Somewhere in the back of her mind,Yama's voice curled through the silence like smoke. Why did you say no?
Maya didn't look up from her documentary.
She only wanted a shawl. You could have given it to her. You could have let her take it. But — you didn't. You said no so calmly that even I almost believed you were just being difficult.
A pause.
You were protecting them, Weren't you? Don't tell me you weren't. The moment she reached for that wardrobe — you moved first. You said no before she could even finish the sentence.
That wasn't calculation, that was instinct. So...??
Maya's voice was almost bored. "Obviously not."
Yama stilled, Wait …What?
"I just wanted to enjoy my time, without any trouble."
Silence.
I've never seen anyone like you. I've spent years —inside your head. I know every thought you've ever had, every twitch, every silence. And yet ..... you still surprise me sometime.
Maya did not answer.
Yama's voice softened — dangerously so.
So I'll admit it. For once, I'll admit it. I pretended.
A beat.
I ... pretended that I hoped love had awakened in you. That maybe, just maybe — you had started to feel something for them. That you had started to care.
That the girl who spent fourteen years with no one, had finally found a family she wanted to protect.
That somewhere in that hollow, impossible mind of yours, something had started to grow.
She paused. But you poured water on it anyway.
Maya's expression did not change. She turned another page as though the conversation were nothing more than background noise.
"Then why did you ask? You should have just kept your hope to yourself, there was no need to ask me."
Because I wanted to be wrong. Because I'm so bored of your silence, I'm bored of this whole good girl act you've been performing.
"I know."
The wardrobe door creaked open — just a sliver, just enough for a single eye to appear in the gap.
Fahan peered out, his gaze sweeping the room with the careful intensity of a man who had just survived a war and was not yet convinced the enemy had truly retreated.
He let out a breath he had been holding for what felt like an eternity and he pushed the door open a little wider. "..... Okay, they're gone. Everyone's gone."
The wardrobe door swung open another few inches and Fahan stepped out — or rather, tumbled out —
His legs stiff from standing. He straightened his shirt with as much dignity as he could muster, though the effect was somewhat undermined by the faint imprint of a wooden hanger pressed into his back.
He turned and leaned toward the bed, lowering his voice. "You can come out now, little brother."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then , a head emerged from beneath the bed frame—dark hair first, then a face, then shoulders.
Fahish pulled himself out with the — deliberate care of someone who had spent far too long flat against the floor and was not entirely sure his spine would cooperate.
He rose to his feet, brushed a hand over his shirt, and looked around the room with the hollow gaze of a man who had seen things he could never unsee.
"I am never, hiding anything again. Ever. Not a gift. Not a single thing. If I ever feel the urge to hide something — I will hand it directly to the person and walk away."
Fahan nodded solemnly. "Understood."
"I mean it, brother."
"I know you do."
Fahish closed his eyes as though offering a silent prayer to whatever deity watched over humiliated artists. Then, from beneath the bed, came the sound of movement. Measured. Unhurried.
Fahim was extracting himself with the precision of a man who fully refused to acknowledge that anything unusual had occurred.
His shoulders emerged , still composed, his shirt somehow uncreased despite the fact that he had been lying on a hardwood floor for the past fifteen minutes.
He rose to his feet, adjusted his glasses slowly and looked around the room with the analytical detachment of a scientist reviewing an — experiment that had gone poorly.
"Well, that was informative."
Fahish stared at him. "Informative? That's the word you're choosing?"
"It's the most accurate one."
Before Fahish could respond, a soft sound came from the wardrobe behind them. A almost almost apologetic clearing of a throat.
The three brothers turned. Fahad was still inside.
He stood in the narrow space of the wardrobe, one hand resting against the frame, with great dignity, he stepped out.
Then —
He adjusted his cuffs, smoothed the front of his shirt, brushed a hand over his sleeve as though removing dust that no one else could see.
Fahan watched him. "Brother. There's nothing on your sleeve."
Fahad did not look at him. "I'm aware."
"You've been brushing it for ten seconds."
"I am aware, Fahan but I was restoring my composure."
Fahan opened his mouth to comment — but before he could, the door to the room swung open. No knock. No warning.
Nahi stepped through first, his grin already in place, his eyes bright with the anticipation of mischief.
"Hey, cousin — Aunt Mahi's calling for you—"
He stopped mid-sentence. His grin froze on his face.
Behind him, Ohi walked in a half-step later, his expression polished , his hand still tucked into his pocket. He had clearly been in the middle of saying something.
For the first time in perhaps his entire life, Ohi — the confident one, the observant one, the one who prided himself on never being caught off guard. Processing ....
The room had become a tableau. In the center of the room stood Fahad, his hand caught in the middle of brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve.
Beside him, Fahan stood with one hand resting against the wardrobe door — as though he had just closed it. His posture was careful, measured.
He stared back with the expression of someone whose soul had quietly left his body.
To the right, Fahim had frozen mid-step — one foot forward, one hand still adjusting his glasses. His expression was the same analytical mask it always was.
And near the bed, Fahish stood with his shirt halfway straightened, both hands still gripping the fabric, caught in the middle of tidying himself.
His hair was slightly disheveled. His collar was crooked and on his face was the expression of a man who had just been caught committing a crime he had not yet decided how to explain.
For a full three seconds, no one spoke.
Then Nahi's grin returned — blooming across his face like sunrise. His eyes moved from one brother to the next — He counted them silently, his lips moving just slightly.
As though verifying a number he could not quite believe. He turned toward Ohi. Ohi's expression was closer to genuine, unfiltered shock.
Nahi looked back at the brothers. "Ha."
"..."
Ohi's lips twitched, he was trying, trying very hard not to laugh. Unfortunately, he failed. "Pff—" He immediately covered his mouth , his shoulders began shaking.
Fahan sighed, "...Go ahead."
The permission was all Nahi needed, "Hahaha!"
He bent forward, clutching his stomach."I-I can't—"
Ohi pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is not something I expected to witness today. I don't even know what to say."
Fahad remained silent. There was simply no dignified response available. Maya closed her documentary.
She placed the bookmark between the pages before setting the book on the table beside her.
Then looked around the room.
Fahim adjusted his glasses, straightened his collar. Then nodded once, "...Good morning."
Ohi stared, "...You were under the bed?"
"Correct." Fahim answered as though confirming an ordinary scientific fact."I determined it was the most practical hiding place available."
Nahi completely lost control. "Haha haha haha." He collapsed onto the nearest sofa, laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face.
Even Ohi turned away, one hand covering his mouth as he tried and failed—to hide his smile.
For the first time in years, the five proud brothers wished the floor would simply open and swallow them whole.
[FIVE MINUTES LATER ]
Along the sofa, the brothers sat in a perfectly straight line. Not one of them leaning back.
Fahad sat at the far end, closest to the window. His posture as flawless as ever, his expression remained composed, though a faint stiffness lingered around his eyes.
Beside him sat Fahim — slowly polishing his glasses with his ever-present microfiber cloth.
Fahan, who kept glancing sideways at his brothers before quickly looking away.
Fahish sat with an almost peaceful smile — as though he had accepted his fate , none of them spoke.
Across from them, Ohi and Nahi occupied another sofa.
Every few seconds one of them would remember the image of Fahad standing inside the wardrobe and immediately have to suppress another laugh Finally...Nahi cleared his throat.
He looked from one brother to another, "All right. I believe someone should explain what actually happened."
Four pairs of eyes immediately found something else to look at. Fahad calmly turned his attention toward the window as though the garden outside had suddenly become fascinating.
Fahim adjusted his glasses for no apparent reason and studied the pattern of the carpet.
Fahish folded his hands neatly, examining a bookshelf with remarkable concentration.
Fahan stared at the floor, looking as if he hoped it might open beneath him,not a single one of them dared answer.
Ohi looked down the row of brothers. "I've never seen all of you become silent at exactly the same time."
Fahan coughed softly, "It's complicated."
Fahish immediately nodded, "Very...very."
Fahim adjusted his glasses, "The situation was unexpected."
Ohi folded his arms, " Oh, unexpected? I opened a bedroom door and found two grown men hiding inside a wardrobe. And another two hiding under a bed."
He paused dramatically. "I feel 'unexpected' is an understatement."
Fahad remained perfectly calm. "It was a misunderstanding."
Ohi blinked, "A misunderstanding?"
"Yes."
"You accidentally climbed into a wardrobe?"
"...Circumstances developed."
Fahan lowered his head. "That is technically true."
Nahi leaned against the armrest, clutching his stomach." I can't believe Brother actually said 'circumstances developed!' "
"That was unfortunate." Fahish murmured so quietly that it barely carried past his own lips .
Nahi stared at him for a moment . "Unfortunate. You call it unfortunate. You were lying under her bed, Fahish. Under. Her. Bed."
"I was," Fahish admitted calmly.
"For how long?"
"Long enough to reconsider several life choices."
Nahi finally looked toward Maya. "Maya..."
She looked up from her book. "Yes, Mr. Nahi?"
"Were they truly hiding?"
Maya considered the question. Then gave a small nod.
"Why?"
"They did not wish to be discovered."
"...Discovered doing what?"
"They wanted to deliver gifts."
"That's all?"
"Yes."
Nahi blinked. He opened his mouth, then closed it. For once, he seemed genuinely lost for words.
"That's it? That's the whole reason? They hid in a wardrobe and under a bed, because they wanted to give you a present?"
"Yes."
"And they couldn't just... hand it to you?"
"They could have."
"So why didn't they?"
"Because they did not want to be seen doing it."
Nahi stared at her. "Seen by who?"
"By each other."
Silence.
Fahan, from the far end of the sofa, made a small, strangled sound.
Nahi wiped his eyes. "Okay. Okay. One more question." He turned back toward Maya. "You knew. The whole time."
Maya turned a page. "Yes, Mr. Nahi."
"And you just..sat there? You didn't say anything. Not even when Naya came back for the shawl."
"No."
Nahi stared at her. "Why not?"
Maya was quiet for a moment. Then she said, very simply: "Because it was not my room to interfere with."
Nahi blinked. "It was your room."
"It was their moment."
"That's a very strange thing to say."
"I know, Mr. "
Ohi slowly turned toward the brothers. "So, you all attempted to secretly deliver welcome gifts. Then hid from each other ....
Which eventually resulted in four of you hiding inside Maya's bedroom." No one argued.
"You four run companies, laboratories, concerts and international negotiations...And this is how you behave over gift boxes?"
Fahish quietly mumbled, "When you say it like that...It sounds bad." Fahan sighed, "It was bad."
Fahim nodded thoughtfully.
"From an objective perspective our decision-making process deteriorated considerably. I believe pride became a significant variable."
Ohi laughed, "A significant variable?" He looked toward Fahad, "And what was your variable?"
"Poor timing."
For three whole seconds...Nobody reacted. Then everyone burst into laughter again. Fahad closed his eyes for a brief moment. He knew there was no defending today's events.
Nahi wiped tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes. "...This family truly is strange."
Maya quietly looked around the room. Her gaze moved from one laughing face to another, ".... I don't think it was strange. They simply became overly competitive."
Fahan smiled sheepishly, "She's right. We may have acted like fools but at least everyone had the same reason."
Fahim straightened his glasses, his expression returned to its usual composed seriousness, "I have an important proposal."
Everyone looked toward him.
"Everything that happened today, I mean the —collective loss of dignity....Should remain inside this room. No one outside this room is ever to hear about today's events."
His gaze swept across Ohi and Nahi. "The — probability of severe embarrassment increases dramatically if this information becomes public."
Fahan nodded immediately. "I support that proposal." Fahish raised a hand, "Me too."
Even Fahad gave a single, approving nod.
"I agree."
Ohi smiled, "That's unfortunate."
Nahi nodded enthusiastically. "Extremely ..... unfortunate because this is the greatest story we've heard all year. We're carrying priceless information."
Fahan immediately sat upright. "Absolutely not. No telling anyone."
Nahi folded his arms, "And why not?"
"Because..." Fahan searched desperately for an answer. "Because!"
Ohi laughed, "Very convincing."
Fahish pointed accusingly. "You two are already planning to tell people."
Nahi didn't even bother denying it, "Maybe. This kind of news deserves to be shared."
Fahish smiled helplessly, "Please don't."
Nahi tilted his head, the grin on his face widening by the second. "Don't what?"
"Don't do what you're about to do."
"You expect us to keep quiet after discovering a bomb?That's a very difficult request."
Fahish closed his eyes for a moment. "That sounds like blackmail."
"It sounds like negotiation."
Fahim looked toward Fahad, "...Brother."
Fahad slowly reached into the inside pocket of his suit and removed a sleek black bank card.
He held it up between two fingers.
Nahi looked at the card, then at Fahad, then back at the card. Ohi's eyes widened, "That's unfair."
Fahad spoke calmly, "Confidentiality has value."
He turned the card once between his fingers, letting the light catch the silver edge.
Then,he placed it back into his pocket, smoothed the fabric of his jacket and folded his hands in his lap. "I trust you'll make the correct decision."
Silence. Nahi's grin froze. He looked at the card. Then at Fahad, then back at the card. Meanwhile, Ohi had already straightened his posture.
The lazy, teasing edge that had been in his face only moments before had vanished entirely. "Of course."
He said with complete seriousness. "One should always listen to the eldest brother."
Fahim blinked. "Ohi—"
"It's a matter of principle."
"Five seconds ago you were—"
"Five seconds ago I was being foolish. I've grown since then."
"That was five seconds."
"I grow quickly."
Nahi placed a hand over his heart, "We would never dream of ignoring Brother Fahad."
The four brothers stared at them. "..."
Fahan sighed, "You two surrendered surprisingly fast."
Ohi smiled innocently, "Wisdom is knowing when to change your position and respecting the eldest brother is an important family tradition."
Fahish blinked. "Thirty seconds ago you wanted to tell the entire mansion."Nahi nodded solemnly, "People grow."
Maya looked up from her book. She watched the cousins for a moment before quietly saying,"That was a very rapid character development."
Ohi stared at Maya. Then — "Haha! Hahahaha."
Nahi wiped the corners of his eyes. "I've laughed more today than I have in the past six years."
Ohi took a deep breath and nodded."My stomach actually hurts."
Even Fahad let out the faintest sigh, "I believe we've had enough excitement for one morning."
Fahan leaned back against the sofa."I completely agree."
Ohi, who had been leaning against the arm of the sofa with his arms folded, straightened slightly with a new and very careful layer of respect.
"You know, for a family that controls half the country, you're all surprisingly easy to blackmail."
"We're not easy to blackmail," Fahad murmured. "We're generous with our silence."
Ohi had just opened his mouth, clearly preparing to say something that would have extended the conversation by at least another ten minutes — when a shadow fell across the doorway.
Naya leaned into the room, one hand resting lightly on the frame, her expression caught somewhere between amusement and warning.
"Are you all coming down. or is Aunt supposed to climb the stairs herself and drag you down by the ears?"
She let the silence stretch for exactly one second before continuing,
"Because I should warn you — she is already on the second-floor landing. I passed her on my way here. And she had that look on her face."
The room went very still.
Naya's gaze moved slowly across the scene — the row of brothers on the sofa, the cousins frozen mid-smirk and Maya, sitting quietly in her armchair as though none of it concerned her.
"And while we are on the subject," she added, "Aunt Mahi also said — and I am quoting her directly, so do not look at me like that —
She said that— if any one of you disturbs her daughter again, you will find out exactly what happens next."
Ohi straightened instantly. The lazy confidence he had been wearing all morning vanished.
"Oh, no, no, no, no." He said quickly, raising both hands. "We would never. How could we possibly disturb our sweet little cousin? Our adorable, precious, completely undisputed little sister?"
Fahan nodded so fast it was almost comical.
"Yes — yes, exactly. We were just leaving. We were actually about to leave. We were leaving."
"You were not leaving," Naya said flatly. "You were sitting there like a row of birds on a wire."
"We were about to stand up."
Naya let out a slow breath through her nose — the kind of breath a person takes when they have run out of patience and are now operating purely on family obligation.
"Then — I suggest you finish thinking and come downstairs. Now. Unless, you'd all like to explain to Aunt Mahi personally why her daughter's morning was interrupted."
Nobody answered.
Fahad rose first — adjusting his cuffs as though nothing at all had happened. He walked toward the door without a word, his spine perfectly straight, his expression unreadable.
Fahim followed a heartbeat later, glasses newly polished, hands folded neatly at his sides.
Fahan scrambled up, nearly tripping over the edge of the carpet. Fahish rose with what little dignity he had left and followed his brothers out.
Ohi and Nahi exchanged one glance and then hurried after them.
Naya remained in the doorway for a moment, watching the last of them disappear down the corridor.
Then she turned — just slightly — and looked back at Maya.
"You know — if you ever want to get back at them for anything, you can always come to me. I have fourteen years of ammunition stored up. Every embarrassing story. Every failed attempt at being cool."
She tilted her head. "I've been saving them for someone." Maya looked up. "I'll remember that, Miss Naya."
Naya's smile widened. "Good... Good."
And with that, she slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
-----
The dining hall had come alive with the low hum of morning conversation.
Plates clinked. Servants moved quietly between chairs. Mahi sat at the head of the table, her expression composed but her eyes sharp.
The brothers entered one by one.
Fahad walked in first, sat down without a word, and unfolded his napkin with almost aggressive precision.
Fahim followed, slipping into his seat as though he had been there all morning.
Fahan attempted a casual stroll and failed spectacularly when he nearly walked into a servant carrying a tray of tea.
Fahish slid into his chair so quietly that no one noticed he had arrived until he reached for the bread basket.
Naya sat down across from Maya's empty seat and reached for her glass of water.
Ohi and Nahi came last, who had been enjoying themselves only moments before — suddenly found their plates extremely interesting.
Mahi did not raise her voice, she simply said, "I trust everyone had a peaceful morning."
Silence. Then — from the far end of the table — Fahish spoke. "It was… eventful."
Mahi's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, then she turned her attention back to her cup of tea. "I see."