Author's POV
The mansion had finally fallen silent.
The day's chaos was over.
Nitya's lie had been exposed.
The family had gone back to their rooms.
But upstairs...
Akshara was fighting a completely different battle.
A battle nobody knew about.
Meera's POV
Meera rushed into Akshara's room.
She immediately noticed her daughter's pale face.
Akshara was sitting on the edge of the bed, one hand resting against her abdomen.
"Akshu..."
Meera knelt beside her.
"Kitna dard ho raha hai?"
Translation: How much pain are you in?
Akshara tried to smile.
"Manageable."
Meera knew that answer.
It meant the opposite.
She immediately brought a heating pad and some warm water.
"Lie down."
Akshara obeyed without arguing.
Meera adjusted the pillow beneath her head.
"You should have told me earlier."
Akshara looked away.
"Aap already pareshaan thi."
Translation: You were already worried.
Meera sighed.
"Main tumhari maa hoon. Tumhari pareshaani mujhe pareshaan nahi karegi... mujhe tumse door rakhegi agar tum chhupaogi."
Translation: I'm your mother. Your problems won't burden me... but hiding them will keep me away from you.
Akshara's eyes softened.
She reached for her mother's hand.
"Sorry."
Meera kissed her forehead.
"Bas."
She stayed beside her.
Outside the room...
Vikram stood frozen.
He had heard enough to understand that Akshara wasn't feeling well.
He immediately stepped away from the door.
He didn't want to invade her privacy.
Instead, he went downstairs and called the family doctor.
"Please be available if Meera needs you."
The doctor assured him that he could come if necessary.
Vikram returned upstairs.
He stopped outside Akshara's room again.
He wanted to ask if she needed anything.
But he hesitated.
He didn't know how.
He was still learning how to be her father.
Finally, he placed a glass of warm water on the small table outside her room.
No note.
No explanation.
Just care.
Then he walked away.
Akshara's POV
A few minutes later...
Meera opened the door to get something from the hallway.
She noticed the glass.
She immediately understood.
She looked towards Vikram's disappearing figure.
A tiny smile appeared on her face.
Inside the room, Akshara noticed the glass.
"Who kept it?"
Meera smiled.
"Your father."
Akshara went silent.
Her fingers slowly curled around the glass.
"Papa..."
The word escaped before she could stop herself.
Meera froze.
Akshara froze too.
Neither said anything.
It was the first time Akshara had even whispered the word since coming to the mansion.
Author's POV
Across the corridor...
Vikram had stopped walking.
He hadn't meant to listen.
But that single word had reached him.
Papa.
His eyes became moist.
He didn't turn around.
He simply stood there for a few seconds.
For a man who had never demanded that Akshara call him father...
That one accidental word meant everything.
He quietly wiped his eyes and continued walking.
Aryan's POV
Meanwhile, on the brothers' floor...
Aryan was sitting in his room when he noticed Vikram walking past.
His expression looked different.
Almost emotional.
"What happened?"
Vikram shook his head.
"Nothing."
Aryan didn't believe him.
But he didn't press.
A few minutes later, Dev appeared.
"Bhai..."
Aryan looked up.
"What?"
Dev lowered his voice.
"Akshara isn't well."
Aryan's expression changed.
"How do you know?"
"Meera aunty called the doctor downstairs."
Aryan became silent.
He remembered the way Akshara had stood in the dining hall yesterday...
Angry.
Strong.
Untouchable.
He hadn't imagined that she could be struggling physically at the same time.
Dev looked towards Aryan.
"Should we ask if she's okay?"
Aryan hesitated.
They still hadn't accepted Akshara as their sister.
Walking into her room suddenly might be uncomfortable.
"No."
He paused.
"Just ask the servant to leave some soup outside."
Dev smiled slightly.
"Okay."
He turned around.
Then stopped.
"Don't tell anyone I suggested it."
Aryan rolled his eyes.
"Go."
Akshara's POV
Later that night...
The pain had eased slightly.
Akshara was lying beneath the blanket.
Meera sat beside her, reading quietly.
Akshara looked towards the door.
A tray had appeared outside.
Warm soup.
Some fruit.
And a small note.
She picked it up.
Only four words were written.
"Eat. Don't argue."
No name.
Akshara stared at it.
She knew exactly who had written it.
A tiny smile appeared.
"Dev..."
Meera looked up.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Akshara carefully picked up the soup.
For the first time...
She didn't feel completely alone in the mansion.
Author's POV
But the peaceful moment didn't last.
Downstairs...
The security alarm suddenly went off.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Every light in the mansion switched on.
The servants rushed into the corridors.
Doors opened.
The brothers came out of their rooms.
Vikram immediately ran towards the security room.
"What's happening?"
The security chief looked terrified.
"Sir..."
He pointed towards the monitor.
"Someone has entered the restricted area."
Vikram's expression hardened.
"Who?"
The guard swallowed.
"We don't know."
Aryan's POV
Aryan reached the security room with the other brothers.
He stared at the screen.
A masked figure was moving through the outer compound.
Kabir immediately checked the security feed.
"That's impossible."
Veer frowned.
"Why?"
"The outer security system hasn't been breached in years."
Aryan's jaw tightened.
"Lock the mansion."
Every security door immediately closed.
Then...
The screen suddenly went black.
SYSTEM OFFLINE.
Everyone froze.
Akshara's POV
Upstairs...
Akshara heard the alarm.
She slowly sat up.
Her face was still pale.
Meera immediately stopped her.
"Don't get up."
Akshara looked towards the door.
Something about the alarm felt wrong.
She reached for her phone.
It wasn't there.
She remembered.
She had left it downstairs earlier.
Then...
A soft sound came from the balcony.
Click.
Akshara's eyes widened.
She slowly turned her head.
The balcony curtains moved slightly.
Someone was standing behind them.
Akshara's expression changed instantly.
The pain disappeared behind cold determination.
She whispered,
"Kaun hai?"
Translation: Who's there?
The curtain moved again.
And then...
The lights in her room suddenly went out.
BLACKOUT.
___
Guys, tell me your favourite part and comment any scene you want to see.
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