Dear Readers,

Thank you to everyone who has voted and has taken an active part in the comments section.

This is an unedited draft of the book, meaning there will be several grammatical errors, name mismatches, plot discrepancies, and other sematic errors. If that is something you find offence, please do not proceed further.

The book is made available on Wattpad for feedback, once feedback is collected the book will be pulled from the platform, sent for professional editing and then published on Amazon kindle as a part of its unlimited program.

NEXT UPDATE AFTER 350 VOTES AND COMMENTS

To get the update same time tomorrow. Please provide the feedback by 2 AM (Today) 

As long as feedback is there, I will provide the updates.

Good day,

Swati Sandeep

There is no fear worse than the fear of losing a loved one. Dhruv was reliving the fear again, and this time it was a thousand times worse. Dev was not just his brother he was like a child to him. From the moment his father passed away he had to play both the role of a father and brother in Dev's life. Somewhere the brother faded away and the father took over completely.

As he ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, Dhruv could not help but wonder if he had overstepped his boundaries. Dev was a teenager, maybe he should have handled the situation in a better way. The boy had never gone missing before. Maybe he should not have raised his hand.

Dhruv's eyes filled up. He had called all his brothers friends. Though it was too late in the night he could not wait until the morning. His child was missing and he needed to know the boy was safe, but no one knew where Dev was. No one spoke to the boy after college.

Dhruv called Dhriti but she was in surgery. He did not know what else to do. It was past midnight. Dhruv was desperate. His only hope was the neighbors, but before that he had to check with Aman and Akshu. If they had seen anything he could use the information. Dhruv rushed to the penthouse but hesitated. It was too late to knock, but Dev's innocent face flashed before his eyes and Dhruv let go of his hesitation and knocked.

The door opened quickly to his surprise. "Finally, I thought you would not....." Akshu trailed away as she saw Dhruv instead of Aman. Her brother had been missing the whole day. She was waiting for him to come back home.

"Dhruv?" She rearranged her messy hair and gave him a small smile. The man was always catching her at the wrong time. She was once again in her dumb looking pajamas and looking more like an unkept school girl then the business woman she was.

"Sorry' Dhruv apologized immediately. Her appearance did not register with him at all. "I did not want to disturb you..."

"It's okay. Do you need anything."

Dhruv ran his fingers through his hair again and shook his head. "No, I wanted to ask if you had seen Dev."

Akshu looked confused.

"My younger brother. The boy you met yesterday. Did you see him today?"

Akshu nodded her head. She was taking a stroll on the terrace when she saw the boy walk out of the house. She remembered because it was too late in the night for a boy his age to be strolling out, but then she thought he was going for a walk and did not think much about it. It was none of her business anyway.

"He went out at around ten in the night. I thought he was going for a walk."

Dhruv stiffened. Dev was not allowed to go out after ten. Not without permission.

"Dhruv...."

"He is not at home, I am not able to find him." Dhruv blurted out without thinking. He had no one to talk to, with Dhrti at hospital he felt lost.

"Did you call him...

"He lost his phone."

Dhruv looked so troubled that Akshu reached for his hand without meaning to. "Hey, don't panic, okay." Her voice was soft and gentle. "He must have gone to a friend's place...."

Dhruv shook his head. "I called all his friends."

"Did you try the neighbors? He is friends with the violin girl. I saw them talking the day I moved in. Maybe he is at her place?"

Dhruv was confused. "Violin girl?"

"I don't know her name, but she plays violin all day. She stays next door. Don't you know her?"

Dhruv had no idea who she was, but Dev was a very social kid and made friends easily. He wanted to rush down and check but Akshu grabbed his hand and stopped him. "Where are you going?"

"I will check with them..."

"The girl is very young. I don't think her parents would appreciate you going knocking at her door in the middle of the night."

Dhruv felt frustrated. He wished Dhriti were there. She would have gone there without hesitation.

"Give me one minute, I will change and come. We can go together."

Dhruv was surprised with the offer but appreciated it. Akshu rushed inside and dressed up in record speed. She came back in five minutes as promised and accompanied Dhruv to the neighbors house. They rang the bell but there was no answer. They waited for a few minutes and tried again, but there was no response. That is when Akshu noticed the newspapers lying on the floor. She could count three.

"They are not at home." She pointed at the newspapers lying down. Dhruv closed his eyes to curb the panic. All the doors were closing. He did not know what else to do.

"Has Dev done something like this before?" Akshu could not stop the question, from what little she had observed the kid was shy and sweet, but teenagers were unpredictable and two hours was not enough to form an impression on anyone. Dhruv's state told her that he was worried. She could read the anguish in his eyes. The man loved his brother. She could appreciate a love like that.

Dhruv shook his head. "He is a very good kid, Ms. Shekhawat. We had an argument in the morning. I messed up, I need to..... I will go to the police station."

Akshu did not think it was a good option. Dev had gone missing for only a few hours. She knew a missing person's complaint could not be filed before 24 hours. The police would not be of much help.

"They will ask you to wait until morning, Dhruv." Akshu stopped him from hurrying away. "Don't waste your time. I know you are worried for the boy, but you need to think calmly. If the boy did not go to his friend's place, where else could he be? Does he have a comfort place? Somewhere he hangs out frequently?"

Dhruv shook his head. The boy preferred to stay at home with him and Dhriti. Whenever he was upset he only needed them, and then it struck him. Dev could not rest until they resolved an argument. He always made it a point to seek him out even when he knew Dhruv was not ready to talk.

"He must have gone to the restaurant."

Akshu nodded her head. That made sense to her. She and Aman fought like cats and dogs but she could never rest until she resolved the fight. Siblings were mostly wired the same way. "Why don't you go check. I am sure he must be there."

Dhruv bobbed his head. He grabbed his phone to book an uber. The metro would take him forever. He needed to make sure Dev was fine. Akshu saw him looking for cabs and offered to drive him to the restaurant. Any other day Dhruv would have declined the offer, but at that moment he felt grateful for the help. Nothing came before Dev, not even his pride!

Dev shivered as the cold engulfed him. The flimsy t-shirt he was wearing was no protection against the chilling cold. Dheer rubbed his hands together, hoping to rub some warmth into them. He was used to the freezing winters of New York, but then he never stepped out without a warm coat.

"If the power is out, why is this place so damn cold." Dev whined in protest. The cold was making his teeth clutter. They were stuck inside for 20 minutes and yet it felt like forever.

Dheer was asking himself the same question. A power malfunction should have stopped the thing from working but the chill inside told him otherwise. What neither of them knew was that a professional walk-in freezer could maintain temperature for 24 hours after a power malfunction and Dhruv got the best he could. Food was their business, he made sure he made no compromises.

"Is it this cold in New york?"

Dheer nodded his head. "More or less. When we have a winter storm it's worse."

"How do you survive?" Dev shivered again.

"Well we don't spend hours in the cold." Dheer pulled the boy closer. The way he was shivering made him worry. Mumbai had warm weather, the boy was not used to the bone chilling cold. He was born and raised in New York and yet he was feeling the bite in his bones. For Dev it must be a thousand times worse.

"Jacket nahi laya tu apne saath? (Did you not get a jacket with you)?"

"I did." Dev snuggled closer to Dheer seeking his warmth. That was the only protection he had against the cold. "But I left it in Bhaiya's office."

Dheer closed his eyes. Fate never played a fair game. He was wearing a flimsy jeans jacket. Thankfully he had changed before stepping inside the freezer, but the material offered very little protection. Dev shivered again. Dheer pulled back and removed his jacket and offered it to Dev. The boy shook his head. "Bahut thand hai, Bhai. Aap ko bhi zarurat hai. (It's very cold, Bhai. Even you need it.)"

"You need it more, Dev." Dheer did not let him argue and helped him wear the jacket. "Don't worry about me, I am used to chilly winters, remember?"

Dev bobbed his head, buying the lie. The cold did not let him think much. Dheer felt the difference immediately. However flimsy the jacket was it offered a little insulation, with that gone he could feel the direct impact. Dher checked his phone hoping to find a signal, but there was nothing. He felt frustrated. Being shut inside without a means of escape revived bitter memories for him. He was not ready to face them again.

"Does anyone know you are here?" He pulled the boy closer for his own comfort.

Dev shook his head. He wished he had left a message for his di.

"Don't they have a curfew for you?" Dheer frowned. He had led a free life but his grandmother was strict about curfew. He could do anything he wanted, but he had to be back home before nine.

"I am not supposed to go out after ten." Dev confessed in a small voice.

"And yet you are here."

"Mujhe Bhaiya se baat karna tha, Bhai. Woh baat he nahi kar rahe hai mujhse. (I wanted to talk to Bhaiya. He is not talking to me.)" Dev's eyes filled up.

Dheer sighed. "Tune baat chupaye unse, unka gussa sahe hai, Dev. (You kept the truth from him, he has the right to be mad at you.) You should have waited for him to come back..."

"Par woh kabhi itni der baat kiye bina nahi rehte. (He has never stayed so long without talking to me.) Ek baar bhi call nahi keya aaj. (He did not call me even once.)"

"He was busy, Dev. We barely got room to breathe. If he did not call you, why did you not make the call?"

Dev lowered his gaze. Dhriti called Dhruv several times, and he did not respond. Dev feared that Dhruv would do the same to him. He could not take it if his Bhaiya did not answer his call.

"Bhaiya has gone home early, he must have realized by now that you are missing. He will be even more upset."

Dev nodded his head. He was sure Dhruv would lock him up for the rest of his life. He could kiss all his freedom goodbye, but at that moment he did not care much about punishments. All he wanted was for his Bhaiya to talk to him.

"He will come back here looking for you. Don't worry we don't have to be stuck here for long." Maybe an hour or two. Dheer estimated. "Until then why don't we have something? Tera to pata nahi, par mughe bohot zor ke bhook lage hai. (I don't know about you, but I am famished.)"

Dev shook his head. He was not hungry. He could not eat until he resolved things with his Bhaiya. Dheer pulled back and walked to the cooked food section. He had stored the leftovers carefully. The pickup van for food distribution came in the mornings. The food was kept safely until someone could collect it. It reduced wastage and made sure someone was fed.

The dishes had turned cold but something was better than nothing. He grabbed a couple of sandwiches and made his way back to Dev. The flashlight in his phone was the only source of light. He checked the battery to make sure they would not run out of light. It was at 30%. Luck was really not on their side. As he was waking he noticed the whiskey and quickly grabbed the bottle. It was the best defence against cold.

He rushed to the boy's side and settled down next to him. Dev shook his head again when Dhruv offered him the sandwich.

"Khale. Subah se bhooka hai. (Eat something you have not eaten the whole day.) It's difficult to deal with cold when you are starving."

Dev shook his head again.

"Stop acting dumb, Dev." Annoyance flashed in Dheer's eyes. "Starving yourself will not gain you Bhaiya's forgiveness. You will have to work for it." Dheer forced Dev to take the sandwich. "Galti karega toh Bhaiya gussa karenge he. (If you mess up, Bhaiya will scold you.) You cannot act childish about it. This kind of emotional blackmail is really unfair."

"Main emotional blackmail nahi kar raha, Bhai. (I am not trying to blackmail, Bhai.)" Dev's voice was heavy with sadness. "Bas khaya nahi jaa raha. (I am not hungry.)"

Dheer let out a tired sigh. He regretted yelling at the boy, but the situation was getting to him. They had to wait for two hours in the freezing cold. They had to make sure they survived it.

"Please, khale. Nahi khayega to bimar pad jayega. (If you don't eat, you will fall sick.) That will upset Bhaiya more."

Dev did not wish to eat but he did not wish to trouble his Bhaiya more, so he ate even though he did not feel like it. The cold sandwich tasted chalky in his mouth. He coughed up immediately. Dheer passed him the whisky bottle, but Dev pushed it away.

"Paani. (Water.)" He coughed harder.

"It's cold storage, Dev. Pani kahan se aayega? (Where will we get water?) Have this please."

Dev shook his head. No one in their home touched alcohol. That was his Bhaiya's utmost rule. Their father had destroyed his life with alcohol. They all learned a very hard lesson from his follies.

"Dev..."

"I am okay, Bhai" Dev pushed the bottle away. He had already hurt his Bhaiya enough. He could not disrespect him by violating every rule.

"You are not okay!" Dheer cursed himself for forcing the boy to eat. He needed the boy to stop choking. It did no favors in the cold. Dheer let go of Dev and rushed back to the wine unit. He remembered stacking up a couple of breezers. They contained 4% alcohol which meant they would not freeze so soon. He grabbed them and went back to Dev who was still struggling.

"Have this" He thrust the bottle in his hand.

"No alcohol..."

"There is no alcohol in this." Dheer lied through his teeth. "Have it."

Dev took a sip and winced as his throat burned. "It's gross."

"Take small sips," Dheer encouraged. "It will not hurt."

A little alcohol would help restore the heat in their body. If they were not stuck in the unit he would never let the boy touch the drink until he turned 21, but desperate times call for desperate actions. The color was returning to Dev's cheek, that was all Dheer was aiming for. Once the boy felt better, Dheer settled beside him.

"Have some more sandwiches."

Dev did not argue and picked it up. He was too exhausted to put up a fight.

"It's getting very cold."

Dheer nodded his head. It was not getting cold, their body's tolerance level was decreasing. They needed to get out of the place before the chill settled into the bones. Bhaiya must be on his way. Dheer reminded himself. They only had to hold on for a little longer. He wished he had not instructed the security team to never step into the restaurant. If he had the damn phone working he would have already called them. They were never far behind. For now, Dhruv was their only option.

"So how do you like your music classes?" Dheer asked to distract himself and Dev. They needed something to take their mind off the predicament they were stuck in.

Surprised flickered in Dev's eyes. "Aapko kaise pata? (How do you know?)"

Dheer cursed himself. It had slipped without intention. "I saw you with the violin girl." Dheer thought on his feet. He knew Dev took violin classes from the girl next door. The detective still kept him updated.

"Isha di." Dev bobbed his head. "She is a great teacher. Her name is Alisha, not a violin girl. She has won several awards in music. They call her a child prodigy. She is the best!"

Dheer could see the boyish crush and could not hold back the smile. "You like her?"

Dev bobbed his head, but then noticed the smile and swatted his hand. "Aap bhi na, Bhai. (Come one Bhai) She is like a sister to me."

"Abey tere problem kya hai? Ladke dekhe ke nahi Di jod deta hai. Aise to sare umr kuwara he re jana hai. (What is your problem dude? You call every girl Di. This way you will stay single for life.)"

Dev flushed a deep shade of red. "I am not looking for a girl."

"Keep telling yourself that." Dheer rolled his eyes. The kid was clueless. Someone needed to teach him to behave better. The good boy image did not suit the little rockstar. Dev had the looks that could have the ladies drooling, he was wasting his assets. No brother of his could behave so dumb. He needed to whip the boy into shape.

Dev rested his head on Dheer's shoulder. He did not wish to talk about girls, the topic always left him uncomfortable. "Can we talk about something else, Bhai?"

"Can you stop calling me, Bhai?" Dheer blurted out.

Dev shook his head. "Maine bataya na humhare ghar pe bado ko naam se nahi bulatey. (I told you already we don't address our elders by name."

"Haan to theek hai, kuch aur bulale. (So address me some other way.) Bhai is so old fashioned."

"Main Bhaiya ke seway kese ko Bhaiya nahi bulata. (I don't call anyone Bhaiya except Bhaiya.)"

"I don't want to be called Bhaiya." Dheer sounded horrified. If Bhai made him feel older, Bhaiya made him feel ancient. And Bhaiya was supposed to be a responsible person in your life. He wanted to play the role of a cooler elder brother. Dheer did not even realize what he was thinking. The family that he believed was not his own was the same family he was dreaming to be a part of.

"Bhaiya nahi, Bhai nahi, to aur kya? (I can't call you Bhaiya, you don't want to be called Bhai.) What about Bhaiyu?"

Dheer shook his head. He did not wish to end up like another Aman. The moron was not his idea of a cool elder brother.

"Bro?"

Dheer cringed. Dev shook his head. "Aapko kuch bhi acha nahi lagta. (You don't like anything.)"

"Tere koi bhai hota, mere age ka to use kaise bulata tu? (If you had an elder brother my age, how would you address him?"

"Big-B!" Dev said without hesitation. "I have a very cool elder brother. I think he is around your age. Bhaiya kehte hai woh ke bohot cool hai. (Bhaiya says he is very cool.) I don't remember much about him." Dev sighed. "I met him only a few times and we were children then. I wish I got to see him again."

Dheer froze. Dev was talking about him. "You have another brother?"

Dev nodded his head. "Dheeren Singh Wadhwa. My cousin." Dev's eyes softened. "Maybe that is why I feel this strong connection to you. You are close to Big-B's age and you even share his name. I hope I get a chance to meet him again."

"Why don't you know your cousin?" Dheer asked softly, his heart pounding in his chest. Dhriti hated him, but Dev shared a different perspective. There was no hatred in the boy's tone, only longing.

"We don't stay together. He stays in New York. See you have something else in common with my Big-B." Dev flashed him a big smile. Dheer's heart melted. Big-B was such a cool name.

"What does it mean? Big-B?"

"Big-Brother. It's a mouthful so I shortened it to Big-B. Aab mere Big-B to New York me hai. Unhe dhode hindi ante hoge. Aur unke cool boy image to Bhai Bhaiyu thodi suit karega? Isleye Big-B. (He stays in New York, I guess he doesn't know hindi. And I don't believe that Bhai aur Bhaiyu would suit his cool image. So Big-B.) Cool hai na? (It's cool right?) Do you think he will like it?"

"Very much." Dheer could not hold back the emotion from his voice. "He would like it very much!"

Dhruv looked at the close sign in frustration. The restaurant was locked. Akshu saw the sign and shook her head. She was hoping they would find the boy in the restaurant. Dhruv was growing frantic with each passing second.

"Maybe he went home with Dheer?" She suggested. "Why don't you call him?"

Dhruv immediately made the call, but the phone was unreachable.

"He must be in the metro." Dhruv dialed again. Sometimes they did not have a network in the metro.

"Keep trying" Akshu encouraged as she answered her own phone. Aman had reached the penthouse a few minutes after they left. He was worried to find her missing and called immediately. When she told him about the missing boy he told her that he would meet her at the restaurant.

"Did you guys reach?" Aman asked as soon as the call got connected.

"Yes."

"And the boy is there?"

Akshu shook her head. "The restaurant is closed. Dheer's phone is unreachable."

"Damn the metro." Aman cursed. "Why does he have to take the dumb public transport, Akshu. He is Yash Singh Randhawa's heir for crying out loud. If he wants he can buy the whole metro for himself. Why is he taking the act too far?"

"That is none of our business, Aman." Askhu hissed under her breath. Dhruv was standing too close, if he was not caught up in the situation, he would have heard every word. "Let's hope the boy reaches home safely with Dheer. When did the last metro reach there?"

"How am I supposed to know that?"

"Then find out. NOW."

Aman groaned but disconnected the call. Two minutes later her phone buzzed again.

"The 23.50 train reached the station twenty minutes ago. That was the last metro for the day, Akshu. The kid is not back home. Dhriti is there waiting for the boy. Neither the boy nor Dheer turned up. The station is only a five minute walk."

Akshu looked at Dhruv, who was talking to Dhrti from the way his body froze. It was clear that he got the same information. If the boy was not back home, and he was not at the restaurant, where could he have gone?

1- Best part of the episode

2- Based on today's episode only what is your take on

a- Akshu

b- Dhruv

c- Dheer

d-Dev

Next update same time tomorrow. Don't forget to share your feedback for timely updates.