Author's POV

Saaisha looked from her chacha and chachi to Shaurya, Veer, Siya, and Ryan. Her lips parted, but no words came out.

Questions swirled in her mind - Why are they here? Why are they being treated like criminals?

Slowly, she walked toward the cell and stopped in front of it. Her heart tightened as her eyes scanned their condition bodies lean, faces pale, eyes hollow. A lump rose in her throat. In a trembling voice, she whispered,

“Chote papa… choti maa.”

Both of them lifted their heads. The moment their eyes fell on her, they scrambled forward, tears spilling freely. They didn’t speak at first, just cried as pain had burst open at once.

The lock clicked, and Saaisha stepped inside. The second she crossed the threshold, they pulled her into a desperate embrace. Words tumbled out between sobs,

“Sorry, beta… we’re so sorry.”

“You’re okay, na? You’re not hurt?”

“Nothing happened to you, right?”

Saaisha gently pulled back from their grip and forced a faint smile.

“I’m fine,” she said softly.

Her chachi cupped her face, eyes frantic.

“They’re lying, right? Nothing happened to you… you were safe and happy all this time, right?”

Saaisha froze. Shock rippled through her not just at their broken state, but at the fact that they knew.

Her chachu’s voice cracked as he pleaded,

“Saaishu… say it, beta. You were safe. Nothing happened, right?”

Hearing her childhood nickname after so long, her eyes stung. Moisture welled at the corners, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. Her head moved side to side slowly, almost unwillingly. In a whisper that broke the silence, she said,

“What they told you… it’s all true.”

Both of them went utterly still, as if her words had turned them to stone. Then, with trembling arms, they clutched her again, their cries of apology muffled against her shoulders.

Saaisha stroked their backs gently.

“Why are you saying sorry, haan? You did nothing wrong. Look at you, you’re so lean, so weak. Let’s get out of here first, hmm?”

But neither of them moved.

Confused, she frowned.

“What happened? Let’s go.”

They didn’t answer. Their eyes weren’t on her anymore, they were fixed on something behind her.

Saaisha followed their gaze.

There stood the four pillars of Kaala Darbar, silent, unyielding.

Her grip on her chacha and chachi tightened. She said nothing to the men watching, only led her guardians out of the cell, standing protectively between them and the others.

Her eyes burned with a storm anger, hurt, and accusations unspoken.

Siya stepped forward carefully, her voice soft, almost pleading.

“Ishu… listen to us. We can explain.”

Saaisha’s gaze shifted to her sister. Her voice was calm but edged with steel.

“Let’s talk in Rathore Mansion, Siya di… hmm?”

And without waiting for a reply, she moved ahead her chacha and chachi beside her, the four pillars following in silence.

They were all gathered at the dining table of Rathore Mansion. No one spoke; it was the kind of silence that pressed against the walls, heavy and suffocating, the silence before a storm.

Saaisha quietly fed her chacha and chachi, her every movement tender, protective. When they finished their meal, she stood and gently led them toward the stairs. They followed her obediently, their weary bodies leaning into the comfort of her care.

Halfway up, Saaisha suddenly stopped. She turned around, her gaze shifting back to the dining table where the four pillars sat, watching her silently. She walked back toward them, not sparing them even a glance and instead fixed her eyes on Meera and Rajveer.

With a pout and a spark of anger in her voice, she said,

“Apko pata hai? Yeh sab… bohot bure hai. Very, very, very bad.”

(Do you know? They all are so bad)

Only then did she turn her gaze toward the four, her eyes narrowing with mock warning.

“Aap log ko toh baad mein dekh loongi main.”

(I'll see you all later.)

She spun back on her heels and returned to her chacha and chachi, leading them upstairs.

The four pillars exchanged looks. They knew her words carried a warning, but the way she had said them so innocent, so sweet took the sting away.

Meera and Rajveer, however, caught the undercurrent. They smiled softly at her cuteness, but the smile faded as Meera’s tone turned firm.

“Lift her mood,” she instructed, her voice edged with authority. “I don’t want my daughter to feel even a trace of sadness.”

All four of them bowed their heads in silent agreement, knowing the command was not just a request - it was an order they had no choice but to follow.

Shaurya, Veer, Ryan, and Siya sat in the office room, the heavy silence filled only by the ticking of the clock. Papers were scattered across the table, but none of them were looking at them, each lost in thought.

Finally, Veer broke the silence.

“I think… we’re missing something.”

Siya leaned forward, brows knitting. “Like what?”

Veer tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair, his voice low but steady.

“The person behind this isn’t reckless. Whoever it is, they know exactly what they’re doing. This isn’t a random attack… this feels like someone who’s been planning for years. Someone who knows us. Knows her.”

Siya’s frown deepened. “So what’s the motive then? To hurt us… or Saaisha? Because if it’s about us, why is she being dragged into this? And if it’s only about her, then why are we always pulled into the center of it?”

Veer gave a slow nod. “That’s the point. We’re not connecting something. Either we’re overlooking a piece of the puzzle, or the truth is sitting right in front of us and we just can’t see it. This...”

he gestured at the mess of files and reports, “...this is not a coincidence.”

His eyes shifted toward Shaurya and Ryan. Ryan, as always, sat like stone expressionless, unreadable.

But Shaurya had a faint smile playing on his lips, as though he saw something the others couldn’t.

Veer narrowed his eyes. “Why are you smiling like that, Saarkar? Don’t tell me you don’t believe me.”

Shaurya shook his head slowly, leaning back in his chair.

“I believe you, Hukum. Every word. I’m smiling because… I always admire it when you talk like this. So now, dig. Dig until you uncover the whole truth. I know you, you won’t rest until you pull every hidden piece into the light. And that’s exactly what we need right now.”

Veer studied him for a moment, then asked the question that lingered at the back of his mind.

“Is there anything you know, Saarkar… something we don’t? Because it feels like you’ve already connected some dots.”

Shaurya chuckled, that quiet, dangerous kind of laugh that gave away nothing.

“I know exactly what you know, Hukum. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Veer’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t push. The room lapsed back into silence thick, suffocating, the kind of silence that said everyone’s thoughts were running in different directions.

And then,

The door burst open.

A storm walked in, fury on her forehead, a stubborn pout on her lips. Saaisha.

Standing in front of them she asked, her voice low but cutting,

“Why? What was their fault in all of this?”

“Because they didn’t take care of you,” Siya replied firmly.

“They did,” Saaisha shot back without hesitation.

“Who said they didn’t? I was the one who left that house. They had nothing to do with it.”

“They could have checked on you,” Shaurya said, his tone calm but heavy.

“When you went missing, at least they could have informed the police. You might have been safe sooner.”

At that, Saaisha let out a chuckle dry, bitter, completely humorless. Her eyes locked on them, sharp enough to cut.

“You’re saying this? Really? The Chief Minister of Delhi - Shaurya Singh Rathore - the man with all the power in his hands, who still had to create a mafia because the system couldn’t deliver justice… is now telling me the police could have found me sooner?”

The room froze. A silence so thick, it pressed down on all of them. No one spoke. Their jaws clenched, but not a single argument came. Only Shaurya held her gaze steadily, while the others shifted uncomfortably uneasy at the way she had talked about shaurya.

Saaisha took a deep breath, her voice calmer now but still edged with truth.

“Sorry. That sounded harsher than I meant it. But tell me honestly, what would’ve happened if they had gone to the police? First, they’d have been told to wait twenty-four hours before filing a complaint. By then, I wasn’t even in lucknow anymore. I was already in delhi.”

Her words hit like stones. And though they knew she was right, not one of them showed regret for what they’d done to her chacha and chachi.

Saaisha shook her head, and this time her lips curved into a sad smile. She looked straight at them as she said softly,

“All families aren’t like yours, Mr. Rathore. But my chote papa and choti maa… they did enough for me. More than enough. And I’ll always be grateful to them. So please don’t look down on them like a criminals."

Then, with a sudden sharp chuckle, she added, “They’ve already done so much for me. What more do you expect? That they should give me a princess treatment, the way your family does?”

At once, frowns creased all their faces. Siya snapped,
“What we do is bare minimum.”

“Nope. Princess treatment.” Saaisha insisted, grinning.

“No. Bare minimum.” Veer and Shaurya said in perfect unison.

Saaisha raised an eyebrow, then turned to Ryan, who had been silent.
“Kahiye, Ryan bhai. Bare minimum or princess treatment?”

Ryan blinked at her, clueless.
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

Saaisha stared at him as if he had just invented a new level of stupidity. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Blinked. Finally threw up her hands. “Kya hai yeh?!”

(What is he?)

Shaurya, Veer, and Siya just shrugged they were used to Ryan’s brand of ‘lost in his own world.’

Saaisha groaned dramatically.
“Ryan bhai, now you’re my brother. You can’t sound this dumb. Aap aise bolenge toh mera poora aura kharab ho jaayega!”

Ryan narrowed his eyes at her.
“Aura? You? Please. I am the aura here. And I’m not your brother. Stop calling me that.”

Saaisha rolled her eyes.
“Phir se shuru ho gayi inki bimari.”

Tying her hair into a quick bun, she plopped onto the floor with a huff.
“Bas. It’s princess treatment. Argument over. Aur mujhe ab aap sab se baat hi nahi karni.”

All four of them immediately stood and surrounded her.

“What are you doing? Get up.”

She stayed put.

“Okay, fine.. we agree. It’s princess treatment. Now stand up.”

“No.”

“Saaisha…” they all called at once, their voices sharp enough to make her flinch for a second. But she recovered quickly, lifting her chin.

“Mafia ho toh kya ab mujhse gussa karoge?  hmm?”

None of them replied. This time Ryan stepped forward, shocking everyone.

“Alright. Let’s go out. Ice cream.”

The others stared at him as if they’d just seen a ghost. The Assassin… pacifying someone?

Saaisha narrowed her eyes.
“I’m not a little kid.”

Ryan stayed calm.
“Fine. Not only ice cream. Chocolates. Pastries. Whatever you want. As many as you want. I’ll buy them. No one will stop you. Now, stand up.”

Saaisha’s eyes widened. Slowly, a sheepish smile curved her lips.
“Jitni chahe utni?”

(As many as I want?)

Ryan gave a single nod.

Her pout instantly flipped into a wide grin. She sprang up.
“Okay then. Let’s go!”

They all had settled in the corner of the ice cream parlour. Shaurya had his face carefully hidden under a cap and mask, while Siya kept throwing sharp looks around to make sure no one recognized him. Veer was busy scrolling through his phone, and Saaisha? She was lost in her bowl of chocolate fudge, happily swinging her legs under the chair.

Everyone had ordered something sweet, everyone except Ryan. When Saaisha noticed his untouched seat, she nudged him with her spoon.

“Ryan bhai, aap bhi khao na. Vanilla? Chocolate? Kuch toh lo.”

Ryan, arms crossed, replied flatly,
“I don’t eat sugar.”

Once they finished, they began to leave. The bell on the parlour door jingled as they stepped out.

When suddenly, out of nowhere, a girl slammed right into Ryan with such force that the ice cream in her hands went splat straight into his mouth.

Ryan staggered back, stunned, his eyes wide as the cold cream smeared across his mouth. The girl, panicking, grabbed onto his shirt for balance, but Ryan.. being Ryan, didn’t even bother catching her. She lost her grip and fell backwards, but not before ripping a chunk of his shirt clean off.

In one chaotic moment, the great Ryan Singhania stood in the middle of the street - half his shirt torn, chest out, ice cream dripping from his mouth.

There was silence. A deadly, awkward silence.

And then,

“Pfft..” Shaurya tried to control himself.

“HAHAAHAHAHA!” Siya, veer and saaisha exploded.

One by one, they all broke down, clutching their stomachs, laughing so hard the people passing by stopped to stare.

Ryan still processing what happened, his jaw tightening. Shaurya came forward, reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief to help, but Siya grabbed his arm.

“Wait… first..” She quickly raised her phone.

Click!

“Now you can wipe.”

Ryan glared at her so hard she immediately stepped back, still laughing.

Meanwhile, the girl on the ground scrambled to her feet, her face hidden behind the piece of Ryan’s torn shirt.

Ryan’s voice came low, cold, and sharp.

“Who the hell are you? Show me your face right now!”

Slowly, with dramatic hesitation, the cloth lowered.

Ryan’s eyes widened. His voice came out like a growl..

“TUM?!!”
(You!!)

And the girl snapped back without missing a beat,
“Haan main!”
(Yes me!)

It was Anmol Kaur. Again.

Everyone froze. The laughter died, replaced by collective confusion.

Saaisha tugged Siya’s sleeve and whispered, “Do you know her?”

Siya shook her head, baffled.

Ryan stepped forward, furious.
“What is your problem, haan? Why do you keep crashing into me wherever I go?”

Anmol crossed her arms, standing her ground.
“Excuse me? You bumped into me! Har jagah mujhe dosh dena band karo.”

Before Ryan could unleash more fire, Saaisha leaned back, smiling mischievously.

“Waise… main hamesha sochti thi… agar har koi ladkon ki izzat karega… toh lutega kaun? Aaj pata chala… kaun.”

The words dropped like a bomb. Everyone turned to stare at her in shock.

Saaisha blinked innocently.
“Kya?”
(What?)

Shaurya pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kahan se seekh rahi ho yeh sab?”
(Where are you learning all this from?)

“Instagram,” Saaisha replied proudly, licking her spoon.

Ryan’s nostrils flared. He suddenly realized he was still standing there, shirt ripped wide open, half naked in the middle of the street.

At the same time, Anmol finally noticed what she’d done, her eyes darted from his chest to the torn shirt in her hands.

“Hayeee Rabba!” she gasped, her cheeks turning red. In a rush, she pulled off her dupatta and tossed it onto his chest.

Ryan looked down at the fabric now covering him and then up at her, fuming.

“What the hell! What do you think you’re doing?”

“Izzat bacha rahi hoon,” Anmol answered innocently, her voice full of fake sweetness.

The group snorted. Veer looked like he was about to choke trying not to laugh.

Ryan rolled his eyes, his tone dripping sarcasm.
“Wah. Pehle izzat loot lo… phir bacha lo. Logic toh suno is ladki ka.”

Anmol’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Rabba! Kitna jhoota larka hai! Maine kab looti aapki izzat?”

Ryan’s lips curved into a dangerous smirk. He stepped closer, lowering his voice until it dripped with menace and heat.

“Toh… lootna chahti ho?”

For a second, Anmol just stared at him, eyes wide, chest rising and falling faster. Then, scrunching up her nose, she pulled back dramatically.

“Chiiii!”

The group froze again. Saaisha leaned into Siya, whispering excitedly,
“Do you see that?”

Siya’s lips curled into a knowing smile.
“I see it.”

Veer and Shaurya both frowned, equally lost. “See what?”

Saaisha and Siya answered in perfect unison, grins plastered on their faces,

“Enemies to lovers.”

Shaurya and Veer groaned, rolling their eyes.

“Ryan. And love. Huh.”

“You ate my ice cream!” Anmol burst out, her eyes flashing.

Ryan’s jaw tightened.
“Ate? Are you serious right now? You shoved it into my mouth, girl!”

Anmol folded her arms, glaring right back.
“Toh apna moo band nahi kar sakte the aap? Sab aapki wajah se hua hai. Agar mujhe pakad lete toh shirt bhi nahi phatti thi!”

Ryan stared at her in disbelief, his voice rising.
“Are you even listening to yourself? You’re blaming me for your clumsiness?!”

Saaisha quickly slipped between them, hands raised like a referee.
“Bas! Stop, both of you!.”

She turned to Anmol with her sweetest smile. “Hi, I’m Saaisha. His sister.”

Anmol’s glare softened. She blinked, then returned the smile politely.
“Hello… I’m Anmol.”

“Nice to meet you, Anmol,” Saaisha said warmly.
“Chalo, I’ll buy you another ice cream. Waise bhi, apki toh Ryan bhai ne kha li.”

Anmol chuckled softly but shook her head. “No, no… it’s okay. I don’t want more trouble.”

Siya stepped in too, her tone gentle. “Arrey, it’s no trouble. Come, join us for a minute.”

Anmol smiled again, exchanged a few words with them, then finally excused herself not before throwing one last, sharp glare at Ryan.

Ryan’s eyes narrowed, his jaw ticking as he followed her retreat with a deadly glare of his own.

The moment Anmol disappeared from sight, Ryan turned back only to find Siya and Saaisha watching him with identical amused smiles.

“What?” he snapped.

Neither of them answered. Instead, they just walked past him as if he didn’t exist, whispering and giggling to each other like conspirators.

Ryan stood there, arms crossed, muttering under his breath,
“Pagal ladkiyaan.”

As they drove back to Rathore Mansion, the ride was quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts. The gates opened, and just parked the car was about to enter the house, Saaisha suddenly spoke up.

“Wait… wait.”

Her sudden urgency made them all turn to her at once. Shaurya slowed the car and asked, “What happened, Lotus?”

Saaisha looked at each of their faces, then smiled softly, too soft, almost unsettling after the storm they had just gone through.

“I forgot to tell you something.”

They waited, tense, curious.

She took a deep breath, her voice calm but firm.
“I’m going back to Lucknow… with Chote Papa and Choti Maa.”

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