"Yes... you are right. A man can never forget his first love and I am no different." His words kept on ringing in Meera's ears. She could not take away her eyes from his retreating figure climbing stairs.

'So, he is still in love with me.' She concluded while taking steps towards her room. Her heart and mind was rejoicing on the news of gaining back her lost possessions.

Neil, as per his habit, entered his room to find it empty when realisation hit him hard. His son and wife had moved out of his room to shift to another. He roamed his eyes on the room, it gave sinking feelings. He turned back leaving his room. He pushed the door of Myra's room. He mentally thanked his wife for her habit of not locking the door from inside.

He stepped in to see a beautiful sight in front of him, his wife and son were sleeping in each other's embrace. Myra had enveloped her son in a hug whereas his son had clutched his arms around her neck burying his face in her chest. Neil's heart instantly filled with jealousy over his own blood for his wife.

'Why does he have to cling to her so tightly?' he rolled his eyes.

For sure, this would have been the best day of Neev's life when he has received undivided attention from his beloved mother.

Myra was awake, she was aware about Neil's presence in their room. She cursed herself for not locking the door from inside.

Earlier, she had made Neev eat his dinner inside the room only. She and her son did not step out of the room. She was making Neev sleep when she heard the door opening sound. She immediately covered both of them and acted like she was in deep slumber.

But with one look at her face, Neil knew she was acting, he pressed his lips to suppress his chuckle. He moved towards her side of the bed after closing the door from inside.

Myra has closed her eyes tightly but she could sense his presence around her. She felt him sit beside her sleeping figure and started caressing her hairs. He shifted one hair strand falling on her cheeks behind her ears.

Myra shuddered when his fingertips touched her cheeks. Neil smiled looking at her failed attempts to pretend herself in deep slumber.

Neil was playing with her hair strand, his fingers were trailing over her cheeks disturbing her act of sleeping. But, he slid down pushing her towards their son's side when he saw she was not giving up on her act. He wrapped his hand around her waist, taking her in his arms, settling himself besides her.

"You are not sleeping here." Finally she gave up on her pretence seeing his advances. She turned and stared at him passing an order.

"I am." He replied, shrugging his shoulders and continued shifting to her side to make a space for him.

"No you are not." She replied firmly, taking a deep sigh. "This is not your room." She reminded him raising her eyebrows.

"Wherever my wife and my son are, then that's my place." He replied in the same determined tone pulling her back in his embrace.

Today, it was an exhausting day, Myra's body and mind had no more energy left to argue with him. She just wanted some peaceful sleep surrounded by beautiful dreams.

Just some 10-15 minutes would have passed when the deep silence of the room was broken by the rumbling sound followed by Neil's murmuring, "Shit."

"You did not have your food?" Myra again asked, darting her eyes in his.

"I can ask the same question." Neil knew even she was empty stomach.

"I was not hungry." She replied, rolling her eyes.

"Me too." He replied, making an innocent face.

"Your stomach is telling a different story." She pointed out turning to his side. "Go and have your food."

"I don't like to eat alone. If you are going to eat with me then only I will eat." It was Neil's way to convince Myra to eat her dinner. He knew, if he asked her or even begged her she wouldn't listen but when it came to him being empty stomach she would readily agree to eat.

"I told you, I am not hungry."

"Ok. Then I am also not hungry." Next fifteen minutes both were arguing over this small thing.

"Fine, I will get food..." Finally, Myra dropped her weapons when her own stomach as well started making rumbling noises.

"No, it's ok. I will get it." He jumped out of their bed and next moment rushed downstairs.

His childish act brought a small smile on Myra's face. She knew he was purposefully putting up a fight with her, to make her eat her dinner.

"What do you want Neil?" She talked to herself recalling events that happened during the day.

After 15 minutes, Neil came back to their room with two bowls in his hands.

Seeing him entering their room Myra got up from bed and her eyes sparkled momentarily looking at 2 bowls filled with Mac-n-Cheese.

"Come on, it's hot." He called her.

"You made it?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"If your wife is angry then do her favourite thing to appease her. There is no hard science behind it." He replied, making a cute puppy face.

She did not say a word but settled on the arm chair to eat her favourite Mac-n-Cheese.

Neil was eating but his eyes were fixed on Myra. She was eating without even raising her eyes.

"You said you have some reasons to let her stay here and I should have trust in you regarding this." Myra said after finishing their food.

He nodded without a word.

"I want to give you a chance to prove that you really want me in your life and nobody can change your decision. Not even someone who you loved with all your heart." She told him with a thudded heart.

'But this is the last time.' She mentally promised herself.

He pulled her on his chest and kissed her forehead with a promise. "I would be happy to work hard in order to prove myself to you and make myself worthy of you."

It was morning, Myra woke up hearing the chirping sound of birds and sensing bright morning sun rays. She opened her eyes and found herself in Neil's arms. Her arm was over his chest, clutching his t-shirt in her fist, he was holding with his one hand where as with other he was enveloping her in his embrace. Their legs were entangled with each other.

Myra turned to her other side to look at her baby. He was sleeping peacefully cuddling with her. Technically, she was sandwiched between father and son. She tried to release herself from their clutches when Neev woke up.

Neev opened his eyes when she was trying to detach herself from his little figure. The most beautiful thing about Neev was he always smiled when he woke up seeing his mother. He smiled, rubbing his eyes and stretching his limbs.

"Mumma" He mumbled, giving his signature smile to his beloved mother.

"My baby" She kissed his forehead.

That moment, Neev's eyes fell on the hand wrapping his mother. He sat on his butt to look at the person and his eyes fell on his father who was sleeping peacefully yet holding his mother. After almost one and half month, Neev was sleeping with his mother but again his father intruded their moment which was enough to infuriate the little soul.

"Dadda" He pointed at his father asking his mother about his presence with a creased forehead.

"He is sleeping, let him sleep." Myra whispered in a low voice. "No"

"Shleep?"  Neev asked. "No.... Dadda No.... My Mumma" He shook his head and in a blink of an eye, he got up to jump on his father's stomach.

Neil flinched, feeling sudden weight on his body. But before he could absorb the situation one little punch hit his nose.

"Neev...No" Myra passed a fake glare at him on his act which immediately reflected in teary eyes, protruded lips, flaring nose on an innocent face of a little guy.

"Mumma" Now he started going to his mother. Myra was sitting on the bed with crossed legs. His baby went to her and sat on her lap.

"Where do you think you are going? You little avenger." Neil pinched his nose, and then pulling him from Myra he made Neev lie down on bed and started kissing all over his face because he knew Neev doesn't like anyone other than his mother kissing him all over his face.

Neev turned red, trying to escape his father but when Neil didn't stop, he grabbed his face in his little hands and bit his nose tip with full force making Neil yelp in pain.

"Myra..." He called his wife whose eyes grew wide. In a moment she came for his rescue. She pulled Neev away from Neil and started calming him down.

Neil winced, touching his red nose tip.

Neev hid his face in his mother's chest keeping his furious eyes on his father. 

"Why are you hiding now? I am telling you Myra, your son is turning violent day after day." Neil said with fake anger still rubbing his nose tip.

"My Mumma," Little guy responded, giving a quick kiss on his mother's cheek.

"My wife" Neil emphasised giving a peck on her lips.

Neev rubbed her lips where Neil had pecked it earlier. "My Mumma" He wrapped his hands around her neck.

"I will send you to a boarding school and then your Mumma will be just my wife." He teased, wrinkling his nose at his son.

Though Neev had no idea about boarding school, he understood one thing clearly; his father was planning to send him away from his mother.

Neev looked at his mother and protruded his lips out. The tears pooled up in his eyes and he started crying.

"Aww! No, baby! I am not gonna let your Dadda send you anywhere. You will stay with me. With your Mumma always."

"Boarding school," Neil teased again.

"Good morning" Neil kissed her crown while getting down from bed.

"Dadda bad.... My Mumma.... Go, go out" Neil smiled hearing his son's screamings but he could feel Myra's continuous gaze on his back.

It was a weekend, Myra was conveniently avoiding Neil as well as Meera. She busied herself around Neev. Her avoidance and withdrawal from their routine was traumatising Neil, but somewhere in his heart he was calm as Myra mostly stayed in her room along with their son.

It was a morning when Myra had taken Neev upstairs for his clothes change as the little guy had spilled over his food on his clothes.

Neil was rubbing his forehead as it was throbbing with pain, last two nights he did not have a peaceful sleep.
Myra used to lock the door of her room from inside restricting his much anticipated entry. Without holding her, in his embrace he was not blessed with comforting sleep which was taking a toll on his health.

Meera observed her ex-husband, he was lost somewhere. She could see the distance between her twin and her ex-husband, both were not on much talking terms. Their distance was acting as a booster for her hope to win back Neil's trust and love. She found an opportunity to grab her ex-husband's attention. She purposely broke the glass resulting in a small wound on her wrist.

"Ouch" Meera winced in pain.

"Meera what happened?" Neil exclaimed, turning to her side. "Ohh god it's bleeding."

He asked Julia to get a first aid box. He himself dressed her wound putting antiseptic and bandage.

"You still care for me." Meera wailed looking at his caring gesture. It was a statement more than a question.

Her words brought him out of his reverie.

"So, the love I used to see in your eyes is still there." Meera sobbed, shedding fake tears observing his facial expressions.

"I told you, a man can never forget his first love." Neil spoke again with a lip side smile not meeting his eyes with hers.

"I know Neil, you can never stop loving me. I was the first woman in your life and the last as well." Meera hoped her optimism had reached its peak.

"Correction, I have Myra in my life now." Neil thought a bit before answering.

Meera confronted him, "You were forced to marry her. This is a loveless marriage."

Neil stayed silent over her questions.

"Marriage has no meaning without love." She tried to hold his hand.

Feeling her touch over his fingers, he withdrew his hand. "There may or may not be love in a marriage but trust is important, Myra has taught me this."

"Do you trust her so much?" Meera's jealousy oozed out over her sister.

"I trust her more than I trust my own self." he confessed with a small smile on his lips remembering all his moments with her. "She was the one who brought me out of the darkness. She is the one who gives me peace and calmness."

"Do you love her?" Meera asked, crossing her fingers. His one positive response would demolish the castle of dreams she had built on in one stroke.

"I trust her. I respect her. I care for her." He spoke calculatively.

He stayed silent, engrossed in his own thoughts.

"But you don't love her." she concluded by taking his silence in her favour.

"Last time I had built a relationship on the basis of love, in which I got the worst betrayal of life. Now this one me and Myra have built on the foundation of trust, care, respect.... From then on, life is becoming easier, peaceful, serene...." His lips stretched in a content smile which was not missed from Meera's eyes.

"Will you never ever trust me? Neil, I was the one who sacrificed everything for your and Neev's betterment... Can't I be just worthy of your trust?" Meera's tears started continuously flowing over her cheeks.

"You tell me. If you were in my place, what would you have done? Would you have believed me easily after all this mess?" He asked a straightforward question.

"So you want me to prove myself?" She countered.

"Let's make a deal Meera. You will prove that whatever you confessed that night was your truth and if you need any help... I am there. And if I found even a single proof that you were blackmailed I will trust you... I will stand for you." He challenged keeping his cold eyes on her face.

"And if I prove myself then can we be back together like old days?" Meera asked.

"That will depend on you proving yourself." He shrugged his shoulders and continued in a no-nonsense tone, "But you have to be careful. Till the time you prove yourself, you will not blurt out a single word about this deal to Myra. When I get myself convinced, I will handle her." Neil had to make sure, the game he was playing should be hidden from Myra, she should not be affected by his strategies and tactics to handle the current fiasco.

'It's better Myra and Neev stay away from this... I cannot get both of them involved in this mess.' His mind was running in all directions for safeguarding his two precious.

"Ryan Martins, he is our culprit. He should be punished." Meera spoke after a quick thought. "He should be behind the bars."

Neil kept his intrusive eyes on her.

"He is involved in a lot of illegal activities." Meera announced gulping heavily. "We can use it against him." She announced carefully.

Both jerked back when they heard Neev's baby voice. Myra and Neev stepped inside the dining area. Without passing any attention to her sister and husband, she made Neev settle down on his high chair.

Myra concentrated on Neev, but she was observing her husband from the corner of eyes. He was engrossed in his own thoughts, but she could not miss to capture his signature smirk. She tried to analyse but failed.

Few more days passed, Neil was in his cabin in the office along with Niren and James, his security head. It was after their lunch, Neil visited the office for a couple of hours on the name of urgent meetings.

"We need a lead against him." James confirmed in a professional tone and continued, "We are trying our best from our side, but he had kept it well under cover using his influence. So that's why it's taking a long time."

"James, I can't buy you more time. You have to hurry up... put all our sources in this direction. I need him behind bars ASAP." Neil declared, keeping his stern gaze on his security head. "And yes... Increase security of my home. I want you to keep an eye on insiders as well. That bitch is at home."

After discussing a few more things James left leaving two brothers inside.

"How's Myra?" Niren asked in concern and continued, "It's good you are keeping her out of this mess."

"Yes but while keeping her away from this... I had fake it up in front of her. She is confused. She is hurt... Niren, that day, I saw her distrustful eyes... I feel like someone killed my soul when she stared at me with those big teary eyes." Tears started forming in Neil's eyelids.

"You have to Neil.... Otherwise, it can be dangerous for her and Neev. Ryan should be in our hands before he lays his eyes on Myra. He should not take advantage of her being your weakness." Niren reminded his brother. "Myra will understand... I am sure."

"She is upset. She is avoiding me these days." Neil turned sorrowful, recalling his wife's reserved approach over the last few days. "I just want to end this and throw that bitch out of my house and our life."

"I hope this matter will get resolved soon." Niren shook his head.

"I hope so too." Neil nodded his head.

At home, Meera was pacing in her room fidgeting her fingers. She was waiting for Neil to come back from the office. She was successful in getting a few details from Ashok Sehgal. Her impatient and greedy mind was clogged, sharing those with Neil and gaining his trust.

At night when Neil had busied himself in office work in his home's study room , as he knew Myra would have closed herself in the room. It's been four days since he had any word with Myra in fact he did not get a chance to see her properly. Only when she was working in the kitchen or feeding Neev he could have her glimpses.

This distance was now breaking him inside. She had become his life... his life saving drug.  For the last four days, he hardly had any food or any rest. His peaceful sleep was far far away from him, revolving only Myra's thoughts in his mind. He took out his phone which had numerous Myra's pictures. He relaxed resting his head on the headrest when he heard a knock on the door.

He straightened, wiping his unshed tears and gaining his composure. He gave permission for the intruder to enter. He raised his eyebrows looking at Meera.

She entered and sat on the chair in front of his desk.

"Hi Neil, a few days ago you promised to help me. I have found a few details about Ryan." Meera admitted, expecting his trust.

Whereas Neil was alarmed hearing her words. He stared at her face to find the truth behind her facade.

"By sitting here, you found details about Ryan?" He mocked.

"Nope. I had these details from long back. When I escaped from his clutches, I wanted to return to you but I also knew that you won't be forgiving me so I had an urge to ruin Ryan the way he destroyed my small world. I stayed near him disguising myself to find out about his illegal business. He is involved in drug trafficking. His pharmaceutical company deals with banned drugs. And there is much more I could find out. I tried to pass on those leads to investigative agencies but they were Ryan's puppets who harassed me instead of arresting him." Meera blurted out in one breath cooking up some fake story.

"Here are the details. It has few internal reports which conclude the drugs used in his company are banned. Also, this is the list of his men who handle his illegal business." Meera forwarded her phone.

Neil immediately took her phone and started glancing at the contents of it. Yes, it was not full proof details but at least his security team will have something to start with.

"But how can I believe that this is not fake?" He cross-questioned, shrugging his shoulders.

"You can ask your security head to verify my findings." Meera replied confidently. "I can send you all these details."

He nodded his head in positive.

Later Meera left from his study leaving him all alone.

He took his phone opening the picture gallery which had Myra's pictures.

"I love you Myra." He kissed her face from screen.

He confessed caressing her smiling face over his mobile screen.

"The first and last love of my life is only you. My nightingale. I know, I had lost my way to you but I am glad that you hold me. I understood my own feelings for you very late. Before our fate and then my horrendous past stood as a wall between us, but not now. I am going to break every barrier between us. I will be all yours and only yours. I really really love you... Just trust me." Tears flew from his eyes, he kept his phone on his heart feeling her close to him.

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