Just as Arjun spun the bottle...

Vanya suddenly stretched out her hand and stopped it.

Everyone looked at her in confusion.

Kabir blinked.

"Cupcake... bottle ne tumhara kya bigaada?"

(Cupcake... what did the bottle ever do to you?)

Vanya ignored him and looked at everyone.

"Mere paas isse bhi better idea hai."

(I have an even better idea than this.)

Arjun raised an eyebrow.

"Accha? Batao."

(Really? Tell us.)

Vanya smiled mischievously.

"Agar sirf ek hi insaan sawaal puchega aur ek hi jawab dega, toh game itna interesting nahi hoga."

(If only one person asks a question and one person answers, the game won't be that interesting.)

Everyone nodded, waiting for her to continue.

Vanya explained,

"Hum sab 10-10 chits par alag-alag questions likhenge."

(Each of us will write ten different questions on separate chits.)

"Phir saari chits ko ek bowl mein daal kar achhe se mix kar denge."

(Then we'll put all the chits into a bowl and mix them properly.)

"Uske baad har koi randomly ek chit uthayega aur usme jo question hoga, uska honestly jawab dega."

(After that, everyone will randomly pick a chit and answer the question written on it honestly.)

Kabir listened carefully.

Vanya continued with a grin.

"Aur agar kisi ko kisi question ka jawab nahi dena..."

(And if someone doesn't want to answer a question...)

She looked at everyone dramatically.

"...toh usse ek truth skip karne ke badle ek wish poori karni hogi."

(...then instead of answering, they'll have to fulfill one wish.)

Arjun's eyes widened.

Aarav looked impressed.

Kabir immediately clapped.

"Waah!"

(Wow!)

"Yeh toh aur bhi mazedaar hai!"

(This is even more fun!)

Arjun smiled.

"Honestly... mujhe bhi yeh idea zyada pasand aaya."

(Honestly... I like this idea more too.)

Aarav nodded.

"Mujhe bhi."

(Me too.)

Vanya folded her arms proudly.

"Toh... kaisa laga mera plan?"

(So... how's my plan?)

For a moment...

Everyone simply stared at her.

Then Kabir pointed at her dramatically.

"Cupcake..."

He shook his head in admiration.

"Tum toh genius nikli."

(You're actually a genius.)

Vanya flipped her hair proudly.

"By birth."

Everyone burst into laughter.

A few minutes later...

Arjun brought a bowl and some blank chits.

Each of them took a pen.

Soon...

All four of them became busy writing ten questions each.

Once everyone finished...

They folded their chits and dropped them into the bowl.

Kabir shook the bowl dramatically.

"Ab dekhte hain sabse pehle kiski vaat lagti hai."

(Now let's see who gets into trouble first.)

The game was finally ready to begin...

Once again, the bottle was spun.

Everyone watched it with anticipation as it rotated around the circle before slowly losing its speed.

Finally...

It stopped in front of Kabir.

Kabir dramatically threw his head back.

"Mere saath hi aisa kyun hota hai?"

(Why does this always happen to me?)

Everyone laughed.

Vanya grinned mischievously.

"Kabir bhaiya, shikayat baad mein kariyega. Pehle chit uthaiye."

(Kabir bhaiya, you can complain later. First, pick a chit.)

Kabir sighed dramatically.

"Meri hi kismat kharab hai."

(My luck is the worst.)

He reached into the bowl, picked a folded chit, and slowly unfolded it.

The moment he read the question, his expression changed.

Vanya immediately leaned forward.

"Kya likha hai?"

(What is written?)

Kabir cleared his throat and read it aloud.

"Tumhari sabse embarrassing childhood memory kya hai?"

(What is your most embarrassing childhood memory?)

The moment the question was finished, everyone looked at him expectantly.

A mischievous smile spread across Vanya's face.

"Ab jawab dijiye, Kabir bhaiya."

(Now answer, Kabir bhaiya.)

Kabir rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Second standard mein... maine apni teacher ko propose kar diya tha."

(In second grade... I proposed to my teacher.)

For a second...

Silence.

Then-

Vanya burst into laughter.

"Kabir bhaiya!" she laughed. "Yeh toh bilkul unexpected tha!"

(Kabir bhaiya! That was completely unexpected!)

Kabir covered his face with both hands.

"Bas... ab aur mat haso."

(Enough... don't laugh anymore.)

Arjun started laughing loudly.

Aarav couldn't stop smiling.

Even Rudra and Veeransh failed to hide the faint smiles on their faces.

Kabir looked at everyone with fake annoyance.

"Bahut maza aa raha hai na tum sabko?"

(You're all enjoying this a little too much, aren't you?)

That only made everyone laugh even harder.

After a few moments, Kabir shook his head dramatically.

"Theek hai, theek hai... ab bottle dobara ghumao."

(Alright, alright... now spin the bottle again.)

Still chuckling, Vanya picked up the bottle .

"Ready?" she asked.

Everyone nodded.

She gave the bottle another spin.

The bottle rotated around the circle before gradually slowing down.

Finally...

It stopped in front of Arjun.

Arjun smiled helplessly.

"Lagta hai meri baari aa gayi."

(Looks like it's my turn.)

He reached into the bowl and picked up a folded chit.

After unfolding it, he read the question aloud.

"Kya tumhari koi girlfriend hai?"

(Do you have a girlfriend?)

Without even thinking for a second, Arjun answered,

"Nahi."

(No.)

Vanya stared at him in complete disbelief.

"Kya matlab 'nahi'?"

(What do you mean 'no'?)

Arjun looked at her, confused.

"Nahi matlab nahi."

(No means no.)

Vanya dramatically placed a hand on her forehead.

"Arjun bhaiya, aap itne handsome ho, itne sweet ho... aur aapki ek bhi girlfriend nahi hai?"

(Arjun bhaiya, you're so handsome and so sweet... and you don't even have one girlfriend?)

Kabir immediately joined in.

"Dekha? Cupcake ko bhi yakeen nahi ho raha."

(See? Even Cupcake can't believe it.)

Arjun scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Sach mein nahi hai."

(I really don't have one.)

Vanya shook her head dramatically.

"Kya waste hai... itne handsome insaan ki girlfriend hi nahi hai."

(What a waste... such a handsome person doesn't even have a girlfriend.)

Arjun laughed helplessly.

Kabir couldn't stop laughing.

Aarav smiled while shaking his head.

Even Rudra and Veeransh exchanged amused glances before quickly looking away.

The atmosphere in the gaming room became even more cheerful.

Smiling, Vanya picked up the bottle once again.

"Chaliye... agla round!"

(Come on... next round!)

The bottle spun once again.

Everyone's eyes followed it as it rotated around the circle.

Gradually...

It slowed down.

And finally-

It stopped in front of Aarav.

Everyone looked at him.

Without saying a word, Aarav reached towards the bowl, picked up a folded chit, and unfolded it.

He read the question aloud.

"Sabse achha cook kaun hai?"

(Who is the best cook?)

For a few seconds, Aarav remained silent.

Then he answered in his usual calm voice,

"Pehle Mom aur Dad... aur ab Twiny."

(First Mom and Dad... and now Twiny.)

The smile on everyone's face slowly disappeared.

Silence filled the gaming room.

No one had expected that answer.

Aarav had unknowingly placed Vanya alongside the two people he loved the most.

Vanya herself looked at him in surprise.

Not wanting the atmosphere to become emotional, she quickly spoke.

"Ek minute..."

(One minute...)

Everyone looked towards her.

She turned to Kabir.

"Uncle ko cooking bhi aati hai?"

(Uncle knows how to cook too?)

Kabir smiled and nodded.

"Haan. Dad pehle hum sab ke liye cooking karte the."

(Yes. Dad used to cook for all of us.)

Arjun smiled.

"Aur believe karo ya na karo... Dad ke haath ka khaana bahut tasty hota hai."

(And believe it or not... Dad's cooking is really delicious.)

Vanya's eyes widened slightly.

"Sach?"

(Really?)

Kabir nodded proudly.

"Bilkul."

(Absolutely.)

Vanya smiled.

"Mujhe toh pata hi nahi tha."

(I didn't know that.)

The heavy atmosphere finally disappeared.

Kabir picked up the bottle again.

Just as he was about to spin it-

A servant entered the  room.

"Sir, dinner tayyar hai."

(Sir, dinner is ready.)

Kabir groaned dramatically.

"Abhi toh maza aana shuru hua tha!"

(We had just started having fun!)

Everyone laughed and stood up from their seats.

Just then, Kabir suddenly raised his hand.

"Ek minute!"

(One minute!)

Everyone stopped and looked at him.

Kabir pointed towards Vanya.

"Hum teeno ne ek-ek question ka answer de diya... lekin Cupcake ne abhi tak ek bhi answer nahi diya."

(The three of us have answered one question each... but Cupcake hasn't answered even one yet.)

Arjun immediately agreed.

"Haan, Sunshine. Ab tumhari baari hai."

(Yes, Sunshine. Now it's your turn.)

Kabir smirked mischievously.

"Ya phir mera sawaal ka hi answer kar do."

(Or you can simply answer my question.)

He folded his arms.

"Tumhara favourite bhai kaun hai?"

(Who is your favourite brother?)

Vanya looked at all three brothers.

Then she immediately shook her head.

"No, thanks. Main chit hi uthaungi."

(No, thanks. I'll pick a chit instead.)

Saying that, she walked towards the bowl.

She picked up one folded chit.

Slowly, she unfolded it.

A small smile appeared on her face.

Kabir became curious.

"Kya likha hai?"

(What is written?)

Vanya read the question aloud.

"Tumhara favourite colour kya hai?"

(What is your favourite colour?)

Kabir immediately complained.

"Yeh boring question kisne likha?"

(Who wrote this boring question?)

Everyone laughed.

Vanya smiled softly before answering.

"Mera koi favourite colour nahi hai."

(I don't have a favourite colour.)

Everyone looked at her in confusion.

She continued,

"Main hamesha wahi colour choose karti hoon jo uss cheez par sabse achha lage."

(I always choose the colour that looks best on that particular thing.)

Everyone nodded in understanding.

With that, all of them left the hall together and walked towards the dining hall for dinner.

After finishing dinner, everyone wished each other good night and went to their respective rooms.

Vanya also returned to her room.

She picked up the novel lying on her bedside table and walked towards the balcony.

The cool night breeze gently brushed against her face as she immersed herself in the story.

After reading for quite some time, she felt thirsty.

"Paani pi leti hoon."

(I'll drink some water.)

She closed the novel and placed it carefully on the table.

Then she walked back inside her room.

Without suspecting anything...

She reached for the water bottle kept on the table.

Her fingers wrapped around it.

She picked it up.

Vanya picked up the water bottle from the bedside table.

Just as she was about to drink the water...

She suddenly frowned.

"Huh?"

She gently touched the bottle.

Instead of feeling cold...

It felt warm.

She immediately made a face.

"Eww..."

She looked at the bottle with an expression of disgust.

"Itni garmi mein garam paani kaun peeta hai?"
(Who drinks warm water in this scorching summer?)

She sighed before lightly hitting her forehead.

"Vanya, tum kitni lazy ho gayi ho."
(Vanya, you've become so lazy.)

"Kal raat ka hi paani pada tha aur maine ek baar bhi bottle badalne ke baare mein nahi socha."
(The water has been in the bottle since last night, and I didn't even think about changing it.)

She shook her head at herself.

"Chalo... thanda paani bhar leti hoon."
(Come on... I'll fill it with cold water.)

Holding the bottle in her hand, she quietly stepped out of her room.

The entire mansion had fallen silent.

Everyone had already retired to their respective rooms.

Even the servants had finished their work and gone back to the servant quarters.

Only the dim lights in the corridor remained on.

Vanya slowly walked towards the kitchen.

As she walked through the quiet hallway, she softly started humming,

"Zindagi Sawaar Doon..."

A small smile appeared on her face.

The peaceful silence of the mansion and the cool night breeze coming through the windows somehow made the song sound even more soothing.

She continued humming until she reached the kitchen.

Walking towards the sink, she uncapped the bottle.

Without giving it another thought, she poured all the remaining water into the sink.

The transparent water disappeared down the drain.

Then she rinsed the bottle properly.

After making sure it was clean, she walked towards the water purifier.

Fresh cold water slowly filled the bottle.

A satisfied smile appeared on her face.

"Ab baat bani."
(Now that's better.)

She lifted the bottle and took a few refreshing gulps.

The cold water instantly refreshed her.

"Ahh..."

"Ab maza aaya."
(Now that's refreshing.)

She tightly closed the cap.

Since she had already drunk a few gulps, the bottle was now only half-filled.

...she happily walked back towards her room.

A few minutes later...

She entered her room.

She placed the half-filled water bottle back on the bedside table.

Her eyes landed on the novel lying beside it.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Bas ek chapter aur..."
(Just one more chapter...)

She picked up the novel and walked towards the balcony.

The cool night breeze gently brushed against her face.

She sat on the swing placed in the balcony and quietly started reading.

Time slowly passed.

Completely immersed in the story...

She didn't even realize how much time had gone by.

A few minutes later...

She let out a soft yawn.

"Bas..."

"Ab sona chahiye."
(I should sleep now.)

She closed the novel.

Walked back into the room and carefully placed it back on the table.

Then she switched off the bedside lamp.

The room was illuminated only by the soft moonlight entering through the curtains.

Vanya lay down comfortably on her bed.

Within a few minutes...

She drifted into a peaceful sleep.

On the bedside table...

The half-filled bottle of fresh cold water remained untouched.

Far away...

Inside the servant quarters...

Kalpana smiled to herself.

She was completely confident that her plan would work perfectly.

Little did she know...

That Vanya's simple habit of changing the water because it had become warm...

Had unknowingly destroyed her entire plan.

The mysterious liquid she had mixed into the previous water...

Had already been washed away into the sink.

And Vanya...

Slept peacefully...

Completely safe and completely unaware of how close she had come to danger.

Inside Rudra's Room...

The night had grown quieter.

A soft yellow lamp illuminated the spacious room.

Rudra stood beside the floor-to-ceiling window, silently looking at the moonlit garden outside.

His expression was unreadable.

Behind him...

Veeransh sat on the sofa, resting his elbows on his knees.

For the first time in years...

Neither of them was discussing business.

Nor the underworld.

Silence filled the room.

After a long pause...

Veeransh finally spoke.

"Humein jitni jaldi ho sake Vanya ki maafi jeetni hogi..."
(We have to earn Vanya's forgiveness as soon as possible...)

He paused for a moment.

Then sighed.

"...warna..."
(...otherwise...)

Rudra completed his sentence without even turning around.

"...warna woh teeno idiots usse humse bhi zyada close ho jayenge."
(...otherwise those three idiots will become closer to her than we ever will.)

Veeransh gave a helpless smile.

It wasn't jealousy.

It was regret.

A deep regret.

He leaned back against the sofa.

"Kabhi kabhi lagta hai..."
(Sometimes I feel...)

"...humne shuru se hi sab kuch galat kar diya."
(...we got everything wrong from the very beginning.)

Rudra slowly closed his eyes.

For a few seconds...

Neither of them spoke.

Finally...

Rudra broke the silence.

"Tumhe yaad hai..."
(Do you remember...)

"...jab bhi Mom pregnant hoti thi..."
(...whenever Mom was pregnant...)

A faint smile appeared on Veeransh's face.

He nodded.

How could he forget?

Rudra continued.

"Har baar hum mandir jaakar ek hi cheez maangte the."
(Every time we visited the temple, we prayed for only one thing.)

Veeransh smiled sadly.

"Ek chhoti behen..."
(A little sister...)

Rudra nodded.

A bitter laugh escaped him.

"Lekin har baar..."
(But every single time...)

"...ghar ek aur bhai aa jaata tha."
(...another brother was born instead.)

Both of them laughed softly.

For a brief second...

The memories warmed their hearts.

Then the smile slowly disappeared.

Rudra lowered his gaze.

"Aur jab finally humein ek behen mili..."
(And when we finally got a sister...)

His voice became heavy.

"...toh hum hi uske sabse bade dushman ban gaye."
(...we ourselves became her biggest enemies.)

The room once again fell silent.

Veeransh clenched his fists.

He remembered every harsh word they had spoken.

Every cold glance.

Every unnecessary accusation.

Vanya had silently endured all of it.

Finally...

He spoke softly.

"Humari frustration..."
(Our frustration...)

"Humari insecurities..."
(Our insecurities...)

"...sab uspar nikaal diya."
(...we took all of it out on her.)

Rudra slowly nodded.

"Aur sabse buri baat..."
(And the worst part...)

He looked towards Veeransh.

"...usne kabhi jawab bhi nahi diya."
(...she never even argued back.)

Veeransh let out a deep breath.

He remembered the dining table.

The way she had stopped calling them "Bhaiya."

The way she now addressed them as...

"Mr. Rathore."

That single word hurt far more than he wanted to admit.

He rubbed his forehead.

"Mujhe 'Mr. Rathore' sunna bilkul pasand nahi."
(I absolutely hate hearing 'Mr. Rathore.')

Rudra chuckled bitterly.

"Sach kahun..."
(Honestly...)

"...jab woh Kabir ko 'Kabir Bhaiya' aur Arjun ko 'Ari Bhaiya' bulati hai..."
(...when she calls Kabir 'Kabir Bhaiya' and Arjun 'Ari Bhaiya'...)

He stopped.

Then smiled helplessly.

"...tab realize hota hai humne kitna kuch kho diya."
(...that's when I realize how much we've lost.)

Veeransh nodded silently.

Neither of them wanted to admit it.

But both of them missed hearing...

"Rudra Bhaiya."

"Veeransh Bhaiya."

Those simple words.

Now...

They felt impossible to hear again.

After a long silence...

Veeransh suddenly stood up.

Rudra looked at him.

"Chalo."
(Let's go.)

Rudra frowned.

"Kahan?"
(Where?)

Veeransh answered quietly.

"Usse dekhne."
(To check on her.)

"Shayad so gayi hogi..."
(She must have fallen asleep...)

"Lekin kam se kam dekh toh sakte hain ki woh theek hai."
(But at least we can make sure she's alright.)

Rudra remained silent for a few seconds.

Then...

He nodded.

"Chalo."
(Let's go.)

The two brothers quietly walked out of the room.

Meanwhile...

At the opposite end of the mansion...

A shadow slowly moved through the dark corridor.

It was...

Kalpana.

She carefully looked around to make sure no one was nearby.

The mansion was completely silent.

Perfect.

A small smile spread across her face.

In her hand...

She tightly held the tiny empty bottle.

Her heart raced with excitement.

"Ab tak toh woh liquid apna asar dikhana shuru kar chuka hoga..."
(By now, that liquid must have started showing its effect...)

She imagined Vanya lying unconscious inside the room.

Her smile widened.

"Ab bas mujhe agla kadam uthana hai."
(Now I just have to take the next step.)

Slowly...

She began walking towards Vanya's room.

Completely unaware...

That the water containing the mysterious liquid had already gone down the kitchen sink.

And at that very same moment...

From the opposite corridor...

Rudra and Veeransh were also walking towards Vanya's room.

Neither side knew...

That within the next few minutes...

Their paths were about to cross.

To be continued...