While everyone was having breakfast...

In one of the servant quarters, a woman around forty years old was talking on the phone.

"Ji, Ma'am."
(Yes, Ma'am.)

She listened quietly to the person on the other side.

A few moments later, she asked,

"Conditions yaad hain na, Ma'am?"
(You remember the conditions, Ma'am?)

The woman on the other side replied immediately.

A faint smile appeared on the servant woman's face.

"Achha."
(Good.)

A brief silence followed.

Then she spoke again.

"Main apni taraf se poori koshish karungi."
(I'll do my best from my side.)

Her smile slowly widened.

"Woh ladki Rathore family ke kisi bhi member ke kareeb nahi aayegi."
(That girl won't get close to any member of the Rathore family.)

A pause.

Then she added,

"Khaaskar Vikram Rathore ke."
(Especially Vikram Rathore.)

The woman on the other side said something.

The servant woman nodded.

"Ji, Ma'am."
(Yes, Ma'am.)

"Jaise humne decide kiya tha."
(Just as we decided.)

Another pause followed.

Then her expression changed slightly.

"Aur meri condition..."
(And my condition...)

"Main use nahi bhooli hoon."
(I haven't forgotten it.)

The call ended shortly after.

The servant woman put away her phone.

Then adjusted her expression.

Within seconds-

She looked completely normal again.

As if nothing had happened.

As if she wasn't secretly plotting against the fifteen-year-old girl currently eating breakfast downstairs.

Meanwhile...

In the dining room.

Vanya was happily eating her poha.

Life was good.

The poha was tasty.

The weather was pleasant.

And most importantly-

Nobody was forcing boiled eggs on her.

Across the table, Kabir stared at his breakfast.

Then at Vanya's poha.

Then at his breakfast again.

Life was unfair.

Very unfair.

Meanwhile, Vanya remained completely unaware of his suffering.

Suddenly she looked at Vikram.

"Uncle."

"Hm?"

"Mujhe library jaana hai."
(I want to go to the library.)

Vikram looked up.

"Library?"

"Haan."
(Yes.)

"Itna bada mansion hai."
(This mansion is so huge.)

"Akele akele bore ho jaungi."
(I'll get bored all alone.)

For a moment Vikram simply looked at her.

Then he replied,

"Mansion mein library hai."
(There is a library in the mansion.)

Vanya nodded immediately.

As if this was exactly what she had expected.

"Mujhe pata tha."
(I knew it.)

Now everyone looked at her.

Kabir frowned.

"Agar pata tha toh pooch kyun rahi thi?"
(If you knew, then why did you ask?)

Vanya looked equally confused.

"Permission lene ke liye."
(To get permission.)

Silence.

Fair enough.

Then Vikram asked,

"Tumhe kaise pata tha ki library hogi?"
(How did you know there would be a library?)

The answer came instantly.

"Novels."

The entire table froze.

Again.

Vanya continued confidently.

"Novels bahut knowledge dete hain."
(Novels give a lot of knowledge.)

Kabir immediately looked offended.

"No, they don't."

Vanya ignored him.

"In novels rich logon ke ghar mein hamesha library hoti hai."
(In novels rich people always have libraries in their houses.)

She gestured around herself.

"And you are rich."

"Actually rich nahi."
(Actually not rich.)

A pause.

"You are Richy Rich."

The entire table fell silent.

Again.

Arjun lowered his head.

His shoulders started shaking.

Veeransh looked away.

Very quickly.

Even Rudra's expression became strange for a moment.

Meanwhile Vikram closed his eyes.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

As if reconsidering several life choices.

Vanya continued proudly.

"Toh library toh hogi hi."
(So obviously there would be a library.)

Arjun finally lost the battle.

A small laugh escaped him.

The dining room became quiet.

Because Arjun rarely laughed.

Very rarely.

Vanya immediately looked at him.

Success.

Someone appreciated her logic.

Meanwhile Vikram rubbed his forehead.

"You."

A pause.

"Your novels."

Another pause.

"And your logic."

Vanya smiled proudly.

"Thank you."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

"Too late."

This time Kabir laughed.

A real laugh.

The kind reserved only for family.

Even Aarav looked up briefly.

Though nobody noticed.

Finally Vikram gave up.

Completely.

"Ram"

A servant immediately stepped forward.

"Yes, Sir."

"Vanya ko library dikha do."
(Show Vanya the library.)

"Ji, Sir."
(Yes, Sir.)

The moment Vanya heard that, her eyes brightened.

Books.

Finally.

Something familiar.

Something normal.

Unlike rich families.

And mysterious guardians.

And healthy breakfasts.

She immediately stood up.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Then suddenly paused.

"Oh."

Everyone looked at her.

"Agar library mein rolling ladder hui..."
(If there is a rolling ladder in the library...)

She looked hopeful.

"Kya main uspe chadh sakti hoon?"
(Can I climb it?)

The dining room went silent.

Once again.

Kabir almost choked.

Arjun looked down.

Very quickly.

Even Veeransh pressed his lips together.

Vikram stared at her.

"No."

Vanya looked personally betrayed.

"Kyun?"
(Why?)

"Because it's a ladder."

"So?"

"Tum gir jaogi."
(You'll fall.)

"Nahi girungi."
(I won't fall.)

"Gir jaogi."
(You will.)

"Nahi."
(No.)

"Haan."
(Yes.)

"Mera balance bohot achha hai."
(My balance is very good.)

"No."

Vanya sighed dramatically.

"Rich logon ke ghar mein bohot restrictions hote hain."
(There are too many restrictions in rich people's houses.)

Nobody bothered replying.

Because experience had already taught them something important.

Arguing with Vanya Singh was exhausting.

Extremely exhausting.

A few moments later, she happily followed Ram Singh out of the dining room.

Already imagining endless bookshelves.

Ancient books.

Secret passages.

Hidden rooms.

And mysterious family secrets.

Because rich people in novels always had those things.

Meanwhile-

The Rathores watched her leave.

Silence settled over the dining room.

Finally Kabir spoke.

"She's weird."

Arjun took a sip of water.

"A little."

Kabir stared at him.

"A little?"

"She's very weird."

This time Arjun didn't disagree.

Across the room, the servant woman watched quietly.

A dark look crossed her face.

This wasn't good.

Not good at all.

The girl had only arrived yesterday.

Yet Vikram Rathore was already treating her differently.

No.

She couldn't allow things to continue like this.

Very soon-

She would make her first move.

Meanwhile...

When Vanya reached the library, she got shocked.

Not because it was huge.

She had already expected the library to be huge.

Not at all.

But this huge library was beautiful.

The wooden shelves.

The comfortable sofas.

The reading corners.

The smell of books.

Everything looked straight out of a novel.

Vanya slowly walked inside.

Her eyes sparkling.

For the next few hours, she completely disappeared into her novel world.

After three hours, she finally looked up.

Stretching her arms, she glanced outside the large windows.

The weather looked pleasant.

A cool breeze was blowing.

Vanya thought about going to her room.

A few minutes later, she entered her room.

She placed the novel on the table.

Then picked up her phone.

Thinking of sitting in the balcony for some fresh air.

When she stepped into the balcony-

She froze.

Completely froze.

Her eyes widened.

Because...

The balcony was looking exactly like her imagination.

The swing.

The flowers.

The plants.

Everything looked perfect.

Exactly how she had imagined it.

For a few seconds she simply stared.

Then she whispered,

"Nahi..."
(No...)

Her eyes slowly became brighter.

"Yeh toh bilkul mere imagination jaisa lag raha hai."
(This looks exactly like my imagination.)

She looked around once more.

Then suddenly turned around and ran out of her room.

"UNCLEEEEE!"

Her voice echoed through the entire mansion.

Everyone who was inside their rooms got startled.

Doors opened one after another.

The brothers stepped into the hallway.

Confusion visible on their faces.

Even Vikram came out of his study.

Seeing Vanya running toward him at full speed.

"Vanya?"

Before anyone could understand what was happening-

Vanya reached him.

And hugged him tightly.

Everyone froze.

Completely froze.

The hallway fell silent.

Because this was the first time Vanya had hugged anyone in the mansion.

And it was Vikram.

The same Vikram Rathore everyone feared.

Meanwhile Vanya was too excited to notice everyone's shocked expressions.

She was simply happy.

Very happy.

Still hugging him, Vanya said excitedly,

"Thank you, Uncle! Thank you so much!"

"You are the best!"

Only then did she realize what she was doing.

Vanya immediately stepped back.

"Sorry, Uncle."

"Main bina pooche aapko hug kar liya."
(I hugged you without asking.)

"Main bahut zyada excited ho gayi thi."
(I got too excited.)

To everyone's surprise, Vikram simply placed a hand on her head.

"It's alright."

Then he asked,

"Tumhe balcony pasand aayi?"
(Did you like the balcony?)

"Kuch missing toh nahi hai?"
(Is anything missing?)

The excitement instantly returned to Vanya's face.

She nodded rapidly.

"Nahi, Uncle!"
(No, Uncle!)

"Mujhe bahut pasand aayi."
(I liked it very much.)

"Maine socha tha aap naye plants layenge aur mujhe wait karna padega unke grow hone ka."
(I thought you would bring new plants and I would have to wait for them to grow.)

"Lekin aapne toh pehle se bade plants lagwa diye."
(But you already arranged grown plants.)

"It looks so beautiful!"

"Thank you, Uncle!"

Vikram's lips curved into a small smile.

"That's good."

Around them, all the brothers looked amused.

She was this happy...

For plants?

Arjun found himself smiling.

For the first time, he completely ignored the agreement made between the brothers.

He had already decided.

He was going to talk to her.

No matter what.

With a gentle smile, he stepped forward.

"May I see what made you this excited, Vanya?"

Still floating in her happiness, Vanya immediately nodded.

"Haan, Bhaiya!"
(Yes, Brother!)

The moment the word left her mouth-

Everyone froze.

Including Vanya.

Her eyes widened.

She hadn't meant to say that.

"Sorry!"

"I didn't mean to-"

Before she could finish, Arjun laughed softly.

"You can call me Bhaiya."

In fact, his smile became warmer.

"I would be lucky to have a sister like you."

Vanya blinked.

Then slowly smiled.

"Okay, Bhaiya."

The smile on Arjun's face widened.

Without hesitation, Vanya grabbed his wrist.

"Chaliye, Bhaiya!"
(Come, Brother!)

"Main aapko dikhati hoon."
(I'll show you.)

"Aapko bahut pasand aayega."
(You'll definitely like it.)

Before anyone could react, she dragged him toward her room.

The two disappeared upstairs.

Silence.

Complete silence.

Then everyone turned toward Vikram.

Vikram looked unusually relaxed.

A faint smile still remained on his face.

A moment later, he quietly returned to his study.

Leaving the brothers behind.

Completely stunned.

Finally Kabir broke the silence.

"What happened to our agreement?"

He looked toward the staircase.

"Humne decide kiya tha ki hum usse baat nahi karenge."
(We had decided we wouldn't talk to her.)

For the first time that day, Aarav spoke.

"Me and Arjun Bhaiya never agreed."

"We didn't say anything."

"We were only sitting silently that day."

After saying that, he calmly walked away.

Leaving behind three shocked brothers.

Kabir stared after him.

"Traitor."

Meanwhile, Rudra and Veeransh exchanged a glance.

Neither of them spoke.

One innocent act wasn't enough to change their opinion.

People could pretend.

People could act.

And they had known Vanya for barely two days.

Trust wasn't given so easily.

Especially in the Rathore family.

Veeransh folded his arms.

"She's getting comfortable very quickly."

Rudra remained silent.

His eyes stayed on the staircase for a moment.

The girl was still an unknown variable.

Nothing more.

Meanwhile, Kabir dropped onto the sofa dramatically.

Now he was confused.

Very confused.

Arjun had clearly chosen Vanya's side.

Aarav didn't seem to have any problem with her either.

Vikram was already treating her differently.

While Rudra and Veeransh still didn't trust her.

Kabir groaned.

"Seriously..."

"Main kis side pe jaun?"
(Seriously... which side am I supposed to be on?)

For the first time since Vanya arrived

Kabir genuinely had no idea.

Unknown to everyone...

All of this had been noticed by someone.

The same servant woman.

She had witnessed everything.

Vikram's soft behavior.

Arjun accepting Vanya as his sister.

Aarav defending her.

And most importantly-

Vanya getting closer to the Rathores.

Her expression darkened.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Not this quickly.

She clenched her fists.

"I have to do something before this slips out of my hands."

The servant woman glanced toward the staircase where Vanya and Arjun had disappeared.

A dangerous thought crossed her mind.

The girl had only been in the mansion for a few days.

Yet things were already changing.

Far faster than she had expected.

If she waited any longer...

Her entire plan might fail.

"No."

She muttered quietly.

"I can't let that happen."

After making up her mind, she turned around and walked away.

Already planning her next move.

A move that would create the first crack between Vanya and the Rathores.

And if everything went according to plan-

Nobody would ever suspect her.

Not even Vanya.

Meanwhile upstairs...

Vanya dragged Arjun all the way to her room.

As soon as they entered, Arjun's gaze swept across the room.

It was clean and organized.

Not a single thing was out of place.

His eyes landed on the neatly arranged stack of books beside the bed.

A small smile appeared on his face.

So we share the same hobby.

Then he noticed the laptop, tablet, phone, and earpods on the desk.

Looking at them, he immediately understood something.

Vanya had grown up as an only child.

Her parents must have spoiled her a little.

Yet despite having all these things, she wasn't arrogant.

That surprised him.

Before he could think further, Vanya pulled him toward the balcony.

The moment Arjun stepped outside, he paused.

The balcony was beautiful.

The chameli vines around the swing.

The flowering plants.

The cool breeze.

And the peaceful atmosphere.

It felt like a perfect reading spot.

"Wow."

"It's beautiful."

"And probably the best reading spot in the mansion."

Vanya smiled proudly.

"Haan!"
(Yes!)

"Aur yeh mansion mein meri favorite jagah hai."
(And this is my favorite place in the mansion.)

Then she added,

"Aur aap bhi yahan padhne aa sakte ho."
(And you can also come here to read.)

"Jab bhi aapka mann kare."
(Whenever you want.)

Arjun nodded.

"Main zaroor aaunga."
(I'll definitely come.)

Then a teasing smile appeared on his face.

"Lekin..."
(But...)

"Tumne abhi tak poora mansion dekha hi nahi hai."
(You haven't even seen the whole mansion yet.)

"Aur tumne already favorite place decide kar li?"
(And you've already decided your favorite place?)

Vanya froze.

That was actually a good point.

Arjun laughed seeing her expression.

While Vanya pouted.

"Details pe mat jaiye."
(Don't focus on the details.)

"Mujhe yeh jagah pasand hai."
(I like this place.)

"Toh yeh meri favorite jagah hai."
(So it's my favorite place.)

Arjun shook his head helplessly.

Novel logic.

Again.

Then suddenly he said,

"By the way, Sunshine."

Vanya froze.

"...Sunshine?"

Arjun nodded.

"Haan."
(Yes.)

"Ab tum meri chhoti behen ho."
(Now you're my little sister.)

"Toh mujhe tumhe ek nickname dena chahiye."
(So I should give you a nickname.)

"Aur Sunshine tum par suit karta hai."
(And Sunshine suits you.)

Vanya tilted her head.

"Par Sunshine kyun?"
(But why Sunshine?)

Arjun leaned against the railing.

"Kyuki jis din se tum is ghar mein aayi ho..."
(Because ever since you entered this house...)

"Tab se yeh ghar zyada lively ho gaya hai."
(This house has become more lively.)

"Kabhi kisi ko shock kar deti ho."
(Sometimes you shock someone.)

"Kabhi kisi ko confuse."
(Sometimes you confuse someone.)

"Kabhi kisi ko hasa deti ho."
(Sometimes you make someone laugh.)

"And somehow..."

"Sab tumhare baare mein sochne lagte hain."
(Everyone ends up thinking about you.)

Vanya stared at him.

Then slowly smiled.

"Mujhe pasand aaya."
(I like it.)

Arjun smiled back.

"Good."

But then Vanya suddenly narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

"Agar aap mujhe nickname de sakte ho..."
(If you can give me a nickname...)

"Toh mujhe bhi apne Bhaiya ko nickname dena chahiye."
(Then I should also give my brother a nickname.)

Arjun immediately became curious.

"Oh?"

"Mera nickname kya hoga?"
(What will my nickname be?)

Vanya placed a finger on her chin dramatically.

And started thinking seriously.

While Arjun waited.

Already regretting giving her the idea.

Vanya placed a finger on her chin.

Thinking very seriously.

Arjun watched with amusement.

After almost a minute, Vanya suddenly spoke.

"Arju Bhaiya..."

Then she immediately shook her head.

"Nahi."
(No.)

"Yeh toh bahut common hai."
(That's too common.)

Arjun chuckled.

"Accha?"
(Really?)

Vanya ignored him and continued thinking.

"Aru Bhaiya..."

She paused for a few seconds.

Then made a face.

"Nahi."
(No.)

"Kyun?"
(Why?)

Arjun asked.

"Yeh toh ladkiyon wala naam lagta hai."
(It sounds like a girl's name.)

Arjun laughed.

"Poor Aru."

Vanya rolled her eyes.

Then she tried again.

"Jun Bhaiya..."

She repeated it twice.

"Jun Bhaiya."

"Jun Bhaiya."

Suddenly she frowned.

"Nahi."
(No.)

"Kya hua ab?"
(What happened now?)

Arjun asked.

"Mujhe har baar June month yaad aa raha hai."
(It keeps reminding me of the month June.)

"Aisa lag raha hai jaise main calendar ko bula rahi hoon."
(It feels like I'm calling a calendar.)

For a second, there was silence.

Then Arjun burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Vanya continued thinking seriously.

As if she was solving a world problem.

Suddenly her eyes lit up.

"Ari Bhaiya!"

She pointed at him dramatically.

"Yeh perfect hai!"
(This is perfect!)

Arjun blinked.

"Ari Bhaiya?"

Vanya nodded enthusiastically.

"Haan."
(Yes.)

"Unique bhi hai."
(It's unique too.)

"Aur achha bhi lag raha hai."
(And it sounds nice.)

Then she looked at him expectantly.

"Pasand aaya, Ari Bhaiya?"
(Did you like it, Ari Bhaiya?)

Arjun smiled.

"Haan."
(Yes.)

"Mujhe pasand aaya."
(I like it.)

"Waise bhi, kisi ne mujhe pehle kabhi nickname diya nahi."
(Besides, no one has ever given me a nickname before.)

Vanya looked pleased with herself.

Then she added seriously,

"Aur yeh nickname sirf mera hai."
(And this nickname belongs only to me.)

"Koi aur aapko Ari Bhaiya nahi bula sakta."
(No one else can call you Ari Bhaiya.)

Arjun raised both hands.

"Theek hai, Madam."
(Alright, Madam.)

"Sirf tum."
(Only you.)

Satisfied, Vanya nodded.

Just then there was a knock on the door.

A servant entered respectfully.

"Young Master, lunch tayyar hai."
(Lunch is ready.)

"Sab aap dono ka intezaar kar rahe hain."
(Everyone is waiting for both of you.)

Arjun nodded.

"Theek hai."
(Alright.)

The servant left.

Arjun turned toward Vanya.

"Chalo, Sunshine."
(Come on, Sunshine.)

"Lunch ka time ho gaya."
(It's time for lunch.)

Vanya suddenly froze.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Arjun immediately noticed.

"Kya hua?"
(What happened?)

Vanya looked at him dramatically.

"Maine Chef Uncle ko alag lunch banane ke liye bolna hi bhool gayi!"
(I completely forgot to tell Chef Uncle to make a different lunch for me!)

Arjun tried not to laugh.

Vanya groaned.

"Nahi..."
(No...)

"Mujhe woh healthy khana nahi khana."
(I don't want to eat that healthy food.)

Seeing her expression, Arjun finally laughed.

"Chalo, Drama Queen."
(Come on, Drama Queen.)

Vanya glared at him.

Arjun grinned.

"Relax."

"Dad ne pehle hi Chef Uncle ko tumhara pasandida khana banane ko bol diya tha."
(Dad already told Chef Uncle to prepare your favorite food.)

Vanya visibly relaxed.

"Thank God."

She placed a hand on her chest.

"Ek second ke liye toh meri jaan hi nikal gayi thi."
(For a second, my soul almost left my body.)

Arjun laughed.

Then asked,

"Waise tumhare haath ka khana mujhe kab milega?"
(By the way, when will I get food made by you?)

Vanya narrowed her eyes.

"Aur aapka healthy food?"
(And your healthy food?)

Arjun shrugged.

"Main apni Sunshine ke haath ka khana khane ke liye healthy food sacrifice kar sakta hoon."
(I can sacrifice healthy food to eat food made by my Sunshine.)

Vanya tried not to smile.

"Accha ji."
(Is that so?)

Then she nodded.

"Theek hai."
(Fine.)

"Aaj shaam snacks banaungi."
(I'll make snacks this evening.)

Arjun immediately grinned.

"Done."

Then the two siblings walked toward the dining hall, talking and teasing each other along the way.

After reaching the dining area, everyone settled into their respective chairs.

Lunch passed surprisingly peacefully.

For once, Vanya didn't have to fight for her survival against healthy food.

A victory.

A small victory.

But still a victory.

After lunch-

Vikram, Rudra, and Veeransh got up first.

All three had work waiting for them.

Without wasting time, they headed toward their study rooms.

Soon only the younger brothers and Vanya remained.

A few moments later, Arjun stood up as well.

Vanya immediately looked at him.

"Aap bhi ja rahe ho, Ari Bhaiya?"
(Are you leaving too, Ari Bhaiya?)

Arjun smiled.

"Haan, Sunshine."
(Yes, Sunshine.)

"I'll come back in the evening."

"For now, I have to study some patient reviews."

The moment he said that-

Vanya slapped her forehead dramatically.

"Oh no!"

Arjun blinked.

"Kya hua?"
(What happened?)

Vanya looked horrified.

"I made a brother."

A pause.

"But I don't even know what my brother does."

For a second-

Silence filled the room.

Then Arjun laughed.

A genuine laugh.

Because somehow-

Only Vanya could sound guilty about something like this.

"By the way..."

Vanya looked at him curiously.

"Aap kis year mein ho?"
(Which year are you in?)

Arjun smiled.

"I already finished MBBS."

Vanya blinked.

"Oh."

Arjun continued.

"Right now, I'm training for neurosurgery."

"In another two or three years, I'll officially become a neurosurgeon."

For a moment-

Vanya simply stared.

Then frowned.

"But you're only twenty-one."

Arjun nodded.

"Haan."
(Yes.)

"I finished my studies early."

Vanya stared at him.

Then stared some more.

Then reached a conclusion.

A very simple conclusion.

"Okay."

She nodded seriously.

"My Ari Bhaiya is a genius."

The room became quiet.

Because at that exact moment-

Aarav and Kabir happened to look toward them.

And both heard it.

Clearly.

Very clearly.

"My Ari Bhaiya is a genius."

For some reason-

The words felt strange.

Very strange.

Arjun laughed softly.

Then picked up his files.

"Okay, Sunshine."

"Bye."

Vanya waved enthusiastically.

"Bye, Ari Bhaiya!"

Once again-

Kabir and Aarav heard the nickname.

And once again-

Something felt odd.

Arjun had known Vanya for barely a two days.

Yet somehow-

He already had a special nickname.

Meanwhile-

Neither Kabir nor Aarav had one.

A shocking realization.

A tragic realization.

A completely unnecessary realization.

Neither of them understood why they felt slightly jealous.

Or why they suddenly felt left out.

Especially because they had originally planned to stay away from her.

Humans were confusing.

Soon, Arjun headed toward his room.

Aarav quietly returned to his own room as well.

Kabir followed shortly after.

Still thinking about nicknames.

Meanwhile-

Vanya also walked toward her room.

Completely unaware that two Rathore brothers had just experienced their first tiny hint of sibling jealousy.

And completely unaware that her innocent nickname had created yet another problem inside Rathore Mansion.

To be continued...