Author's POV

Click ..... Clack

"Are we leaving our home Ma?", Artika questioned her mother who was locking the door half- heartedly .

" Huff ..... Arti .. You know we have to do this, right dear. Don't worry, we will come here often. Okay? ", Devika reasoned, trying to console her daughter who was having a hard time leaving the place called 'home'.

The big, beautiful, cozy place where she spent her life is now being locked, the keys dangling between her mother's fingers. The cocoon which nurtured her for years is now no longer her haven. Leaving her home was bitter -sweet - just like drinking coffee. She never wanted this, but she knew this was coming. She had to accept it - for her Ma's happiness.

She turned around, looking at the luggage being loaded into the trunk of the Black SUV. Her mom slowly rubbed her back, trying to comfort her conflicted heart. The soothing circles did reduce the speed of the thumping organ, but only up to an extent.

" It's all gonna be okay! ", Her ma said, kissing her temple in another attempt to calm her down.

'No it's not gonna be okay!' , she wanted to shout. But for some reasons she couldn't. The bile was rising up her food pipe and a huge lump was forming at the back of her throat. Tears were brimming her eyes, blurring her vision.

For a person who has never been a fan of changes, it is quite difficult to step out of her comfort zone. But she promised, she will do it for her - for her ma.

Leaving your house is easy, but leaving your home is difficult!

.
.

Very difficult ..!

Once again turning to look at the brick walls, with tears lining her eyes - she knew this was it.

" Come ma! Let's go before I change my mind! ", She said grabbing her hand, speed-walking towards the parked SUV. With the little ounce of courage left in her body, she climbed the car - immediately shutting the door and looking away from the black -tinted window, afraid that if she took one glance at it, she would run into her home.

Her mother climbed the car through the other end. Finally, after settling themselves, she instructed the driver to take the car to their destination - The Malhotra Mansion.

~ • ~

" Hey, what to wear bro? ", Aarav asked, nudging his younger brother, who was focused on each shirt that hung from the hanger.

" I don't know! We should be wearing something special! Our little sister is coming and we should be presentable! ", Arvind said clearly excited about the arrival of his sister.

" Yeah! We should impress her and Ma too! ", He stated.

Digging in the now collapsed closet, their hands found their way to a shirt which they both thought were good.

" FOUND IT "

" FOUND IT "

Both of them yelled while holding up a single shirt in the air as if they had won a lottery. But, the excitement died as soon as they saw that they were holding the same shirt.

" Hey, I found the shirt first! I am going to wear it! ", Aarav said, tugging the shirt towards him.

" No, I found it first! So I am going to wear it! ", Arvind countered, trying to tug the shirt like his brother.

" I am the elder one! So I should take it !! ", Aarav stated again pulling the shirt towards him.

" No! I am the younger one! So you have to give it to your brother !! ", Arvind said, playing with the brother card.

" So what? I am the one who saw it, so I am gonna wear it! You take another shirt! ", Aarav again stated, ignoring his brother's emotional blackmail.

" Why don't you find another shirt? I want this one! ", Arvind said.

" I am going to wear it! "

" No! I am going to wear it you biscuit! "

" No, Me! "

" No, Me! "

" No, Me! "

Thus, the infamous 'shirt war' commenced. Each of them was trying to prove their point, tugging the poor shirt in their direction. Neither of them was willing to let go of the shirt.

If the shirt had a mouth, it would be screaming for help!

" I am telling you, I was the one who found it so I am going to wear it! ", Aarav again said to his brother who was trying hard to release the shirt from his brother's clutches.

" I am also telling you, I was the one who found this. So it is my birthright to wear this you dummy! ", Arvind counter-attacked his brother's statement.

" WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? ", A voice boomed making the two jump. The crumpled shirt was now awkwardly lying on the floor, thanking the person who saved him from the two demons.

" I asked, what were you two doing? Don't you know what the time is? They'd be here in another 10 minutes. ", Vijay scolded his brothers, whose heads were now hanging down in shame.
" But bhaiya! I was the one who found it. ", Arvind mumbled, trying to justify his actions.

" No Bhai! He is lying. Don't believe him. I was the one who found it. ", Aarav defended.

" But -"

" Stop it both of you. Enough of your childish behavior. I will pick a shirt and that is what you both are gonna wear! Is that understood? ", Vijay authorized, over-ruling his brothers' pleas.

" But bhaiya -"

" I asked you both a question. Is. That. Understood.? " Vijay asked, emphasizing his question.

" Yes bhaiya! ", They both answered simultaneously.

" Good! Now move! ", He ordered, making the twins move aside. After 2 proper minutes of digging, he held out two shirts that were exactly the same.

" Here, have it. You both are twinning today. ", Vijay said passing on the shirts to his brothers. The shirt was nice, exactly what they had been looking for the occasion.

" Thank you bhaiya !!!!! ", they yelled, yet again simultaneously.

" Fine .. Come down soon. I heard that there is gulab jamun for today's dinner. So be quick! ", Vijay said, ruffling his two cute slash innocent brothers' hair.

" Bhaiya wait! ", Aarav called out. " We both are twinning, does that mean you and Vikku bhaiya are also wearing the same dress? ", He questioned, with enthusiasm laced in his voice. The question hit him like a rock. A huge boulder in fact.

' Will we ever twin ... Like we were during our childhood?' He thought.

The thing only hurt him. Will they ever be the same? Will their relationship ever be the same? Will they ever be how they used to be?

'Chu promise me that you will never leave me?', The five-year-old boy asked holding out his pinky.

'I will never leave you Boo!', The boy said connecting his pinky.

" Bhai ?! ", the voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the concern filled faces of his brothers, who were looking at him - waiting for him to speak.

" What happened? ", He questioned his brothers.

" We were asking you a question and you suddenly zoned out! ", Aarav said. " Is something wrong bhaiya? ", He asked, placing his hand on his shoulders.

" Huh?! ... Uh ... No. Everything is alright. Go and get dressed. Okay? ", He spoke, dismissing the 'zoning out' topic.

Taking long strides, he was soon out of the room leaving his brothers to change into their outfits. A breath escaped his mouth, as soon as he closed the door. Taking another good second to take a deep breath, he wore the mask - the invisible mask which he practiced for years. The I-don't-care or more precisely I-don't-give-fig-to-what-you-say mask.

Only if things were the way they should be! .......

There wouldn't be any heartbreaks ...

~ • ~

" Abhi! Is everything ready? ", Deepak asked as soon as he entered the living area. Abhi immediately looked up from his laptop, in which he was entering his files a few minutes ago.

" Huh ?! Uh, yes Pa! Everything is ready. The driver told me that they will reach in 5 minutes - they were stuck in traffic. And I had done all the things that you had told me to do. And the meetings that I postponed to tomorrow will be attended by me and Vikram. You don't have to worry about i t. ", Abhi said, finishing his speech as if he were programmed to do so.

" Oh ...! Okay! Um, carry on with your work! ", He replied with slight disappointment in his voice.

His son has truly changed! How come he didn't notice it before ...?

Adjusting his coat - or more like, attempting to ease out the tension bugging his mind he was soon out of the hall. Looking down at his Rolex watch, he sighed - ' they should be here any minute.'

Just then, the honking of a car pulled him out of his thoughts. He knew they were here. Without wasting another second, he was soon descending the steps that led to the porch. There stood a Black SUV, its engine breathing heavily as it made its voyage through the Delhi traffic.

The door of the black beauty flung open, revealing his wife and his daughter, who was stepping out of the car. The maid - Aunt Prema (who was working for the Malhotras for a good 25 years), came out with the aarti plate to welcome the new addition to the family.

Deepak had the biggest smile on his face. His heart did weird flips as he spoke, " Welcome dear, welcome beta! Finally, you are here. This is Prema Aunty. She had been in the Malhotra household for more than 20 years. So she is taking the Aarti. Okay? "

" Okay! Hello Aunty- ji . I am Devika- "

" I know dear. You are Devika and this is your daughter Artika. Deepak has said a lot about you. I am like his mother. Don't worry. Let me take the Aarti first! ", She said lighting the camphor on the betel leaf, which was floating on the crimson water. After completing the ritual, she was told to kick the Kalash - which was filled with rice, by her right foot. Thus stepping her foot into the Malhotra Household, she made a silent promise to make this her home. Artika followed her mother's footsteps, amazed at the wonderful architecture, though she had already seen it.

" Beta! Welcome home! Hereafter you're gonna live here. Happy? ", Deepak asked, snapping Arti out of her gazing session.

" Yes, Dad! I am happy! ", She said, swallowing hard from nervousness. The realization hit - this is the place where she is gonna live, with her new brothers and Dad. Everything is new, and she has to change according to her surrounding. And this is called 'Survival of the Fittest' - those who accept the change can survive.

She terribly missed those beige colored walls and cream carpet. The Mansion gave her homely vibes - yet it is nothing compared to her previous 'home'. Ripping away from your home, and moving out is difficult but has to be done. Pushing back the emotional thoughts, she took brave steps towards the living room where she had been before.

" Artiiiiiiiiii !!!!!!!!! You're hereeeeeee ~ Come let me show you the whole mansion. ", Aarav screamed as soon as he saw his sister with Arvind jumping beside him. Their brothers were only shaking their heads at their childishness.

The two are definitely kids ......

" Aarav, first show her the room. Let her take some rest and then after dinner, you can show the whole mansion. She must be tired! ", Deepak reasoned to which she nodded gratefully.

" Okayyyyy Paaaaaa ~ ", they said in chorus, dragging Arti towards the spiral stairs.

" Yah wait, my suitcase-- "

" Don't worry about that, the butlers will carry it. Now come. Let's go, let's go, let's go !!!! ", Arvind said, making her giggle.

" Fineeee ~ Come, let's go !!!!! Dashi dashi run! ", Artika said, making the trio run up the stairs at an alien speed. When they reached the last step, they were panting very hard. Of course, running up a flight of stairs as high as the Eiffel Tower, with no athletic experience will tire a person. The same with them.

" Come, we have to show you your room! ", Aarav announced grabbing her wrists, pulling her into the long hallway that was decked with paintings and statues.

" First of all, there are some rules that Pa has set in the house. Not only for the servants but also for us! I guess Pa will say this, but we are telling you beforehand! ", Arvind making Arti snap her head towards their direction.

" Rules? Is this a museum? ", She questioned with a bewildered expression.

" Yeah! Rules - just some simple rules so that we stay disciplined and to hold the name of the Malhotra Family. ", Aarav said.

" Oh! Ohkay !!! Mmmm ... So, tell me the rules! ", Artika said, clapping her hands.

" You excited huh? Fine, Rule No. 1 - Always study well. We have to keep up our grades no matter what. We have our study timings from 6.30 to 9.00 pm from Monday to Saturday. We will be studying in the study room which I will show you later. There only me, Arvind, and Vijay Bhai study. Abhi bhaiya and Vikku bhaiya will be doing their office work. And if we have any doubts, we can ask them. ", Aarav said.

" Ohhhh !!! I see. What about Sunday? "

" Sunday is our holiday. Which means we can do whatever we want. But, if we have an exam on Monday or in the following week, we have to study on Sunday. ", Arvind clarified.

" Oh, Ohkay. Next? ", Arti asked.

" Rule No. 2 - Ask permission whenever you go out. Because pa will appoint a security system when we go out. They will watch us from afar, to make sure we are safe and there is no suspicious activity going around us. ", Aarav said.

" Won't you feel weird with people watching you from a distance? ", Arti asked, shuddering at the thought of having bodyguards trailing behind her, watching her every move.

" I don't know. I have been having bodyguards from the time I started remembering things. So yeah, I am used to it. ", He said with a shrug.

" Ohkay ...! "

" Rule No. 3 - You should not have any bad habits or acquaintances. "

" Rule No. 4 - You can bring your friends home only with Pa's consent. "

" Rule No. 5 - Always eat on time, because Pa hates when you skip meals. "

And the huge set of rules began. It was surprising that the twins memorized the rules, while she couldn't seem to catch what's the core reason. She understood it was for security reasons - but it felt like a part of her freedom was taken away.

Now she has to be more responsible and alert. She didn't know why these things are there, but she knew that there was a bigger reason for it.

With great power comes great responsibility.

" Hufffff ....... Finally, the last Rule - Don't disrespect your elders. Did you understand all the things we said? ", Aarav asked.

" Huh? Um, no! I couldn't memorize everything. My memory is not so great. ", She said smiling sheepishly.

" That's no problem. You'll understand it after a while. Here is your room. ", Arvind said stopping in front of a teak door.

" There isn't any key since you're a small baby. We don't have any keys either. So don't worry - we won't barge into your room without your permission okay. There is a latch inside. Only latch it when necessary. Otherwise, don't need to. Okay? ", he advised his little sister who was keenly taking in all the information.

" Sure bhaiya! Hakunamatata ! Let me refresh myself! ", She responded with her infamous cheeky grin.

" You see Lion King? Wow, me too. We should see once when we are free. ", Aarav said doing small jumps.

" Sure Bhai! We can! "

" Okay, go inside and take a short rest. We will wake you when it is time for dinner. And we can also watch some cartoons if we can! ", Arvind said which excited her.

" Surreeeee ~ Byeee ~", she waved, closing her door and latching it at the top.

Sighing out a bit loud she kept her handbag down on the nearest table. Adjusting her posture, she examined her medium-sized bedroom. The room had a yellowish-white light with a queen-sized bed in the middle covered with magenta sheets. The was a vanity table in the right corner and a study desk and chair, with a lamp attached to it. There were some hanging lights, for decoration purposes.

Carefully removing her sneakers, she plopped down on the bed, bounce a bit from the force.

Sure, the bed is fluffier than her previous one.

With a rush of today's events in her head, she slowly drifted off to her dreamland - hoping to wake up the next day in her old bedroom.

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Author's Section:-

Hello beautiful readers, once again thank you so much for 1.7k reads. I know it is too early to celebrate, but it's okay. I don't how many Thank you (s) are needed to pay for your kind effort. 😭😭🤧🤧

And finally - Arti is in the Malhotra Mansion, which means it is the best recipe for some chapters. I had been reading my first few chapters - and the so horrible. I know, it was my first time writing and that's why I messed up. Sorry, I will edit when I have time. Thank you for giving my book a chance.

A comment that had me cracked up. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I have decided, if I find any comments funny, I will be posting it.

Another funny comment!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Laugh all you want dear beauties.

Once again, sorry if I made it boring. I will try my best in the next one!

Love yaaaaaaaaa❤❤❤
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Updated:- 12/06/2021

Word count:-  2900 to 2950

Heyo!!!! THANK YOU FOR READING MY BOOK! YOU'RE SO PRECIOUS...