Author's POV
11:47 P.M.
The Rathore Mansion had transformed completely.
Only a few emergency lights remained on.
The security alarm continued to echo through the corridors.
Guards rushed from one end of the mansion to another.
The brothers gathered near the security room while Vikram tried to understand how someone had breached the outer perimeter.
But upstairs...
Akshara's room was completely dark.
Meera immediately reached for her daughter's hand.
"Akshu..."
"I'm here, Mom."
Akshara's voice was calm.
Too calm.
She slowly stood from the bed.
Meera tried to stop her.
"Tumhari tabiyat theek nahi hai."
Translation: You're not feeling well.
Akshara shook her head.
"Mujhe pata hai."
Translation: I know.
Her eyes remained fixed on the balcony.
"Lekin koi hamare balcony mein hai."
Translation: But someone is on our balcony.
Meera's face paled.
Akshara's POV
Akshara reached for the emergency lamp kept beside the bed.
Nothing.
No power.
She looked towards the balcony.
The curtains moved again.
A figure stood behind them.
Akshara's anger immediately replaced her weakness.
She stepped forward.
Meera whispered,
"Akshu, don't."
Akshara raised one hand.
A silent signal.
Stay back.
She moved closer to the curtains.
One step.
Then another.
Suddenly-
The curtains flew open.
Nothing.
The balcony was empty.
Akshara's eyes narrowed.
She walked outside.
The night breeze brushed against her face.
She looked around.
Nothing.
Then she noticed something.
A small black device attached beneath the balcony railing.
Her expression hardened.
This wasn't a random break-in.
Someone had been watching the mansion.
Downstairs, the security chief finally restored one of the cameras.
Vikram leaned towards the monitor.
"Show me the balcony cameras."
The screen flickered.
A grainy image appeared.
The camera showed Akshara's balcony.
Then...
A masked figure appeared on the screen.
Vikram's face changed.
"Zoom in."
The security officer did.
The figure was standing outside the mansion perimeter.
But before anyone could identify him...
The camera went black again.
Aryan's jaw tightened.
"Kisi ne system ko remotely disable kiya hai."
Translation: Someone has remotely disabled the system.
Kabir nodded.
"Aur woh professional hai."
Translation: And they're a professional.
Vikram immediately looked towards the staircase.
"Akshara."
He ran upstairs.
The brothers followed.
Author's POV
Vikram reached Akshara's room.
The door was open.
The lights were still off.
"Akshara!"
No response.
His heart dropped.
He entered immediately.
Meera was standing near the balcony.
And Akshara...
Was kneeling beside the railing, examining something.
Vikram's expression changed from panic to confusion.
"What happened?"
Akshara stood.
She pointed towards the device.
"Someone planted this here."
Aryan stepped forward.
He examined it carefully.
His expression became serious.
"This isn't ordinary surveillance equipment."
Kabir looked at him.
"Meaning?"
Aryan looked towards Vikram.
"Kisi ne ghar ko monitor kiya hai."
Translation: Someone has been monitoring the house.
Silence.
Meera immediately went to Akshara.
"Are you okay?"
Akshara nodded.
"Yes."
But Meera noticed how pale she still looked.
She touched her forehead.
"You're burning up."
Akshara tried to pull away.
"I'm fine."
Meera frowned.
"Tumhari 'main fine hoon' wali aadat mujhe bilkul pasand nahi hai."
Translation: I really don't like your habit of saying 'I'm fine.'
Akshara gave her a tired look.
"Sorry."
Vikram heard the exchange.
His expression softened.
He turned towards Meera.
"Take her downstairs. The doctor should examine her."
Akshara immediately protested.
"I don't need-"
Vikram interrupted gently.
"Beta."
Translation: Daughter.
Akshara stopped.
Everyone noticed.
Vikram continued quietly.
"Please."
There was no command in his voice.
Only concern.
Akshara looked at him for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
It was a tiny moment.
But for Vikram...
It meant everything.
While Meera helped Akshara inside...
Aryan picked up the surveillance device.
His eyes narrowed.
Someone had deliberately targeted the mansion.
But why?
He looked towards Akshara.
She had only been here for a short time.
Yet the intruder had specifically placed a device near her room.
That didn't feel coincidental.
He turned towards Kabir.
"Find out who installed this."
Kabir nodded.
"Already working on it."
Dev and Aarav stood nearby.
For once, neither was joking.
Dev whispered,
"Bhai... kya Akshara ko target kiya gaya hai?"
Translation: Brother... was Akshara targeted?
Aryan didn't answer immediately.
Then he said,
"I don't know."
"But we're going to find out."
Akshara's POV
Downstairs, Akshara sat on the sofa while the doctor checked her.
Meera stood beside her.
Vikram waited nearby.
The brothers remained at a distance.
After a few minutes, the doctor sighed.
"She needs rest."
"She's exhausted and shouldn't be pushing herself right now."
Akshara looked away.
"I have work tomorrow."
Vikram's eyebrows rose.
"You're not going anywhere tomorrow."
Akshara looked at him.
"But-"
"No."
His tone was firm this time.
"One day."
"Rest."
Akshara stared at him.
Then...
She gave a small nod.
"Fine."
Dev quietly whispered to Aarav,
"Papa mode activated."
Aarav almost laughed.
Aryan gave them a warning look.
Both immediately became silent.
But Akshara heard them.
A tiny smile appeared on her face.
Author's POV
For a few minutes...
The tension disappeared.
Until Kabir's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
"What?"
Everyone turned towards him.
Kabir slowly looked at Aryan.
"We found something."
Aryan stood.
"What?"
Kabir placed his phone on the table.
A photograph appeared on the screen.
It showed the masked intruder.
But that wasn't what shocked them.
Behind the masked man...
Was a familiar symbol.
A black serpent surrounding a silver crown.
Vikram's face hardened.
Raghvendra, who had just entered the room, stopped dead.
He recognized it.
"Yeh mumkin nahi hai..."
Translation: This is impossible...
Aryan looked at his grandfather.
"Dada Sa?"
Raghvendra's voice became unusually low.
"Agar yeh nishaan wapas aa gaya hai..."
Translation: If this symbol has returned...
He looked towards Akshara.
His expression was filled with fear.
"...toh Rathore parivaar bahut bade khatre mein hai."
Translation: ...then the Rathore family is in very serious danger.
Akshara's eyes narrowed.
She had never seen Dada Sa look frightened before.
And somewhere deep inside her...
A strange feeling told her-
This threat wasn't new.
It was connected to something from the past.
Something she hadn't been told about.
_______
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