Rathore enterprise
The office was silent, but not calm.
Screens glowed with numbers that meant power. Files lay open with decisions that would ruin or save lives. Men stood on one side of the table, waiting.
Advik didn't sit.
"Report," he said.
"The shipment was rerouted," one man said carefully.
"No losses."
Advik's eyes lifted. "Rerouted without my approval?"
A pause.
"Won't happen again, sir."
"It won't," Advik said coldly.
"Is there anything on her?" Advit asked
A brief pause on the line.
"...Very little."
Advik's thought
"Should I stop?"
Silence.
"...No," he said calmly.
"Now it gets interesting"
As the door closed, his phone buzzed.
This time, it wasn't business.
He read the message once.
Then again.
Atharav was seen outside after midnight. Near the old market road.
Advik's jaw tightened.
He grabbed his coat.
Work could wait.
Family couldn't.
Rathore Mansion
Atharav had barely entered the living room when Advik's voice stopped him.
"Where were you last night?"
Atharav froze. "Bhai—"
he mummers under his breath—
"Bas... aaj toh main gaya.
"Jai Mata Di, Jai Bajrang Bali,
aur jo bhi available ho... please help." 🙏
"Answer me."
"...Outside," he said nervously "Friends ke saath."
Advik stepped closer.
"Midnight ke baad?"
Atharav took one step back—
"Main... main bas khana khaane gaya tha."
"Dinner."
"Simple dinner."
"Zyada kuch nahi.
Advik took one more step
"Dinner midnight ke baad hota hai?"
Atharav swallowed.
"Woh... bhook thodi time dekh ke aati hai."
Advik stepped closer.
Atharav:
"Bhai... aap itna paas kyun aa rahe ho?"
"Dekho....dekho mein bata raha hu i'm staright"
Advik stopped right in front of him.
Advik narrowed hs eyes and glared at him—
"Kyuki tum sun nahi rahe."
"Aur jab koi sunta nahi—"
"I make sure they do."
Atharav gulped.
"Main bas—"
Advik
"Bas khana?"
"Bas bahar jaana?"
"Tumhara ye bas kisi din bohot mehenga padega."
Silence.
Advik's voice didn't rise.
That was worse.
Advik:
"Tumhe lagta hai main gussa hoon?"
"Main gussa hota toh chillata."
"Abhi main sirf decide kar raha hoon."
Atharav's eyes widened.
"...Kya decide?"
Advik straightened.
Advik:
"Punishment."
Atharav whined.
"Bhai—"
Advik cut him off—
"Sun."
"Phone raat ke baad mere paas rahega"
"Bike band."
"College ke baad seedha ghar."
"That's jail," Atharav pouted.
Advik tilted his head slightly.
Atharav went quiet.
Advik stepped back finally.
Advik
"Ek rule aur."
"Agli baar agar bhook lage—"
"ghar phone karna."
"Main khana bhej dunga."
Atharav blinked Once...
"...Khud nahi aa sakte?"
Advik's jaw tightened.
Advik:
"Zyada smart mat ban."
"Punishment chal rahi hai."
He turned to leave, then stopped.
Advik without looking back
"Main paas isliye aata hoon, Atharav—"
"taaki duniya itni paas kabhi na aaye."
Atharav stood there, stunned.
Then quietly whispered,
"...Samajh gaya, Bhai."
Kapoor Mansion
Siya sat with her parents, sensing the weight of the conversation before it began.
Her mother spoke first.
"Siya, shaadi ke baare mein socha hai?"
Her father added, "Hum force nahi kar rahe. Bas jaan'na chahte hain."
Siya smiled faintly. "Abhi nahi."
Her mother leaned closer. "Koi hai kya?"
The question hit harder than expected.
The room faded.
FLASHBACK—
She imagined him the way she always did—blurred, incomplete.
Yet the warmth he left behind was painfully clear
"I'm not ready," she said firmly.
Her parents exchanged a look.
Her father said softly,
"Jab dil taiyaar ho, tab hi faisla lena."
"Khane ka time ho gaya," her mother said
"
The dining table felt fuller than usual.
Siya sat quietly, pushing rice around her plate.
"Sabzi thandi ho jaayegi," her mother said, placing another spoonful on her plate.
"Thoda aur le le."
"Maa, bas," Siya smiled faintly. "Itna kaafi hai."
Her father looked up from his food.
kaam zyada hai?" he asked casually.
Siya nodded. "Haan... thoda."
Her mother exchanged a look with him.
Not suspicious. Just knowing.
"Tum jab chhoti thi na," her mother said softly,
"ghar aate hi sab bata deti thi."
Siya paused.
"Ab bhi bata sakti ho," her father added gently.
"Bas farq itna hai—ab hum sirf sunenge."
The room went quiet.
Siya swallowed. "Kabhi‑kabhi... sab bolna mushkil hota hai."
Her mother reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
"Bolna zaroori nahi hota," she said.
"Bas dil halka hona chahiye."
A small smile appeared on Siya's face.
Her father cleared his throat.
"Kal tumhari pasand ka dessert banaunga," he said.
"Chocolate wala."
Siya laughed softly. "Aapko yaad hai?"
"Baap hoon," he replied. "Bhulne ki ijazat nahi."
She blinked, eyes stinging just a little.
Dinner continued—
simple food, familiar sounds, unspoken comfort.
For a few minutes—
Everything felt normal
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
The kitchen was unusually quiet.
Advik stood near the stove, sleeves rolled up, stirring something carefully. He checked the clock once, then lowered the flame.
The door creaked.
His mother stepped in, surprised.
She looked at the pan.
Then at him.
Then back at the pan.
"Tu... yeh kya kar raha hai?" she asked slowly.
Advik didn't turn.
Halwa bana rha hu
She walked closer.
Woh dikh raha hai, she said.
Par kyun?"
Advik picked up a plate, expression unreadable.
"Atharav ko pasand hai, he said flatly.
"Subah kha lega."
His mother raised an eyebrow.
"Pasand hai ya tu chahta hai ki woh kha le?"
He placed the food neatly, almost carefully.
"Zyada mat socho," he said.
"Bas khaana hai."
She smiled faintly.
"Pehle tu khud ke liye bhi itni mehnat nahi karta tha," she said softly.
"Ab chup‑chup ke pakane laga hai."
Advik finally looked at her.
"Chup‑chup ke nahi," he replied.
"Time nahi hota batane ka."
She watched him for a moment.
"Tu gussa dikhata hai,
par pyaar chhupa leta hai.
Advik looked away.
"Galti karne ka mauka nahi dena chahta," he said.
"Bas."
His mother sighed, resting against the counter.
"Tu pehle itna sakht nahi tha," she murmured.
"Hamesha hansi rehti thi chehre pe."
Advik's jaw tightened.
"Zindagi ne sikha diya," he said quietly.
"Har cheez hans ke nahi sambhalti."
She studied him—really studied him.
"Beta," she said softly,
"kabhi‑kabhi lagta hai—"
"tumne sabka khayal rakhte‑rakhte,
apna khayal rakhna chhod diya."
He didn't reply.
He just picked up the plate and covered it.
"Thanda ho jaayega," he said.
"Usse utha dena."
She teased
"Tu kehta hai pampering nahi karta."
"Par yeh sab kya hai?"
Advik paused at the door.
Without turning back, he said,
"Routine hai."
"Isme emotional hone ki zarurat nahi."
The door closed.
His mother stood there for a long moment, looking at the covered plate.
"Routine nahi hai," she whispered to herself.
"Yeh woh pyaar hai jo bolna nahi seekha."
And for the first time—
She wondered what had made her son grow up this fast.
On the other side advik received a message on phone about someone—
He finally found the crack in her past, and it led somewhere dangerous.
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Do tell me what was your fav scene!
What made Advik changed so much?🤨
If you enjoyed this chapter
do vote and share your thoughts in the comments 🥀
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
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