CHAPTER 29（mahi）
My phone rang at 2:17 in the morning.
For a moment, I ignored it.
Then it rang again.
And again.
And again.
A sense of unease immediately settled in my chest.
Nobody called four times in the middle of the night unless something was wrong.
I grabbed my phone.
The name on the screen made me sit upright instantly.
Advik.
My heart dropped.
I answered immediately.
"Advik?"
"Mahi."
His voice sounded panicked.
Completely panicked.
And that terrified me more than anything else.
"What happened?"
"It's time."
For a second, my brain stopped working.
Then the meaning registered.
I was already throwing the blanket aside before he finished speaking.
"Alina's contractions started."
I was out of bed.
Already moving.
Already searching for my clothes.
Already awake.
"How far apart?"
"Five minutes."
My heart started pounding.
Not because I was a doctor.
Because I was her bestfriend.
And at that moment...
The sister won.
"Is she okay?"
A groan echoed from the other side of the phone.
Followed by Alina's voice.
"Mahi!"
I froze.
"Alina?"
"Your niece has chosen violence."
Despite everything, a laugh escaped me.
Only Alina could complain during labor.
Another contraction hit.
Immediately.
This time she definitely wasn't laughing.
Advik sounded ready to cry.
I wasn't sure which one of them I was more worried about.
"We're going to the hospital."
"I'm coming."
I ended the call.
Then turned around.
Only to find Aryan already awake.
Sitting on the edge of the bed.
Watching me.
"What happened?"
I stared at him.
Then smiled.
A real smile.
One I couldn't stop even if I tried.
"It's happening."
For a second he looked confused.
Then realization appeared.
"The baby."
"The baby."
My niece.
My little Vristi.
Was finally coming.
The first scream echoed through the hospital corridor.
I froze.
Then immediately started walking faster.
A second scream followed.
Louder this time.
More dramatic.
Definitely Alina.
A sigh escaped me.
Two months.
Two months ago, she had been crying because the baby shower decorations were "too beautiful."
Now she was threatening to personally fight everyone responsible for pregnancy.
Including Advik.
Especially Advik.
I pushed open the labor ward doors.
Immediately, my eyes landed on the familiar scene.
Advik sat outside the room.
Pale.
Terrified.
Completely traumatized.
The poor man looked like he needed medical attention more than the patient inside.
I stopped in front of him.
"How is she?"
He looked up.
His eyes widened slightly.
Then he pointed toward the delivery room.
Another scream echoed through the corridor.
Advik closed his eyes.
"She said she never wants to see me again."
I blinked.
"Again?"
He nodded.
"That's the fifth time."
A pause.
"The last time she threw a pillow at me."
I pressed my lips together.
Very hard.
Because laughing would be inappropriate.
Probably.
From inside the room came another shout.
"ADVIK!"
We both froze.
"YES!"
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"
Advik lowered his head into his hands.
I finally lost the battle.
A laugh escaped me.
Unfortunately.
Very unfortunately.
Alina heard it.
The next scream came immediately.
"MAHI!"
My smile disappeared.
Instantly.
I looked at Advik.
He looked at me.
Neither of us spoke.
Then slowly, he pointed toward the delivery room.
"Your turn."
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
I pushed open the delivery room door.
Immediately, a pillow flew toward my face.
I barely caught it.
My eyes widened.
Alina pointed at me accusingly.
"There you are."
I stared.
She stared back.
Sweating.
Exhausted.
And very, very angry.
"Alina."
"Mahi."
The way she said my name sounded like she had been personally betrayed.
I immediately knew this was going to be a long night.
"You lied."
My brows pulled together.
"What?"
"You said pregnancy was beautiful."
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it.
Because technically...
I had said that.
Years ago.
A terrible mistake.
A very terrible mistake.
Another contraction hit.
Alina immediately grabbed my hand.
Hard.
Very hard.
I was fairly certain she was trying to break every bone in it.
"Alina."
She ignored me.
"I hate everyone."
A pause.
"Especially Advik."
I looked toward the door.
The poor man wasn't even in the room.
Yet somehow he was still getting blamed.
The nurse beside me looked suspiciously amused.
The doctor looked amused.
Everyone looked amused.
Except Alina.
Alina looked ready to declare war.
The contraction finally eased.
She released a shaky breath.
Then glared at me again.
"Mahi."
"Yes?"
"If I survive this..."
A pause.
"I'm never doing it again."
I nodded seriously.
"Of course."
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
"You don't believe me."
I didn't.
Not even a little.
Another contraction started.
Alina closed her eyes.
A quiet groan escaped her.
For the first time since I arrived...
The anger disappeared.
The jokes disappeared.
The complaints disappeared.
And all I saw was fear.
A small knot formed in my chest.
I squeezed her hand gently.
"It's okay."
She looked at me.
For a moment she wasn't my dramatic younger sister.
She wasn't the woman who threw pillows.
She wasn't the woman who argued with Advik over everything.
She was simply scared.
"What if something goes wrong?"
The question came out softly.
Barely above a whisper.
My heart clenched.
Immediately.
I moved closer.
Nothing.
"Nothing is going to go wrong."
She swallowed hard.
"What if she doesn't like me?"
I blinked.
For a second, I genuinely thought I had heard wrong.
"What?"
"What if I'm a bad mother?"
The words shattered something inside me.
Because she sounded completely serious.
Completely terrified.
I reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"Alina."
Her eyes met mine.
"That little girl is going to love you."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"How?"
A small smile appeared on my face.
"Because I know you."
Silence.
"You love too much."
Another tear escaped.
"You care too much."
A shaky laugh left her lips.
"You worry too much."
That earned an eye roll.
Good.
That was progress.
I squeezed her hand again.
"You're already acting like a mother."
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then the doctor stepped forward.
The smile on his face had disappeared.
"It's time."
The room instantly changed.
The nurses moved faster.
Equipment was adjusted.
Instructions were given.
My heart immediately started pounding.
Not because I was a doctor.
Because I was her bestfriend
And for the first time that night...
I felt scared too.
I pushed open the delivery room door.
Immediately, a pillow flew toward my face.
I barely caught it.
My eyes widened.
Alina pointed at me accusingly.
"There you are."
I stared.
She stared back.
Sweating.
Exhausted.
And very, very angry.
"Alina."
"Mahi."
The way she said my name sounded like she had been personally betrayed.
I immediately knew this was going to be a long night.
"You lied."
My brows pulled together.
"What?"
"You said pregnancy was beautiful."
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it.
Because technically...
I had said that.
Years ago.
A terrible mistake.
A very terrible mistake.
Another contraction hit.
Alina immediately grabbed my hand.
Hard.
Very hard.
I was fairly certain she was trying to break every bone in it.
"Alina."
She ignored me.
"I hate everyone."
A pause.
"Especially Advik."
I looked toward the door.
The poor man wasn't even in the room.
Yet somehow he was still getting blamed.
The nurse beside me looked suspiciously amused.
The doctor looked amused.
Everyone looked amused.
Except Alina.
Alina looked ready to declare war.
The contraction finally eased.
She released a shaky breath.
Then glared at me again.
"Mahi."
"Yes?"
"If I survive this..."
A pause.
"I'm never doing it again."
I nodded seriously.
"Of course."
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
"You don't believe me."
I didn't.
Not even a little.
Another contraction started.
Alina closed her eyes.
A quiet groan escaped her.
For the first time since I arrived...
The anger disappeared.
The jokes disappeared.
The complaints disappeared.
And all I saw was fear.
A small knot formed in my chest.
I squeezed her hand gently.
"It's okay."
She looked at me.
For a moment she wasn't my dramatic younger sister.
She wasn't the woman who threw pillows.
She wasn't the woman who argued with Advik over everything.
She was simply scared.
"What if something goes wrong?"
The question came out softly.
Barely above a whisper.
My heart clenched.
Immediately.
I moved closer.
Nothing.
"Nothing is going to go wrong."
She swallowed hard.
"What if she doesn't like me?"
I blinked.
For a second, I genuinely thought I had heard wrong.
"What?"
"What if I'm a bad mother?"
The words shattered something inside me.
Because she sounded completely serious.
Completely terrified.
I reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"Alina."
Her eyes met mine.
"That little girl is going to love you."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"How?"
A small smile appeared on my face.
"Because I know you."
Silence.
"You love too much."
Another tear escaped.
"You care too much."
A shaky laugh left her lips.
"You worry too much."
That earned an eye roll.
Good.
That was progress.
I squeezed her hand again.
"You're already acting like a mother."
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then the doctor stepped forward.
The smile on his face had disappeared.
"It's time."
The room instantly changed.
The nurses moved faster.
Equipment was adjusted.
Instructions were given.
My heart immediately started pounding.
Not because I was a doctor.
Because I was her sister.
And for the first time that night...
I felt scared too.
"One more push, Alina."
The doctor's voice echoed through the room.
For a moment, everything seemed to stop.
The machines.
The nurses.
Even my own breathing.
Alina squeezed my hand so tightly it hurt.
I didn't care.
"Come on."
My voice shook slightly.
"You can do it."
Tears filled her eyes.
Exhaustion covered every inch of her face.
But she nodded.
Then gathered the last bit of strength she had left.
The room fell silent.
Everyone watched.
Everyone waited.
Seconds stretched.
Longer.
Longer.
And then—
A tiny cry filled the room.
Soft.
Weak.
Beautiful.
My breath caught in my throat.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The cry came again.
Louder this time.
Stronger.
A real cry.
A baby's cry.
For a second, I couldn't process it.
After months of waiting.
After months of hearing about her.
After months of imagining her.
She was here.
The entire room seemed to exhale at once.
Relief flooded every face.
A nurse smiled.
The doctor smiled.
And I looked at Alina.
Tears streamed freely down her cheeks.
A broken laugh escaped her lips.
The kind that came when happiness became too big to hold inside.
"It's a girl."
The nurse's voice sounded distant.
Almost unreal.
Because all I could hear was that tiny cry.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The most beautiful sound in the world.
Vristi had arrived.
I froze.
I looked at Alina.
Her eyes were closed.
Exhaustion covered every inch of her face.
Yet somehow...
She was smiling.
A small smile.
A proud smile.
I leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead.
"Well done, Alina."
My voice came out softer than intended.
"You are a mother now."
The smile on her lips widened slightly.
No words came out.
Neither did she open her eyes.
She simply squeezed my hand weakly.
For a moment, I stayed there.
Looking at her.
Trying to process that the woman lying in front of me was no longer just Alina.
She was somebody's mother.
Vristi's mother.
The thought felt unreal.
Slowly, I turned and made my way toward the nurse.
And froze.
The tiny bundle in her arms looked impossibly small.
Impossibly fragile.
Her skin was pale.
Almost like fresh snow.
Tiny strands of black hair rested on top of her head.
My breath caught in my throat.
She was real.
Vristi was real.
The nurse smiled.
"Would you like to hold her?"
For a second, panic flooded through me.
Me?
Hold her?
What if I dropped her?
What if I held her wrong?
What if—
The nurse must have noticed my expression because she laughed softly.
"She's not made of glass, Doctor."
That earned an eye roll from me.
Only because she was right.
Carefully, very carefully, she placed the baby in my arms.
My entire body immediately went rigid.
I was terrified to move.
Terrified to breathe.
Terrified to blink.
Vristi yawned.
Actually yawned.
As if none of this was a big deal.
As if she hadn't just changed all of our lives.
A laugh escaped me.
A shaky one.
My eyes burned unexpectedly.
And then...
Very slowly...
One tiny hand escaped the blanket.
Her fingers wrapped around mine.
My heart stopped.
Completely.
"Oh."
The word slipped out before I could stop it.
I looked down at her.
At the tiny nose.
The tiny fingers.
The tiny face.
And suddenly, I understood why Alina had spent nine months talking about her.
Why Advik had looked terrified and excited at the same time.
Why everyone had been waiting for this moment.
Because she was perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
"Hi, Vristi."
My voice was barely a whisper.
The baby's fingers tightened around mine.
And just like that...
I was completely in love.
I looked at Alina.
She had finally opened her eyes.
Exhaustion still lingered across her face.
But the moment her gaze landed on the tiny bundle in my arms...
Everything else disappeared.
Her eyes filled with tears instantly.
My heart tightened.
Slowly, I made my way toward her bed.
Neither of us spoke.
Words felt unnecessary.
Not for this moment.
Not for something this important.
Carefully, I lowered Vristi into her arms.
The second the baby settled against her chest, Alina broke.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Then another.
Then another.
She looked down at her daughter as if she couldn't believe she was real.
As if she was afraid to blink and make her disappear.
"Hi."
The word came out as a whisper.
A trembling whisper.
Vristi shifted slightly.
A tiny sound escaped her lips.
And somehow that was enough.
A shaky laugh left Alina.
Immediately followed by more tears.
"Oh God."
She looked at me.
Then back at the baby.
Then back at me again.
"She's so small."
I laughed softly.
"That tends to happen with babies."
Alina ignored me completely.
Her attention had already returned to Vristi.
Nothing else existed anymore.
Not the room.
Not the hospital.
Not the pain she had just endured.
Nothing.
Only her daughter.
Very gently, she brushed a finger against Vristi's cheek.
The baby's tiny hand moved instinctively.
Wrapping around Alina's finger.
Another tear slipped down Alina's face.
"My baby."
The words shattered whatever composure I had left.
Because there was something different in her voice.
Something I had never heard before.
A love so fierce.
So immediate.
So unconditional.
That it almost took my breath away.
Alina smiled through her tears.
A beautiful smile.
The kind that only appeared when someone was truly happy.
Then she looked up at me.
"She's perfect."
I glanced at the tiny girl in her arms.
At the black hair.
At the tiny fingers.
At the sleepy little face.
And smiled.
"Yeah."
My voice softened.
"She really is."
The door opened quietly.
I looked up.
Advik stood in the doorway.
Frozen.
Completely frozen.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't speak.
His eyes immediately found Alina.
Lying against the pillows.
Exhausted.
Pale.
Hair completely ruined.
And smiling.
Then his gaze dropped.
To the tiny bundle resting against her chest.
His daughter.
A strange silence filled the room.
The kind that appears when a moment is too important to interrupt.
Alina looked up.
The second she saw him, her eyes filled with tears again.
A shaky laugh escaped her.
"Hi."
Advik didn't answer.
He couldn't.
His eyes never left the baby.
Slowly, he walked toward the bed.
One step.
Then another.
Then another.
As if he was afraid the moment would disappear if he moved too quickly.
When he finally reached the bedside, he stopped.
His eyes moved between Alina and Vristi.
Again.
And again.
And again.
As if he couldn't decide where to look.
Then a tear rolled down his cheek.
Followed by another.
And another.
Alina immediately laughed.
A weak exhausted laugh.
"Oh my God."
Her smile widened.
"You're crying."
That finally broke him.
A laugh escaped him.
A completely helpless laugh.
"I am not."
"You are."
"I am not."
"You are."
His voice cracked halfway through the sentence.
Which only made Alina laugh harder.
The poor man gave up instantly.
His hand moved toward the baby.
Carefully.
Almost nervously.
One tiny finger wrapped around his.
And that was it.
Finished.
Gone.
The last bit of composure disappeared from his face.
A broken laugh escaped him.
Followed by more tears.
He looked down at Vristi.
Then at Alina.
Then back at Vristi again.
As if he still couldn't believe she was real.
"She's beautiful."
The words came out as a whisper.
Alina's eyes softened.
"I know."
Advik looked at her.
For a second neither of them spoke.
Months of waiting.
Months of excitement.
Months of fear.
All of it sat between them.
Then very gently, he leaned down and pressed a kiss against Alina's forehead.
"Thank you."
The room went completely silent.
Because there was nothing else to say.
Nothing that could possibly matter more than those two words.
Alina's eyes immediately filled with tears again.
"You're welcome."
And for the first time since I had known them...
Neither of them argued.
"Now, Mahi."
Alina's voice pulled my attention away from Vristi.
I turned toward her.
A suspicious smile was already forming on her face.
Which meant trouble.
Definitely trouble.
"What?"
Her grin widened.
"Now I want to become Massi."
For a second, my brain stopped working.
Then red crimson spread across my cheeks instantly.
"Alina."
She looked entirely too pleased with herself.
Advik immediately looked away.
The traitor.
I rolled my eyes dramatically.
"You have every right to become Massi."
I froze.
My head turned slowly.
Very slowly.
Toward Aryan.
He was leaning back against the couch.
Completely relaxed.
A smirk resting on his lips.
The kind of smirk that meant he knew exactly what he was doing.
My eyes narrowed.
"Aryan."
He ignored the warning entirely.
"I also want a daughter."
Silence.
Complete silence.
The room froze.
I froze.
Alina froze.
Then—
Alina shrieked.
Actually shrieked.
"Oh my God!"
Advik immediately buried his face in his hands.
"No."
"YES."
"No."
"YES."
Alina pointed dramatically between us.
"I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS."
I wished the hospital floor would open and swallow me.
Immediately.
Aryan, meanwhile, looked completely unbothered.
The man had absolutely no survival instincts.
None.
I crossed my arms.
Trying very hard to look angry.
Unfortunately, my burning cheeks ruined the effect.
Aryan noticed.
Of course he noticed.
His smirk widened.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"What?"
I stared at him.
"You know exactly what."
"I said I want a daughter."
Alina made another excited noise.
I wanted to throw a pillow at both of them.
Aryan looked down at Vristi sleeping peacefully in his arms.
The teasing faded slightly from his expression.
A softer smile appearing instead.
"Look at her."
My eyes followed his gaze.
Vristi yawned in her sleep.
Tiny.
Perfect.
Adorable.
A smile betrayed me instantly.
"Now you're Massi."
Alina looked down at Vristi and smiled.
Then her eyes found me.
A dangerous sparkle immediately appeared in them.
"I also want to be Massi."
I closed my eyes.
Here we go.
Right on schedule.
"Right, Aryan?"
The traitor nodded.
Without hesitation.
Without mercy.
"Yes."
I bit my lower lip.
Hard.
Then looked anywhere except the three people currently staring at me.
"I want time to think."
Silence.
A beat later—
Alina shrieked.
Actually shrieked.
"Oh my God!"
My eyes widened.
"What?"
She pointed at me dramatically.
"You didn't say no."
I froze.
The entire room froze.
Unfortunately...
Alina was right.
I hadn't said no.
A grin immediately appeared on her face.
The kind that usually meant disaster.
"ADVIK."
Poor Advik looked exhausted.
His daughter had been alive for less than an hour.
And he was already suffering.
"What?"
"Mahi didn't say no."
Advik blinked.
Then looked at me.
Then at Aryan.
Then back at me.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"No, she didn't."
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
I looked toward Aryan for help.
A mistake.
A very big mistake.
Because the man was trying not to laugh.
Trying.
And failing.
My eyes narrowed.
He raised both hands immediately.
"I didn't say anything."
"You don't have to."
His lips twitched.
The nerve.
The absolute nerve.
Behind me, Alina was practically vibrating with excitement.
"I knew it."
"You knew what?"
"I knew you wanted babies."
I stared at her.
She stared back.
Neither of us blinked.
Then Vristi yawned.
Immediately everyone's attention shifted to her.
Thank God.
I released a breath.
A much-needed breath.
Unfortunately, my relief lasted approximately three seconds.
Because Alina looked at her daughter.
Then at me.
Then at Aryan.
And smiled.
"Oh."
"No."
"Oh yes."
"No."
"Imagine a little girl with green eyes."
My face instantly heated.
"Alina."
"A tiny little snowflake."
"ALINA."
The room erupted into laughter.
Even Aryan.
Especially Aryan.
I pointed at him immediately.
"Don't laugh."
That only made him laugh harder.
The traitor.
The absolute traitor.
Meanwhile, Vristi continued sleeping peacefully.
Completely unaware that less than an hour after being born...
Her parents had already started a conspiracy against me.