Author's Pov

Prikshit came out of the house and drove away. He is driving aimlessly, and his phone keeps ringing. He didn't pick up anyone's calls.

Then again, his phone rang, and seeing the caller ID, he stopped the car abruptly with a screech.

Defeatedly, he picked up the call. “They told you too?” He questioned.

“What is this, Prikshit?” Instead, Prikshita asked back.

Yes, it's Prikshita, and both siblings love each other so much that they can't live without talking to each other. So without wasting a second, he picked up her call.

“Then what do you want me to do?” He asked, a bit frustrated.

“What did she say?” Prikshita asked.

“What could be worse than a clear no?” He asked, and Prikshita got her answer.

“I am sorry, Prikshu.” She mumbled helplessly about not being there for her brother when he needed her the most.

“Don't be.” He shook his head vigorously while coming out of his car and taking a deep breath.

“Is she in love with someone else?” Prikshita asked.

“That's the problem that she isn't.” Prikshit chuckled sadly.

“Then try to talk to her….”

“As if she is ready to talk?” He cut her off irritatingly. “As if I haven't tried? She didn't come to talk; she came to give me her final decision.”

“Prikshit, listen to me, brother. She is a girl burdened with responsibilities. Noor told me about her, and girls like her won't melt for expensive gifts or sugar-coated love; they crave care and understanding. Try to understand her, try to find out the reason behind her denial, and show her that you are ready to accept her with her responsibilities and that you are ready to share them with her. Trust me, she is trying to be tough, but somewhere she wants someone to just tell her that whatever she is doing is right. Try to overcome whatever insecurities she has.” Prikshita tried to make her brother understand. “Besides telling her how much you love her, try to show her with your gestures. Actions speak louder than words. If your love is actually true, then give her time and patience. Don't give up on her.”

Prikshit heard everything calmly, understood his sister’s words, and said, “I think she must be worried about her younger sister and mother. I had said to her elder sister that I would be there with her to take care of them…..”

“Then talk to Mihika about that.” Prikshit cut her off.

“I'll try my best, and I will not give up on us.” Prikshit replied with determination.

“That's like my brother.” Prikshita cheers him up. “Now go back home. Everyone is waiting for you.”

“Yeah, bye.”

They cut the call, and Prikshit drove back home.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw everyone waiting for him, and he declared before they all started again, “She said no, but I am not going to give up on he…..”

His words were left unsaid when Veer jumped on him while screaming, “THAT'S LIKE MY BROTHER!!”

“Veer!” Noor pulled him back from his collar and whisper-yelled. “Fir se muh mein rumal thuswana hai kya? (Do you want to stuff a handkerchief in your mouth again?)”

“Sorry,Yaar Veeru.” Prikshit apologized while holding his jaw lightly. “Is it hurting…”

“It was.” Veer cut him off with a nervous chuckle and stepped back while rubbing his jaw. “But not anymore.”

Everyone present is suppressing their laughs while looking at Veer.

“Please, don't do that again.” Veer said while standing at a one-arm distance from Prikshit, and everyone burst out laughing.

“Kaa hua? (What happen?)” Aarna came running to them and asked.

“Bta du Aarna tumahare, Dadda dar gae? (Should I tell her that your dad got scared?)” Noor whispered.

“Begum!” He gasped in disbelief.

“Kuch nahi ice cream khaegi chachu ki chuhii? (Nothing, you want to eat ice cream, uncle’s mice?)” Prikshit asked happily while picking up Aarna in his arms.

“Yesss!” She giggled, and they walked towards the kitchen.

Veer is looking at his brother shocked, who has been behaving like Devdas since morning. Now what happened to him suddenly?

“Begum, mere bhai ko sdma lg gya. (Begum, my brother got a shock.)" Veer mumbled worriedly and ran after them. “Oye Prikshit!!”

Veer stepped inside and saw Aarna sitting on the kitchen counter, and Prikshit was about to put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. 

Veer hugged him tightly, and Prikshit stiffened in his place. His arms were hanging in the air, his eyes wide in surprise, and Aarna’s mouth was hanging open in the air for her ice cream, which her father didn't let her eat.

“Roo le mere bhai. Roo le. Mujhe pata hai, tujhe sdma lga hai. Roo le. Main kisi ko nahi bataunga. (Cry, my brother. Cry. I know you are shocked. Cry. I won't tell anyone)” Veer started consoling his brother, and Prikshit rolled his eyes at his brother’s melodrama.

“DADDAAAAAA!” Aarna screamed while tucking his shirt from behind.

Veer instantly looked at her and asked, “What's wrong, my love?” 

“Meiii ice seam! (My ice cream!)” She huffed while pouting her lips.

Before Veer could open his mouth to say anything, Prikshit pushed him out of his way. “Hatt yaar ice cream khane de or jake tu roo le wrna rumal ek meri pocket mai bhi hai. (Stay away, man! Let me eat the ice cream and you go and cry; otherwise, I have a handkerchief in my pocket too.)” Prikshit threatened, and Veer palmed his mouth while Mustafa was laughing his ass off while standing in the doorway.

But Aarna's one word, and he gulped back his laugh.

“Heihei mamu, ice seam khaoge? (Uncle Heihei, you want to eat ice cream?)” Aarna asked cutely, and now Veer started laughing hard.

“Waah meri choti sherni. (My little lioness.)” Veer kissed Aarna’s cheeks and again laughed, looking at Mustafa’s face.

“Go away and let us have our ice cream.” Prikshit shooed away both of them and had an ice cream party with his little mice.

The next day, Veer went for important work, and Noor was taking Aarna to school when Shahzaib came out of nowhere.

Noor ran away in terror, and everyone came out after hearing the commotion outside.

Arunima and Ira burst out in anger at Shahzaib and didn't hear any of his pleas.

Noor ran to Henry's house, as it's her only safe place in Veer’s absence. Seeing her condition, they all got scared, and Aarna is the one who is most scared, seeing her mother crying nonstop.

Mihika’s hand trembled, but somehow she took Aarna from her, as Aarna was scared too, wondering why her mother was crying so much.

They all tried their best to make Noor stop crying, but she kept crying.

Veer came back, and seeing Noor’s condition, he panicked even more. Mustafa brought Noor’s bhabhi (sister-in-law) with him, and Veer got angry, but Sarah just wanted to apologize.

Samriddhi's family gave them a little privacy, and Mihika took Aarna with her and Manvi.

“Mihii didi. Whyy Ammi iz clying? (Mihika dii. Why is my Ammi crying?)” Aarna asked curiously, and Mihika knows she is on the verge of crying as well.

Mihika wasn't able to say anything, and she just clutched Aaran to her heart. She knows how much these kinds of things cause trauma to kids, and she doesn't want Aarna to face anything like that.

“Nothing baby.” Mihika replied to her with a smile, trying her best to give that little soul some solace. “Your Ammi was missing your Dadda.” She giggled, trying to cheer up Aarna. “Your Dadda promised to bring chocolates for your Ammi, and she was worried. What if your Dadda forgot to bring chocolates?”

“Haaan! (Really!)” Aarna asked cutely, and Mihika nodded.

“Budhu Dadda. (Goofy Dadda.)" Aarna mumbled while touching her forehead with her little palm, and Mihika giggled, seeing how easy it is to divert little children’s minds. Why is this not like with adults?

Somehow, Noor calmed down, but she stayed at their house.

The next morning, they left for their house but left Aarna at Henry's.

Aarna's friends also came, and the kids insisted on going to the park.

“I'll take them, Jeen.” Mihika volunteers to take the kids, as it will be good for Aarna to not think about what happened yesterday.

Dorein took them as Samriddhi had off today.

Mihika is playing with kids, and they were playing soundly when havoc spread in the park and a gunshot was heard.

Mihika got scared and instantly embraced all the kids in her embrace. Manvi, Ewan, Aarna, and Hope

All four of them. Her whole body started shivering in fear. She is not worried for herself, but for these little kids.

Dorein was with them, and he said to Mihika, "Our car is just left on the other side of the park. We need to go there. Hurry up!"

Mihika was shaken to her core, but she composed herself for the sake of the kids and instructed Manvi, who is scared as hell, while the other three kids have no idea why everyone started running suddenly.

"Manvi, run with Aarna and don't stop. Okay?" She instructed her little sister.

"But....."

"Nothing's going to happen. Just run." Mihika cut her off, and they all ran.

Ewan and Hope were with Mihika. Manvi and Aarna were with Dorein.

They were all running for their dear lives, with Dorein as their protector.

But in the middle, Aarna's toy fell from her hand, and she ran back to get it.

"Pichuuu....."

Dorein opened the car instantly, and Manvi was about to hop in when she realized Aarna was not with her. "Where is Aarna?" She panicked.

"She was with you," Dorein said.

"She was, but I don't know." Manvi panicked and started crying.

By the time Mihika reaches there as well,

"Where is Aarna?" Mihika panicked.

"Stay with the kids and lock the car from inside. The car is bulletproof, but still, you all lay low until I come back." Dorian instructed them, and he was to run when they heard another gunshot and a scream.

Dorein ran to look for Aarna when he saw a kid around 14-15 years old pointing his gun towards a wounded man, and Aarna was crying, sitting beside him.

With his martial arts skills, Dorien knocked out that kid, and the cops took them away. Without wasting any time, he picked up Aarna in his arms and took that man to the hospital.

Dorein informed Henry and Smith. Smith reached the hospital, and he went straight to look for the man who saved the kids, and Dorien kept the kids in the parking lot after treating Aarna’s scratches that she got in that commotion.

They reached the hospital and saw the kids and Dorein waiting outside in the parking lot waiting for them.

"AARNA!!" Noor stepped out of the car and instantly ran towards their car.

"Ammi!" Aarna cried the moment her mother embraced her in her arms.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Huh?" Noor asked worriedly while tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Daddaa!!" But instead, Aarna cried for her father, who was right behind her mother.

Veer instantly hugged both girls in his arms, and the exact moment Aaron's car stopped behind them with a screech, he came out panicked.

"HOPE!!"

"Alun!!!!" Hope jumped into her father's arms and started crying. Henry took long steps towards them.

"Jeej!"

"Chote Papa!" 

Both Ewan and Manvi run towards him. He instantly picked both of them up in his arms and closed his eyes while thanking the Almighty for keeping all the kids safe. He kissed their heads and saw Mihika shivering in fear.

"Little one!" He called her, and she instantly ran towards him, and Henry embraced all three of them.

"Jeej!!" Mihika started sobbing in fear.

All of them just faced death, and they are all scared as hell.

"Sush! It's ok. Everything is ok." Henry assured them. "You are fine," and he looked towards Dorein and thanked him. "Thanks for keeping them safe, Dorein."

"It's my duty, sir." Dorein replied with a nod.

"Still, we owe you." Aaron said. "Thanks man."

"Thanks, Dorein." Both Noor and Veer thank him.

James and Anna also reach there.

"Ewan!" Both his parents are scared. Henry turned to see his brother, who was panicking and on the verge of destroying the world.

"He is fine." Henry said, and within three long strands, James is standing in front of him while Anna is still behind, running towards her son.

James took Ewan in his arms, took a sigh of relief, and kissed his head.

"Why the hell are they here if everyone is fine?" James asked.

"The man who saved Aarna is in the hospital, and we don't know, but we didn't want to leave him like this. He saved her." Mihika whispered meekly, and everyone was shocked.

"Angel?" Both James and Henry go towards her, and Noor and Veer ask her, worried.

"Are you okay?"

"Daddaa gukhuu (it's hurting)" She sobbed, showing them her bruised elbow.

"My angel is strong. It will go away." Henry ruffled her hair, and James wiped her tears.

"What happened to the man?" James asked Dorein.

"A bullet hit his right shoulder," Dorein replied.

"Allah!" a horrified whisper left Noor's lips. Wondering what could have happened to her daughter, she thanked God for sending that man to save her.

"He saved our daughter..."

"We should see him." Henry completed Veer's sentence.

"I hope he is okay," Noor asked, worried.

"The surgery is going on, and his family is informed." Dorein answered.

"We should stay Veer. We owe that man." Noor whispered, and Veer nodded in agreement.

But deep down, she does not have a good feeling.

"Dorein, take the kids home." Henry said.

"No, Jeej, please don't leave me." Manvi's hold tightens around him. Kids are terrified.

"Your Dii is waiting for you, Princess. I'll be right behind you." Henry tried to assure him.

"Dorein, take them," James said, and Henry's phone rang.

"Hello." He answered instantly. It's Samriddhi. "Yeah, they are all fine, and I am sending them home. I'll give you the details later. Yeah, bye." He cut the call and settled the kids in the car. Roseline is not in the city, so Hope also went with them as Aaron stayed.

Anna took Ewan with her.

Noor was about to make Aarna sit in the car, but she denied, "Ammi, uncle. Thnku. (Ammi I want to say thank you to that uncle.)"

"Let her stay, Begum. I don't want her to leave my side." Veer said while taking her in his arms and sending the rest of them home. They came in only to get the biggest shock: Noor’s brother took Aarna’s bullet on himself and saved her.

Prikshit and the rest of the family members reached the hospital. His heart is sinking in fear for the kids and his Mihika.

But when he got to know they were all fine, he took a sigh of relief, but still, he wants to see her to see if she is okay because he knows she must be terrified.

On the other hand, the kids reached home, and Samriddhi was already waiting for them. Her mother and grandmother also came back.

"Dii!" Both Mihika and Manvi hugged her.

"Are you ok?" She asked, breaking their hug, and her mother and her grandmother embraced their daughters.

“Are you all right?” Savitri asked Manvi and Mihika while embracing them. Their hearts were sinking with every passing second, and they kept praying for their kids' well-being.

Dorien is coming behind them with Hope in his arms.

"Hope, my baby. Are you okay?" Samriddhi went to her, and Hope nodded weakly. "Thank you, Dorein." She thanked him and took Hope inside. "Where are Ewan and Aarna?" she asked.

"Madam Anna took him home, and Aarna refused to come. Kids are terrified, Madam." Dorein said, and she looked at her sisters.

They are scared, and Hope is on the verge of crying as well.

She held Hope in her arms and cooed her. Manvi ran to her, hiding in her embrace. It pinched her heart.

"What exactly happened, Dorein?" She asked, sitting with Manvi and Hope while Mihika hid in Geetanjali’s embrace.

"We were in the park when the first gunshot was heard. Everyone got frightened. I instantly took them towards the car as the first thing that came to mind. The car was bulletproof, and I would drive away with them ASAP. But I don't know how Aarna was left behind. Leaving them securely in the car, I turned to look for Aarna when we heard another gunshot and a scream. It was Aarna's....."

"WHAT?" She cut him off. "And you are saying everyone is fine?" she asked, worried.

"They are Madam. When I ran to her, a man was hiding her in his embrace, and the bullet hit his shoulder. Seeing the blood, Aarna was terrified, and the shooter had aimed again towards them. Seeing this as an opportunity, I held that kid from behind and knocked him off."

"Kid?" Savitri cut him off this time.

"Yes, he was a kid around 14–15 years old who escaped from the asylum. He was mentally unstable and had a gun in his hand. God knows from where he got that. The moment I knocked him off, the cops took him away, and I went to Aarna instantly. She was crying, sitting beside that man. He was wincing in pain. Aarna had left her Pikachu behind. She ran behind to get it back." Dorein informed her, and tears formed in her eyes.

That Pikachu was gifted by her to Aarna, and she never left it for a second.

"I took that man to the hospital instantly; after all, he saved our girl and informed his family by his phone and rest, you know, Madam."

"Thank you so much, Dorien. I owe you and that man my life for keeping all of them safe." She said this while kissing Hope's and Manvi's heads. "I pray that man gets well soon and nothing will happen to him." She prayed.

Samriddhi gave the kids something to eat and then called Anna about Ewan.

Manvi and Hope are terrified and not ready to leave Samriddhi for a second.

Nani caressed Mihika's head and made her eat a little.

Mihika sobbed, losing herself, and Nani embraced her.

“It's ok. It was a bad time, and it went away. You are fine, my child, and here with us.” Savitri consoled her.

Mihika sobbed. “Nani, I was scared. It was my fault. I shouldn't have taken them to the park….”

“No, it wasn't anyone's fault. Stop blaming yourself.” Savitri cuts her off, but Mihika's mind is not ready to accept that.

She excused herself: “I want to stay in my room, Dii.”

“It's ok, Bacche. Everything is fine. Go get some rest.” Samriddhi kissed her head. 

Mihika ran to her room, locked herself, and broke down.

She sits in the corner of the bathroom and starts crying while accusing herself. “Whoever I go near, they end up having problems. What if anything had happened to kids? How could I have forgiven myself? Mai hi manhus hu. (I am wretched.) I shouldn't get involved with anyone and put them in danger. I am a bad omen.” She started crying even more. "The bullet should have hit me and it all ended today. I should have died today then no one would have suffered because of my ill-omened self."