Jaipur City
The morning sun slowly rose over the beautiful city of Jaipur. Golden rays of sunlight spread across the pink buildings and quiet streets, bathing the city in a warm and peaceful glow. Birds chirped softly as a gentle breeze moved through the trees, making the morning feel calm and refreshing.
It was 7:00 a.m.
Inside the grand Rathore Mansion, the house was slowly waking up.
In one of the rooms upstairs, Tanvi was still sleeping peacefully, wrapped comfortably in her blanket.
She was a beautiful girl with long, silky hair that rested softly over her shoulders. Her delicate features and calm expression gave her an innocent and almost angelic appearance.
Soft sunlight slipped through the curtains and gently fell across her face.
After a few moments, she slowly opened her eyes and blinked sleepily.
She sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing her eyes lightly.
Across the room, Kiara stood in front of the mirror, getting ready.
She was tall and beautiful, with a slightly chubby yet adorable appearance. Her confident attitude and expressive face gave her a lively and warm personality.
Through the mirror, Kiara noticed Tanvi had woken up.
With a sleepy face, Tanvi asked softly,
"Di, aaj itni jaldi uth gaye? Kahin ja rahe ho kya?"
(Di, you woke up so early today? Are you going somewhere?)
Kiara adjusted her hair while looking at herself in the mirror and replied calmly,
"Second aur third semester ki classes already start ho chuki hain... aur jaldi hi first year ki classes bhi start hone wali hain."
(Second and third semester classes have already started... and first-year classes will begin soon.)
Tanvi nodded quietly.
Kiara then turned toward her and said,
"Tanu, main aur Reyansh college ja rahe hain. Tum apna dhyan rakhna. Sushila aunty yahin rahengi jab tak hum dono wapas nahi aa jate."
(Tanu, Reyansh and I are going to college. Take care of yourself. Sushila aunty will stay here until we return.)
Tanvi gave a small nod.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Before they could respond, the door slowly opened and Reyansh walked in.
He was tall, handsome, and naturally charismatic. His sharp features and confident personality gave him a strong presence wherever he went.
"Good morning," he said casually.
Kiara looked at him and sighed.
"Reyansh, knock karke wait bhi kar liya karo."
(Reyansh, at least knock and wait before entering.)
Reyansh smirked slightly.
"Knock toh kiya tha... tum hi mirror ke saath meeting mein busy thi."
(I did knock... you were just busy having a meeting with the mirror.)
Kiara glared at him.
"Very funny."
Reyansh shrugged casually.
"Breakfast ready hai. Sushila aunty bula rahi hain."
(Breakfast is ready. Sushila aunty is calling you.)
Tanvi smiled softly.
"Theek hai, hum aate hain."
(Okay, we're coming.)
A few minutes later, Tanvi, Kiara, and Reyansh walked downstairs toward the dining area. The delicious smell of freshly prepared breakfast filled the house.
The morning at the Rathore Mansion had officially begun.
___________________________
The dining table was already set with breakfast. Sushila aunty had prepared everything and was placing the last few dishes on the table.
Usually, she left the house around 1 p.m. after preparing lunch and returned again in the evening around 7 p.m. to cook dinner.
But today was a little different.
Since Tanvi would be alone at home, Reyansh and Kiara had asked her to stay a little longer.
Instead of leaving at her usual time, Sushila would stay until 3 p.m., making sure Tanvi was not alone in the house.
Reyansh and Kiara had always been protective of her, and leaving Tanvi completely alone was something they never liked.
As everyone sat at the table, Tanvi quietly glanced around before asking softly,
"Bhaiya... Dadda kaha hain?"
(Brother... where is Dadda?)
Reyansh took a sip of his coffee before answering.
"Dadda subah hi office chale gaye. He had some important work, so he left early this morning."
(Dadda left for the office early this morning. He had some important work.)
Tanvi nodded quietly and continued eating her breakfast.
Outside the Rathore Mansion, the morning sun had already brightened the sky.
A sleek black car stood near the main gate as Reyansh and Kiara prepared to leave for college. The security guard stood nearby, waiting respectfully.
Before getting into the car, Reyansh looked at the guard seriously.
"Tanvi ghar par akeli hai. Uska dhyan rakhna."
(Tanvi is alone at home. Take care of her.)
The guard nodded immediately.
"Ji Reyansh baba."
Reyansh continued,
"Aur kisi ko bhi ghar ke andar mat aane dena. Agar koi aaye, toh pehle mujhe ya Dadda ko phone karke pooch lena."
(And don't let anyone enter the house. If someone comes, call me or Dadda first.)
"Ji baba, bilkul."
Kiara also added before getting into the car,
"Aur agar Tanu ko kuch bhi chahiye ho toh turant humein bata dena."
(And if Tanvi needs anything, inform us immediately.)
The guard nodded again.
"Aap log bilkul fikar mat karo."
After that, Reyansh and Kiara got into the car, and within a few moments, the car slowly drove out of the gates of the Rathore Mansion.
____________________________
Inside the car, Reyansh drove quietly while Kiara sat beside him, looking out the window.
For a few minutes, neither of them spoke.
The roads of Jaipur were slowly filling with people heading to work and college. The bright morning sun reflected off the buildings as the car moved smoothly through the traffic.
After a moment, Kiara suddenly turned toward Reyansh.
"Reyansh... tum aur Dadda mujhse kuch chhupa rahe ho kya?"
(Reyansh... are you and Dadda hiding something from me?)
Reyansh frowned slightly but kept his eyes on the road.
"Kya matlab?"
(What do you mean?)
Kiara crossed her arms and looked at him seriously.
"Tanu ko hamare saath do saal ho gaye hain... but tum dono usse kabhi akela bahar jaane nahi dete."
(Tanu has been living with us for two years... but you both never let her go out alone.)
She continued,
"I mean... koi baat hai kya jo mujhe nahi pata?"
(Is there something I don't know?)
For a moment, silence filled the car.
Reyansh tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"Kiara, aisa kuch nahi hai. We're just concerned about her... that's it."
(Kiara, there's nothing like that. We're just concerned about her.)
Kiara sighed.
"Concerned? Reyansh, tum aur Dadda usse aise treat karte ho jaise woh kisi cage mein ho."
(Concerned? You and Dadda treat her like she's in some kind of cage.)
"Protective hona alag baat hoti hai... but you both are seriously overprotective."
Reyansh replied calmly,
"You're overthinking."
But his expression clearly showed that he was hiding something.
___________________________
A few minutes later, the car entered the college campus.
Students were walking around the corridors and lawns, chatting, laughing, and discussing assignments. Some sat under the trees while others rushed toward their classrooms.
Reyansh parked the car near the parking area.
He and Kiara stepped out and began walking toward the garden area where students usually gathered before lectures.
Just then, Aaditya noticed them from a distance.
He was tall and charming, with sharp features and a bright smiling face. His energetic personality made him the most cheerful person in the group.
He quickly excused himself from the classmates he was talking to and walked toward them.
"Hey! Good morning!"
"Good morning," Kiara replied with a smile.
Reyansh looked around and asked,
"Rudraksha kaha hai?"
(Where is Rudraksha?)
Aaditya shrugged casually.
"Bas aata hi hoga... shayad apni hero wali slow motion entry practice kar raha hoga."
(He must be coming... probably practicing his hero-style slow-motion entry.)
Kiara rolled her eyes slightly while Reyansh shook his head.
Just then, two familiar figures walked toward them.
One of them was Nikhil.
He was a tall and intelligent-looking guy with sharp features. He usually wore glasses, which gave him a calm and thoughtful appearance.
Walking beside him was Rudraksha.
He had a striking personality. His sharp jawline, perfectly structured face, and attractive brown eyes made him naturally charismatic. His tall and confident presence made him stand out wherever he went.
As soon as Aaditya noticed them approaching, he dramatically widened his eyes.
"Lo bhai... 100 saal jiyega tu!"
(Look at that... you'll live a hundred years!)
Rudraksha raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Aaditya grinned mischievously.
"Abhi tera hi pyaara dost Reyansh tujhe yaad kar raha tha. Naam liya aur banda haazir."
(Your dear friend Reyansh was just talking about you. Took your name and you appeared.)
Then he added dramatically,
"Tum dono ki telepathy itni strong hai ki NASA wale bhi confuse ho jayenge."
(Your telepathy is so strong even NASA would get confused.)
Nikhil chuckled quietly.
Reyansh shook his head.
"Drama band kar, Aadi."
(Stop the drama, Aadi.)
Reyansh glanced at his watch.
"First lecture ka time ho gaya hai. Chalna chahiye."
(It's time for the first lecture. We should go.)
Aaditya suddenly raised his hand dramatically.
"Ek minute!"
Everyone looked at him.
"First lecture cancel ho gaya hai."
(The first lecture has been cancelled.)
Kiara sighed.
"Great... matlab subah subah itni jaldi uthne ka koi fayda hi nahi hua."
(Great... waking up so early was completely useless.)
"Cancel? Kyun?" Reyansh asked.
"Professor Sharma aaj leave par hain... toh officially hum sab free hain."
Aaditya clapped his hands excitedly.
"Toh chalo... canteen!"
Then he added with a grin,
"Empty stomach se intelligent decisions nahi liye ja sakte."
(You can't make intelligent decisions on an empty stomach.)
Reyansh smirked.
"Tumhara stomach kabhi empty hota bhi hai?"
(Is your stomach ever empty?)
Everyone laughed as they began walking toward the canteen together.
The college canteen was already crowded with students.
The sound of conversations, laughter, and plates clinking filled the air. Some students were busy discussing assignments while others simply enjoyed their free time.
The group found a table in the corner and sat down.
Aaditya immediately went to the counter and ordered snacks for everyone.
A few minutes later, plates of samosas, sandwiches, and cold drinks were placed on the table.
Everyone began eating while chatting casually.
After a few minutes, Kiara suddenly said,
"Guys, first year ki classes bhi jaldi start hone wali hain."
(Guys, the first-year classes are going to start soon.)
Everyone looked at her curiously.
She continued,
"Aur obviously... humare younger siblings bhi college join karne wale hain."
(And obviously... our younger siblings are also going to join college.)
Nikhil adjusted his glasses.
"Yeah, that's true. Toh?"
Kiara looked at Rudraksha and Nikhil.
"Actually, main soch rahi thi... kya tum log apne bhai-behen ko humare ghar bhej sakte ho?"
(Actually, I was thinking... can you send your siblings to our house?)
Aaditya raised an eyebrow.
"Suddenly family meeting kyun?"
Kiara sighed.
"Relax, Aadi. It's not a meeting."
She explained,
"Actually woh sab same course aur same class mein hone wale hain... aur Tanu..."
She paused for a moment.
"Tanu waise bhi naye logon se easily baat nahi kar paati. She's a little shy."
Reyansh listened quietly.
Kiara continued,
"So I thought agar woh log pehle hi mil lenge... toh shayad woh friends ban sakte hain. Later college mein unhe awkward feel nahi hoga."
She smiled slightly.
"Aur waise bhi... tum log hume itne saalon se jaante ho, toh maine socha unke liye comfortable rahega."
For a moment, everyone thought about it.
Then Rudraksha spoke calmly.
"Main shayad nahi aa paunga."
(I probably won't be able to come.)
Kiara looked at him.
"Why?"
Rudraksha replied,
"Aaj main, Reyansh aur Aaditya ek friend ke ghar jaa rahe hain."
(Today Reyansh, Aaditya, and I are going to a friend's house.)
Then he added,
"Lekin main Yuvi aur Aru ko bhej dunga."
(But I'll send Yuvi and Aru.)
He looked at Reyansh.
"Reyansh, tum aur Aadi wahan direct milna."
Reyansh nodded.
"Okay."
Kiara finished her drink.
"Guys, toh shaam ko un teeno ko bhej dena, okay?"
She then looked at Nikhil.
"Aur Nikhil... tum bhi aana."
Nikhil nodded slightly.
"Okay, I'll come."
Aaditya leaned back in his chair and grinned.
"Lagta hai aaj Rathore Mansion mein ek interesting evening hone wali hai."
(Looks like there's going to be an interesting evening at Rathore Mansion today.)
Everyone smiled.
For a few minutes, they continued talking casually while eating.
Then Aaditya suddenly looked at Reyansh.
"Waise Reyansh... ek baat puchun?"
(By the way Reyansh... can I ask you something?)
Reyansh glanced at him.
"Pucho."
Aaditya leaned slightly forward.
"Tumne kabhi hume Tanvi se properly milwaya hi nahi."
(You've never properly introduced Tanvi to us.)
Kiara immediately sighed.
"Exactly! Main bhi yehi bolti rehti hoon."
She looked at the others.
"Pata nahi kya problem hai Dadda aur Reyansh ko... bichari ko kahin aane-jaane hi nahi dete."
(I don't know what problem Dadda and Reyansh have... they barely let the poor girl go anywhere.)
Nikhil spoke calmly,
"Maybe they're just being protective."
Aaditya shrugged.
"Protective theek hai... lekin itna bhi kya ki kisi se milne bhi na do."
Reyansh finally spoke in a calm tone.
"Tum log overreact kar rahe ho. Aisa kuch nahi hai."
But the way he avoided the topic made it clear that there was something he wasn't saying.
Just then Rudraksha stood up.
"Chalo, ab chalte hain. Waise bhi next lecture ka time hone wala hai."
Everyone slowly got up from the table.
As they walked out of the canteen, none of them realized that
the evening meeting they had just planned would soon bring new friendships, unexpected moments, and secrets that were yet to unfold.
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