The room was bathed in soft, golden light as Mridula lay exhausted but overwhelmed with joy, cradling their newborn twins in her arms. Kalyan sat beside her, his face a mixture of awe, love, and disbelief as he gazed down at the tiny, delicate figures bundled in soft blankets. Their son and daughter—so small, so perfect.

Mridula could hardly believe it. After hours of labour, after months of anticipation, their babies were finally here. She blinked back tears, her heart swelling as she gently touched their tiny hands, feeling the warmth of their skin against her own.

"I can't believe they're ours," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. She glanced at Kalyan, who hadn't taken his eyes off the babies. "They're so... perfect."

Kalyan reached out, his hands shaking as he softly brushed his fingers across his daughter's cheek, then his son's. He swallowed hard his chest tight with emotions he couldn't quite put into words. "Look at them," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "They're everything, Mridu. Everything we dreamed of and more."

Tears gathered in his eyes as he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Mridula's forehead, then another to the top of each baby's head. The overwhelming love he felt—for Mridula, for their newborns—was almost too much to contain.

"We've waited so long for this," he whispered, his voice barely holding back the tears. "And they're more perfect than I could have imagined."

Mridula smiled through her tears her heart full. As they sat together, holding their children for the first time, it felt like the world had shifted. They weren't just two people anymore—they were a family. And in that moment, nothing else mattered.

8.30 p.m.

It was around 8 p.m. when Kalyan returned home, cradling their son in his arms. The apartment, once filled with uncertainty and fear, seemed to exhale with relief as he stepped through the doorway. Mridula stood frozen in place, her breath catching in her throat the moment she saw the tiny bundle in Kalyan's arms. The wait was over, it seemed like the very day she delivered her babies.

Her body moved before her mind could catch up, her feet rushing forward, tears already welling up in her eyes. As Kalyan walked toward her, his face streaked with exhaustion but softened by the overwhelming relief of having their son back, Mridula's heart swelled with a thousand emotions.

Kalyan gently handed their son to her, and the moment her arms closed around him, she wept. Her body trembled with the force of her tears, her fingers running through his soft hair, pressing his tiny form against her chest as if to never let go.

"My baby," she whispered through her sobs, her voice breaking. "You're back... you're home."

Kalyan watched silently, his own tears blurring his vision as he placed a hand on her back, grounding her. For the first time since the nightmare began, they were all together again—whole, complete. Mridula's tears soaked into the baby's blanket as he fussed softly, but she just held him closer, refusing to let go.

"I was so scared," Mridula murmured, her voice shaking. "I thought... I thought we lost him."

Kalyan nodded his throat tight. "I know," he whispered, his voice heavy with emotion. "But he's safe now. He's home."

They stood there for several moments, wrapped in each other's arms, the weight of the last few days finally lifting. The apartment felt warm again, no longer haunted by the spectre of loss. Their son was back where he belonged—in their arms.

Poornima, who had been standing quietly in the background, smiled softly at the sight before her. The moment was intimate, sacred. She knew her place wasn't here anymore—this was a time for Kalyan and Mridula to be alone with their child. She quietly gathered her things and slipped out of the apartment, giving them the space they needed.

After what felt like an eternity, Kalyan finally spoke again, his voice quiet but full of determination. "We're going to find out who did this to him. And they'll pay."

Mridula nodded, her tears slowing but her grip on their son still tight. "We will," she whispered, her voice filled with a strength she hadn't felt in days. "Whoever did this... they took a piece of our lives, Kalyan. But we'll get justice."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

8.45 p.m.

Meanwhile, Gautham was already on his way to the station. The streets blurred past him, but his mind was focused, the weight of what he had to do pressing on him. Aarushi had been taken into custody hours earlier, and now, it was time to get the truth.

When Gautham arrived at the station, Aarushi sat in the interrogation room, her face pale but composed. Her hands rested on the table, clenched tightly, her eyes fixed on the blank wall in front of her as if she was steeling herself for what was to come.

Gautham entered the room, his gaze sharp and unyielding. He sat down across from her, flipping through the file of evidence they had collected so far—the vial with her fingerprint, the CCTV footage, the inconsistencies in her statements.

For a while, Aarushi said nothing, her silence heavy in the small room. But Gautham didn't need her to speak—not yet. He laid the evidence in front of her, piece by piece, his tone calm but firm as he recounted her involvement.

"We have your fingerprint on the vial," Gautham said, placing the evidence bag on the table. "The CCTV footage shows you near the apartment the night of the abduction. And the timeline matches perfectly."

Aarushi's eyes flickered, but she remained silent.

"You've been a friend of the family for years, Aarushi," Gautham continued. "But the evidence points to you as the one who took Kalyan and Mridula's son. Why?"

Aarushi's lips trembled, but she pressed them together, refusing to speak. Gautham watched her closely, seeing the cracks forming in her composure. He leaned forward slightly, his voice soft but insistent.

"What made you do it? Why did you take their son?"

For a moment, there was only silence. Aarushi stared at the table, her eyes glassy, her body tense. And then, without warning, the words came spilling out.

"I loved him," she whispered, her voice shaky. "I loved Kalyan."

Gautham's brows furrowed as Aarushi's confession unfolded, her voice growing stronger with every word.

"I've loved him for years—long before Mridula came into the picture," Aarushi continued, her eyes still locked on the table. "We were friends... and I thought, one day, it would be more. But then she came along, and he only had eyes for her."

She finally looked up, her gaze hollow but filled with bitterness. "I tried to make him see me again. I tried to create misunderstandings between them, hoping he'd realize... but it never worked. Nothing changed. He was always hers."

Gautham's jaw tightened, but he remained silent, letting her speak.

"So, I decided to leave," Aarushi said, her voice taking on a strange, almost calm tone. "I told myself I had to let go. But I couldn't leave without taking something of his. I couldn't leave without taking... his son."

Her voice cracked on the last word, and her eyes filled with tears. "I thought... if I took his son, a part of him would be mine. That he would finally see me, finally realize what I've felt all these years."

Gautham stared at her, his expression unreadable. "You took an innocent child because you wanted Kalyan to see you?"

Aarushi let out a shaky breath, her tears spilling over. "I know it was wrong. I know it now. But I... I didn't know what else to do. I just... wanted him to see me."

There was a long pause, the air in the room heavy with the weight of her confession. Gautham sat back in his chair, his gaze cold.

"You let your obsession destroy a family," he said quietly, his voice filled with disgust. "You took their child, thinking it would give you some kind of hold over Kalyan. But all you've done is ruin lives."

Aarushi didn't respond. She simply stared at her hands, her tears falling freely now. The reality of what she had done—of the damage she had caused—finally sinking in.

Gautham stood up, his voice low and final as he called for the officers to take her away. "Taking a child away from the parents isn't the way to quench your obsession, Aarushi."

*-*-*-*-*

1 October 2024

The morning had finally come after hours of restlessness and sleepless nights. Mridula opened her eyes to the soft light filtering through the curtains, feeling something, she hadn't felt in what seemed like forever—a sense of relief. Lighter. Complete. Her heart swelled as she looked around, her two babies sleeping soundly beside her, Kalyan's arm draped protectively over their tiny forms. They were safe. Together.

But even as the peaceful morning unfolded, a storm brewed inside her. The events of the last few days still clung to her, and despite the joy of having her family back, there was a lingering question that gnawed at her heart: Why did Aarushi do it?

Kalyan, sensing her unspoken turmoil, had asked gently over breakfast, "Do you want to visit Aarushi?"

Mridula had hesitated, her mind swirling with memories of her friend—of the trust they once shared and the betrayal that now lay exposed. After long moments of silent contemplation, she agreed. She needed answers. She needed closure.

As they prepared to leave, Gautham filled her in on Aarushi's confession. The truth, though shocking, also brought clarity. Aarushi had spent years trying to plant seeds of doubt in Mridula's mind, telling her fabricated stories of Kalyan meeting another woman, spinning lies designed to make Mridula question her husband's loyalty. It was all part of a sick plan to drive them apart, so that in the wake of their shattered relationship, Kalyan would turn to her—to Aarushi.

But when that failed, when Kalyan refused to be drawn into Aarushi's schemes, she had resorted to an even darker plan—fuelling Kalyan's frustrations by claiming Mridula doubted his love. Aarushi had attempted to tear them apart from both sides, desperately trying to manipulate their lives and love for her own twisted purposes. And when everything fell apart, she had tried to take what she could never have—Kalyan's son.

Mridula's heart hardened as she realized the extent of Aarushi's betrayal. All the lies, the deceit—everything was meant to destroy her family. Her eyes filled with a fierce determination as they arrived at the station. Now, she wasn't here just to hear why. She was here to make sure Aarushi knew she had failed.

*-*-*-*-*

The police station felt cold and sterile, the air thick with the weight of the confrontation about to unfold. Gautham led them inside, nodding to the officers before stepping back, allowing Mridula in.

"I want to see her alone," Mridula said, her voice steady but filled with quiet power.

Gautham understood, motioning for the officers to step aside as he opened the door to the small interrogation room where Aarushi was being held.

Aarushi sat behind a metal table, her wrists shackled, her eyes hollow and distant. But when Mridula entered, something flickered behind those eyes—resentment, perhaps even anger. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving the two women alone.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Mridula stood tall, her presence filling the room, while Aarushi's posture was stiff, her jaw clenched as if ready to defend herself.

Finally, Mridula broke the silence, her voice calm but sharp with controlled emotion. "Why, Aarushi? Why did you try to destroy my family?"

Aarushi's lips twitched, her gaze flicking to the side. "Why?" she repeated, her voice dripping with bitterness. "Because you took everything from me. You took him from me."

Mridula's eyes narrowed, her hands clenching at her sides. "Kalyan was never yours. He never loved you the way you wanted. You twisted everything in your mind to justify what you did. You poisoned me with lies, tried to turn us against each other—and when that didn't work, you took our son."

Aarushi's face twisted into something darker, her eyes flashing with anger. "I had no choice. You don't know what it was like, watching him choose you over and over again. Even when you doubted him, even when I told him how you were always suspicious—he still loved you."

"Because you manipulated us both," Mridula shot back, her voice rising with fury. "You tried to make me think he was unfaithful, planting doubts in my mind, whispering lies every chance you got. And when none of it worked, you thought you could take his son and make him yours?"

Aarushi's composure finally broke, her hands clenching into fists as she leaned forward, her voice filled with venom. "I loved him before you even existed in his life. You never deserved him. I was there for him for years, and he just threw me away like I was nothing. You don't know how much that hurt!"

Mridula stepped closer, her eyes locked onto Aarushi's, burning with the fire of a mother protecting her children. "You can blame me all you want, Aarushi, but the truth is, Kalyan never loved you the way you wanted him to. He never saw you as anything more than a friend, and that was never going to change."

Aarushi's face contorted with rage, her body shaking with the force of her emotions. "You think you've won, don't you? You think you've got everything? Well, you don't deserve him. I'll always be in his life, whether you like it or not."

But Mridula didn't flinch. She stood her ground, her voice filled with icy determination as she delivered the final blow. "No, Aarushi. You'll never be in our lives again. You'll never set your eyes on my children or my husband. You've lost. You're the one who destroyed everything—not me. You exploited our trust and love we had for you as a friend. And from this moment forward, you don't exist to us."

Aarushi's anger boiled over, but there was nothing she could do. She was trapped by her own actions, by the lies and deceit that had brought her here. Her face twisted with fury, but it was met by Mridula's unwavering strength.

"You'll pay for what you did," Mridula said quietly, her voice steady. "You'll pay for taking my son, for trying to tear my family apart."

Mridula turned and walked out of the room leaving the remnants of memories they shared behind the closed doors.  

~ Draw a line to even the closest people or they would never know where to stop ~