As they sat in silence, Vanya's bedroom door slowly opened.

Arjun and Kabir walked inside.

They didn't knock because they didn't want to disturb Vanya if she had fallen asleep.

But the moment they entered-

They froze.

The room was empty.

"Vanya?" Kabir called.

No response.

He immediately started panicking.

"Arjun Bhaiya, Vanya kahan hai?"
(Arjun Bhaiya, where is Vanya?)

Arjun looked around the room.

"Shaant ho jao. Woh washroom ya balcony mein hogi. Chalo dekhte hain."
(Calm down. She must be in the washroom or balcony. Let's check.)

They knocked on the washroom door.

No response.

Both of them exchanged worried glances.

Then they slowly walked towards the balcony.

The moment they opened the door-

They stopped.

Vanya and Aarav were sitting on the swing.

Vanya's head was resting on Aarav's shoulder.

Both of them looked towards the door.

Kabir narrowed his eyes at Aarav.

"Humne decide kiya tha ki hum saath mein aayenge. Tum pehle aa gaye kyunki tum uske favourite bhai banna chahte ho!"
(We had decided to come together. You came earlier because you want to become her favourite brother!)

Aarav blinked.

"Nahi."
(No.)

Vanya looked at Kabir.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"Kabir Bhaiya, dil mein har insaan ki alag jagah hoti hai. Koi kisi ki jagah nahi le sakta."
(Kabir Bhaiya, everyone holds a different place in the heart. No one can take someone else's place.)

Kabir's expression softened.

"Toh meri bhi ek jagah hai?"
(So, I also have a place?)

Vanya nodded.

"Bilkul."
(Of course.)

Kabir finally smiled and sat on the chair nearby.

Arjun also sat down.

Silence fell over the balcony.

The cool night breeze gently passed by.

Arjun wanted to say something.

Kabir also wanted to apologize.

But before either of them could speak-

Vanya spoke first.

"Ari Bhaiya... main uss incident ke baare mein baat nahi karna chahti. Chaliye usse yahin khatam kar dete hain."
(Ari Bhaiya... I don't want to talk about that incident. Let's end it here.)

The three brothers looked at her.

She continued softly.

"Aur please... Uncle ko bhi mat batana. Aur un dono ke saath alag behave mat kijiye. Sab normal rakhiye."
(And please... don't tell Uncle either. And don't behave differently with those two. Keep everything normal.)

The three brothers were shocked.

After everything...

She still didn't want anyone to get into trouble because of her.

What they didn't know was-

Vanya didn't want to become the reason for another crack in this family.

Arjun looked at her gently.

"Baccha... tum bahut jaldi maaf kar deti ho."
(Kiddo... you forgive too easily.)

Vanya looked at him for a few seconds.

Then she lowered her gaze.

A sad smile appeared on her face.

"Kisne kaha maine unhe maaf kar diya?"
(Who said I forgave them?)

All three of them froze.

She slowly looked at the stars.

"Unhone jo kaha... woh itni jaldi nahi bhool sakti main."
(I can't forget what they said that easily.)

Her voice became softer.

"Kuch shabd bahut chot pahunchate hain... aur unka dard jaldi nahi jaata."
(Some words hurt a lot... and their pain doesn't go away quickly.)

Aarav clenched his fists.

Kabir lowered his gaze.

Arjun's heart hurt hearing her words.

Vanya took a deep breath.

"Bas... main nahi chahti ki meri wajah se is parivaar mein aur problems ho."
(I just don't want more problems in this family because of me.)

She looked at them.

"Aur agar Uncle ko pata chala, toh unhe bhi bura lagega. Main unhe aur dukhi nahi dekhna chahti."
(And if Uncle finds out, he'll be hurt too. I don't want to make him sad.)

The three brothers looked at her in shock.

Even after being hurt...

She was still thinking about everyone else.

For a few moments, nobody spoke.

The night became silent again.

Finally, Aarav nodded.

"As you wish, Twiny."

Kabir sighed.

"Theek hai, Cupcake. Hum kisi ko kuch nahi batayenge."
(Okay, Cupcake. We won't tell anyone.)

Arjun smiled softly.

"Lekin ek promise karo. Agar kabhi bura lage, toh akele mat sehna. Humse baat karna."
(But promise one thing. If you ever feel bad, don't suffer alone. Talk to us.)

Vanya looked at the three brothers.

Slowly...

She nodded.

"Theek hai."
(Okay.)

Silence once again settled between them.

The stars shone brightly above.

Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.

After some time-

Vanya let out a small yawn.

Then another.

This time, a tiny smile appeared on Arjun's face.

"Chalo, bahut raat ho gayi hai. Ab sona chahiye."
(Come on, it's already very late. We should sleep now.)

Everyone nodded.

Arjun stood up.

Kabir also got up from his chair.

Aarav stood beside Vanya.

Arjun gently patted her head.

"Good night, Sunshine."

"Good night, Ari Bhaiya."

Kabir smiled softly.

"Good night, Cupcake. Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Kabir Bhaiya."

Aarav looked at her.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Good night, Twiny."

Vanya's lips curved into a small smile.

"Good night, Avi."

One by one, they walked towards the door.

Before leaving, all three of them turned around.

Vanya was still sitting on the swing, looking at the stars.

For some reason...

She looked lonely.

The three brothers silently made a promise to themselves.

No matter what happened-

They would never let her cry like that again.

Meanwhile...

In another part of the mansion...

Two elder brothers were still awake.

And for some reason...

Neither Rudra nor Veeransh could forget the image of a crying girl looking at them with hurt-filled eyes and whispering-

"Sorry..."

The next morning...

Vikram had already left for the office early.

So now, all the brothers and Vanya were sitting at the dining table for breakfast.

Vanya didn't want to come downstairs.

After last night's incident, seeing two particular people was the last thing she wanted.

But she also didn't want to create another scene.

So, she quietly came and sat at the table.

The entire breakfast passed in complete silence.

Arjun, Kabir, and Aarav kept stealing worried glances at her.

Meanwhile, Rudra and Veeransh looked unusually restless.

Finally, after finishing her breakfast, Vanya stood up.

She was about to leave when-

"Vanya."

Rudra's voice stopped her.

She paused.

Slowly, she turned around and looked at him.

Her face was calm.

Too calm.

Rudra clenched his fists under the table.

For the first time in years, he didn't know how to start a conversation.

Finally, he spoke.

"Sorry."

Silence.

A few seconds later, Veeransh also spoke.

"Sorry... humein tumhare parents ke baare mein aisa nahi kehna chahiye tha."
(Sorry... we shouldn't have spoken about your parents like that.)

Vanya quietly looked at both of them.

Inside, she couldn't help but think,

They're saying sorry as if they're doing me a favour.

They only regret talking about my parents...

Not the harsh words they said to me.

A small, bitter smile appeared on her lips.

Seeing that smile, Rudra and Veeransh unconsciously relaxed.

Maybe...

Maybe she had forgiven them.

But Arjun, Kabir, and Aarav frowned.

That smile didn't reach her eyes.

Then Vanya finally spoke.

"It's okay, Mr. Rathore."

Everyone froze.

Mr. Rathore?

Not...

Rudra Bhaiya.

For some reason, those two words felt like a slap.

Vanya continued calmly.

"Main un logon ki baatein dil ya dimaag par nahi leti jinke saath mera koi rishta ya bond nahi hota."
(I don't take anyone's words to my heart or mind unless I share a bond with them.)

Silence filled the dining room.

She looked directly at the two brothers.

"Aur hum sab bas ek hi ghar mein rehne wale strangers hain."
(And we are simply strangers living in the same house.)

"So, aap dono ko sorry bolne ki zarurat nahi hai. Maine aap dono ki baaton ko dil ya dimaag par nahi liya."
(So, you don't need to apologize. I didn't take either of your words to my heart or mind.)

The dining room became completely silent.

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

Rudra's eyes widened.

Veeransh also froze.

Meanwhile...

Rudra felt an unfamiliar pain in his chest.

Yesterday, he wanted her to stay away from him.

But now, when she herself was keeping her distance...

Why did it hurt?

And why did he feel disappointed that she didn't call him-

Rudra Bhaiya?

Veeransh also remained silent.

For the first time, he regretted his words.

Vanya gave them a polite smile.

"Excuse me."

Then she turned around and started walking away.

Her footsteps slowly disappeared upstairs.

Everyone remained seated in silence.

Arjun, Kabir, and Aarav looked at each other.

They remembered Vanya's words from last night.

"Please... un dono ke saath alag behave mat karna. Sab normal rakhiye."
(Please... don't behave differently with those two. Keep everything normal.)

So none of them said anything.

No one reminded Rudra that she called him Rudra Bhaiya yesterday.

No one told them that she hadn't forgiven them.

They simply stayed silent.

Because they had promised her.

Meanwhile...

Rudra and Veeransh remained seated in their places.

For some reason...

The dining room suddenly felt colder.

And the words-

"Mr. Rathore."

and

"Strangers."

kept echoing in their minds.

Deep down...

Both of them knew one thing.

The distance that Vanya had created today...

would not disappear so easily.

Soon after everything...

Rudra and Veeransh left for the office.

Arjun also left for the hospital.

Meanwhile, Kabir and Aarav went to their respective rooms.

Vanya was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Because she had completely forgotten one thing.

Even though she was currently in the body of a fifteen-year-old girl...

Mentally, she was still twenty-one years old.

In her previous life, Lavanya had been in the final year of her Computer Science Engineering course.

She had always planned to become independent and earn her own money.

Depending on others was never something she liked.

Now, all of her father's savings and property were being handled by Vikram.

If she needed anything, she would have to ask him.

And honestly...

She didn't want that.

She sighed.

"Uff..."

"I need to find a way to earn money in the future."

She was still thinking when—

Knock. Knock.

She looked towards the door.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Kalpana was standing there.

Her eyes looked slightly red.

"Aunty?" Vanya asked in confusion.

"What happened? Why do you look worried?"

Kalpana sighed.

"Beta... I came to apologize."

Vanya blinked.

"Apologize? For what?"

Kalpana lowered her head.

"Kal jo hua... uske liye."
(For what happened yesterday.)

She continued softly,

"Agar maine tumhe mandir ke baare mein nahi bataya hota, toh shayad tumhe itni baatein nahi sunni padti."
(If I hadn't told you about the temple, perhaps you wouldn't have had to hear all those things.)

For a second, Vanya was surprised.

Then the small doubt she had developed in her heart disappeared.

So...

Kalpana wasn't involved.

She was simply feeling guilty.

Vanya's expression softened.

"It's okay, Aunty. It's not your fault."

Kalpana looked at her.

"You're... not angry with me?"

Vanya shook her head.

"Bilkul nahi."
(Not at all.)

"You didn't know things would turn out like that."

Kalpana smiled gently.

"Thank you, beta... for not blaming me."

Then she patted Vanya's head.

"If you need anything, you can always ask me."

Vanya smiled.

"Okay, Aunty."

Kalpana nodded.

"Achha, main chalti hoon."
(Alright, I'll leave now.)

She walked out of the room.

Vanya closed the door and leaned against it.

Then she let out a long sigh.

"Uff..."

"Kal se kitni saari cheezein ho gayi."
(So many things have happened since yesterday.)

She walked towards her bed and sat down.

"I need some rest."

Meanwhile...

Outside the room.

The gentle expression on Kalpana's face slowly disappeared.

A smirk appeared on her lips.

"So easy..."

she muttered.

"Ek chhoti si daraar pad chuki hai."
(A small crack has already appeared.)

She looked towards Vanya's closed door.

"Aur ab yeh daraar dheere-dheere aur badi hogi."
(And now this crack will slowly become bigger.)

Her eyes gleamed.

"Ab dekhte hain, Vanya Singh... tum is ghar mein kitne din tik paati ho."
(Now let's see, Vanya Singh... how long you can survive in this house.)

With a satisfied smile, she walked away.

Completely unaware of the dangerous thoughts in someone's mind...

Vanya lay down on her bed.

She closed her eyes.

Thinking that finally...

She could relax for a while.

Soon, dinner time arrived.

Everyone was sitting at the dining table and having dinner.

Vikram was also present there. His mood had become much better after a long day at the office.

He looked at Vanya and smiled.

"Kaisa tha tumhara din, Baccha?"
(How was your day, kiddo?)

Vanya looked up from her plate.

"Achha tha, Uncle."
(It was good, Uncle.)

Her short reply immediately made everyone pause.

Usually, she would happily tell him everything that happened throughout the day.

But today...

She was unusually quiet.

Seeing how dull she looked, Vikram frowned.

"Kya hua, Vanya? Tumhara mood itna off kyun lag raha hai?"
(What happened, Vanya? Why does your mood seem so down?)

Every brother at the table became tense.

Rudra and Veeransh's hands froze.

Arjun looked at Vanya worriedly.

Kabir and Aarav exchanged glances.

Because they all knew...

If Vikram found out about yesterday's incident, they were doomed.

Vanya blinked.

Then she quickly replied,

"Nahi, Uncle. Kuch nahi hua. Bas period cramps hain."
(No, Uncle. Nothing happened. It's just period cramps.)

It was half truth and half lie.

She had gotten her periods that afternoon.

And her mood was bad because of two reasons.

One she could tell.

And the other...

She didn't want to.

Vikram immediately looked concerned.

"Dawai li?"
(Did you take medicine?)

"Ji, Uncle."
(Yes, Uncle.)

He nodded.

The brothers finally relaxed.

For a moment, they had thought she was going to tell him everything.

A few minutes later, Vikram suddenly remembered something.

"Vanya."

"Ji, Uncle?"

"Tum Bangalore se aate waqt keh rahi thi na ki tum kuch classes join karna chahti ho? Agar abhi bhi chahti ho toh bata dena, main tumhara admission karwa dunga."
(You said while coming from Bangalore that you wanted to join some classes, right? If you still want to, tell me. I'll enroll you.)

Vanya froze.

Immediately, yesterday's words echoed in her mind.

Demanding... Attention seeker... Taking advantage...

Her grip on the spoon tightened.

No.

After everything that happened...

She didn't want anyone to think she was taking advantage of them.

She slowly shook her head.

"Nahi, Uncle. Mujhe koi classes join nahi karni."
(No, Uncle. I don't want to join any classes.)

Arjun, Kabir, and Aarav immediately understood why she was refusing.

But they remained silent.

Because they had promised her.

Vikram looked confused.

"Kyun? Kal tak toh tum bahut excited thi."
(Why? Until yesterday, you were very excited.)

Vanya smiled slightly.

"Woh... chuttiyon ke baad meri tenth standard shuru hogi aur boards bhi aayenge. Main unki tayari karna chahti hoon."
(After the holidays, my tenth standard will start and board exams will also come. I want to prepare for them.)

Vikram looked at her for a few seconds.

Then he nodded.

"Theek hai. Jaisa tum chaho, Baccha."
(Alright. As you wish, kiddo.)

"Thank you, Uncle."

After that, everyone quietly continued eating.

But no one failed to notice the slight sadness in Vanya's eyes.

And no one failed to notice the guilt in Rudra and Veeransh's eyes either.

The dinner continued in silence.

However...

The atmosphere at the table was no longer the same as before.

To be continued...