Maya kept pacing restlessly, glancing at the clock again and again. She was already late for the office, but something she desperately needed was missing. On the mattress nearby, Driti was still asleep, peaceful, and unaware. Maya didn’t want to wake her, but time was running out. Out of impatience, she deliberately let a glass slip from her hand. The sharp sound startled Driti awake. Rubbing her eyes, Driti sat up and saw her mother anxiously searching through a pile of papers.

“Mom, what happened? What are you looking for?”

Maya sighed, flustered.

“I brought an important file home last night. Now I can’t find it anywhere.”

Driti blinked a few times and yawned. “You know Diya and Riaan have been getting naughtier day by day. They were making paper planes out of your office papers last night. I told them that file was important, so I snatched it from them and kept it under my pillow.”

She reached under her pillow and handed the file to her mother. Maya froze for a moment, a pang of guilt washing over her. She had scolded Driti and woken her so abruptly even though the girl had actually been careful with her things.

For a moment, Maya just looked at her daughter, really looked. This girl, who once never had to lift even a glass of water, who had always been her father’s pampered princess. When Driti was born, Ravi had practically lived on air. He used to hold her while working, unable to be away from her even for a moment. Driti was his world. Not that he didn’t love the twins, but a first child always has a sacred place in a parent’s heart.

Taking the file, Maya smiled faintly and touched Driti’s cheek.

“I disturbed your sleep, didn’t I? Go back to bed. I’m leaving now anyway. I’ve made breakfast, and there’s dal and rice for lunch. Eat something before you go for your deliveries, okay? Don’t leave on an empty stomach. I’ve noticed you’re getting weaker every day.”

Driti smiled softly and nodded. Maya left hurriedly, clutching the file like a lifeline.

When the door closed, silence settled in the small room. Driti looked around; the “house” was nothing more than a single large room. One corner had a small kitchen; another had two narrow doors, a bathroom, and a small toilet. The rest of the space was just a wide hall where they spread mattresses at night to sleep.

She sat there quietly, letting her gaze wander across the walls that once might have held framed photos of her joyful family. Those days the laughter, the luxury, the security all seemed like another life now. She didn’t even miss the wealth anymore; that part of her had died long ago. But one memory still lived inside her: her father’s warmth.

How he used to feed her, how he understood her without a word, how his eyes sparkled when she smiled.

He always knew what she wanted even before she spoke.

Those memories hurt like old wounds. She smiled faintly, eyes glistening, and whispered into the empty room.

“I know you’re out there somewhere, Papa. It’s okay if it takes time… We’ll meet again someday. Just take care of yourself…. I’m waiting for you.”

*****

Maya reached the office, slightly breathless, and her heart sank as soon as she stepped inside. The atmosphere was tense; her boss was standing in the middle of the floor, shouting at everyone in sight. The staff appeared terrified, scattering papers across desks and leaving phones ringing unanswered.

Holding the important file tightly to her chest, Maya quickly walked forward. Before she could speak, one of the junior employees, a sharply dressed young woman, called out to the boss.

“Sir, that file was with Maya… It was an important one. The office work couldn’t proceed without it, so I asked her to take it home and finish it. I’m sure she’s completed the report; you can check with her.”

The boss turned sharply toward Maya. His stern expression softened slightly when he saw the file in her hands. Without wasting a moment, Maya stepped closer and handed it to him. He opened it, flipping through the pages with the practiced eye of a man who rarely smiled, but as he read, the frown on his face slowly changed into a look of satisfaction.

Finally, he glanced up at her, his tone unexpectedly calm.

“I like people who work with sincerity. This entire project was hers, yet she handed it to you to finish and then dodged her responsibility. Starting now, Maya, you'll be reporting directly to me. Please come to my office at your earliest convenience. I'd like to discuss this report with you personally.”

Maya blinked, caught off guard. The room went silent for a moment; everyone’s eyes were on her. Even she couldn’t believe what she had just heard. The man standing next to her whispered urgently.

“Go, Maya… Don’t make him wait. You have no idea how furious he was before you came in. If you delay, it could get worse.”

Frightened, Maya nodded and quickly walked toward her boss’s cabin, clutching her dupatta nervously.

Behind her, the young woman whose work Maya had unknowingly completed was fuming. Her jaw clenched as she glared at Maya’s retreating figure. Then, in a low, venomous voice, she muttered under her breath, her words dripping with jealousy and rage:

“What does that man even think of himself? Do you know what I’ve done to reach this position? I pretended for months, flattered his ego with his limp, tiny tool, and made him feel like the strongest man alive, and now he dares to play games with me? What is he planning? Marry her? Maya fits his age, and he’s been divorced for years. Maybe he’s finally looking for someone to take care of his precious son. And who better than her?”

She smirked bitterly, her voice lowering to a whisper only she could hear.

“No. That’s not going to happen. I know exactly how to bring him back under control.”

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the cabin door close behind Maya, and the silent promise of revenge settled coldly in her mind.

****

Ram and Rahim were sitting with their hands over their stomachs, groaning in pain, when Azaan entered the room, twirling his car keys casually around his finger. The sight of the two men half-collapsed on the couch made him stop mid-step. He frowned, then immediately plopped down between them, forcing both to straighten up in panic.

“Ohhh… you two,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “What’s wrong? Why are you holding your stomachs like that?”

Rahim groaned.

“Sir, it’s that girl, Driti…. Remember how we got her the Pizza Café job? We arranged it through the pizza chain, good salary, decent tips, everything perfect.”

Ram jumped in miserably. “Yes, but the problem is… every day, ten pizzas are ordered from there. Ten…. Since the pizzas are from her cafe and she is delivering them to earn tips, we can’t let them go to waste. So… we eat them. All of them.”

He rubbed his belly dramatically.

“Now our stomachs feel like they’re going to explode. I swear, if we survive tonight, we’ll never look at pizza again.”

For a moment, Azaan just blinked, then burst into uncontrollable laughter. He laughed so hard he had to hold his chest. Ram and Rahim looked at each other awkwardly, their faces red. Finally, Azaan caught his breath and said between chuckles.

“Are you two out of your minds? Ten pizzas a day? You could’ve given them to the poor… Why eat them yourselves?”

The two men glanced at each other guiltily. Azaan’s laughter faded as he stared at them again, his playful look turning serious, because he wants them to create trouble in her life so Agni personally checks everything, but here they are doing the total opposite. They instantly lowered their heads like schoolboys caught cheating.

“Try to understand, sir,” Ram muttered. “Agni sir told us to take care of the girl. If we’d caused any kind of problem for her, he’d have had us shot… We want to do it slowly…. And speaking of problems, that girl already has one, and it’s big.”

Azaan’s amusement vanished instantly.

“What happened?” he asked sharply.

*****

Maya was trembling. Her palms were sweaty, she had already finished three glasses of water, and still felt like her throat was dry. She couldn’t stop pacing, sitting for a second, then standing again. Every sound made her heart jump.

It was past 1 a.m.

She looked at the clock again, her anxiety spiking with every passing minute. Driti was still not home from the club. In the next room, Diya and Riaan were fast asleep, their faces calm and innocent. Maya’s gaze softened when she looked at them, but her heartbeat refused to settle. She had a horrible feeling, one that made her chest tighten every few seconds. Then, from outside, came the sound of a scooter stopping.

Maya froze. She gulped down the last of her water, placed the glass aside, and fixed her gaze on the door. The key turned in the holder. The door opened. Driti entered, surprised to see her mother still awake. She hurried toward her, concern written all over her face.

“Mom? Why are you still up? Are you okay? Should I take you to the doctor?”

Maya’s voice trembled slightly as she gestured to the chair.

“I need to talk to you, Driti… Sit down. And whatever you think of what I’m about to say, this is my decision. It’s final... Just… listen carefully.”

Confused and a little alarmed, Driti sat across from her. Maya’s eyes drifted toward the sleeping twins before she finally spoke.

“No matter how hard we try, Driti… we both know we’re not built for this kind of life. We don’t know what’s coming next. And the truth is… I’ve accepted that your father, Ravi, isn’t coming back.”

“Mumma…” Driti whispered, tears forming, but Maya cut her off sharply.

“Don’t. Just listen. I don’t want an argument. I’ve lived my life, had my share of comfort and happiness, and I know what that feels like. But now… it’s about you and your siblings. You deliver food all day, work at the club all night… what if someday you don’t come home? What if the police call me instead? I’ve heard enough stories, Driti. I don’t want that for you.”

Her voice broke as she glanced again toward the twins.

“They’re still children. They should be focusing on studies, not worrying about money. Riaan is brilliant, and Diya too. And yet, I can’t even afford their school expenses properly. Forget a good school; I can’t even buy their science materials for class. I know what that must feel like for them.”

Driti watched silently, her eyes wide, fear crawling into her stomach.

“I’ve made a decision,” Maya said firmly, sitting straighter. “All these problems, they can end easily. And I’ve decided they will.”

Driti’s throat tightened. “What decision?”

Maya took a slow breath.

“Marriage…. My boss… proposed a marriage alliance today. And I’ve decided to say yes.”

For a moment, the words didn’t register. Driti just stared at her mother, speechless. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Maya looked at her gently but firmly.

“He wants to marry you, Driti. And I’ve agreed.”

The clock ticked loudly between them. For the first time that night, Driti felt completely numb; the world around her seemed to fade into silence.