Author's POV

Today, the elder grandfather was coming home. It had been two days since Kabir returned, yet, contrary to Angad and Aadir's expectations, the household was far from joyful. The initial happiness they had anticipated was fleeting, and the atmosphere had quickly become tense and subdued. Though the brothers weren't sure exactly what had happened, they could sense that something was deeply wrong.

The siblings, who had been so eager to reunite, were now unusually quiet, even their grandmother. There was no visible anger between them-only a shared, silent pain that lingered heavily in their expressions. Angad and Aadir felt the weight of it as they watched, feeling a quiet unease.

Riya and Trisha had learned from Angad and Aadir that their elder grandfather belonged to a royal lineage. He was over 80 years old, the father of Mrs. Singhania, and his presence commanded both respect and reverence. Angad and Aadir had also recently come to believe that if anyone could mend the underlying rift in their family, it was him.

"Tumhare bade nanu abhi bhi zinda hain?" Riya asked, wide-eyed, looking at Angad in shock.

"Yes," he replied with a chuckle, "his age is almost over 80."

"Really?"

He nodded, leading her toward their room. Angad smirked, sensing an opportunity to tease her. "Tum unke saamne sahi se rehna, gir mat jana... warna voh tumhe sazaa de denge," he said, his tone serious, trying to sound intimidating.

Riya's eyes widened. "Really? Is he that scary?"

Angad nodded gravely, lowering his voice. "Yes. Once, someone accidentally put too much salt in his food. Do you know what happened?" Riya shook her head, curious. "He was confined for a month... and was fed the same overly salted food every day as punishment."

Riya gulped, her expression nervous, while Angad's lips twitched with amusement.

"But why would he do that?" she asked, frowning. "He has no right to be so harsh!"

"Arrey, he belongs to a royal family," Angad replied, keeping up the act. "Raja-maharaja reh chuke hain, yeh sab unki family mein chalta hai."

He looked her up and down, feigning disapproval. "You should wear a saree in front of him, okay? And yes, keep the pallu on your head too." He stepped closer, taking her dupatta and placing it over her head, adjusting it gently. "Like this."

Riya nodded, completely taken in by his serious expression, unaware of the mischief in his eyes. Angad's smirk grew as he watched her, an innocent look of trust on her face as she believed every word.

After a while, Riya looked at Angad with a small, uncertain smile. "Which saree should I wear?" she asked softly. "Please, help me choose."

Angad met her gaze, his smile turning into a thoughtful expression as he followed her into the closet. She pulled out all her sarees, laying them out for him to see. Angad inspected each one, pausing dramatically before dismissing them with a shake of his head, one by one.

Riya's eyes widened in shock as he turned down every saree. Suddenly, without warning, she burst into tears, loud and unrestrained, startling Angad completely. He froze, panic flashing across his face. Oh, no! Did I take it too far? he thought, genuinely caught off guard by her reaction.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," he blurted out, rushing to comfort her, his tone sincere. "This was all just a joke. They all were pretty. I thought it was cute-I didn't think you'd actually cry. Sachi! I'm really sorry."

Riya sniffled, looking up at him as her sobs softened. She nodded, and he took a deep breath of relief. "I'll choose a saree for you. Hm?" he offered.

When she nodded, they returned to the sarees. Their hands reached out at the same moment, both touching the same dress. Their eyes met, holding for a beat longer than either expected.

Angad released the fabric first, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "This color is perfect for you. It's going to look beautiful on you," he said, his voice soft.

Riya raised an eyebrow as if to ask, "Really?" before holding the saree against herself, glancing back at him with a soft smile.

He nodded, his gaze warm as he admired her.

With a soft smile of her own, she took the saree and prepared to change.

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.

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Meanwhile, in Aadir and Trisha's room, Trisha was laying out her dress and jewelry for the day, placing each piece neatly to the side. She raised her arms to slip into her blouse and lehenga when, suddenly, the closet door opened, and Aadir stepped in, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"You know how happy I am," he murmured warmly, his chin resting on her shoulder.

She smiled, mumbling, "I know." Then, with a playful tone, she added, "Now, move aside-I need to get ready."

Aadir only tightened his grip, making her laugh as she tried to swat his hands away. "Aadir," she whined, her voice softening as he rested his head against her neck, dropping a gentle kiss on her shoulder.

She giggled, feeling the tickle of his breath near her ear. He smile at her reaction.

Lifting his head to glance at her back. Slowly, he let his fingers trace down her spine, his touch light and teasing, making her shiver as a soft blush crept up her cheeks.

"Don't..." she whispered, biting her lip and closing her eyes.

He chuckled, gently reaching for the blouse strings and carefully tying them in place. When he turned her around to face him, she gave him a glare, though her smile betrayed her amusement.

"Quit teasing me," she said, giving him a playful nudge, but he only grinned wider, clearly enjoying every moment.

Trisha glared at Aadir, feigning annoyance at his teasing, before picking up her saree and beginning to drape it around herself. As she held the fabric, ready to make the pleats, Aadir gently took her hands, capturing her attention. She looked up at him, curious, as he focused intently on folding the pleats himself, his hands moving skillfully. When he finished, he glanced up to meet her gaze, and she raised her eyebrows with a small, appreciative smile.

Aadir smirked, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. Just as he was about to tuck the pleats into her saree, his fingers brushing her waist, Trisha stopped him, carefully taking the pleats from his hands. She held his gaze with a playful smile as she tucked the saree in herself.

"This is not fair," Aadir murmured, pretending to sulk as she turned away to continue getting dressed.

With a mischievous smile, Trisha started putting on her jewelry, adjusting each piece as she caught his expression in the mirror. Once she was done, she walked over, placing a quick, soft kiss on the corner of his lips. A laugh escaped her as he responded by sweeping her off her feet, lifting her effortlessly.

"You're going to pay for that teasing," he whispered, his voice warm with affection, as she giggled in his arms.

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"What is wrong with you?" Angad asked in shock, staring at Riya with a mix of disbelief and amusement. She looked more like a tangled-up cartoon than the elegant vision he'd imagined in a saree, her expression flustered as she struggled with the fabric.

The moment Angad entered the room, Riya lost her balance trying to adjust her saree pleats and tripped over herself, falling right at his feet. Behind him, drishti gasped and hurried over, her concern evident.

"Tumhe lagi toh nahin?" Drishti asked, immediately reaching down to help Riya up and check if she was okay.

Riya shook her head quickly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "No, no... I'm fine," she mumbled, looking down.

Angad sighed, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. He turned to his aunt. "Chachi, please help her," he said, his tone softening as he looked at Riya one last time before stepping out, leaving chachi to guide her through the art of wearing a saree properly.

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A little while ago, the elder grandfather had arrived. Now, he was seated comfortably, and one by one, the family gathered around him, taking his blessings. Each of them hugged him warmly, expressing their respect and affection.

When Kabir embraced him, the elder grandfather placed a hand on his shoulder and said gently, "You will get all your answers, Kabir. Have patience." Kabir swallowed hard, unprepared yet understanding that he'd soon face the answers he'd been avoiding. A part of him wished he could return to his carefree childhood.

A moment later, Aadir and Trisha approached, bending down to take his blessings. The elder grandfather smiled knowingly as he looked at someone in particular. "Ah, Rajvardhan's granddaughter," he murmured, his tone add amusement.

The children gathered around him, eagerly talking and asking him countless questions. He answered patiently, laughter and nostalgia lightening the air. Meanwhile, divit was tugging playfully at his mustache, his hands gripping with innocent curiosity. Across the room, Riya cast an irritated glance at Angad, clearly miffed. The grandfather was nothing like what Angad had described-stern and intimidating. Instead, he was warm, charming, and incredibly sweet. Angad caught her look and stifled a grin, pleased with his little mischief.

After dinner, Angad and Aadir made their way toward their Bade Nanu's room. However, they paused just outside, stopping when they saw their grandfather leading Bade Nanu inside.

"That means it's Bade Nanu," Aadir whispered to Angad.

"Yes," Angad nodded, his expression thoughtful.

Suddenly, Samar's voice called out to them, snapping them back to the present. They turned and headed toward the room where everyone was gathered. Inside, they found Riya, Trisha, and Divit leafing through an old photo album, captivated by the images they found.

"Wow, they were so handsome back in their day!" Riya remarked, grinning as she pointed to a younger picture of their elders.

"By the way, whose dad are they?" Angad teased, pointing to a specific photo.

"Hamare!" Divit, Samar, and Aadir shouted in unison, laughing as they jostled each other.

But Trisha fell silent, her gaze lingering on one particular photograph-a picture of her parents with her Bade Papa and Badi Maa. They were all young, standing arm-in-arm and beaming at the camera. It was clear they had once been close, like family. Now, though, her Badi Maa and Bade Papa barely spoke to each other.

A sadness filled Trisha's eyes as she touched the photo, feeling the weight of memories she didn't fully understand, but somehow, it felt like there was a story there-a story no one wanted to share.

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After dinner, the elder grandfather called all the elders brothers to him.

Seeing his brothers leave, Abhimaan rose to go also but hesitated when he heard the old man's voice behind him. "Ruko, Maan." Abhimaan closed his eyes, bracing himself, and then turned to face him.

The elder looked at him with a heavy heart. "Tell Angad and Aadir the truth before they find out from someone else, the way Kabir did." His voice was filled with sadness, watching as Abhimaan close his eyes as he nodded and left the room.

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Anuj looked intently at Abhimaan, silently urging him to share what was weighing so heavily on his heart. Abhimaan took a deep, shaky breath, struggling with the words that felt impossible to say. "How can I tell Angad and Aadir... that they're not mine...?" he stop, his voice breaking. He fought to stay composed, but his eyes revealed the storm within.

"They deserve to know," he continued, almost to himself. "I can't be selfish."

"You're not selfish, Abhi," came a voice from behind. It was Abhiram, standing there with an expression of quiet strength. He stepped closer, placing a hand on Abhimaan's shoulder. "I want to tell them, bhai," Abhimaan said, his resolve wavering but still firm.

"No need, Abhi," Abhiram replied, shaking his head. "You don't have to."

"But I have to, bhai," Abhimaan insisted, his voice laced with determination. "It's not right to hide this from them."

Abhiram sighed, looking into his brother's eyes, seeing the depth of the burden he carried. Though he wished he could shield him from this pain, he understood. There were no more words to offer; only a nod of reluctant acceptance passed between them.

THE END...

                           ******

THIS is the final chapter of the book!

𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲!

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴! ❤️✨