The  world was still awake.

Screens glowed across the cities.

News tickers screamed one name again and again

𝗔𝗔𝗩𝗬𝗔 𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗛 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗘

Debates. Speculation. Shock

But inside the rathore haveli

It is 2:07 am

The gaming room is alive

Laughter echoed as controllera clocked rapidly

"AAYAN, YOU CHEAT --"

Shorav yelled, eyes glued to the screen

" I DON'T, YOU'RE JUST BAD "

Aayan shot back

Lakshya sprawled on the couch, scrolling endlessly on his phone, unreadable, detached.

Notifications buzzed non-stop - but he didn't react

Rudra was not playing

Neither was abhimanyu

They had been there earlier-silent , watchful,  but then without a word, both had left.

That absence was loud.

Aavya sat cross-legged on the rug bedide karan, watching game without really seeing it.

Her smile appeared when they laughed... But quickly faded

Karan noticed

He always noticed.

"You okay? " He asked quietly

Aavya nodded

Too quickly

"Just... Tired"

But it wasn't tiredness.

It was a feeling that something had shifted, not outside, not in the world but 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲.

Because her chest tightened with an unknown feeling.

She glanced the door again

Still no Abhimanyu.

And

Still no Rudra.

----

----

Another room of the haveli

The door shut softly

Rudra turned first.

" Media is out of control"

Abhimanyu didn't sit

"They always are "

He stood near the window, phone in hand, eyes sharp, calculating

Rudra spoke "this is not noise,

This is attention"

Abhimanyu jaw tightened

He replied calmly "which means eyes, and eyes means threats "

Rudra exhaled "They have started digging"

Abhimanyu finally looked at him

"Let them.

They will only find what we allow"

A pause

" Let's go back otherwise detectives of our house started finding us "

And they moved back toward the gaming room

𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠

"HEADSHOT"

Aayan yelled, jumping up

Shorav throw a cushion at him.

Lakshya finally looked up from his phone and said very casually

"They've crossed five million views "

The room stilled for half a second.

Aayan asked " Five million what? "

He replied

" The clip. Her entry "

Aavya 's finger curled slightly

Karan stood immediately

"Game's off "

Shorav protested " Hey -"

"I SAID OFF "

In which aavya flinch

Aayan noticed

He glared and warned

"Karan.

Watch. Your. Tone"

The screen went dark

Silence replaced sound

Before she could speak

The door creaked open Abhimanyu steeped in behind him Rudra.

The room shifted instantly

No smiles.

No jokes.

Abhimanyu's eyes went straight to aavya

Not checking

Not doubting

Accessing

"You okay? " He asked

She nodded

"Good "

A pause

Rudra crossed his arms

" From tonight nothing moves without us knowing "

She understand something had shifted but what???

She don't know.

And ignored because

She trust her brothere and her family.

The room stayed serious for exactly....

Three seconds

Aavya folded her arms and looked at karan

She said very calmly

" So, you just turned off the game "

Karan shrugged

"For your mental peace "

She shot back

"My mental peace  was winning you interrupted my character's character development"

Aayan blinked

"..... What? "

Shorav grined

" she is mad mad"

Karan raised an eyebrow

" You were watching the game, chutku "

She nodded firmly

"Yes,

Emotionally invested watching"

Lakshya without looking up from his phone added "she was choosing sides. very aggressively"

" I was NOT " she protested

" you yelled 'SHOOT HIM' Louder Than shorav " Lakshya replied flatly

Shorav pointed at her "SEE? "

She gaspsed

"Excuse me at least I know how to control work. Unlike SOME PEOPLE who press random buttons and call it strategy"

Aayan scoffed

"That's literally strategy"

She snapped

"No,

That's panic with confidence"

Karan smirked

"She has a point"

Aayan looked betrayed" You're supposed to be neutral"

He shrugged

" I'm her emotional support brother right now "

Aavya nodded proudly

"Exactly"

Shorav leaned forward

"Then explain why she kept telling me to jump off the building"

She replied seriously

"Because you were cornered, It was tactical sacrifice"

Lakshya finally looked up

" You told him to jump 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘦 "

"That's commitment

Aayan burst out laughing

" She is scarier than abhi bhai "

The room went silent

Slowly-very slowly--

Everyone looked toward the corner

Rudra had his hand over his mouth.

Abhimanyu's jaw tight

Too tight.

Both pretending

𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜

"Oh x

She walked straight to abhimanyu, hands on her hips

" You.... We're about to laugh "

He replied instantly

" No "

She again said

"You twitched.... Your left cheek betrayed you "

Rudra let out a sound that supposed to be a cough.

It was not

Shorav lost it.

Aayan doubled over .

Lakshya smirked.

Abhimanyu tried once more

failed completely

He turn away shoulders shaking

Rudra gave up entirely.

full laughter. no control

Rudra said between laughs

" I swear... she is worse then all of you combined"

Aavya said triumphantly pointing at karan

"Told you...

I bring balance"

Karan laughed leaning on the couch, clearly an idea forming

" You bring chaos... Chutku "

And everyone again burst into laughing.

But Karan his mind already formed an idea

His eyes lit up.

Dangerously.

He said causally

" we should go for a drive.highway . Empty Road. just....air"

Shorav head snapped towards him

"Yes "

Aayan already stood up "I'm in "

Lakshya locked his phone

"Works for me"

Aavya's eyes widened

"Wait--really? At night? "

Karan grinned

"Sneak out. Just a little"

The room buzzed instantly

Then -

"No "

One word.

Two voices.

Rudra and abhimanyu

Together

Final

Flat

Silence dropped like a switch had been turned off.

Aayan muttured under his breath " Here the HITLERS "

Shorav frowned "Why not? "

Rudra replied "Because it's two in the morning. "

Abhimanyu added calmly, nodding toward Aavya "And because the world just discovered her "

Aayan groaned " We won't ever be seen "

Lakshya tried logic "Highway's empty at this hour "

Rudra repeated "No"

Karan signed "You are killing the vibe "

Abhimanyu crossed his arms " That's my job "

Everyone protested once

"It's just a drive -"

"We'll take security--"

"Ten minutes only--"

Rudra raised his hand enough

"Enough "

Abhimanyu did not even move his silence said same thing

Their 𝗡𝗢 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗢

Aavya had been quiet.

Too quiet

She looked at Karan

Then at others

Then - slowly - she turned toward Abhimanyu.

And did the unthinkable.

She titled her head slightly.

Her eyes softened.

Lower lips pushed out just enough.

𝗣𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀.

Rudra noticed first.

He warned immediately

"No.Don't.

Aavya ignored him.

She steps a little closer to him, lightly tugged his sleeve.

She said softly" Just one drive.

No crowd. No cameras. No security. Just... Us "

Abhimanyu didn't blink

Rudra turned away.

"I refuse to witness this manipulation. "

Aavya looked abhimanyu again

Blink

Blink

Silence

Then -

Aayan whispered "oh, no "

Abhimanyu exhaled slowly.

Rudra spun "Don't.You. Dare. "

Abhimanyu looked at aavya

Then at rudra

The

He looked away

".... 15 minutes "

The room exploded

"Yes--"

"I KNEW IT-"

"LEGEND-"

Rudra stared him

"You folded"

Abhimanyu muttured "she cheated "

Aavya smiles innocently

Rudra rubbed his face

"YOU BOTH ARE DEVILS "

---

---

𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘- 𝟮:𝟯𝟴 𝗔𝗠

The car moved smoothly on to the highway

Abhimanyu at driver seat

Rudra passenger seat

Aavya is sitting between karan and aayan and shorav and lakshya are on last seat .

No traffic.

No noise.

Just the hum of the engine and the open road.

Shorav stretched his arms

"This... Is therapy"

Lakshya glancing at aavya

"This is illegal therapy"

Abhimanyu didn't look away from the road " It's a controlled therapy "

Aayan leaned back "same thing"

Aavya smiled, a genuine smile

She wrapped her arms around karan and chin on his shoulder and looking outside window.

And karan his hand on shoulder other on phone clicking photo.

He lowered the window slightly.

Cool air rushed in...

"Worth the risk? "

She nodded

"For now"

The road stretched ahead, empty and endless.

Abhimanyu shifted gears smoothly

"Ten minutes"

He reminded.

Aayan checked the time " We still have eight"

"Seven " He corrected

She looked out again the sky was the blue almost black street lights passed  in steady rhythm for a second just a second she felt a normal 14 year old girl on a late night drive with siblings.

--

--

The car kept moving

Smooth

Steady

Then -

The radio flickered

Just once

A soft crackle like static brushing past the silence.

Lakshya frowned " Did anyone touch that? "

Karan replied "No "

Abhimanyu's eyes shifted briefly to the dashboard.

The sugnal cleared on its own

Nothing dramatic

Nothing wrong

Still-

Rudra straightened slightly

"You feel that? "

Aavya titled hed head " Feel what? "

Rudra didn't answer immediately

But finally said after a movements " Nothing, probably just road"

But his hand rested closer to the door handle now.

Abhimanyu adjusted the mirror.

The highway behind them was empty

Too empty.

Not a single vehicle

Even a single bird

Nothing.

Aayan leaned forward, oblivious

"You're overthinking "

Rudra said "May be "

Abhimanyu said nothing

He didn't increase speed

Didn't slow down.

But

His grip on the steering wheel tightened-just enough.

Aavya looked out again

The peaceful feeling hadn't disappeared...

It had paused

As if the night was holding its breath...

--

--

Meanwhile far away

The mysterious boy stood in a quiet room with a tense look

Beside him his best friend

"They move"

He nodded

" I know "

"You know what will going to happen? " His best friend spoke tensely

"I know..

I wish 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 "