Avanya sat curled on Vikram's lap like she belonged there;like that space had always been hers and the world was just catching up.

Her legs dangled freely, one foot absent-mindedly swinging while the other rested against his thigh. A big, colorful picture book lay open in her hands, the pages almost too wide for her small fingers to hold properly. She leaned forward, squinting hard at the illustrations as if the book had personally challenged her intelligence.

".....den da bunny go here," she read slowly, carefully dragging her finger along the picture.

She paused.

Tilted her head.

Looked again.

"No," she corrected herself firmly, lips pursed, brows furrowing with deep seriousness,
"he go dere."

Satisfied, she nodded to herself.

Vikram sat behind her, one arm loosely around her waist, phone in his other hand. Emails scrolled past his eyes - numbers, names, deals worth millions - but none of them really entered his mind.

His thumb moved.

His mind didn't.

On the marble floor near the sofa, Tuffy attacked his bone toy with full dedication. He growled at it, dragged it across the floor, pinned it under his paws, then stopped suddenly to glance around - checking if anyone dared interrupt his mission.

The room was quiet.

Not the heavy, suffocating silence Vikram was used to.

This one was different.

Alive.

Avanya turned another page, the paper making a soft rustling sound.

Vikram's scrolling slowed.

Then stopped.

His eyes lifted, unfocused, staring somewhere far beyond the walls of the mansion.

Something inside his chest tightened.

A memory uninvited, vivid; rose up and dragged him backward.

And just like that-

The present slipped away.

Flashback - Earlier That EVENING

The introductions were done.

But the air still felt unsettled, like the mansion itself was waiting for something else to happen.

Avanya stood close to Vikram, her little body stiff, arms crossed tightly against her chest. Her eyes were locked onto Arin with an intensity that didn't match her age at all.

Arin leaned against a pillar, phone in hand, jaw tight.

They stared at each other.

No words.

No movement.

Just a silent challenge hanging between a grown man and a seven-year-old.

Kabir noticed.

And instead of stopping it;he smiled.

He slowly lowered himself, resting on one knee in front of Avanya, his voice deliberately soft, deliberately warm.

"So Sunshine," he said gently, tilting his head, "tell me something."

Avanya's glare flickered.

She looked at him.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

Kabir chuckled. "What's your favorite color?"

Her posture relaxed immediately.

This was a serious question.

"Pink," she said proudly.

Kabir nodded thoughtfully. "Good choice."

"But not baby pink," she added quickly, shaking her head so hard her ponytail bounced.
"Baby pink is baby."

Kabir laughed under his breath.

"I like blue also," she continued, counting on her fingers.
"Sky blue. Not dark. Dark scary."

Her eyes flicked sideways.

Straight to Arin.

Just for a second.

Kabir caught it.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"And rainbow," she finished dramatically, spreading her arms wide as if the colors themselves might appear.
"All colers together. Best."

Her pronunciation was messy.

Her confidence was absolute.

Kabir placed a hand on his chest like he'd been wounded.
"Okay, okay. You win."

Vikram watched all of this in silence.

Every word she spoke landed somewhere deep inside him, carving space where nothing had existed before.

This is dangerous, his mind warned.
This is how bonds form.

Kabir's phone rang.

The warmth fractured.

He answered, posture straightening instantly.
"Yes?"

His expression changed.

"Cancel the deal," he said firmly. "I'm busy-"

"Sir, Mr. Williamson is already here," his PA replied.

Kabir frowned.
"I said cancel-"

"Go."

Vikram's voice cut through the conversation.

Low.

Unyielding.

"I want that deal closed tonight."

Kabir turned toward him.
"But dad, I want to-"

"No."

Just one word.

Kabir swallowed hard.

"Okay."

He ended the call and turned back to Avanya, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Sunshine," he said softly, "I have to go to work. I'll come back soon, okay? Then we'll play."

Avanya nodded seriously.

"Take care," she said, her voice small but sincere.

Kabir stood and started walking toward the main gate.

One step.

Two-

"Bhaiyu."

(A/N; Bir baby wo agar issi baat par hume or humare readers ko apke brand ke clothes mil jate too 👉🏻👈🏻)

The word hit him like a bullet.

Kabir froze mid-step.

He turned slowly.

Avanya was already running toward him, her small feet slapping urgently against the floor.

He dropped to his knees without thinking.

She stopped right in front of him.

"What you call me?" he asked, voice barely steady.

She smiled.

"Bhaiyu."

Something inside Kabir cracked.

She lifted her hand and gestured seriously.
"Bend more."

He bent.

She rose on her toes, wobbling, stretched as high as she could and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

For Kabir-

Everything went quiet.

A tear escaped before he could stop it.

"Bhaiyu come soon," she said sweetly.
"Radhe Radhe."

He wiped his face quickly, kissed her cheek, and whispered,
"I'll come soon, my Sunshine."

She ran back to Vikram.

Kabir turned away and left the mansion quickly-
like he was carrying something fragile inside his chest, something he didn't trust himself to protect.

Vikram watched him go.

A storm gathered behind his eyes.

This is how hearts soften, his thoughts cursed darkly.
And once they soften;they bleed.

Arin watched from the shadows.

Something bitter twisted in his chest.

Jealousy.

He scoffed, rolled his eyes, and walked upstairs-
refusing to acknowledge the emotion gnawing at him.

Back to Present

"Tuffy!" Avanya scolded suddenly, pointing at the dog.
"No eat book. Only bone."

Tuffy paused, tail wagging innocently.

Vikram blinked.

The flashback dissolved.

But the weight remained;heavy, real, irreversible.

He looked down at her small form in his lap.

And for the first time in years-

The Rathore mansion didn't feel like a fortress.

It felt like something fragile.

Something worth protecting.

TIME SKIP

Night settled over the mansion like a heavy blanket.

Not the comforting kind

the kind that pressed down on walls, thickened the silence, and made every sound echo louder than it should.

Inside the study, the long table was already occupied.

Men sat in their respective places, backs straight, expressions unreadable. The files gleamed under the chandelier's warm light, untouched. Conversations were low, formal, restrained just like everything else in this house.

Rules lived here.

Discipline breathed here.

Affection rarely survived here.

Outside, however, the garden told a different story.

Avanya sat cross-legged on the grass, her tiny fingers buried in Tuffy's fur while he gnawed enthusiastically on his bone toy.

Her frock was already dusted with green stains, hair slightly messy, cheeks glowing from play.

She leaned close to him, whispering seriously.

"Listen, baby after dinner, we will sleep fast-fast, okay?"
Tuffy wagged his tail like he understood every word.

"And no biting shoes today. Dashing chachu says bad manners."
She nodded to herself, as if she were the responsible adult here.

A maid stood a little distance away, watching the scene with hesitant fondness.

"Little madam," she finally said softly, "dinner is ready."

Avanya looked up, nodded with full authority.

"Okay, Auntie."

She stood up, brushed her hands on her frock, then pointed a finger at Tuffy.

"Follow me. Proper walking. No running."

Tuffy immediately stood and followed her, tongue out, tail swinging like a proud soldier.

The Washing Area

Inside the house, Avanya headed straight to the wash area.

She climbed onto the small stool with effort, washed her hands carefully soap first, then water, just like neil had taught her. She shook her hands afterward, splashing water everywhere.

Then she cupped water again.

"Close eyes, baby," she instructed seriously.

Before Tuffy could react, she splashed water on his face.

Water went everywhere.

On the floor.

On the walls.

On her frock.

On her sleeves.

On her hair.

She giggled, then crouched down to clean his paws.

"Clean baby is good baby," she mumbled.

By the time she was done, Avanya was completely soaked. Her hair clung to her forehead, frock heavy with water, tiny feet splashing against the marble floor.

She didn't notice.

She was too busy smiling at Tuffy.

"Yeh kya harkat hai?!"
(What is this nonsense?!)

The sharp voice cut through the air like a slap.

Avanya froze.

The old woman stormed in, her saree rustling aggressively, eyes narrowing the moment she took in the scene.

"Dekho apne aap ko, Puri tarah bheeg gayi ho!"
(Look at yourself! You've drenched yourself completely!)

Avanya instinctively clasped her hands together.

"Roz roz paani se khelna hai? Dimag nahi hai kya?!"
(Do you want to play with water every day? Don't you have any sense?!)

She stepped closer, towering over Avanya.

"Bimaari ho jaayegi,Phir kaun sambhalega?"
(You'll fall sick! Who will take care of you then?)

Avanya lowered her head slowly.

Her eyes fixed on the floor, as if it held all the answers in the world.

She didn't cry.

She didn't speak.

She just.... shrank.

Beside her, Tuffy growled softly, then suddenly grabbed the edge of the woman's saree and tugged at it with his teeth.

"Chhodo,Badtameez jaanwar!"
(Leave it! Ill-mannered animal!)

She barely looked at him.

"Tum bilkul bhi sudhri hui nahi ho. Awaaz nahi nikalti kya?!"
(You have no manners at all. Can't you even speak?!)

Avanya's fingers twisted together tightly.

Her shoulders trembled.

"Enough."

One word.

Low. Cold. Final.

The old woman stopped mid-sentence.

She turned slowly.

Arnav stood there.

Tall. Still.

His face carved from stone, eyes dark with a storm that had not yet broken.

He took one step forward.

"How dare you raise your voice at her?"

The woman swallowed hard.

"S-sahab.... bacchi hai..... paani se bimaari ho jaati hai.... bas samjha rahi thi....."
(S-sir..... she's a child......water makes her sick..... I was only explaining......)

"Explaining is done with love," Arnav said sharply.
"Not by humiliating a child."

Silence spread like poison.

His gaze shifted.

It landed on Avanya.

She stood there, wet, small, trembling staring at the floor like it was the safest thing she knew.

Something twisted violently in Arnav's chest.

He lifted two fingers, barely moving them.

The old woman backed away instantly without another word.

Arnav turned to Avanya.

"Look at me."

His voice came out rough.

Too rough.

Avanya's shoulders flinched violently.
Her eyes shut tight, like she was bracing herself.

Arnav froze.

Fucking bastard.

He muttered under his breath, "Idiot"

He crouched to her level, softening his tone.

"Hey. Listen.KIDDO"

She opened one eye slowly, then the other, narrowed them suspiciously.

"Yes, Giant Uncle."

A flicker of reluctant amusement passed through his mind.

He asked gently, "Why are you wet?"

She hesitated, then pointed at Tuffy.

"I was cleaning."

"And whose dog is this?" he asked.

Her face hardened instantly.

"Not dog," she snapped.

She dropped to her knees, wrapped her arms around Tuffy tightly.

"He my baby. TUFFY."

She glared up at Arnav.

"Don't call him dog."

Arnav went quiet.

Then exhaled slowly.

"Alright," he said. "Come with me. You will get sick."

She studied his face carefully, then nodded.

"Sorry, Giant Uncle," she whispered.
"Anya got angry. But he my baby. He feels bad."

Something unfamiliar stirred in Arnav's chest.

He held her hand.

Tuffy followed closely behind.

The stairs echoed softly under their steps.

They stopped at a door.

Arnav opened it.

The Room

Pink walls.

Soft lights.

A fluffy bed that looked like a cloud.
Stuffed toys arranged neatly.

Butterfly curtains dancing gently.

A small bookshelf filled with colorful storybooks.

Avanya's eyes widened.

"This your room?" she asked softly.

"No," Arnav replied.
"This is yours."

Her breath hitched.

"Mine?"

He nodded.

A dimple appeared on her cheek.
Her eyes sparkled.

Then her smile faded.

She turned serious.

"I can't live here," she said quietly.
"I live with Baba."

She leaned closer and whispered, "When you sleep alone ghost comes."

Her voice dropped further.

"Ghost takes you."

Something snapped inside Arnav.

He lifted her gently, placed her on the bed.

"Are you brave?" he asked.

She puffed her chest.

"Yes, Very brave. See how strong I am."

"Then why fear ghosts?"

She slapped her forehead.

"Ofoo, Giant Uncle. I not scared for me."

She leaned in conspiratorially.

"I scared for ghost."

He blinked.

"Huh?"

She smiled proudly.

"Hanuman ji will save me. You know ghost uncle hanuman ji going to sun too he can fly too and he is best friends of monkeys and if I told him about that ghost he will Dishoom Dishoom him "
"Ghost get hurt. I don't like hurting anyone."

Arnav pressed his lips together hard.

He handed her clothes and said ," I am calling a maid she will make you wear clothes."

"No," she said firmly.
"I big girl."

Arnav watched her for a minute and then nobbed and said,"I am standing here and also if you face any problem call me okay."

She took the clothes, knelt beside Tuffy.

"Baby, mumma coming. Don't go."

Tuffy barked in agreement.

She walked into the bathroom.

The door closed.

Arnav stood there alone.

His expression darkened.

"This little angel," he muttered,
"walks around with a past, a kid heart, and a damn dog like it's nothing."

He ran a hand through his hair.

"What kind of hell did you come from, baby...."

The silence swallowed his words.

And behind that bathroom door a storm waited, growing quietly.

_______________👉🏻👈🏻____________

Dear my Anuvians,

I don't even know how to start this without my heart feeling too heavy and too full at the same time.

1k reads in just 9 days.

That number might look small to the world, but to me? It feels unreal. It feels like every late night, every sleepy upload, every "one more paragraph" moment was seen.
You all didn't just read my story you stayed with it, trusted it, and held it gently, and that means more to me than I can ever put into perfect words.

I know I joke a lot, yap a lot, act dramatic, disappear for a few hours and then come back like nothing happened but behind all that, there's a real person here who pours her emotions into every line.

Some of us don't get family love easily, some of us learn it slowly, and some of us find it in stories.. in characters..in readers who choose to stay. And you, my Anuvians, became that unexpected support system.

You turned comments into comfort, votes into motivation, and silent reads into quiet strength. 🖤

Now I want to be honest with you, the way a writer should be with her readers.

From day after tomorrow, my exams will begin. I have already prepared drafts, I have tried my absolute best to stay consistent, but I will be using my phone and laptop very less.

If sometimes I get late...... if an update takes a little longer than usual.......

please bear with me. I promise it's not because I forgot you or the story.

It's because I'm trying to balance real life while still holding onto the world we are building together. I am not leaving. I am just walking a little slower for a while.

So please.... stay.

Stay with the story.

Stay with me.

Be patient with your dramatic author who is trying, always trying, to give you her best even on tired days, even between exams, even when sleep wins sometimes.

Thank you for believing in Anuvae.

Thank you for being Anuvians.

This journey feels lighter because of you. 🤍

With all my love,
- Anuvae 🖤✨

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW, COME JOIN THE SHOW — AUTHOR-ANUVAE + @anuvae._.here, NOW YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO. 😭