After Anisha took that decisive step, she seemed like a completely different person—the timid wallflower had been replaced by someone much bolder.
Looking at her younger sister, she decided it was time to bring everything out into the open. It was the only way to avoid the suffocating awkwardness currently hanging over the three of them.
But the moment Anika heard her sister start to build up to a serious talk, she put down her sandwich and burst out laughing.
"Anisha, you finally took the bait!"
"Why would I be angry? If I were actually jealous, do you think I would have 'passed out' and left you two alone with that bottle of wine last night? You know my tolerance; I can finish a bottle of red by myself and still do a fashion show!"
"I did that entirely to create an opening for you! I was only pretending to be grumpy this morning to force you to clear things up with Rahul. I didn't want him feeling like he was walking on eggshells in our own home."
Anika turned to Rahul with a radiant, mischievous smile. "Look at him! He was so awkward just a second ago!"
Rahul shook his head, a sheepish smile spreading across his face. This quirky twin was definitely playing with him. But she was right; after the events of the previous night, he had been feeling a massive amount of "survivor's guilt" toward Anika.
But what did she mean by 'Bangladeshi tradition'?
Before Rahul could piece it together, Anika patted the cushion right next to her. "Come here, Rahul. Sit."
Rahul didn't hesitate and sat down between the two sisters.
"Anisha, go on. Tell him about our traditions." Anika raised her eyebrows playfully.
If it had been the Anisha of two days ago, she would have crumbled under the pressure. But today, despite the blush deepening on her cheeks, her eyes remained steady.
"Rahul, it's like this. I don't want you to feel trapped or guilty being caught between the two of us. I want you to treat this penthouse like your own home and be completely comfortable while you're here. So, we need to be honest with you to put your mind at ease."
Rahul's confusion only deepened. What are they getting at? Are they going to tell me I'm part of some ritual?
"I prefer being direct too," Rahul said, looking from one twin to the other. "Just say it."
Anisha stood up for a moment and then sat back down, effectively sandwiching Rahul between her and Anika.
"Alright, I'll be blunt. Rahul, have you ever heard of the laws regarding polygamy in Bangladesh?"
Rahul actually gasped, looking at Anisha in pure disbelief.
Does this place still have that kind of system? He hadn't seen anything about this while scrolling through travel vlogs before his trip. What is she implying? Do they want to keep me here as a permanent trophy husband?
"Anisha, I honestly had no idea," Rahul said, his voice serious. "Is that still a thing in the modern world?"
Anisha nodded. "Yes. While it's strictly regulated and requires certain permissions, it is written into our legal and religious codes. In Bangladesh, it isn't uncommon or seen as scandalous for sisters to share a husband or for a man to have multiple partners."
Rahul's eyes widened. He felt a heartfelt surge of wonder.
Bangladesh really does have its own... unique national conditions! The idea of having multiple wives is a trope many men joke about, but Rahul couldn't find it in himself to be purely happy. As he'd told Samina and Anjali, he was a nomad. He was destined to wander.
"Anisha, I hear what you're saying," Rahul began, his voice low. "But I can't stay here and marry you both. I'm leaving soon..."
Anisha reached out and took his hand, gently cutting him off.
"No, no, Rahul! You've misunderstood us. We aren't telling you this because we expect you to stay and marry us. Even though... well, even though we both desperately wish you could."
"We know you're going back to India. If we were twenty-one or twenty-two, we might have dropped everything and followed you to Mumbai. But our lives and our business are built here. We can't just be that reckless anymore. So..."
Anika, losing patience with her sister's long-winded explanation, leaned over and patted Anisha's thigh irritably.
"Move over! You're taking too long to get to the point. Let me do it."
Anika suddenly reached out, cupping Rahul's face with both hands, forcing him to look her directly in the eye. Her voice turned incredibly soft.
"Rahul, the two of us... we both want to be with you. We want to spend these next few weeks creating beautiful memories together. We are doing this willingly, knowing you have to leave."
"I know guys from India can be more traditional and might find this 'sharing' concept hard to wrap their heads around all at once. But I don't want you to feel awkward or like you're doing something wrong. We just want you to be happy while you're here."
"And hey, we travel to India all the time to restock our boutique. We'll have plenty of chances to see you in the future. What do you think?"
Anika's face finally turned a bright red after finishing her "confession."
Rahul was stunned—not by the proposal, but by how incredibly considerate and selfless these two were being.
This Bangladeshi tradition is... it's a game-changer! He wanted to tell them that this "tradition" wasn't hard to accept at all! In fact, he suspected about 99% of the male population back in India would find it very easy to adjust to.
But then he caught himself. He felt a strange sense of being "used"—in the best way possible—as a source of happiness for these two women.
Anika, seeing him sit there in stunned silence, let go of his cheeks and looked at her sister nervously. Did I offend him? Does he think we're backward?
Anisha was also beginning to spiral. What if he thinks we're crazy? What if he leaves because he can't handle it? Panic set in. Anisha's logic short-circuited. She suddenly leaned over, grabbed Rahul's face herself, and pressed her lips firmly against his.
Anika gasped, shocked by her sister's sudden aggression.
Rahul, eyes wide, gently pushed Anisha back to catch his breath. He looked at both of them and blurted out:
"I never said I wouldn't accept it! Just... give a guy a second to process the best news he's heard all year!"