Episode #2:- Needed a Guardian Angel

Mansion:-

"Ath, come here right now," Swathi scolded Ath, who was crawling around the hall, ignoring his mother's rants as he was used to them (such a smart kid, I'm telling you). While crawling, he made his way to the sitting area, stood up with a little effort by gripping the center table—quite impressive for an eight-month-old—and began slapping his hands on the glass while blabbering in his baby voice.

"You naughty kid," Swathi said while grabbing Ath and starting to tickle him, making him giggle loudly. "Hey, champ!" Karan called out as he entered the mansion. Ath, hearing his chachu's voice, started bouncing excitedly in his mother's lap.

Swathi chuckled and gently placed him on the floor. With the speed of light, Ath crawled toward Karan, who scooped him up and tossed him playfully into the air, filling the mansion with Ath's joyous giggles.

Karan took Ath and sat down on the couch, gently shaking his leg while Ath perched happily on his lap. Swathi brought a glass of water for Karan, who quickly gulped it down. Seeing this, Ath also stood up on Karan's lap, trying to reach for the glass.

Karan let Ath drink from the glass, though most of the water ended up on Ath's shirt and then on Karan's. Swathi handed Karan a napkin, and he first wiped Ath's shirt before cleaning himself.

"You know, today I met a girl at the mall," Swathi said to Karan, who was busy making spikes in Ath's hair while Ath contentedly sucked his thumb. As Swathi spoke, Karan couldn't help but recall Aastha, the girl he had bumped into earlier that day at the university.

"You know, Bhabs! Today I also met a girl at the university. She reminded me of a little bird, so I called her that. I felt this sudden urge to protect her, but the bell rang before I could talk more, so I had to leave. I even tried to find her later, but..." Karan's voice trailed off.

Swathi looked at him, amused. "You've never talked about any girl like this before, Karan?"

Karan sighed. "I don't know, Bhabs. There was something about her that made me feel like I needed to protect her from the world. I wish I could have a sister like her, but I know that's not possible."

Swathi understood Karan's longing for a younger sister whom he could pamper. To lift his spirits, she shifted his attention to Ath, who was now chewing on Karan's shirt button, leaving it drenched in saliva.

"Champ, why are you always clinging to me?" Karan complained, but Ath ignored him, continuing to chew as if it were a teething toy. Karan managed to free his shirt from Ath's grasp and handed him back to Swathi. Ath, upset by this, began to cry and buried his face in his mother's neck, clearly showing his displeasure.

Swathi and Karan both chuckled at Ath's antics, finding his reactions endearing.

Evening Time:-

Shayan was driving his car, lost in thought. It was evening, and he was returning from Mumbai after a business meeting. Since the mansion was on the outskirts of Pune, it took him a bit less time to travel from Mumbai.

Despite Rishi's frequent advice to take a driver for long journeys, Shayan preferred to drive alone when leaving the city by road. His guards were following him in a separate vehicle.

As he neared the mansion, Shayan suddenly remembered something and turned his car towards the main city. His guards, without questioning, followed him.

Shayan reached a mall and parked his car, locking it with the auto-lock button before heading inside. He bought a normal-sized teddy bear for Ath, knowing how much the little boy loved them. While leaving, he was engrossed in reading an important email on his phone and accidentally bumped into someone.

Without looking up, he muttered a quick "sorry" and continued on his way. It was only when he was about to get into his car that he realized he hadn't properly apologized.

Just then, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Aastha standing there, holding out his wallet. She was the same person he had bumped into earlier. Shayan's gaze shifted from the wallet to her face, and he was struck by her beauty. For the first time, he felt a sense of unexpected peace upon seeing her.

He took the wallet from her hand and, with a gentle voice, said, "Thank you."

Aastha didn't say anything; she just walked away. Shayan watched her retreating figure, and he couldn't shake the memory of her eyes. They seemed to carry something hidden—perhaps "pain"? He realized that, like him, she too was broken but masking it with a brave face.

Shayan felt a strong urge to follow her and took a few steps in her direction. Just then, his cell phone rang. It was Rishi, asking where he was. Shayan reluctantly turned back and left immediately.

Meanwhile, Aastha returned to the shop and sat down near her counter, surrounded by her craft pieces. Her mind was blank as she methodically arranged her things on the table. Many customers from the bookshop visited her table, buying craft pieces. The day went by, and she eventually left for her small home.

Other side:-

Shayan reached the mansion, and the moment he stepped inside, two small hands clung to his leg. A warm smile spread across his face as he looked down to see Ath. For some reason, from the time Ath started crawling, he always managed to be the first one to greet Shayan whenever he came home.

Now, Ath, while gripping Shayan's pant leg with one tiny fist, was trying hard to stand. Shayan didn't waste a second—he picked Ath up, who immediately nestled his face into the crook of Shayan's neck.

Shayan placed a soft kiss on the side of Ath's head and walked forward. He noticed that everyone was gathered in the hall, chatting and enjoying each other's company.

Rishi was the first to notice Shayan. He stood up from his sofa with a smile and walked over to him. Shayan handed the teddy bear to Rishi, who took it with one hand.

"Why did you come late?" Rishi asked as he accepted the teddy bear.

"I just went to buy a teddy for Ath," Shayan replied, patting Ath's back. Ath clung to him as if his life depended on it.

Shayan settled down on one of the sofas with Rishi and Swathi. Swathi passed him a cup of tea that she was serving to everyone. Shayan usually didn't join them at the dining table, but he often joined for evening tea.

Ath sat on Shayan's leg, holding onto him with both tiny hands, his eyes wide with excitement. He reached eagerly for the cup of tea, trying to grab it with his little fingers. Shayan chuckled softly and, with a gentle touch, used a spoon to feed him a small amount of tea, carefully blowing on it to cool it down. Ath's face scrunched up at the first taste, but then he grinned, clearly enjoying the new flavor.

Ath kept reaching for the spoon, making small, determined noises. Shayan laughed softly and held the spoon just out of reach, guiding it to Ath's mouth. Each time Ath took a sip, he wiggled with delight, his eyes sparkling as if he had discovered a new treasure. Shayan, focused on keeping the tea safe from spills and ensuring Ath didn't burn himself, carefully navigated the process.

At one point, Ath's tiny hand managed to grab the edge of the spoon, and he pulled it towards him, trying to drink directly from it. Shayan gently took it back, wiping Ath's sticky fingers with a napkin, and continued to feed him. Ath's giggles filled the room as he playfully batted at the spoon, clearly enjoying the attention and the treat.

As Shayan continued to care for Ath, the room remained quiet, each person watching the rare, soft side of Shayan that only surfaced in these moments. Swathi, her heart warmed by the scene, leaned towards Rishi and whispered, "He looks so different like this. It's like seeing a completely different person."

Rishi, knowing the weight of Shayan's burdens, could only nod, understanding the preciousness of these fleeting moments of ease and happiness.

Rishi's POV

"What Shayan faced in his past was something that nobody would want to happen in their life. We all have some past, but we all had someone in our lives. He bore all those things alone. He is the youngest among us, yet he is our 'guardian angel.' I don't want anything else in my life now; I just wish for someone who can heal this wounded soul." Rishi prayed silently to God, hoping for an angel to mend Shayan's broken heart.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Karan wince. Rishi looked over and saw Karan giving a death glare to Ath, who was now chewing on the spoon Shayan had used to feed him tea (Shayan had given him the spoon when it was cold and empty).

"What happened?" Rishi asked Swathi, who was laughing. She explained that Ath, who was stubbornly clinging to Shayan, had slapped Karan's hand with the spoon when he tried to take him away.

Karan was trying to coax Ath to leave Shayan's lap, but Ath wasn't having any of it. Instead, he swung the spoon in Karan's direction, making a playful gesture that indicated his refusal to let go. Ath's defiance was met with Karan's exaggerated frown, which only made Ath giggle.

Rishi laughed at the scene. Ath and Karan always seemed to act like "Jani Dushman" (arch-enemies) from a past life. Their playful rivalry was a regular source of amusement for everyone.

Shayan watched with a faint smile that never quite reached his eyes. He enjoyed these moments but remained distant, his smile not reflecting the depth of his feelings. After about 20 minutes, he carefully handed the now-sleeping Ath to Swathi. Ath had fallen asleep while cuddled against Shayan, his tiny hand clutching the edge of Shayan's shirt. Shayan then left the hall, his expression returning to its usual seriousness.

One week later:-

One week had passed since Shayan met Aastha. Life had continued as usual, except that Ath was becoming increasingly mischievous and seemed to be particularly fixated on Karan for reasons unknown, though the playful tension between them hinted at a deeper, perhaps revengeful motive.

It was evening when Shayan was heading back from his office. As usual, his guards were trailing him. The highway was deserted, and Shayan was driving at high speed when, suddenly, three out of the four tires on his car blew out due to nails scattered across the road.

The sudden blowouts caused Shayan to struggle to control the car. Despite his efforts, the vehicle skidded and finally crashed into a tree. Fortunately, the impact was limited to the rear of the car since it had spun several times before stopping. The guards, having stopped a safe distance away to avoid a potentially fatal accident, quickly began assessing the situation and scanning the area for any potential threats.

Shayan stepped out of the car, surveying the scene. Nails were strewn across the road, clearly a deliberate attempt to cause an accident. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Rishi while his guards took up defensive positions, scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger.

Far from Shayan and his guards, a figure emerged, stealthily positioning a gun towards Shayan. Just as the shooter was about to pull the trigger, a hand reached out, grabbing the shooter and pulling him away, covering his mouth to stifle any noise. The shooter struggled momentarily but was quickly subdued by a blow to the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.

The figure who intervened turned around, though their face was concealed by a shawl. With a final, glance towards Shayan's direction, they dragged the shooter's limp body away, disappearing into the shadows.

In the blink of an eye, Shayan's gaze shifted to the spot where the shooter had been positioned. His eyes lingered there for a moment, assessing the scene, before he refocused on his surroundings. Rishi's voice called out from behind as he arrived at the scene, prompting Shayan to move away from the area and head towards the other side.

To be continued.....