Recap

Anirudh gasped. Everything otherthan the company name and the slogan was present earlier. But he missed it.

"They were four... Not two..."

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"Where did they go, Bhabi?"
Asked Agasthya again while Meghna sighed.

"I don't know, August..."

"I hope you are not lying bhabi..."
Agasthya whispered looking at the door.

Meghna faked a smile. She was very tensed. Anirudh told her that they are going to meet Simran and strictly warned her to keep it as a secret from Agasthya. So she had no choice otherthan a lie.

Agasthya was biting his nails and glaring at the door without blinking his eyes.

Meghna felt guilty. Anirudh told her that it was just a matter of one or two hours and she was sure that he won't go too far leaving Agasthya alone with her. So they believed that she can mask Aaryan and Anirudh's absence for this short period of time without getting noticed by Agasthya.

But they were wrong. Just few minutes after they left Agasthya started to asking her about them. He even searched the whole house expecting that it was a prank from Aaryan.

"Don't over think and don't get tensed, Agasthya... They will be back soon..."

"I am not tensed bhabi... But I always feel insecure whenever I couldn't find either one of them with me..."

"It's ok dear..." Said Meghna cupping his face.

Agasthya nodded but next second Meghna witnessed his eyes being wide in shock.

"Bhaiya..."

Meghna turned her head in jerk. She also gasped when she saw Anirudh and Aaryan standing there with Simran.

Blood stains were clear in their dress.

"What happened?"
She screamed while running towards Aaryan.

There was a clear fresh cut on his palm, from which blood dropped in a rhythm making a small red pool on the floor.

Meghna removed the clothe with which Aaryan covered his wound. It was larger than she expected.

"Sit here..." Meghna forced Aaryan and started to clean and dress his wound with the medicine and cotton brought by Anirudh.

"It didn't cut any of my major nerves bhabi..."

Meghna gave him a stern look. "How do you know that? Are you a doctor?"

"Otherwise I would have died already..." Said Aaryan with a small smirk and got a slap from Meghna as reward.

"Jokes sometimes do reverse effect Aaryan..." Said Anirudh while spraying antiseptics on small scratches which he had in his hand.

"What happened actually?" Meghna again asked in fear.

"Nothing... We had a meet up with Akash Malhotra..."

"What! But..."

Anirudh cut Meghna's question by an unusual stare. She knew it's meaning.

'Not now...'

Simran moved forward to hold Agasthya when she saw his hands shivering but Anirudh took him in an embrace before she could reach.

"Are you feeling dizzy August?"
He asked wiping sweat from Agasthya's face.

"No bhaiya..." Replied Agasthya glaring at Simran.
"But I don't like the Red colour..."

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"Anirudh what happened? Why did you bring Simran here? How could you let Akash Malhotra to hurt Aaryan? "

Meghna asked to Anirudh entering in his room, closing the door behind.

"Which question shall I answer first?"

Meghna shook her head in disbelief. Anirudh was unbelievably calm.

"How could you be like this... Are you frozen?"

Anirudh smiled.
"Well... I have to make sure that she is alive. We didn't get a chance to speak with her properly due to her father's unexpected visit. That's why I told her to stay with us. And about Aaryan... I don't know when he will be clever enough to understand that holding a sharp knife with his bare hands can lead to nothing but an uncontrollable blood loss..."

"You sound weird..."

"May be..."

"Agasthya was really panicked in your absence... "

"I know..."

"Then why did you leave him with me?"

"Meghna... You may feel that I am cruel. But it's better to make him strong enough to face everything. I hope I can shield him from the demons, but how long? He should learn to move on with out me... Not only him but Aaryan, you, everyone..."

"Please stop Anirudh..." Meghna pleaded. "I know you can't fail..."

Anirudh moved close to her and locked her lips with his.

But Meghna pushed him back. His words were troubling her heart.

Anirudh sighed looking at the moisture in her eyes.

"Leave it... You know I can't fail..."

"I am afraid. Akash Malhotra hurted Aaryan infront of your eyes and what will happen if he do the same to Agasthya?"

"Do you think that I will forgive him for hurting my Aary?"

"No. But I can't believe that you was reluctant to react own time..."

Anirudh smiled. She said 'own' time but she didn't know what that actually means.

"No matter if it is Aaryan or Agasthya... Each drop of their blood matters to me..."

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Agasthya slowly touched on Aaryan's palm with his fingers. It was his left hand, which Agasthya hold tightly everytime.

"Keep your chubby soft hand over my wound Agasthya..." Aaryan smiled. "I won't feel pain anymore..."

Agasthya wept hiding his face on Aaryan's lap.

"Why did he hurt you bhaiya? I will kill him for this..."

"So today it's Aary bhaiya's baby not mine..."
Said Anirudh while Agasthya narrowed his eyes.

"What's wrong with you Anirudh?"
Sighed Meghna. She was still puzzled on their earlier conversion but Anirudh was acting like nothing had happened.

Simran felt herself being really impatient. She was an outsider so didn't intervene in their family talks. But her father's sudden entry and argument bothered her like anything.

"I think I should leave now..." She said to Anirudh but he denied.

"You promised that you will help us. You can speak with Agasthya, now..."

Simran started to say something but Agasthya roared before that.

"Why should I speak with this Simran, Ani bhaiya... She is a monster... Her father is a demon..."

"Don't use these type of words Agasthya..." Meghna rolled her eyes but Simran smiled.

"Let him, Dr. Meghna... I don't expect anything else from Aaryan Thakur's younger brother..." She couldn't understand why but it was more painful to hear these all from Agasthya. But masking emotions was more easy for her than expressing it.

"What does it mean, Simran... I may be bad but don't try to judge my brother by that..." Aaryan yelled.

Anirudh stepped forward to Agasthya but before that warned Simran in his cold voice.
"Not a word about Agasthya..."

Simran regretted for saying that. She knew she won't get a forgiveness in Agasthya's case.

"Simran is not that much bad, I think..." Said Anirudh but Agasthya turned his head.

"At least she helped you to find me in the airport, right?"

"Yes bhaiya... But..."

"Just listen to her once, August... I am with you..."

Agasthya agreed for his brother.
"What do you want to ask?"

"I am going to ask something about Mr. Rajeev Thakur's death. But I won't force you to answer me in this state."
She intentionally avoided the word 'murder'.

Agasthya bowed his head but Aaryan whispered in his ear.
"Show her that you are strong, August..."

"Ok."

"Did you see the murder? I mean..."

"No." Agasthya replied immediately. "I am sure... There were no one when I reached near papa..."

"Did you remember any particular sound, like sound of any vehicle... Or anything?"

Agasthya sighed in frustration. How much he tried to act as brave he was still afraid of that day.

"I don't know... I heard Papa screaming... And I guess there was a gunshot before that... Not clear..."

"Ok. Thank you for co operating..." Simran said but Agasthya didn't mind.

"I don't need your thanks..."

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Next Morning

Anirudh, Aaryan, Meghna and Simran were sitting in the hall. It was early morning so that they could avoid Agasthya's presence. Even though Anirudh tried to make others agree with his decision of including Agasthya in their conversation, both Aaryan and Meghna protested. Aaryan cleared that he won't allow to ruin Agasthya's peace so Anirudh accepted defeat with his half mind.

"What was the motive behind that questions, Anirudh?" Asked Meghna.

Simran already told the other two that the questions she asked to Agasthya wasn't her own but instructed by Anirudh.

"Wait bhabi... But why didn't you ask them by your self?"
Said Aaryan facing Anirudh.

"I will answer... But before that please tell us about the other two people behind F4 MEDICARE..."
Anirudh said to Simran.

Simran was also curious to know the answer of Aaryan's question but she decided to obey Anirudh.

"They are... Karan Chowdary and Prathap Deshmukh..."

"Karan Chowdary... I think we are familiar with this name, Ani..." Said Aaryan trying hard to recall that person. He was just eight years old at that time and didn't remember more.

But Anirudh had a sharper and faster brain.
"I remember him... He was our father's best friend. We used to call him 'Uncle '."

Mention of the word 'uncle' made Aaryan think about Prakash Sreenivas.
"Another betrayer... I guess..."

"Do you know anything more?"

"Yes." Simran nodded.
"F4 MEDICARE stopped it's service just after two months of it's inauguration..."

"I know..."

"Not only that... Both Prathap Deshmukh and Karan Chowdary were killed."

"Oh... God..." Gasped Meghna.

"What about their family?"
Asked Anirudh.

"Karan was an orphan. I couldn't find anything other than it... But Prathap's entire family was killed in a bomb blast... His wife Aditi, 3 children, entire family including servents and security officers... No one escaped."

"It seems terrible..." Sighed Aaryan holding Anirudh's hand.

"Any more details?" Anirudh asked again.

"More... Yes... Aditi Prathap Deshmukh was a dancer and their children's name were Varun, Ahana and Neeraj... First two were twins, 15 and Neeraj was 5 or 6 at the time of their death... That is 18 years back"

"Ok." Anirudh said.

"Do anyone have any guess that why F4 MEDICARE stopped it's service with in a shortest period of time? Pharmaceutical business is one of the most profitable field now. And this project seems very well planned and intelligent."
Said Meghna.

"I couldn't find anything about it." Sighed Simran. "Dead bodies of both Karan and Prathap were found in the company laboratory so that it was sealed by the police for investigation. Then this case also put aside as unsolved one by them..."

"I think they may be did this all for money... To get insurance..." Said Aaryan.

But Simran cut him immediately.
"I also thought the same first... But the statistics proves that they would get a profit that almost double than the insurance money with two or three years... Then what is the need of ruining it all?"

"Hmm..." Aaryan agreed.

"And I have a strong belief that my father had played some major role behind it... That's why he is getting this much tensed. " exclaimed Simran.

"If it is not for money... Then what should be the reason behind the destruction of F4 MEDICARE?"
Asked Meghna being confused.

Anirudh who was entirely silent throughout their argument suddenly thanked to Simran for her help.

"What do you think, Ani..." Asked Aaryan. "If the reason wasn't money, then what is it?"

Anirudh smiled. He already decided to know more about Karan Chowdary and Prathap Deshmukh. Information they had now is nothing infront of the riddle they have to solve.

"If it wasn't money then it can be either Family or Honour... Or both!"

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Aesthetics of Varun is here...
Choose one from this.

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(I had updated the characters part, don't forget to check  and comment ‼️‼️‼️)