Episode#5:- Melting hearts.

Karan was horrified after hearing what Rishi said, while Rishi composed himself and spoke to Karan.

"Okay, what's done is done, but now make sure that Aastha will be safe and fine," Rishi said to Karan in an authoritative tone. Karan replied that today he would appoint two guards for Aastha's safety around her chawl without her knowledge.

Rishi ended the call and turned towards Swathi, who was giving him an amused look. Rishi asked, "What happened?"

"I've never seen this possessive side of you for anyone other than us, Rishi," Swathi said with amusement. Rishi ruffled his hair and looked at her, then turned to gaze out the room window.

"We've all sacrificed many things in our lives, Swathi. And today, when I see Karan getting closer to someone else other than us, I just can't help myself but want to protect that thing—or better to say, that person—who is very dear to Karan."

"Shayan and Karan are both younger than us, but Shayan is the most mature one among all of us. I've always worried about Karan—he's strong, but he's also impulsive and immature. He may act tough like some monster, but deep down, he's no different from our Atharv. The bond he's built with Aastha in such a short time is something most people can't achieve even in years," Rishi said, his voice tinged with concern.

"I know if anything ever happens to Aastha, I'll lose my Karan too," Rishi continued, his voice heavy with the weight of his thoughts. Swathi, sensing the depth of his worry, understood that it wasn't just about Karan's attachment to Aastha. It was also about the love he had for the little girl, something she had seen in his eyes when he met Aastha at the mall. However, Rishi was still unaware of that particular feeling.

"Rishi, everything will be fine. Nothing will happen to Aastha. I know you guys will never let any harm touch her," Swathi reassured him with a voice full of confidence. Hearing this, Rishi managed a small smile and then left the room.

"Aastha! I must say, you have something in you that's effortlessly drawing these so-called monsters toward you," Swathi mused with a wide grin. "Your innocence must be the key—it's melting the hearts of these stone-cold people. Two down, two more to go," she thought to herself, feeling a mix of amusement and admiration.

2 days later:-

Aastha was sitting alone on the stairs of her university, tears welling up in her eyes as she gazed at a paper in her hands. She was about to wipe her tears when someone called out to her from behind.

"Hey, little dove, why are you sitting here all alone? And why are tears flowing down from your beautiful eyes?" a voice said from behind. Aastha turned around and found R.V standing there, looking at her with soft yet worried expressions.

Aastha didn't reply or show any sign; instead, she just started crying bitterly, hiding her face in her palms.

"Hey, RV bro," someone called from the other side, and before RV or Aastha could react, the voice that had called out previously suddenly shouted.

"Little birdie, why the hell are you crying? RV bro, what did you do to my little birdie?" Karan said in a furious tone, glaring at RV, who stood there with his mouth open and a startled expression.

"I... I..." RV stammered, caught off guard by Karan's sudden outburst and barrage of furious words.

"What 'I... I...' huh?" Karan said in a murderous tone, causing RV to gulp in fear at the sight of Karan's angry face. Without wasting another second, RV began rambling.

"I just came for a trustee meeting, and while I was on my way out, I got a call. To attend the call, I came to this side, and when I got there, I saw this little dove crying. When I asked her what was wrong, she started crying even more. And... how do you know her?" RV explained in one breath.

Karan, who had been furious just moments ago, became excited after hearing RV's last question. Forgetting about Aastha and her crying, he started narrating everything about her with full enthusiasm to RV. Aastha, who had been crying until now, began gazing at Karan with wide eyes and an open mouth. For the next five minutes, she tried hard to register all that was happening, and when she finally came to her senses, she fumed with anger. Instead of comforting her or asking about her problem, Karan was busy explaining everything to another boy, whom she assumed was RV, as she had heard Karan mention his name.

Aastha stomped her foot and marched toward the two guys. Karan, who was engrossed in his explanation, suddenly felt a sharp grip on his hair. RV, startled, watched as Aastha began pulling Karan's hair.

"Oweee, ouch, birdie, what are you doing?" Karan exclaimed, trying to free his hair from Aastha's surprisingly strong grip, which felt like she had the strength of a sumo wrestler.

RV, watching the scene unfold, felt a sudden pang of jealousy. He had always wanted a sister, someone he could share a bond with just like Karan was now sharing with Aastha. After hearing Karan's explanation earlier, RV couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness in his heart. The way Aastha expressed her anger toward Karan and the way Karan pleaded with her like a wet kitten, only deepened RV's longing. Without realizing it, a tear escaped from his eye, which he quickly wiped away.

Finally, Karan managed to free his hair from Aastha's grip. She stood before him, cheeks puffed and nose red from anger, glaring at him with fiery eyes.

"Birdie, what the hell was that?" Karan grumbled as he tried to fix his hair, shooting Aastha a bewildered look. Aastha simply narrowed her eyes at him, still fuming. RV, watching them closely, tried to make sense of the situation.

"Umm, I think instead of asking her what was wrong, you got busy telling me about her," RV ventured a guess. When he saw Aastha's eyes light up in response, he knew he had hit the mark. Aastha rewarded him with a bright smile while glaring daggers at Karan.

"Oops, sorry, birdie! Okay, tell me, why were you crying? Just say the word, and I'll dig the grave of whoever made you cry," Karan declared, slipping into full Tarzan mode as he rolled up his sleeves, ready to take on the world for her.

Aastha, with a sad pout, handed them the paper. RV and Karan both looked at it—it was Aastha's test paper.

"Wow, birdie, you got 98 out of 100, congrats!" Karan said with a bright smile. "Don't tell me you were crying because you didn't get full marks?" he teased, but when RV and Karan saw Aastha's face, she was nodding her head in affirmation, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What the...?" RV and Karan exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide and mouths agape. RV almost fainted on the spot, overwhelmed by the absurdity of the situation, while Karan stood frozen, staring at his sister who was now crying like a baby over a mere two marks.

RV regained consciousness after about ten minutes and saw that Karan was still standing like a statue, while Aastha continued to cry. RV gave Karan a smack on the back, jolting him back to his senses. Karan quickly walked over to Aastha.

"Don't cry, little birdie. Let's go find that professor who dared to cut my sister's marks," Karan said, his voice filled with determination. Aastha's face lit up at his words, and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

RV, smiling at the sight, bid them farewell and left for his meeting. As he walked away, he glanced back at Karan and Aastha. Today, he learned the true meaning of having a little sister. Deep down, he wished for a bond with Aastha similar to the one Karan had, even if he didn't fully realize it.

RV got free after around one hour. He was heading to the parking lot when he saw Karan sitting near his car with a sad face. RV, feeling confused, walked over to him.

"What happened, Karan?" RV asked, scanning the area as he looked for Aastha. Karan looked up at RV with a sad pout and sighed dramatically.

"Birdie is angry with me," Karan said with a forlorn expression. Hearing this, RV frowned and asked for the reason. Karan then narrated the whole incident.

Flashback:-

Karan took Aastha to the professor, holding her test paper and asking him to review it again. Despite the repeated requests, the marks remained the same. Unable to tolerate seeing his sister so upset, Karan insisted that the professor check the test again. This cycle continued for five attempts, and on the sixth request, the professor, growing increasingly irritated, deducted two more marks from Aastha's score.

Aastha, who was already disheartened by receiving a 98, was now fuming. She stomped her foot and stormed out of the room. Before leaving, she gave Karan a dramatic "Katti" sign by putting her thumb under her teeth and pushing it outward.

As Aastha walked away, Karan looked at the professor, bewildered. "So, um, do you have any idea where I can get a refund for this whole testing system?" he asked with a half-smile. The professor just shook his head, clearly done with the entire ordeal.

Flashback Ended...

Karan recounted the entire incident with a sad pout, realizing that Aastha's tantrums far exceeded even Atharv's. RV was rolling on the ground with laughter, unable to control himself at Karan's exasperation. Seeing RV's reaction, Karan's frustration boiled over, and he jumped on RV, aiming to punch him playfully.

Later, as RV and Karan were leaving, Karan received a message from Aastha. It read: "I'm now also Katti with you, but just want to tell you that tomorrow I'm going to Mumbai with Priya di as she wants to buy some more stock for her bookshop."

Karan quickly replied, telling her to take care and to call him immediately if she needed any help.

Next-Day:-

Aastha and Priya took the bus to Mumbai for a quick visit. Priya had a meeting with a vendor, so their trip was brief. On their way back, their bus stopped due to a traffic jam. Aastha noticed a bhutta (corn) cart nearby and decided to get some for herself, as Priya didn't eat corn.

As Aastha walked back towards the bus, the area was bustling with noise from the traffic jam. She reached a spot near the edge of a small cliff and stood there, enjoying her corn while gazing around.

After finishing the corn, Aastha pulled out her water bottle from her shoulder bag to wash her hands. Suddenly, she noticed a lizard on a nearby tree. Overcome with panic, she threw the water at the lizard, her eyes squeezed shut in fear.

When she finally opened her eyes, she was horrified by the scene before her: the water she had thrown had caused the lizard to slip and slide uncontrollably. It was now precariously dangling from a low branch, its little feet flailing as it tried to regain its balance. Aastha's face turned pale, her heart racing as she watched the poor creature's desperate struggle.

She stood there, horrified, with one hand clutching the water bottle and the other covering her open mouth in shock.

In front of her was Shayan, his face and shirt drenched with water, his expression shifting from furious to worried. His eyes were red and bloodshot as he stared at Aastha.

Aastha, terrified, took a step backward, her eyes wide with fear. Shayan's fury quickly transformed into concern as he realized Aastha was backing up without noticing the cliff or slope behind her.

Shayan stepped forward to stop her, but before he could reach her, Aastha's foot slipped, and she fell from the cliff. The spot where they had been standing was isolated, as all the car drivers had left their vehicles and gathered in the area, causing the traffic jam.

As Shayan moved closer to the edge to see where Aastha had fallen, he didn't notice the loose stone under his foot. He also slipped from the cliff. The area below was not a deserted wasteland but was instead surrounded by thick, leafy trees and dense bushes.

Shayan was in Mumbai for a meeting and got caught in a traffic jam on his way back. As he walked towards the area to find out the cause of the delay, he suddenly felt a splash of water on him.

Initially shocked, he quickly became furious and turned to see where the water had come from.

He saw a girl standing there with an expression that conveyed her innocence, suggesting that it was only her hand that had caused the splash unintentionally. Her expressions were oddly cute, and Shayan began to step towards her. However, as he approached, she, clearly frightened, stepped backward. At that moment, Shayan noticed the cliff behind her, but before he could stop her, she slipped and fell from the edge.

The scene freezes on Priya's worried face, her eyes scanning the chaotic surroundings for any sign of Aastha. The camera then shifts to Shayan's guards on the other side of the traffic jam, their expressions tense as they search for Shayan. Both groups are frantically searching for them amidst the commotion and confusion, adding to the intensity of the moment.

To be continued.....