Nandini, they are our parents. They have every right to scold us. Please stop crying," he murmured, his voice laced with helplessness. Seeing her in distress was unbearable for him.

Tears continued to stream down Nandini's face as she sniffled. "But Manik, Papa has never shouted at me like that before," she whispered, her voice breaking as she clung to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He sighed, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"I know, sweetheart. But it was your mistake, wasn't it?" he asked softly, lifting her chin so their eyes met. Nandini hesitated but then gave a small nod. She knew she had erred.

"Then let it go, hmm? Enough crying. When things settle down, just apologize, alright?" Manik said, his voice gentle as he wiped her tears away with his thumb. Nandini gave a slight nod before pulling him down to sit beside her. She rested her head on his shoulder, holding his arm, finding solace in his presence.

"They will be fine, won't they?" she asked hesitantly, her voice laced with worry.

"The babies will be alright, I promise," Manik assured her, pressing another reassuring kiss to her forehead. He knew her heart was weighed down with anxiety, especially for the unborn children who had yet to see the light of day.

"And the family?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"They will come around, Nandini. Everyone goes through their own share of struggles, but nothing is permanent. There's always a way to make things right," Manik said in his husky tone, his words filled with conviction. That was all Nandini needed to hear at that moment. A small smile appeared on her lips, and she placed a tender kiss on his cheek. He smiled back, and together they closed their eyes, embracing this rare moment of peace, uncertain of what the future held for them and their family.

Meanwhile, in the living room, the air was thick with tension.

"What do you want to talk about, Kartik? There is nothing left to discuss between us," Naira said, settling herself onto the couch while cradling her baby bump.

Kartik exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. "We need to talk about our babies, Naira. Not about us, but them," he said, his voice heavy with resignation.

Naira scoffed, her lips curling in frustration. "If only we had spoken this maturely before, none of this would have happened."

Kartik's jaw tightened. "Can we skip the taunts? I just want to make something clear. Until your delivery, you are my responsibility. After that, you can leave, and I'll take care of the babies alone. You can go wherever you want."

Naira's eyes widened in shock. "Are you even listening to yourself? Do you think I can just forget my own children? I have carried them, nurtured them, and loved them. And now you expect me to just hand them over and walk away?" she questioned, her voice rising with disbelief.

"Then what do you suggest, Naira? I can't abandon them, nor can I live away from them!" Kartik shot back, his frustration evident.

"And your grand solution is to take them away from their mother? Kartik, the issue is between us, not them. The solution should involve fixing us, not separating me from my children."

Kartik let out a dry chuckle, his eyes darkening. "Us? Do you even believe there is an 'us' anymore? You've told your side of the story to your family, but did you ever stop to consider mine? Did you ever wonder what must have happened for the man who once loved you more than life itself to say those things to you?"

Naira's expression hardened. "I know what happened, Kartik. The truth is, there was never any real love in your heart for me."

Kartik flinched at her words, hurt flashing in his eyes. "What else was I supposed to think, Naira? You prioritized having dinner with him over our plans. We had made arrangements to go shopping, and instead, I was left waiting outside the mall while you messaged me that you were having dinner with him. What was I supposed to feel?"

"Kartik, I explained it to you. He needed to discuss something urgent. Why do you keep throwing that in my face?"

"Urgent, huh? Fine. Then tell me this—what about the night you stayed at his house? What was the excuse for that, Naira?"

She sighed in exasperation. "Again with this? I told you before, but you never listened. Do you remember?"

"I'm listening now. Explain."

"He wasn't even in town, Kartik. His girlfriend was alone at his place, and he just asked me to stay with her for the night. That was all."

Kartik scoffed, shaking his head. "Even if I believe that, what about the distance between us, Naira? You barely spoke to me. Every other night, you had that so-called friend over for dinner, but we barely exchanged words. You never even tried to see things from my perspective. We were better off not being married."

"Kartik, it was your insecurities that pushed you to ignore me first. Don't put all the blame on me. We were both at fault. We were immature, careless, and in that mess, I truly believed you were flirting with those women at the wedding. Do you have any idea how terrible that felt?"

"It was all in fun, Naira. You used to be cool about these things before."

"Situations were different before, Kartik."

For a moment, their gazes locked, and beneath all the bitterness, there was still a trace of the care and affection they once had for each other. But misunderstandings had built an unbridgeable chasm between them.

"What now?" Kartik finally asked, looking away.

Naira took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Let's file for divorce. We are not working anymore."

Kartik's heart clenched, and he turned to look at her, pain evident in his eyes.

"Hmm," he murmured, his voice barely audible.

"Fine. Let's inform everyone of our decision. We will be parents to our children, but we will no longer be partners," Naira stated, refusing to meet his gaze.

They both felt uncertain, but in that moment, it seemed like the only choice they had left.