ADVIKA'S POV
The moment Maa spoke those words, my entire world tilted. I was frozen, my thoughts spiraling. She knew about him. But how? My aunt had once told me that after that day, no one had ever found him. Then how was this possible? Was this a cruel joke? Or had she known all along and never told me?
I opened my mouth to demand answers, my heart hammering in my chest. "Maa, how-"
"Advika, we need to talk."
Avyut's voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. My eyes snapped toward him, disbelief flashing across my face. Right now? A serious conversation was happening, something that could change everything I knew, and he wanted to talk?
"Avyut, you know this is serious!" I snapped.
"I know, Advika." His gaze was firm, unwavering. "But I'm serious too. It's urgent. You know what I mean."
And I did. I knew exactly what he meant.
My stomach clenched as I slowly nodded. My gaze flickered toward Vidyut. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His jaw was locked, his eyes burning with something unreadable. The moment our eyes met, a shiver ran down my spine. But I tore my gaze away, turning toward Avyut and following him outside.
The moment we were out of sight, Avyut handed me his phone. "Read this."
I took it hesitantly, my pulse quickening. The message on the screen made my blood run cold.
"Do not try to pull another stunt like last time. I will marry you soon. You only belong to me."
My fingers tightened around the phone. I knew who it was. My breath came out in short, shallow bursts as I looked up at Avyut. "How is he sending messages to you but not to me?" I demanded.
"He's not sending them to me," Avyut replied, his expression grim. "He's sending them to you. But they're getting delivered to me instead."
I frowned in confusion. "How is that possible?"
"I set up a security filter on your phone," he admitted. "I redirected any messages from unknown or suspicious numbers to me instead of you."
"You?" My confusion deepened. "You're good with technology, but I never thought you were that good."
Avyut shook his head. "Not me. Your brother."
The air was sucked from my lungs. "What?"
"Your brother is a master hacker," Avyut stated as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Just like your mother."
I staggered back a step, staring at him in utter shock. My vision blurred at the edges as his words echoed in my mind. My brother. My mother. Hackers. How? Why? I shook my head, struggling to process this new revelation.
"You..." My voice wavered. "You know my brother?"
Avyut's gaze softened slightly. "Long story short, I met him when I was very small. Mom brought him to our house for the first and last time. I don't know how or why, but we never met in person again. We've only communicated verbally since then."
I felt like the ground beneath me had been ripped away. My brother... alive? After all these years? My breath hitched. If he was alive, then why had he never contacted me? Why had he let me suffer all these years, thinking he was gone?
I had a million questions, but before I could voice them, Avyut shook his head. "Leave this topic for now. You will get answers soon. But we have a more pressing problem right now-the messages."
Right. The messages.
I sucked in a shaky breath, my mind racing. "If I leave the country, he'll follow me," I murmured, more to myself than to Avyut.
"I know that," Avyut confirmed grimly.
I fell silent, thinking, weighing my options. Then, after a long pause, I spoke the only solution I could think of.
"I have to marry someone."
The words had barely left my mouth when a sudden crash echoed behind me. My body jolted, and I spun around just in time to see a shattered glass lying on the floor, shards scattered everywhere.
I lifted my gaze. Vidyut stood a few feet away, his face blank, his hands trembling slightly. His dark eyes, burning with an intensity I couldn't decipher, locked onto mine.
Silence.
Thick. Suffocating.
I swallowed hard. He heard me.
"Vidyut, what are you doing here?" I demanded, taking a step back as he advanced toward me.
His fingers wrapped around my wrist, tight yet trembling. His eyes burned into mine, dark and unreadable.
"What did you just say?" His voice was eerily calm, but I could feel the storm brewing beneath.
I swallowed hard, but before I could answer, his grip tightened.
"Oh, so that means he's your everything?" He scoffed, his words laced with something that sent a chill down my spine.
I needed to defuse this, to say something-anything-before this got worse. But before I could, the door burst open.
"Bhabhi!"
I turned just in time to see Abhigyaan and Mishva rushing inside. Abhigyaan was the first to reach me, pulling me into a tight embrace.
"I missed you so much, Bhabhi," he murmured, his voice heavy with guilt. "I'm sorry for leaving without meeting you. Maa told me everything. I'm so sorry for leaving you alone in this situation."
I shook my head slightly, placing a reassuring hand on his back.
He suddenly turned to Vidyut, eyes flashing with anger. Before anyone could react, he grabbed Vidyut's collar, gripping it tightly.
"How could you do this to her, Bhai?" he growled. "She loved you-she still does! And you love her too! So how the hell could you let this happen?"
Vidyut stood still, silent, accepting the blame without a word.
"Abhigyaan, it was me," Avyut cut in, stepping between them. "I forced him to do this."
Abhigyaan turned on Avyut, his fists clenched. His anger was palpable, his body vibrating with rage. He was about to lash out when I quickly intervened.
"Abhigyaan, not now."
His jaw tightened, but he took a deep breath and backed off.
Meanwhile, Mishva had been clutching me tightly, silent but shaken. She was always sensitive about things like this-always stuck between her brother and me. And now, she was being forced to choose once again.
But I knew Vidyut was longing for a hug too.
I glanced at Mishva and smiled softly. "Go, baby. Your brother needs some love too."
She hesitated but then turned and hugged Vidyut tightly. His tense posture relaxed slightly as he wrapped his arms around her.
"You all should do a group hug," I said, my voice light, but inside, my chest ached.
They did, holding onto each other, a picture of love, of family. And I... I stood there, watching, my eyes stinging with unshed tears.
I longed for that love too.
And then-
"Maa!"
The voice echoed through the room. My breath hitched as I turned toward the entrance.
A man stood there. Young, my age, with familiar features.
His eyes mirrored mine. His stance... the way his lips parted in shock...
Vaishnavi Maa rushed past me, her face painted with emotions I couldn't name. "Advik!"
She threw her arms around him, and he hugged her back, the kind of embrace only a lost son and a mother could share.
I watched, my heart pounding, as Vaishnavi Maa turned to me. She gently took his hand and led him toward me.
"She is your sister, Advika."
Silence.
Advik's expression froze. His eyes flickered between me and Maa, his lips slightly parted as if struggling to form words.
"Advika..." His voice wavered. "My sister...?"
I was just as shocked.
How?
How was this happening?
And then, Maa took a deep breath, looking at all of us.
I stared at Vaishnavi Maa, my heart pounding.
"It's time to tell you all the truth," she said, her voice filled with emotions.
I could feel the weight of her words, the heaviness of something I wasn't prepared for.
She took a deep breath before speaking.
"There was a time when your parents and we were best friends. Your father and Ekansh shared a bond like brothers. We weren't just friends-we were family. And together, we were part of the mafia world, not by choice, but by blood.
But there was one part of the family we never knew... your uncle and aunt. We had only heard of them, but never met them. Your father never spoke much about his brother, but there was always something in his eyes whenever the topic came up-something that made him keep his distance.
We never questioned it. We didn't know that they were the ones who would destroy everything.
That night changed everything.
It was your first birthday. Ekansh and I were running late, caught up in something at work. When we finally reached the mansion, something felt off. The air was too silent.
Then, we saw them-your uncle and aunt-taking you and your twin brother, Advik.
We chased after them.Then, the worst happened.
Their car's brakes failed.
The vehicle twisted near the cliff, skidding dangerously.
And then-Advik fell.
One moment, he was inside, and the next... he was gone.
The river swallowed him.
Your father ran, but it was too late.
And you... you were still in that car when it disappeared.
We searched for you everywhere, but we never found you. Your uncle and aunt had vanished with you.
And then... we got the news.
Your parents were murdered.
Everything we knew, everything we had-destroyed.
Years passed. We never stopped searching. Then, one day, I saw you again. And I knew. I knew it was you.
But I had no proof.
What if I was wrong?
What if you weren't my Advika?
That's why... I never told you."
I stood there, frozen. My entire world had just been rewritten. My hands trembled. My breath felt shallow.
I looked at Advik-my twin brother.
I looked at Vidyut, at everyone around me.
Everything I thought I knew... was a lie.
Vaishnavi Maa took a shaky breath, her voice filled with memories of a night that changed everything.
"That night, when we lost him... we thought we would never find him again.
He had fallen into the river, and in that moment, it felt like everything had ended.
We searched, but the river was ruthless. The currents were strong, pulling him away before we could even react. We thought... we had lost him forever."
Her voice broke, and I could see the pain in her eyes, as if she was reliving every second of that nightmare.
"But then... we went down to the riverbank.
And that's when we saw them.
A couple, standing near the water, holding a child.
We couldn't see their faces-they stood in the shadows. But the child in their arms was crying, shivering.
And when we looked closer...
His clothes. His chain.
It was him.
It was Advik.
Relief flooded us. We had found him. He was alive.
But before we could approach them, before we could even call out-
They were gone.
One moment, they were there. The next... they had disappeared, as if they had never existed.
We searched frantically, but they had vanished into the night.
We never saw them again.
And after that... your uncle and aunt took you away.
And Advik? We thought we had lost him all over again. But he wasn't gone.
He was hidden. Far away from us, in Canada.
We found him, but we couldn't take him back. So instead... we became his shadow. We watched over him, made sure he was never alone. We gave him everything we could-love, protection, family, even from a distance.
He would always ask why.
Why were we there?
Why did we care so much?
And all I ever told him was... 'Time will tell you.'
And today, that time has come."
Maa's voice faded into silence, her shoulders shaking as she cried.
The room felt heavy, filled with the weight of a past none of us had known.
I turned to Advik-my brother.
For years, I had lived without knowing he existed.
And now, he was standing right in front of me.
AUTHOR'S POV
The room was still heavy with emotions, the weight of the past still lingering in the air. But amidst the silence, Advik suddenly stepped forward.
Without hesitation, he wrapped Advika in a tight hug.
"I don't know what to say," he murmured, his voice thick with emotions. "But I can feel this bond between us... the bond of a brother and sister. I may not have been here for you all these years, but I swear, I will always be here for you from now on."
Advika, lost for words, simply hugged him back, her fingers clutching his shirt tightly. She had longed for a family's love, and now she had found a missing part of herself.
After a moment, she pulled back slightly and looked up at him with a teasing smile.
"By the way, Maa," she turned toward Vaishnavi, curiosity shining in her eyes, "do you know who was born first? Who's the elder one between us?"
Vaishnavi let out a soft chuckle despite the tears still glistening in her eyes. "Yes," she nodded. "Advika, you were born first. Advik was exactly seven minutes late."
A triumphant smirk spread across Advika's face as she turned to her brother.
"See? That means I'm the elder one." She crossed her arms. "Now, say it-Didi bolo."
Advik scoffed, crossing his own arms in defiance. "Bilkul bhi nahi! No way!"
The two of them glared at each other playfully before laughing and pulling each other into another tight hug.
"Alright, alright," Mishva clapped her hands. "Enough of this sibling rivalry. It's time for a proper family hug!"
One by one, everyone joined in, arms wrapping around each other in a comforting warmth. Laughter and happy tears mixed as the long-lost bond of family finally felt complete.
But while the room was filled with joy, two figures stood in the shadows, watching silently.
A man and a woman.
A couple.
Vaishnavi's breath hitched as she turned toward them.
Her eyes widened in recognition.
"Amisha and vraj..." she whispered.
The figures smiled warmly.
And then, without a word, they gave a thumbs-up.
In the next moment, they slowly faded-disappearing into the air like mist.
Vaishnavi gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clutched her chest.
Her emotions overwhelmed her.
Her past, her regrets, her grief-everything came rushing back.
Yet, in that moment, she knew.
They were at peace.
And so was she.
The warmth of the group hug was comforting, a moment of peace amidst the storm. But it didn't last long.
Avyut's phone buzzed with a message. His brows furrowed as he read it, then his sharp eyes immediately flicked to Advika.
Before he could say anything, Advika took a deep breath and spoke.
"I want to tell you all something."
The room fell silent. Everyone's eyes turned toward her.
"I..." She hesitated for a second, then continued firmly. "I am going to marry someone."
A gasp echoed through the room.
Vidyut's body went rigid. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His breathing grew uneven, his emotions barely restrained.
He took a step forward, about to say something- but Avyut moved first.
In a single motion, Avyut stepped in front of Advika, blocking Vidyut's path.
"Not near her." His voice was cold, sharp, final.
Vidyut stopped, his piercing eyes locked onto Advika, silently begging for her to say something, anything. But she remained silent, her gaze refusing to meet his.
And then... he chuckled.
A dark, hollow laugh.
The kind that sent chills down the spine.
Without another word, he turned, his anger bursting out in destruction. His hands grabbed whatever was nearby- a vase, a table, a glass- and smashed them to the ground. Shards of glass scattered everywhere as the air grew tense with his silent rage.
No one stopped him.
No one dared to.
And then, without looking back, he left
the room, his footsteps echoing through the silence.
Vaishnavi closed her eyes, exhaling a shaky breath before turning to Advika.
"I won't lecture you on love and marriage," she said, her voice calmer than expected. "I was part of the reason behind your marriage before, and it led to pain and regret. I just hope this time... you truly think before deciding."
Advika simply nodded, her expression unreadable.
One by one, the family members left the room, giving her space. She was about to approach Advik when Avyut's firm grip caught her wrist.
"Come with me," he said.
Without waiting for her response, he led her away.
Advika struggled slightly in Avyut's grip, but his hold was firm-unrelenting. He led her through the hallways, past the rooms, and finally stopped in an empty part of the mansion, where the cold air made her shiver.
"What are you doing, Avyut?" she asked, her voice low but demanding.
He turned to her, his eyes dark with frustration. "What am I doing? No, Advika, what are you doing?"
She clenched her jaw, refusing to respond.
"You think marrying someone else will fix everything?" he continued, stepping closer. "That running away will solve it? Do you really believe-"
"I'm not running," she cut him off sharply. "I'm choosing."
Avyut let out a humorless chuckle. "Choosing? Really? Because to me, it looks like you're punishing yourself. And him."
Advika's throat tightened, but she didn't reply.
Avyut exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "You saw how he reacted. He's breaking, Advika. And you... You're pretending you're fine when you're not."
She flinched but masked it quickly. "Why do you care so much?"
"Because unlike you, I don't lie to myself." His voice softened slightly. "And I know you. You still love him."
Her heart clenched painfully, but she forced herself to laugh. "Love? Love didn't stop him from-"
Before she could finish, Avyut cut her off, his voice sharp.
He exhaled. "Not everything is what it seems. You think Vidyut let you go so easily? That he hurt you because he wanted to?"
Silence.
"I told you before-this isn't just about you or him. There are bigger things at play, things you don't know. And if you still want to push him away, fine If you really want to marry someone, just marry me then."
Advika's breath hitched as she processed Avyut's words.
Silence filled the space between them, thick and suffocating. Her eyes widened in shock, searching his face for any sign of humor or deception. But Avyut was dead serious.
"What?" she finally managed, almost breathless.
"You heard me." He stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "If your only solution to this mess is marriage, then marry me."
Advika took a step back, shaking her head. "This... this isn't funny, Avyut."
"I'm not joking." His voice was firm, unwavering. "You think marrying someone will protect you? That it will make things easier? Fine. Let it be me."
Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. "You don't mean that," she whispered.
"I do." He tilted his head slightly. "I can protect you, Advika. You know I can."
She let out a bitter laugh, disbelief evident in her eyes. "Do you even hear yourself? This is insane. You're like my-"
"Brother?" Avyut interrupted, smirking slightly. "We aren't related by blood, Advika. And don't pretend we don't understand each other better than anyone else."
She swallowed, suddenly feeling trapped. "This isn't about understanding, Avyut. This is about-"
"Keeping you safe," he cut in. "And making sure he-" he glanced towards the direction Vidyut had stormed off, "-doesn't self-destruct even more than he already has."
Advika clenched her fists. "You think this will hurt him less?"
"Yes," Avyut replied without hesitation. "Because if you marry a stranger, he'll lose control. If you marry me, at least he knows I will protect you."
She looked away, breathing unevenly. This was madness.
Avyut sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know you don't love me. And I'm not asking you to. But think about it, Advika. You want to break free? You want control over your life? Marrying me gives you that. No expectations. No love. Just a way out."
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
"I'll give you time to think," Avyut said, stepping back. "But not much. Because the people after you? They won't wait."
Advika felt a cold chill run down her spine.
And before she could say anything, Vidyut's voice came from behind them.
"Not much time for what?"
She turned sharply, eyes widening as she saw him standing there, his gaze burning into hers.
And just like that, everything spiraled further out of control.
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Mohabbat saanson se ladai karti rahi,
Zindagi maut se shararat karti rahi.
Usne kaha, pyaar jeetega...
Maine dekha, zindagi haar rahi thi.
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ð½ð®ð;)
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