After breakfast, everyone left for their respective work.

Vikram left for his business trip.

Rudra and Veeransh also left for the office.

Arjun picked up his car keys and left for the hospital.

Now, only Vanya, Aarav, and Kabir were left in the mansion.

The three of them looked at each other.

Kabir was the first one to break the silence.

"Toh... ab hum kya karein?"
(So... what should we do now?)

Aarav answered without wasting a second.

"Library chalte hain."
(Let's go to the library.)

Vanya also nodded.

"Mujhe bhi theek lag raha hai."
(I think that's a good idea too.)

Kabir let out a dramatic groan.

"Tum dono kitne boring log ho."
(You two are such boring people.)

"Main toh wahan bilkul nahi jaa raha."
(I'm definitely not going there.)

"Subah-subah library? Hell no!"

(Morning - morning library? Hello no!)

Vanya folded her arms and looked at him with a teasing smile.

"Theek hai, mere non-boring Mendak Bhaiya."
(Fine then, my non-boring Frog Brother.)

Kabir immediately turned towards her.

"Vanya! Mujhe dobara Mendak Bhaiya mat bulana."
(Vanya! Don't call me Mendak Bhaiya again.)

He then smirked mischievously.

"Aur yaad rakhna... tumhari photo abhi bhi mere phone mein safe hai."
(And remember... your photo is still safe in my phone.)

The smile instantly disappeared from Vanya's face.

She quickly made a zipper motion across her lips.

Kabir smiled proudly.

Then he clapped his hands once.

"Chalo, gaming room chalte hain."
(Come on, let's go to the gaming room.)

Vanya hesitated for a moment.

"Lekin... mujhe games khelna hi nahi aata."
(But... I don't even know how to play games.)

Aarav looked at her.

"Main aur Kabir bhaiya tumhe sikha denge."
(Kabir brother and I will teach you.)

Vanya looked at both of them before smiling softly.

"Theek hai... chalte hain."
(Okay... let's go.)

The three of them then walked together towards the gaming room.
----
Far away from the mansion...

Standing proudly in the heart of the city was the magnificent building of Rathore Enterprises.

A tall glass skyscraper that dominated the skyline.

Its modern architecture reflected both power and prestige.

Employees moved briskly through the grand lobby, while security remained alert at every corner.

On the top floor...

Inside the CEO's office...

The spacious cabin was elegantly designed, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city.

A large wooden desk stood in the center of the room.

On one side sat Rudra Rathore, the CEO of Rathore Enterprises.

Opposite him sat Veeransh Rathore, the renowned criminal lawyer and legal advisor of Rathore Enterprises.

The two brothers remained silent for a few moments.

Despite handling billion-dollar business deals and dangerous mafia matters without fear...

Today, both of them were troubled by something entirely different.

Veeransh finally broke the silence.

"Mujhe lagta hai humne Vanya ke saath bahut zyada bura kiya."
(I think we were far too harsh on Vanya.)

He sighed.

"Usne hamara kuch bhi nahi bigaada tha... phir bhi humne usse woh sab keh diya. Woh hum dono ki bahut badi galti thi."
(She hadn't done anything wrong... yet we said all those things to her. It was a huge mistake on both our parts.)

Rudra leaned back in his chair.

His expression remained calm, but guilt was evident in his eyes.

"Haan..."

"Apni frustration mein humne usse bahut zyada hurt kar diya."
(Yes... In our frustration, we hurt her too much.)

He looked out of the glass window.

"Ab toh woh hamari taraf dekhna bhi pasand nahi karti."
(Now she doesn't even like looking at us.)

Veeransh nodded.

A faint frown appeared on his face.

"Aur sabse zyada irritate mujhe ek baat kar rahi hai."
(And one thing is irritating me the most.)

Rudra looked at him.

"Kya?"
(What?)

Veeransh answered with a helpless smile.

"Woh Kabir, Arjun aur Aarav ko kitne pyaar se 'Bhaiya' bulati hai..."
(She calls Kabir, Arjun, and Aarav 'Bhaiya' with so much affection...)

He paused before continuing.

"Aur humein..."

A bitter smile appeared on his lips.

"'Mr. Rathore.'"

Rudra remained silent.

Those two words somehow felt heavier than an insult.

Veeransh continued,

"Pata nahi kyun... lekin jab woh humein 'Mr. Rathore' bulati hai na... toh ajeeb sa lagta hai."
(I don't know why... but whenever she calls us 'Mr. Rathore,' it feels strange.)

Rudra closed his eyes briefly.

"Usne humein maaf nahi kiya hai."
(She hasn't forgiven us.)

After a moment, he opened his eyes again.

"Aur shayad itni aasani se karegi bhi nahi."
(And perhaps she won't forgive us that easily.)

Veeransh nodded silently.

Rudra spoke again.

"Humein uski maafi jeetni padegi."
(We'll have to earn her forgiveness.)

He recalled the breakfast scene.

How naturally she laughed with Kabir...

How comfortably she talked with Aarav...

How easily she smiled around Arjun.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Waise bhi..."

"Woh teen bandar uske kaafi kareeb hote jaa rahe hain."
(Those three monkeys are becoming very close to her.)

Veeransh couldn't help but smile.

"Haan..."

"Aur hum dono jitna door hote jaa rahe hain."
(And the two of us are becoming more distant from her.)

The room fell silent once again.

If anyone else had heard this conversation...

They would never have believed that the cold and feared Rathore brothers were discussing how to earn the forgiveness of a fifteen-year-old girl.
-----
Back at the Rathore Mansion...

Kalpana stood in a quiet corner of the servants' quarters.

She looked around to make sure no one was nearby.

Only then did she take out her phone.

In her other hand was a small glass bottle filled with a transparent liquid.

She answered the call.

"Ji, Ma'am. Liquid mil gaya hai."
(Yes, Ma'am. I have received the liquid.)

She listened quietly from the other side.

After a few moments, she nodded.

"Ji, Ma'am. Sab kuch plan ke mutabik hi hoga."
(Yes, Ma'am. Everything will happen according to the plan.)

A cruel smile appeared on her lips.

"Is baar woh bach nahi payegi."
(This time, she won't be able to escape.)

The call ended.

Kalpana carefully slipped the small bottle into her pocket.

Then she looked towards the gaming room.

A smirk slowly spread across her face.

"Ab countdown shuru hota hai."
(Now the countdown begins.)

---

Meanwhile...

Inside the gaming room...

The atmosphere was completely different.

Laughter echoed throughout the room.

A huge television was mounted on the wall.

Three colorful bean bags were placed in front of it.

Kabir and Aarav were already holding gaming controllers.

Vanya looked at the controller in her hands with complete confusion.

She turned it upside down.

Then sideways.

Finally, she looked at Kabir.

"Kabir bhaiya..."

"Isme itne saare buttons kyun hain?"
(Why are there so many buttons on this?)

Kabir dramatically placed a hand on his forehead.

"Hey Bhagwan..."

"Cupcake, tumne kabhi game nahi khela?"
(Cupcake, you've never played a game?)

Vanya innocently shook her head.

"Nahi."
(No.)

Kabir looked at Aarav.

"Aarav. aaj ka din bahut lamba hone wala hai."
(Aarav.. today is going to be a very long day.)

Aarav chuckled.

He moved his bean bag a little closer to Vanya.

"Main sikhata hoon."
(I'll teach you.)

He pointed towards the controller.

"Yeh left stick hai. Isse character chalta hai."
(This is the left stick. It moves the character.)

Vanya nodded seriously.

"Achha..."
(Okay...)

Aarav continued.

"Aur yeh button jump ke liye."
(And this button is for jumping.)

She nodded once again.

Kabir crossed his arms.

"Bas itna hi yaad rakhna... diwar se mat takrana."
(Just remember one thing... don't run into walls.)

Vanya confidently smiled.

"Main itni bhi buri nahi hoon."
(I'm not that bad.)

The game started.

Within five seconds...

Vanya's character walked straight into a wall.

Kabir burst into laughter.

"Dekha! Maine pehle hi bola tha."
(See! I told you already.)

Vanya pouted.

"Galti se hua."
(It happened by mistake.)

She tried again.

This time her character fell into water.

Kabir laughed even harder.

He was almost rolling on the bean bag.

"Cupcake! Tum game khel rahi ho ya character ko torture kar rahi ho?"
(Cupcake! Are you playing the game or torturing the character?)

Even Aarav couldn't stop himself from smiling.

Vanya glared at Kabir.

"Haso mat."
(Don't laugh.)

Kabir grinned.

"Theek hai... nahi hasta."
(Fine... I won't laugh.)

Barely two seconds later...

Vanya accidentally pressed the wrong button again.

Kabir lost it.

"Sorry... lekin yeh bahut funny tha!"
(Sorry... but that was really funny!)

Vanya narrowed her eyes.

"Kabir bhaiya..."

"Aap dekh lena."
(Just wait and see.)

Kabir raised an eyebrow.

"Kya dekh lunga?"
(What will I see?)

Vanya smiled mischievously.

"Badla."
(Revenge.)

Aarav simply shook his head.

For the first time in many days...

The gaming room was filled with nothing but laughter.

Just then, Aarav paused the game.

"Ek minute."
(One minute.)

Kabir looked at him.

"Kya hua?"
(What happened?)

Aarav pointed towards the television.

"Ab Vanya try karegi."
(Now Vanya will try.)

Kabir smirked.

"Bas controller ko ulta mat pakadna."
(Just don't hold the controller upside down.)

Vanya glared at him.

"Main itni bhi careless nahi hoon."
(I'm not that careless.)

Kabir raised both his hands dramatically.

"Theek hai, theek hai."
(Fine, fine.)

Vanya took a deep breath and focused on the screen.

This time, her character successfully crossed the first obstacle.

Her eyes lit up.

"Dekho! Ho gaya!"
(Look! I did it!)

Aarav smiled proudly.

"Good."

Kabir nodded.

"Progress hai."
(That's progress.)

Encouraged by them, Vanya continued playing.

A few seconds later...

She accidentally eliminated Kabir's character from the game.

There was complete silence.

Kabir stared at the screen in disbelief.

Then slowly turned towards her.

Vanya blinked innocently.

"Galti se..."
(By mistake...)

Kabir pointed at the television.

"Galti se?"
(By mistake?)

Vanya nodded rapidly.

"Sach mein."
(Really.)

Aarav burst into laughter.

Kabir sighed dramatically.

"Aarav, dekh raha hai?"
(Aarav, are you seeing this?)

"Pehle diwar se takra rahi thi... ab seedha mujhe hi hara diya."
(First she was running into walls... now she defeated me directly.)

Vanya couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"Sorry, mendak bhaiya."
(Sorry, mendak brother.)

Kabir folded his arms.

"Sorry accept tab hoga jab tum mujhe Mendak Bhaiya bulana band karogi."
(I'll accept your apology only when you stop calling me Mendak Bhaiya.)

Vanya pretended to think seriously.

After a few seconds she smiled sweetly.

"Theek hai..."
(Okay...)

Kabir smiled in satisfaction.

But before he could celebrate, Vanya continued,

"...Mendak Bhaiya."

Kabir froze.

Aarav laughed so hard that he almost dropped the controller.

Kabir pointed a finger at Vanya.

"Bas! Ab tumhari photo delete toh bilkul nahi hogi."
(That's it! Now I'm definitely not deleting your photo.)

Vanya immediately gasped.

"Kabir bhaiya! Yeh cheating hai."
(Kabir brother! That's cheating.)

Kabir grinned proudly.

"Isse strategy kehte hain."
(This is called strategy.)

The room once again echoed with laughter.

None of the three noticed that outside the gaming room...

Kalpana quietly looked towards the closed door.

A dangerous smile slowly appeared on her face.

"Haste raho..." she whispered.

"Zyada din nahi."
(Keep laughing... not for much longer.)

Far away from India...

In another country...

Inside a private meeting room.

The atmosphere was cold and suffocating.

The room was silent except for the ticking of the clock.

At the head of the long conference table sat Vikram Rathore.

The warmth and gentleness he showed around Vanya had completely disappeared.

His expression was cold.

His sharp eyes were enough to make everyone lower their heads.

Officially, he had come here for a business trip.

But that wasn't the real reason.

Deep inside the underworld...

One of his trusted men had betrayed the organization's rules by getting involved in human trafficking.

That was one crime Vikram Rathore never tolerated.

His fingers tapped the table once.

The sound echoed through the silent room.

Everyone present became even more nervous.

One man was dragged into the center of the room.

His hands trembled.

Sweat covered his forehead.

He didn't dare look at Vikram.

Vikram slowly stood up from his chair.

He walked towards the man with calm, measured steps.

The room fell completely silent.

Stopping a few feet away, Vikram looked down at him.

His voice was low but carried authority.

"Maine ek hi rule banaya tha."

(I made only one rule.)

"Drugs, human trafficking aur bachchon ke khilaaf koi kaam... meri organization mein kabhi bardasht nahi hoga."

(Drugs, human trafficking, and crimes against children... will never be tolerated in my organization.)

The man immediately fell to his knees.

"Sir... mujhse galti ho gayi... ek mauka de dijiye."

(Sir... I made a mistake... please give me one chance.)

Vikram's expression didn't change.

"Galti?"

(A mistake?)

His voice became even colder.

"Masoom logon ki zindagi barbaad karna galti nahi hoti."

(Destroying innocent people's lives is not a mistake.)

The man kept begging.

But Vikram had already made his decision.

He gave a slight nod to his men.

The guards immediately took the traitor away to face the punishment decided by the organization.

No one in the room dared to utter another word.

Everyone knew one thing...

When it came to protecting innocent people...

Vikram Rathore never showed mercy to those who broke his rules.

He turned around and walked back to his seat.

The meeting continued.

-------

Back in India...

Inside the Rathore Mansion...

In the hall...

Vanya, Aarav, Arjun, and Kabir were sitting together.

An unusual silence filled the hall.

None of them liked the quiet atmosphere.

A little distance away, Rudra and Veeransh were seated on separate sofas with their laptops open.

To anyone watching, it looked like they were completely focused on work.

But in reality...

Neither of them had typed a single word for the past ten minutes.

Every now and then, their eyes unconsciously drifted towards Vanya.

She hadn't looked at either of them even once.

That hurt more than they expected.

Finally, Arjun stretched his arms.

"Yaar, itni shanti achhi nahi lag rahi."

(This much silence doesn't feel good.)

Kabir immediately agreed.

"Bilkul! Ghar aisa lag raha hai jaise kisi ne mute button daba diya ho."

(Exactly! It feels like someone has pressed the mute button on the house.)

Aarav nodded slightly.

Vanya couldn't help smiling a little.

Arjun suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Idea!"

Everyone looked at him.

"Chalo koi game khelte hain."

(Come on, let's play a game.)

Vanya immediately shook her head.

"Game? Dobara? Bilkul nahi!"

(A game? Again? Absolutely not!)

She quickly pointed towards Aarav and Kabir.

"Avi aur Kabir bhaiya ke saath gaming room jaana hi meri sabse badi galti thi."

(Going to the gaming room with Avi and Kabir bhaiya was my biggest mistake.)

Kabir placed a hand on his chest dramatically.

"Cupcake! Yeh toh insult hai."

(Cupcake! That's an insult.)

Arjun laughed.

"Arre, Sunshine. Main video game ki baat nahi kar raha."

(Hey, Sunshine. I'm not talking about video games.)

"Hum 20 Questions khelenge."

(We'll play 20 Questions.)

Kabir clapped excitedly.

"Wah! Yeh idea toh mast hai, Ari bhaiya!"

(Wow! That's an awesome idea, Ari bhaiya!)

Vanya immediately looked at him.

"Kabir bhaiya!"

Kabir blinked.

"Kya?"

(What?)

She folded her arms.

"Unhe Ari bhaiya mat bulaiye."

(Don't call him Ari bhaiya.)

Kabir looked confused.

"Kyun?"

(Why?)

Vanya answered without hesitation.

"Kyuki woh nickname sirf mera hai."

(Because that nickname belongs only to me.)

"Sirf main hi unhe Ari bhaiya bula sakti hoon."

(Only I can call him Ari bhaiya.)

"Aap apne liye koi aur nickname dhoondhiye."

(You find another nickname for yourself.)

Kabir stared at her for a second.

Then he dramatically saluted.

"Ji, Princess Noor Jahan."

Arjun burst into laughter.

Even Aarav smiled.

Vanya narrowed her eyes.

She was just about to argue...

When Aarav raised both hands.

"Bas, bas..."

(Enough, enough...)

He looked at both of them.

"Tom and Jerry ki tarah ladna band karo."

(Stop fighting like Tom and Jerry.)

Kabir pointed towards Vanya.

"Main nahi lad raha. Yeh shuru karti hai."

(I'm not fighting. She starts it.)

Vanya immediately protested.

"Jhooth!"

(Lie!)

For the first time that day...

The hall echoed with laughter.

Not far away...

Rudra quietly looked in their direction.

A faint smile almost appeared on his face.

But it disappeared before anyone noticed.

Veeransh also glanced at them.

Seeing Vanya laughing freely with the others...

He silently wished...

One day...

She would laugh like that in front of them again.

Soon, everyone settled comfortably around the center table.

Arjun picked up an empty glass bottle and placed it in the middle.

He looked at everyone with a grin.

"Toh game ke rules bahut simple hain."

(The rules of the game are very simple.)

Everyone looked at him attentively.

"Main bottle ghumaoonga."

(I'll spin the bottle.)

"Jiske saamne bottle rukegi, usse saamne baitha hua insaan ek sawaal poochega."

(Whoever the bottle stops in front of will be asked one question by the person sitting opposite.)

"Aur jawab sach-sach dena hoga."

(And the answer must be completely honest.)

Kabir's eyes sparkled.

"Mazedaar!"

(Sounds fun!)

Arjun smirked.

"Lekin..."

(But...)

Everyone looked at him again.

"Agar kisi ne jhooth bola..."

(If anyone lies...)

He pointed dramatically towards the bottle.

"...toh usse punishment milegi."

(...they'll receive a punishment.)

Kabir immediately became excited.

"Bas! Yeh hui na baat!"

(Now that's what I'm talking about!)

Vanya narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Punishment?"

Kabir nodded enthusiastically.

"Cupcake... ab toh maza hi maza aayega."

(Cupcake... now this is going to be fun.)

Vanya folded her arms.

"Mujhe aapki smile bilkul pasand nahi aa rahi."

(I'm really not liking that smile of yours.)

Arjun laughed.

"Relax, Sunshine. Itna bhi dangerous nahi hai."

(Relax, Sunshine. It isn't that dangerous.)

Aarav looked at her calmly.

"Bas sach bolna."

(Just tell the truth.)

Vanya sighed dramatically.

"Theek hai... lekin agar aap logon ne ajeeb sawaal pooche na..."

(Fine... but if you all ask weird questions...)

Kabir interrupted with a mischievous grin.

"Toh?"

(Then?)

Vanya pointed a finger at him.

"Toh sabse pehle main aapko hi punishment dungi."

(Then you'll be the first one I'll punish.)

Kabir clutched his heart dramatically.

"Dekha? Yeh hamesha mujhe hi target karti hai."

(See? She always targets me.)

Aarav chuckled softly.

Arjun shook his head with a smile.

Not far away...

Rudra and Veeransh quietly watched the four of them.

Neither of them spoke.

But both of them wished...

Just once...

Someone would look towards them and say-

"Bhai... aap dono bhi aa jaiye."

(Brothers... you two should join us too.)

But no invitation came.

They silently lowered their gazes.

Meanwhile...

Arjun held the bottle in his hand.

He looked at everyone.

"Ready?"

(Ready?)

Kabir answered first.

"Born ready!"

Aarav nodded.

Vanya took a deep breath.

"Chaliye... shuru kijiye."

(Alright... let's begin.)

Arjun smiled.

With a flick of his fingers...

He spun the bottle.

The glass bottle rotated rapidly across the table.

Everyone's eyes remained fixed on it...

Waiting to see...

Who would become the first target.

----

Meanwhile...

Inside the Rathore Mansion...

The sound of laughter echoed from the hall.

Everyone's attention was on the game.

No one noticed a certain maid quietly walking away.

Kalpana glanced around the corridor.

Making sure no one was watching her...

She quietly opened the door to Vanya's room and stepped inside.

The room was silent.

A slow smile appeared on her lips.

From the pocket of her saree...

She carefully took out a small glass bottle filled with a transparent liquid.

She looked at it for a moment before whispering,

"Aaj se tumhari zindagi badalne wali hai, Vanya."

(From today onwards, your life is going to change, Vanya.)

Her gaze shifted towards the bedside table.

There...

Vanya's water bottle was kept exactly where she had left it.

Kalpana slowly walked towards it.

She opened the cap of the small bottle.

Then...

Very carefully...

She poured two drops of the liquid into Vanya's water bottle.

The transparent liquid instantly mixed with the water.

There was no change in its colour...

No smell...

No sign that anything had been added.

Kalpana gently closed the water bottle and placed it back in the exact same position.

Anyone looking at it would think nothing had happened.

She looked at the bottle with satisfaction.

A cruel smile spread across her face.

"Ab dekhte hain..."

(Now let's see...)

"Ab tum wahi karogi jo main chahungi."

(Now you'll do exactly as I want.)

She slipped the small bottle back into her pocket.

Without making a single sound...

She walked out of Vanya's room.

Before leaving the corridor, she turned back one last time and smirked.

"Game toh ab shuru hua hai."

(The real game has only just begun.)

With that...

She quietly disappeared down the corridor.

Completely unaware...

The four youngsters in the hall continued laughing and enjoying their game...

Not knowing that danger had already entered the mansion.

To be continued...