Late at night, the house was quiet except for the soft breathing of Maggie, who was still resting peacefully in Hirav's arms. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
From outside, Hirav's younger sister called out anxiously.
"Bro, please open the door! Tomorrow I have an exam. Please help me study!"
Hirav replied from inside, "The door isn't locked. It's just closed. You can come in."
But his sister insisted from the other side.
"No, bro… you open it."
With a small sigh, Hirav stood up and opened the door. His sister looked inside and immediately noticed Maggie standing very close to him. A mischievous smile spread across her face.
"I knew it!" she teased. "I thought you two were doing something special together."
Her words made Maggie blush instantly.
Hirav, already tired and embarrassed by the teasing, became irritated. In the moment, he reacted badly and slapped his sister.
The room suddenly fell silent.
His sister stepped back, shocked, and tears filled her eyes. She ran to the corner crying.
"Bhaiya hit me…" she sobbed.
The noise woke Maggie up. She looked confused and immediately asked what had happened.
Riya, still crying, pointed at Hirav. "My brother slapped me."
Maggie's expression changed instantly. She looked at Hirav with disappointment and anger.
"What did you do, Hirav?" she asked firmly.
Seeing his sister still crying made Hirav realize his mistake. He walked over to her, hugged her gently, and said softly, "I'm sorry, sis."
Then he kissed her forehead.
Slowly, Riya's tears stopped. She hugged him back and sniffed.
"Only because you said sorry," she said quietly.
Maggie's expression softened after seeing that moment.
But Riya still pouted and crossed her arms.
"Don't pretend to be good now," she said. "Just help me with my studies for tomorrow's exam."
So Hirav sat down with her and began explaining the questions from her notes. For almost an hour, he patiently helped her review the subjects she was worried about.
During that time, Maggie sat quietly nearby. She watched him carefully, her expression turning slightly sad whenever he looked away from her.
Finally, Riya stood up to get some water from the kitchen.
The moment she left the room, Maggie slowly moved closer to Hirav. She pouted a little and looked slightly upset. Without saying much, she leaned against him and rested her head on his chest again.
After a few seconds, she quietly drifted back to sleep in his arms.
When Riya returned with her glass of water, she froze in the doorway.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Maggie is sleeping on you again," she whispered.
She looked at both of them and then smiled softly.
"I think my question earlier already got answered," she said with a teasing grin.
Then she pouted slightly.
"Okay… I'll study alone then."
But Hirav shook his head.
"No, sis. Come here. I'll explain everything. Maggie is just sleeping."
Riya came back and sat beside him quietly. She looked at Maggie resting peacefully and then glanced at her brother.
"Okay," she said softly. "Explain… but whisper so you don't wake her."
As Hirav began helping her again, the tiredness from studying slowly caught up with Riya too. The long day and the stress of exams made her eyes heavy.
Little by little, she leaned back against the chair.
Within minutes, she also fell asleep.
Now the room was completely silent again.
Maggie was sleeping peacefully in Hirav's arms, and Riya had fallen asleep beside them after her long day of studying.
Hirav looked at both of them and smiled quietly.
The house felt calm and warm—a place filled with small misunderstandings, laughter, forgiveness, and the quiet comfort of people who cared deeply for each other.