The chaos of the engagement party faded into a distant hum for Sneha Kapoor as she stood in the doorway, clutching her favorite stuffed rabbit, Coco. The commotion erupted like a storm, with adults rushing around in panic, trying to tend to her brother Dhruv. While her mother, Anumita, hovered over Dhruv, Abir Rajvansh had quickly taken charge, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the frantic energy in the room.

Sneha watched as Karan, Abir's younger brother knelt beside her brother, shaking him gently, his face etched with worry. She had always admired Karan—he was like a superhero to her, with his quick wit and adventurous spirit. But today, seeing the concern in his eyes made her heart race with a mix of fear and curiosity.

As the adults continued to fuss, Sneha’s mind whirred. She was only ten, but she had inherited her father’s keen sense of observation. She noticed things that others often overlooked, and today was no different. There was something strange about how Dhruv had fallen, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was connected to the strange things she had seen earlier in the day.

Gathering her courage, Sneha stepped closer to Karan. “Is he going to be okay?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Karan looked up, his expression softening as he caught sight of the little girl’s worried face. “I hope so, Sneha. But we need to find out what happened first.” He turned his attention back to Dhruv, shaking him gently again. “Come on, Dhruv bro. Wake up, buddy.”

Sneha bit her lip, knowing that Karan’s instincts were sharp. He had a way of figuring things out, just like her father did when he was investigating. She had heard the adults talking about how Karan loved solving mysteries, and the thought sparked something in her. She didn’t want to just stand by and wait for things to get better. She wanted to help.

“Karan,” she said, her voice rising with determination, “I want to help you investigate.”

He paused, looking at her with a mix of surprise and admiration. “You want to help?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes! I know things. I saw what happened earlier.” Her heart raced as she spoke, her excitement overcoming her fear. “Can I?”

Karan chuckled softly, his eyes glimmering with appreciation. “Well, I could use an extra set of eyes. What did you see, Sneha?”

She took a deep breath, stepping closer as the adults began to settle down, some gathering to help Dhruv. “I saw Tarini. She was acting weird during the party. She was looking at Dhruv and Nandini like she was angry or something. And then I saw her spiking Dhruv’s drink!”

Karan’s brow furrowed in thought as he absorbed her words. “Are you sure? That’s a serious accusation,Sneha.”

“Yes! I saw her do it,” Sneha insisted, her voice firm. “And right after that, Dhruv Bhai started acting strange. He was dizzy and then fell down. I think Tarini did something to him!”

The weight of Sneha’s observation sank in. Karan stood up slowly, his mind racing with possibilities. “Okay, if Tarini was involved, we need to find her. Do you know where she went?”

Sneha  nodded, glancing back towards the living room. “I think I saw her go outside earlier when everyone was busy. She looked upset.”

“Let’s go check,” Karan said, his voice steady. He knew that this little girl could be the key to unraveling the mystery. He grabbed Sneha’s hand, and together they quietly slipped away from the commotion.

As they walked out onto the balcony, the cool evening air hit them, refreshing but laced with tension. The garden was bathed in the soft glow of lanterns, and the sounds of laughter and music drifted in from the party inside. But Karan and Sneha were focused, scanning the area for any sign of Tarini.

“Where do you think she might be?” Karan asked, looking around. “Do you see her?”

Sneha squinted, her little heart pounding. “Maybe by the flower bushes. She likes to be alone there when she’s sad.”

Without a word, Karan and Sneha made their way toward the flower bushes, where the vibrant blooms swayed gently in the breeze. As they approached, Karan felt a knot tightening in his stomach. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were stepping into something far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

Peering around the bushes, they spotted Tarini sitting on a bench, her head buried in her hands. Karan exchanged a glance with Sneha, who nodded encouragingly. “Let’s talk to her,” he whispered.

Karan stepped forward, clearing his throat to announce their presence. “Tarini?” he called softly. “Can we talk to you?”

Tarini looked up, surprise flashing across her face as she saw the two of them. “What do you want?” she asked, her tone defensive.

Sneha took a step closer, her small frame trembling slightly. “I just wanted to see if you were okay. You looked sad.”

Tarini scoffed, brushing away the tears from her eyes. “Why do you care? This is a stupid party, and everything is ruined now.”

Abir crossed his arms, trying to gauge her reaction. “We heard about Dhruv. Are you upset because of that?”

Her eyes narrowed at the mention of Dhruv, and Karan could see the anger simmering just beneath the surface. “I don’t care about him! He’s not worth it!” she snapped.

Sneha looked at Tarini, confusion evident on her face. “But you love him. You’re supposed to marry him.”

“Love? Ha! You don’t understand anything,” Tarini retorted, her voice sharp. “Everything is taken away from me, and I’ll never get it back.”

“Is that why you did it?” Karan  pressed, narrowing his eyes. “Did you spike Dhruv’s drink?”

Tarini’s expression shifted, a mix of shock and rage crossing her face. “What are you talking about?” she hissed. “How dare you accuse me?”

“Because Sneha saw you!” Karan stated firmly. “If you love Dhruv bro, why would you want to hurt him?”

For a moment, Tarini’s mask cracked, and Karan being doctor could see the vulnerability beneath. “I... I didn’t want to hurt him,” she stammered. “I just wanted him to understand how much I cared. But he’s always with Nandini now! He doesn’t even look at me anymore!”

Sneha felt a pang of sympathy for Tarini, recognizing the depth of her pain. “But hurting him won’t make things better,” she said softly. “It’ll just make everyone sad.”

Tarini hesitated, her eyes darting back to the party. The tension in her shoulders seemed to ease slightly as she took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I just… wanted him to notice me again.”

Karan stepped forward, his voice steady and kind. “You can’t fix things this way, Tarini. You need to talk to him, not attack him. You can’t just give up on your feelings.”

For a moment, silence fell between them, heavy with unspoken words. Tarini looked down at her hands, the fight leaving her. “What am I supposed to do?” she whispered, the vulnerability in her voice pulling at Karan’s heart.

Sneha, feeling empowered by her newfound role, took a step closer. “You could talk to Nandini. Maybe she’ll understand and help you.”

Tarini looked up, a mixture of hope and fear flickering in her eyes. “You think so?”

Abir nodded. “It’s worth a try. But you need to be honest. Hiding your feelings won’t help anyone.”

As the three of them stood in the quiet garden, the weight of the world seemed to lift slightly. Sneha had never thought she’d be involved in something so serious, but with Karan by her side, she felt braver. They were all in this together, and perhaps there was a way to mend the tangled threads that had been pulled tight.

“Let’s go back inside,” Karan suggested gently, glancing at Tarini. “You need to face them—your sister, Dhruv bro, and the rest of the family. It won’t be easy, but it’s the right thing to do.”

With a tentative nod, Tarini stood up, brushing the dirt from her dress. As they walked back toward the house, Sneha felt a sense of pride swelling in her chest. Together, they were not just bystanders in a drama; they were a team, ready to face whatever came next.

But as they entered the lively chaos of the party once more, the nagging feeling of danger lingered in the air. Sneha couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a much darker journey—a mystery that would require all their courage and resolve to unravel.