Niel was never careless.

That was the first thought that kept circling my mind, over and over, refusing to settle.

He planned everything. Measured every move. Thought three steps ahead even when there was no visible danger.

And yet-he vanished.

No call.

No message.

Nothing that even hinted he was about to disappear from the world he controlled so carefully.

I remembered the one conversation we'd had about her.

Years ago, late into the night, when silence had felt heavier than words.
He hadn't called her his daughter.
He had called her his soul

"My Soul," he'd said, quietly. Not possessive. Protective.

We never spoke of her again after that.

No age. No face. No details.

Just a presence that existed somewhere in his life, untouched by my world, deliberately kept away.

Now, suddenly, everything he had hidden had found its way to my doorstep.

I had already summoned my men. Every detail on Neel. His last movements. His contacts. Any trace he might have left behind.

So far, there was nothing useful. And that silence worried me more than bad news ever could.

The old woman sat in the car with us.
Her hands trembled in her lap, fingers clutching the strap of her bag like it was the only thing anchoring her to this moment. She hadn't stopped wiping her eyes, though the tears kept coming back anyway.

I'd texted Arnav before we left.

He would manage the empire until I returned.

Right now, Rathore could burn for all I cared.

The car slowed.

We stopped in front of a building that looked ordinary.

A residential block. Mid-sized. Clean. Secure.

Not a fortress. Not a mansion.

A place chosen deliberately to blend in.

I stepped out and looked around.
Cameras at the corners. Decent lighting. Neighbours' balconies overlooking the entrance.
Safe but not conspicuous.
Niel had thought this through.

The woman led the way inside, my men spreading out instinctively, covering every angle.

The lift doors opened.

Fifth floor.

Flat 505.

I stood there, staring at the number for a second longer than necessary.
Behind that door was a life I knew nothing about.

A girl I had never met.

A responsibility I had never asked for.
And Niel; wherever he was - had trusted me with her.

That meant only one thing.

Something was very, very wrong.

My jaw tightened as I raised my hand, ready to knock.

Whatever waited on the other side of that door....
There was no turning back now.

The lady's hands trembled as she took the keys out.

She rubbed her palms together once, twice an old habit, maybe a prayer before fitting the key into the lock. The door opened with a soft click, careful, almost apologetic, as if even the house was meant to stay asleep.

Inside, the flat breathed middle-class warmth.

Not grand. Not minimal.
Just lived in.

A compact living area welcomed us fabric sofas with slightly worn armrests, cushions mismatched but neatly arranged. A small centre table held yesterday's newspaper, a steel bowl, and a remote placed exactly where it always belonged. The walls carried framed photos, calendar pages, and faint marks where furniture had been shifted over the years.

The kind of home where life happened quietly.

A small mandir lamp glowed in one corner, its light dim but steady, like it refused to sleep before the rest of the house did. Curtains hung loosely over the windows, moving slightly with the night air. The kitchen beyond was clean, practical steel utensils stacked with discipline, no unnecessary luxury.

This was not a hiding place.

This was a home.

The lady gestured for me to follow. I did.

She stopped in front of a closed door and turned to me, her voice barely more than breath.
"She's inside. Sleeping."

She hesitated, then added, softer, "Please.... don't make a sound."

I nodded.

She opened the door slowly and stepped aside, letting me enter first.

The room was different.

Pink fur covered the walls soft, excessive, unmistakably someone's choice. The wardrobe, the small dressing table cluttered with makeup, hair ties, bottles all shades of pink, arranged without perfection but with care. A lamp shaped like a heart stood switched off near the bed.

In the centre, a bed.

A blanket rose and fell gently, shaped around a small frame beneath it. On her left, a small pet slept curled against her side, completely trusting, unmoving. On her right, a teddy bear was tucked close, its arms wrapped as if it were part of the embrace.

Three beings, holding each other in sleep.

Her hair spilled over the pillow, hiding her face entirely. I couldn't see her features. Couldn't tell how old she really was. Only that her frame was petite smaller than what I had imagined, smaller than what Niel's silence had prepared me for.

Not eighteen. Not nineteen.

Just young.

The lady pointed once, as if to say this is her, then turned back toward the door.
"I'll be outside," she whispered. "Take your time."

She left quietly, closing the door behind her.

I stood there.

For the first time in years, surrounded by a presence that did not belong to my world. No weapons. No negotiations. No power games. Just a sleeping girl, her pet, and a teddy bear unaware that the night had shifted something irreversible.

I took a step closer to the bed.

Still couldn't see her face.

And somehow that made it heavier.

I don't know when sleep pulled me under.

One moment I was sitting beside the bed, my arm resting against the headboard, knuckles supporting my temple, eyes fixed on the small, quiet shape beneath the blanket and then the night simply claimed me.

I woke up to a faint movement.

A light touch.

Something warm pressed against my arm.

Years of instinct snapped me awake instantly. My eyes opened, sharp and alert, before my body even caught up.

I looked down.

She was still on the bed.

Half covered by the blanket, hair scattered across the pillow, sleep clinging to her face. One small hand rested on my arm, fingers curled slightly, unsure like she had touched me just to confirm I was real.

I saw her properly then.

For the first time.

Her skin was soft wheat-toned, untouched by the world. Her face small, delicate rounded cheeks, a tiny nose, lips slightly parted from sleep. Her eyelashes were long, shadows against her cheeks, and when her eyes opened fully-

Black.

Deep, pure black eyes.

Not calculating. Not afraid.

Just curious.

Her hair fell messily to her shoulders, strands brushing her face as she blinked slowly, still caught between dreams and waking. She studied me in silence, head tilted a little, as if trying to place me inside a memory.

I didn't move.

Didn't breathe properly.

She stared at me like I was something unexpected yet familiar; like a story character who had stepped out of a tale she believed in.

Then, very softly, her lips curved into a small smile.

"Baba.....?"

The word landed gently and still shattered something inside me.

Confusion flickered across my face. I straightened a little, my brows drawing together.

"Main tumhara baba nahi hoon beta ," I said quietly.
(I am not your father, child)

She didn't look convinced.

Instead, she smiled wider and shook her head, sleepy curls bouncing.

"Nahi," she said in a soft, childish voice.
(No)

"Dashing Chachu."

The name said with complete certainty.

She yawned slightly, rubbing one eye with the back of her hand, still holding onto the moment like it might disappear.

"Dashing Chachu bolte the," she continued, words slow, unpolished, honest.
(Dashing uncle says)

She looked at me again, eyes shining now not with fear, not with questions only relief.

"Main wait kar rahi thi apka," she whispered.
(I am waiting for you)

"Bohot days se baba "
(From so many days)

Her fingers tightened around my sleeve, just a little.

As if afraid that if she let go, I might vanish back into the dark.

I didn't speak.

I couldn't.

Because in that moment, staring at Niel's soul small, trusting, breathing softly beside me I understood something with terrifying clarity.
Niel hadn't asked me to protect a child.

He had handed me his entire world.

And I was standing in it for the first time.

Before I could think, before I could react-

She moved.

A small, sudden weight pressed against my chest as she threw herself into me, arms wrapping around my neck with surprising strength. She hugged me tightly, as if letting go wasn't an option.

I froze.

She was tiny in my arms. Light. Fragile.

Like a little teddy bear that fit perfectly against my chest, her frame so small that my hands almost covered her back entirely.

I didn't know what to do years of power, control, and violence had never prepared me for this.

There was a pull.

Not ownership. Not possession.

Something quieter.

Something instinctive.

For a moment, my mind betrayed me-my daughter-

and then I stopped myself.

No.

Relationships take time. Bonds aren't claimed in seconds.

And yet.......

Niel was right.

She was a soul.

Pure.

Untouched.

Innocent in a world that would never be kind enough to deserve her.

Without thinking further, my body moved on its own. I slipped an arm around her carefully and began tapping her back, slow and steady the way one does when trying not to wake a sleeping child.

Her grip loosened.

Her breathing softened.

I looked down.

She was asleep.

Just like that.

Trusting. Safe. Unaware of how easily the world could break something so delicate.

I adjusted her in my arms, lifting her properly, holding her closer, making sure her head rested securely against my shoulder. Then I stood and walked out of the room, every step careful, measured.

Outside, the lady was near the dining table, hands busy with something mundane as if life hadn't just shifted its axis.

I stopped beside her.

"What's her name?" I asked quietly.
She smiled soft, tired, relieved.
"Avanya, sahab"
(Sir, avanya)

I nodded once.

"Pack her important things," I said. "We're leaving for Rathore Mansion."

She didn't question it. She simply nodded.

"I'll take her myself," I added. "You come with the luggage."

She agreed.

I turned to leave and then stopped.

A sharp little bark cut through the silence.

I looked down.

The Little Dog.

(A/N Puppy bolte hai usko vikram uncle itna bhi ni padha apne huhh)

Small. Curious. The same one she had been holding earlier. It stared at me with wide eyes, tail still, as if deciding whether I was friend or threat.

Without hesitation, I turned to one of my guards.

"Take the dog. It comes with us."

He obeyed instantly.

I carried Avanya downstairs, her body warm against mine, her face tucked into my chest. Inside the car, I sat back carefully, placing her on my lap, turning her legs sideways so she could sleep comfortably. I rested her head against my chest, adjusting her gently until her breathing evened out again.

"Drive slow," I ordered. "Don't wake her."

The dog settled on the seat beside me.
I didn't like dogs.

Never had.

But for her.....

Some compromises aren't choices.

They're instincts.

I looked down at Avanya, asleep, peaceful, unaware that her life had just changed forever.

From now on, she was my responsibility.

My duty.

Or maybe;something more, waiting to be named in time.

I had always craved a daughter.
Perhaps God, in His own cruel and beautiful way, had decided to place one in my arms like this unasked, unexpected, and already loved.

And for the first time in years

I didn't fight the pull

--------------------------👉🏻👈🏻-------------------------

Anuvae's Note 🖤✨

So my beloved Anuvians,
this is today's chapter written with sleepless eyes, a loud heart, and emotions spilling everywhere.

First of all
LOOK AT VIKRAM.

Sir really said, "Rules? What rules?"
and turned our Tuffy into an actual DOG dog - a tiny, fluffy, innocent puppy.

Don't worry.

We will officially complain about this to our avanya later.

Justice will be served. 🐾

Now confession time.

I did say yesterday that I will post after 11 a.m.
But surprise!
Your author is posting after 11

p.m.

Why?

Because your author woke up at 12 p.m.
And after that
✨ munching happened
✨ Netflix happened
✨ procrastination happened

Exams are knocking on my door, and honestly, at this point,
the only thing I remember for my DAA exam is:

> "Oh Our AVANYA: THE MISSING WARMTH COMPLETE 300 reads."

Yes.
Your author is currently an unemployed soul,
pursuing an unemployment degree,
also known as B.Tech.

It was a joke.
But also painfully real. 😭

Also listen - very important.

Talk to me too.

You guys can't just come, read Avanya, cry, fall in love with Rathore's,
and then disappear.

Talk.
Comment.
Scream.
Complain.

Otherwise I willl feel like you don't love me,
you only love Avanya.

And then my little little little heart will break.
Very tragic.
Very dramatic.
Very author-core.

I don't even have money to buy GORIILA GLUE ,
so please
come and fix my heart with your comments, feedback, and love. 🖤

From yesterday onwards,
I will try to be punctual.
(Emphasis on try. Don't bully me.)

Please share this story with a friend
I want more reads, more reviews, more honest opinions,
so I can improve, grow, and cry happy tears instead of silent ones.

Your author is also on Snapchat,
so come, add me, let's connect

you will see my snaps, my chaos, my real life behind these words.

And yes
please point out grammar mistakes, flow issues, scene gaps,
and anything that can make this book better.

Because if you don't tell me myl mistakes,
how will I correct them?

That's all for today, my Anuvians.
We'll meet tomorrow with a new chapter,
new emotions, and more heart damage.

Until then......
take care,
keep reading,
keep loving.

Bye-bye.
Love you all.
💋 (only girls)

- your dramatic, clumsy, overthinking anuvae 🖤✨