Episode#3:- Mysterious Happenings

"Shayan?" Rishi called out, breathless from running as he approached the scene, which was close to their mansion. Shortly after, Karan and RV arrived as well.

Shayan turned toward them, and in an instant, the trio enveloped him in a tight embrace. Despite their tough exteriors, a scratch on any of them was enough to shatter their facade.

"Big B (big brother), I'm fine," Shayan reassured Rishi, whose grip was the tightest. Karan and RV also hugged him, attempting to mask their concern and fear. Shayan could read their emotions easily, knowing they were deeply affected by the incident.

The hug ended, and they all began discussing the situation, questioning the guards about any suspicious activity. They tried to piece together who might be behind the attack but couldn't come up with any concrete leads.

"We'll sort this out later. For now, let's head home," Rishi suggested, and they all left the scene. As they walked away, Shayan's gaze lingered on the spot where the shooter had been positioned, his thoughts focused on the narrow escape. He then followed his companions to where they were heading.

One week later:-

Aastha went to her university, parked her scooty, and walked towards the main building. Some guys saw her and passed some nasty comments, but she ignored them and continued down the corridor.

As she walked, she suddenly noticed that the guys had stopped making comments. She turned around and saw nobody there. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued on her way. Meanwhile, the guys who had been making comments were shown holding their jaws and stomachs in pain.

Aastha hurried towards her class when she bumped into someone. She was about to fall backward, but the person she collided with caught her and helped her stand properly. They were about to say something, but the class bell rang, and the person who helped Aastha quickly left.

Aastha turned towards the boy who helped her, but she could only see his back. She made a sad face, disappointed that she couldn't thank him. She left the corridor, and the moment she did, the boy turned around. It was Shayan, who also hadn't seen her face clearly because he was in a hurry for his class. By the time he turned, he could only see her retreating figure.

Both went on to attend their respective classes; Shayan was in his master's program, while Aastha was in her undergraduate studies, so they had different schedules. Shayan entered his classroom and felt an urge to bang his head in annoyance when he saw his desk covered with various gifts and chocolates.

As usual, he called his guards in front of the entire class and ordered them to remove the items. On other days, whenever Karan handled this task for him, he took all the chocolates (which he later shared with RV and a little with his mini Jani Dushman) and discarded the gifts just like Shayan did.

Later, after clearing the mess, Shayan was sitting in his class, attending lectures while a few girls in the class were drooling over him and the guys were seething with jealousy. Shayan rolled his eyes and focused on the lecture, as he despised this kind of attention.

As soon as the lecture ended, Shayan quickly left the classroom, leaving the girls who had been waiting to talk to him sulking in their seats.

Aastha attended her classes and then headed home. On this particular day, she had late classes and, as a result, didn't go to the mall. As she was leaving the university, she encountered the same group of guys who had made nasty comments earlier that day.

Aastha was shocked to see the guys with bruises on their faces. When they noticed her, they quickly left without making eye contact. Stunned, Aastha stood with her mouth agape until the sound of a passing car horn snapped her out of it.

She eventually left the university and headed home. Her journey took her down a quiet road flanked by trees. Unfortunately, her scooty had a puncture along the way, causing a delay.

As she continued on the road, her gaze unintentionally shifted to the right. She noticed a faint light flickering between the trees. Driven by her curious nature, she parked her scooty nearby and walked toward the source of the light.

She looked around but found nothing. Frowning, she wondered where the light had come from. She ventured further into the trees, scanning the area. Suddenly, she tripped over a stone and fell.

As she was about to shout, she heard voices. She silenced herself and peered through the bushes. She saw a group of people talking, and the light she had noticed earlier was from their car, which was parked nearby.

She tried to listen, but their voices were too low to catch every word. Nonetheless, she managed to hear a few unsettling terms like "kill," "gun," and "shoot."

Her eyes widened with alarm when she saw more men arriving, dragging someone who appeared to be in his early 40s. Before Aastha could react, one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the chest.

Aastha's face turned pale. She was about to scream when a hand covered her mouth, and everything went dark.

A shadow appeared, opening the door of a chawl. After briefly stepping outside to check if anyone was around, the figure returned to a car parked nearby. Ensuring the coast was clear, he opened the car door and carefully removed the unconscious Aastha from the backseat.

He carried her silently into the chawl and gently laid her on her bed, arranging the covers around her to ensure she was comfortable. After tucking her in, he paused for a moment, pecking her forehead tenderly. He wiped away a few tears from his own eyes, which were threatening to fall, before quietly leaving the chawl.

A few days later:-

"Karan, can you please accompany us to the mall? I want to buy some stuff for the kitchen," Swathi said to Karan, who was busy with his mobile.

"Sure, bhabs," Karan replied, putting his phone aside. Within 20 minutes, both left the mansion with guards and Ath in his pram.

When they reached the mall, Ath refused to sit in the pram. As soon as Swathi tried to make him sit, he started crying loudly. Karan picked him up, and his crying stopped instantly.

"I know you just want to bother me," Karan said to Ath with a mock frown. Ath responded with a toothy, innocent grin that melted Karan's stern expression. Ath's tiny hands clung to Karan's shirt, and his little legs kicked with excitement. 

Swathi chuckled and went inside the men's shop with Karan trailing behind, bouncing Ath in his arms. Karan was whistling absentmindedly, while Ath's wide eyes darted around, taking in the new sights with curiosity.

Swathi busied herself shopping for Rishi, leaving Karan to his own devices. He was bored but kept his complaints to himself, knowing better than to voice them. He glanced down at Ath, who was inspecting his tiny fingers with intense concentration as if they were precious pieces of art.

Karan leaned down and planted a tight kiss on Ath's chubby cheek. Ath groaned in annoyance, scrunching up his nose and making a displeased face.

Karan chuckled at the sight and did a happy dance in his mind. It was a rare moment when Ath's usual antics didn't involve tormenting him. Given that 20 out of 24 hours were spent with Ath's relentless mischief, this small victory was a welcome change.

"Your mom is not going to come out of this shop for at least another hour. At home, she said she wanted to buy stuff for the kitchen but look at her now, shopping for your dad. So, let's go out, champ, and explore the mall," Karan said to Ath, who was watching him with big, curious eyes. He walked out of the shop, leaving Swathi with her three guards, while two guards followed him.

Karan soon spotted the food court and headed over. He ordered an ice cream for himself, and Ath, who was trying to reach for the treat, watched eagerly. Karan playfully teased Ath by holding the ice cream out of reach. Though he didn't completely deny him, he made sure Ath only got a tiny taste, as he was just over eight months old and not ready for too much sugar.

Swathi called Karan to find out where he was and told him to come near the XYZ shop. With an angry Ath in his arms—who was displeased about the limited ice cream—Karan reluctantly left the food court. He was walking toward the shop while teasing Ath, sticking out his tongue and making faces.

Ath, clearly frustrated with Karan's teasing and the lack of more ice cream, decided to take matters into his own hands. He launched an attack on Karan's cheek with his almost toothless mouth, biting him angrily.

"Ouch, champ!" Karan exclaimed, trying to free his cheek from Ath's persistent bite. Though it didn't hurt much—since Ath's teeth were still growing—it felt like a light sting.

"Ouch!! Ouch, champ!! Okay, sorry," Karan said, finally managing to pull Ath away. His cheek was now drenched in Ath's saliva, but Karan couldn't help but laugh at the little monster's stubbornness. Ath, still frowning, seemed satisfied with his tiny victory as Karan made his way to the shop.

Karan didn't realize he had already reached the spot where Swathi had called him. All the guards with Swathi were silently giggling at his state.

When Karan looked up and saw everyone laughing, he made a disgruntled face and was about to say something, wiping his cheek with a handkerchief, when his gaze fell on a petite figure standing behind Swathi, smiling silently.

Realizing she had witnessed his and Ath's playful tiff, Karan felt a flush of embarrassment. But then, it hit him who she was, and he shouted, "Little birdie..."

Swathi, with a confused look, turned around and saw Aastha standing behind them. Her face lit up with a smile as she exclaimed, "Aasthaaa!"

Aastha had been heading into the mall when she noticed a group of people giggling and looking in one direction. Curious, she turned and saw Karan struggling with Ath, who was biting his cheek. Karan was trying to free himself from the little one's grasp, while Ath clung on, determined and unsatisfied.

Seeing the scene unfold, Aastha couldn't help but smile at the amusing sight of Karan's predicament.

A smile spread across Aastha's face as she saw Karan and Ath. Suddenly, when Karan called her, she realized he was the same person she had met at the university.

Karan and Swathi approached her with happy faces, simultaneously exclaiming, "Aastha!" and "Little birdie!"

"How do you know her, Karan/bhabs?" Karan and Swathi asked each other, both looking puzzled.

"I met her in university/I met her in the mall," they both replied at the same time.

Throughout this exchange, Aastha remained with a nervous expression. Her attention then shifted to Ath, who was babbling in his baby voice. She gently took him from Karan's lap, causing Swathi and Karan to look at her curiously.

Aastha gave a peck on Ath's cheek, and he responded with the most adorable smile.

"How are you, little birdie?" Karan asked Aastha. She simply nodded her head with a smile, and Swathi did the same.

"Why are you just nodding your head?" Karan asked, frowning.

Aastha looked at Swathi and then turned her gaze back to Karan. She smiled a little, brought her hand to her mouth, and shook her head in a "no" gesture while pointing to her lips.

"What?" Karan asked, confused, while Swathi frowned. Suddenly, with hesitation yet a shocked expression, Swathi asked, "You cannot speak?"

Aastha nodded her head in affirmation.

The screen freezes on the shocked faces of Karan and Swathi.

To be continued...