Author's POV
The cold night breeze swept across the Rathore Mansion.
The headlights of Dev's bike turned off.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Dev and Aarav slowly turned around.
Standing a few steps away...
With his hands folded across his chest...
Was Aryan Rathore.
His sharp eyes shifted from the bike...
To Dev...
To Aarav...
And finally...
To Akshara.
Nobody dared to speak first.
Aryan had woken up after hearing the sound of the mansion's main gate opening.
He wasn't a light sleeper.
Years in the underworld had trained him to notice every unusual sound.
As he walked downstairs...
He hadn't expected to find this scene.
Dev.
Aarav.
A bike.
And...
Akshara.
Standing together.
His jaw clenched.
"Kya chal raha hai yahan?"
Translation: What's going on here?
Neither Dev nor Aarav answered.
Aryan looked at Dev.
"Jawab do."
Translation: Answer me.
Dev scratched his neck nervously.
"Bhai... woh..."
Nothing came out.
Akshara's POV
Akshara looked at the two younger brothers.
Their faces had turned pale.
She remembered the panic in their eyes a few minutes ago.
"Please kisi ko mat batana."
For reasons she couldn't explain...
She didn't want them to get into trouble.
Before Dev could stammer another excuse...
Akshara spoke.
"They were helping me."
All three brothers looked at her.
Including Aryan.
His eyebrows furrowed.
"Helping?"
Translation: Helping?
Akshara nodded calmly.
"I couldn't sleep."
"I wanted fresh air."
"I asked them to take me for a short drive."
Dev and Aarav stared at her in disbelief.
She was...
Lying.
For them.
Aryan's gaze remained fixed on Akshara.
He didn't fully believe her.
But he couldn't prove otherwise.
He looked at Dev.
"Sach?"
Translation: Is that true?
Dev immediately nodded.
"Haan... Bhai."
Translation: Yes... Brother.
Aarav followed.
"Exactly."
Aryan sighed.
"Agli baar bina bataye ghar se bahar mat jaana."
Translation: Next time, don't leave the house without informing anyone.
He looked at Akshara.
"And you."
"Late-night outings aren't safe."
Akshara simply nodded.
"I understand."
Aryan walked back inside.
The hallway fell silent once
The moment Aryan disappeared upstairs...
Dev let out the breath he'd been holding.
"Bach gaye!"
Translation: We survived!
Aarav dramatically leaned against the wall.
"I thought today was our last day on Earth."
Dev looked at Akshara.
"Why did you lie for us?"
Akshara looked at both of them.
"I don't like unnecessary drama."
She turned towards the staircase.
"Go to sleep."
She had taken only two steps when—
"Thank you."
Dev's voice stopped her.
She looked back.
Neither brother was smiling.
Both looked genuinely grateful.
Akshara gave a small nod.
No words.
Then quietly walked upstairs.
Author's POV
From the first-floor balcony...
Someone had witnessed everything.
Nitya.
She narrowed her eyes.
"So..."
"The brothers are already talking to her."
She hated it.
Even if it was only for a few minutes.
Even if they hadn't accepted her.
She couldn't tolerate Akshara getting even a little closer to them.
A dangerous idea crossed her mind.
"If I can't separate them..."
"I'll make them hate her even more."
A slow smile appeared on her face.
The next morning...
Vikram was reading the newspaper in the garden.
Geetanjali sat beside him with her morning tea.
She smiled.
"Akshara woke up early again?"
Vikram nodded.
"She's in the gym."
Raghvendra chuckled.
"That girl has more discipline than all five boys combined."
Vikram smiled unconsciously.
He had noticed something over the past few days.
Akshara never complained.
Never argued.
Never demanded attention.
She quietly followed her routine.
Gym.
Breakfast.
Work.
Reading.
Sleep.
There was something deeply lonely about her.
And as a father...
Even though she didn't see him as one...
It hurt him.
Very much.
He looked towards the mansion.
One day...
He hoped she would stop seeing him as a stranger.
Not because he expected it.
But because he genuinely wanted to earn that place in her life.
Akshara's POV
After finishing her workout, Akshara walked into the kitchen to make herself a protein shake.
She was about to leave when Dadi entered.
"Oh! You finished your workout already?"
Akshara smiled politely.
"Yes, Dadi."
Geetanjali looked at the shake.
"Only this?"
Akshara nodded.
"I'll have breakfast later."
Dadi smiled knowingly.
"You remind me of Vikram."
Akshara looked surprised.
"He was exactly like this at your age."
"Work."
"Gym."
"Books."
"And forgetting to eat."
For the first time...
Akshara smiled a little more than usual.
A genuine smile.
Small.
But real.
Geetanjali's heart melted.
She silently prayed...
That one day...
This child would smile like that every day.
⸻
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