Episode # 1: Living with a hidden pain

A lady watched with amusement as an infant crawled determinedly, trying to distance himself from her. She chuckled at his effort, allowing him to believe he was winning.

As he crawled, his head bumped into someone's legs, causing him to sit down on the floor. Looking up, he saw a man standing there, smiling down at him. The infant responded with a toothless grin and raised his arms, signaling the man to pick him up.

The man, smiling warmly, lifted the child and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. The infant giggled loudly in response. Meanwhile, the lady, who had been playfully chasing him, approached them both.

"How are you, son?" the man asked the infant, who responded with playful babbles. Both the man and the lady chuckled at his adorable noises. The man then turned to the lady with a soft smile and, handing the child to her, said:

"Take care of Atharv, and you too, Swathi. I'm leaving for work."

He kissed both Swathi and Atharv on their foreheads before heading out of the mansion.

"Take care, Rishab," Swathi called after him. She then carried Atharv to the dining table. (Rishab was the man, and Swathi was his wife. Atharv, their 8-month-old son, had only recently started crawling.)

Swathi was a deeply loving and understanding wife. She welcomed the other three men into her life with open arms, fully aware of their internal struggles. Despite her efforts, she had been unable to heal their wounds. Every day, she prayed for someone to come into their lives, as she couldn't bear to see them wear fake smiles or hide their true emotions.

While Atharv, their son, was the only one who brought genuine smiles to their faces, those smiles never quite reached their eyes. Swathi longed for the day when their "mansion's sun" would shine with true brightness.

As Swathi was feeding Atharv, who was playfully making a mess with his spoon and baby food, she heard RV's voice.

"Good morning, bhabi," RV greeted her as he approached, adjusting his wristwatch. He smiled at Swathi and patted Atharv's cheek. The baby was amusingly feeding himself, spreading food across his cheeks and nose as he played with the spoon his mother had given him.

RV was about to enjoy his pancake when someone snatched the plate from him. Before he could react, the culprit devoured the pancake in one gulp and flashed RV a cheeky grin.

"Karannnnn," RV growled through gritted teeth, hurling a glass at Karan. Karan caught it effortlessly and stuck his tongue out in playful defiance.

Swathi chuckled at their antics while Atharv continued his playful mess with his spoon, oblivious to the commotion. RV, muttering curses at Karan, grabbed another pancake, only for Karan to reach for it again. RV slapped Karan's hand away.

"Ouch," Karan winced, rubbing his hand while RV took a bite of his pancake and ignored Karan with a royal air.

Karan made a face of disgust as he sat down in a chair near Atharv's high chair. He greeted Swathi and gave Atharv a tight kiss on his cheek. However, his expression quickly soured when he realized he had tasted baby food on Atharv's cheek.

RV and Swathi laughed at Karan's reaction, while Karan shot them a death glare and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Where is Shayan?" Swathi asked, wiping Atharv's face. Karan and RV exchanged sad glances, as it was becoming a routine for Shayan to leave the mansion without having breakfast.

Shayan loved them all dearly, but family gatherings were something he always avoided. Only Rishi knew the reason behind Shayan's reluctance to participate in such moments.

The trio continued their breakfast with Atharv when Karan's cell phone began to ring. He answered the call, and his face instantly went pale. His expression soured, making RV and Swathi realize something was wrong.

"Okay, I'll go," Karan said, his voice tinged with frustration as he ended the call. He shot RV and Swathi an irritated glance as they struggled to contain their laughter.

"Shut up," Karan muttered before storming out, stomping his foot in annoyance.

The phone call Karan received was from Shayan, who had asked him to attend university lectures on his behalf. Shayan, who had started his business while pursuing his studies, was now in his second-to-last semester of his master's program. The support from RV and Karan had been crucial, allowing Shayan to manage both his business and education without overwhelming himself.

Karan had sacrificed his precious sleep to cover Shayan's classes whenever he was tied up with business meetings. The latest call was just another instance of Karan stepping in to help his friend balance his demanding schedule.

Karan, being of the same age as Shayan, was an easy target for Shayan to send in his place to collect notes and other study materials. The university authorities were aware of this arrangement, as RV, a trustee of the university, had ensured that Shayan could delegate these tasks. Shayan's reputation as a top student from his graduation years also played a part in accommodating his requests.

Convincing Karan to agree to these duties wasn't simple, so Shayan had sweetened the deal by gifting him the latest limited-edition model of a Mercedes. This gesture made Karan more willing to step in and handle the academic responsibilities on Shayan's behalf.

The main side of the city:-

Swathi decided to go and visit the mall, as she had to buy Ath's things. So, with the driver and guards, she left for the mall. She was roaming in the mall with Ath in a pram, as he was now 8 months old, so it was a little difficult to carry him in her lap.

She was looking around when her sight went to a bookshop. She went there and started looking around to search for some books for Ath so that she could read to him instead of showing him cartoons on television or tabs.

She was walking around when she saw the back of a lady. Her hair was long but tied in a high ponytail; still, they were reaching below her back. Suddenly, that lady turned around, and Swathi realized that she was a girl around 19 or 20, but she was indeed very pretty.

The girl was busy settling the books on one book rack, so she didn't see Swathi. Suddenly, Ath giggled loudly after seeing something. The girl heard his giggle and looked towards them.

She smiled upon seeing the cute chubby baby giggling and clapping while looking towards one side. Swathi had been observing the girl the entire time, feeling an unknown connection with her. She didn't know why, but she sensed some positive and good vibes from her.

The girl walked towards them, her attention focused on Ath, so she didn't pay much attention to Swathi. When she came closer, she finally looked at Swathi, who gave her a soft smile.

The girl smiled back and knelt in front of Ath, pinching his chubby cheeks a little. The girl was about to say something when suddenly a voice came from behind.

"Aastha...," (Yes, the girl was Aastha.)

Aastha got up and turned around, finding Priya (the shop owner) calling her. She walked towards Priya but glanced back to give a light smile to Swathi and Ath, who returned the smile. Ath clapped his hands and babbled something.

Swathi purchased a few books and, while leaving the bookstore, tried to find Aastha. However, Aastha was on the other side of the store, so Swathi couldn't meet her. Swathi felt a sudden disappointment but soon shrugged off the feeling and left with Ath and the guards.

Aastha works in a bookstore as a helper in the morning before going to university, and in the afternoons, she sells her craft pieces.

After helping Priya, Aastha left for her university. Two months ago, on Priya's insistence, she had bought a second-hand scooty, as Priya had said it was better than the daily fares of local transport.

Aastha reached her university and parked her scooty. She was walking towards the main building when a black Mercedes came up and lightly hit her before she could move aside. She lost her balance.

"Sorry, sorry, I am so sorry; I was just in a hurry and didn't notice you. I'm so sorry," the driver rambled while picking up her bag and offering her his hand for help.

Aastha hesitantly held his hand and, at that moment, saw his face. The person was none other than Karan, who was now busy dusting off her bag.

Karan, while looking at her, handed back her bag. "Here you go, little birdie, and sorry again for hurting you. Come on, let's go to the sick room. Are you hurt anywhere?" Karan asked Aastha, who just shook her head in a "no." Karan was about to say something more when the bell rang.

"Ooo shit, sorry, birdie. I have to go; I'll meet you later," Karan said as he ran away from there, as it was lecture time, and he had to be there on time. If he was late even by a minute, Shayan would dig his grave if he missed even a single word of the lecture.

Aastha smiled a little at seeing him run like that and then went toward her classroom. Karan and Aastha attended their lectures and left for home. On his way back, Karan suddenly remembered Aastha.

"Where is that birdie? I didn't even talk to her properly or ask her name," Karan murmured while looking around. When he couldn't spot Aastha after a few minutes, he left in his car. The moment he drove off, Aastha walked out from the back of the building, searching for her scooty keys in her bag. She found them, unlocked her scooty, and headed towards the bookshop.

Other side:-

A huge 10-story building, constructed with black unbreakable glass, gleamed in the bright sunlight. In one of the upper stories, a man was working diligently in his cabin.

The sunlight streaming through the window illuminated his jet-black hair, which appeared dark maroon due to the sunlight. His fingers moved expertly across the laptop. Although he was strikingly handsome, his face remained expressionless.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. "Come in," he said.

"Shayan," came the voice. Shayan turned to see RV standing at the door.

"RB (Rithvik bhai), come," Shayan invited, getting up from his chair. RV walked in, and both of them settled on the couches in Shayan's cabin.

"Today again, you went without breakfast," RV remarked in a complaining tone. Shayan closed his eyes, briefly lost in thought, then reopened them and looked at RV, taking a deep breath.

"I don't want to discuss this matter, RB," Shayan replied, rising from the couch and moving to the window to gaze outside.

RV observed Shayan's profile, noticing the profound pain hidden behind his composed exterior. Shayan, a crucial figure in their lives, concealed his suffering remarkably well.

"I came to inform you that we're finalizing a deal at our base today. Are you coming?" RV asked. Shayan, turning to face him, replied that he had another meeting, so RV would have to attend alone. RV nodded and departed, leaving Shayan to resume his work after a brief moment by the window.

From a distance, someone with binoculars watched Shayan's office. As soon as Shayan moved away from the window, the observer also vanished from sight.

To be continued...