To make the morning feel less heavy, Taniya had brought over her old childhood music videos. They spent hours watching the grainy footage of a younger Taniya dancing at school recitals and Sahil's toddler years. The laughter was a much-needed shield against the gloom of Roopa Mansion.
"Thank God Aunt Divya asked me to stay," Taniya said, smiling as she paused a video. "You really look like you're feeling better now."
The mention of Divya made something click in Meira's mind. She looked at Taniya, her expression turning serious. "Taniya... I was with Sahil yesterday. He mentioned something strange. He said your mother used to call Divya Ma'am an 'adopted mother.' I was confused—what does that even mean?"
The light-hearted mood evaporated instantly. Taniya took a long, awkward pause, her eyes darting toward the closed bedroom door before she leaned in closer.
"Uhhh... I was away with Yuvraj outside India for a long time," Taniya began tentatively. "But I heard whispers. Apparently, DS Uncle and Aunt Divya had adopted a child years ago. I don't know any details about who it was—only that it was Aunt Divya's desperate wish. She was the one who convinced DS to go through with it."
Meira felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "A child? Where are they now?"
"That's the thing," Taniya whispered. "No one knows. Aunt Divya strictly ordered the elders never to speak of the adoption to us or anyone outside. It was as if she wanted the memory of that child wiped clean from the mansion's history. My mother only uses that term when she wants to hurt Aunt Divya's pride."
Meira sat frozen, the revelation hitting her like a physical blow. A secret adoption. A hidden child.
Just as the silence between the two girls grew heavy, Meira's phone began to vibrate on the nightstand. The screen flashed with a familiar name: Tina.
Taniya took that as her cue to give Meira some privacy. "I'll go check if the kitchen has prepared your juice," she whispered, heading toward the door. Meira nodded and picked up the call.
"Meira! Where the hell have you been?" Tina's voice exploded through the speaker, frantic and breathless. "After DS passed away, you just vanished. No one knew where you went, and you haven't been answering your messages!"
Meira took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the ornate ceiling of her room—a room that still felt like a beautiful cage. Slowly, she began to explain everything: the will, the move to Roopa Mansion, the suffocating atmosphere of the Salai family, and the bizarre occurrences of the last few days.
There was a long, stunned silence on the other end of the line. "You're living... there? With those people?" Tina finally managed to gasp. "Meira, that place sounds like a nightmare. You've never been used to being surrounded by so many people, especially people who act like they're in a Shakespearean tragedy."
"It's a lot, Tina," Meira admitted, her voice trembling slightly. "I feel like I'm losing myself here."
"Listen to me," Tina said, her tone turning firm and supportive. "You need to get back to the office. Come in tomorrow. It'll get you away from that mansion for a few hours, and being around familiar work will make you feel like a normal person again. You can't just stay cooped up there letting them get into your head."
Meira looked toward the window, the idea of the bustling, predictable office feeling like a lifeline. For a girl who had always found comfort in her routine and her own space, the chaos of Roopa Mansion was slowly breaking her down.
"You're right," Meira whispered. "I need to get out of here, even if it's just for a day."
The day finally drew to a close, the long shadows of the mansion stretching across the floor like dark fingers. Exhausted but determined to regain some sense of her old self, Meira summoned Seema.
"Seema, please arrange for a car to take me to the office tomorrow morning," Meira said, her voice sounding more certain than it had all day. "I've already spoken to Divya Ma'am about it, and she has given me her permission."
Seema looked a bit surprised—most people who entered Roopa Mansion rarely looked for ways to leave it so soon—but she nodded dutifully. "I will inform the driver and have everything ready by 8:00 AM, Meira. It might be good for you to get some fresh air away from these walls."
As Seema left to make the arrangements, Meira felt a slight weight lift from her chest. For the first time since she arrived, she wasn't just a piece on someone else's chessboard; she was making a move of her own. She looked at her work bag resting in the corner, a symbol of the life she led before the "voices," the "adopted mother" secrets, and the gilded cage of the Salais.
She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, unaware that even her departure for the office was being watched by eyes that didn't want her out of their sight for long.