Legacy Unveiled: The Hidden Heir

Chapter 7: The Soft Heart

***Arnav's POV:***

From the moment Geeta slipped off the platform, I sensed trouble. It was more of a graceful fall than a deliberate dive. I was poised to leap after her, but Kiran beat me to it. Yet only Geeta emerged from the water. Where was Kiran? Pragyan and I both dove, Pragyan reached Kiran, while I reached Geeta, who was beginning to stir. As I approached her, I noticed Shivansh's pallid face. I reassured him, "She'll be fine, she'll come around." But when I turned to Pragyan, I found him in a state of panic, tears streaming down his face like a torrent. That fool. Racing to their side, I witnessed Pragyan performing CPR while Kiran coughed up water, barely conscious. With urgency, he lifted her and settled her into one of the lounge chairs. The other safety guards slumbered on nearby chairs, oblivious to the commotion. My blood surged with anger. That's my sister, nearly drowned. She's like my sister, you know? When we were just toddlers, about 2 and 3, her parents had her tie a rakhi on me. She wanted to tie someone a rakhi, and she picked me over her actual brother (who wasn't even there at the time), believing I'd be there to protect her whenever she needed help. It's just... so sad. Her memory was taken away when she was only 5, the same night her powers started showing up. But she never forgot us, her friends. It's like, even though she doesn't remember, she still holds onto the bond we shared, you know? It's kind of heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I had told this to everyone in our friend group, but Pragyan temporarily forgot that I was her...brother from another mother when our heads collided in the van...he is such a doofus.

Back to now, where she was muttering something as she was out cold. I stopped Pragyan from jolting her awake; he looked puzzled. "Let's listen in on her," I whispered. "No...no...I don't care, don't come near me, leave me alone, I don't want the power...I DON'T CARE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, suddenly sitting up and panting heavily. She looked terrified, almost on the verge of tears. "Calm Down, Kiran!" said Pragyan, embracing her. She buried her face in his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. "It's all good, you're okay, just a bad dream, nothing more," she then said, "One that I remember, that's enough to freak out about," sniffling. Pragyan held her close, but I could tell from his expression, he was being fiercely protective, like a lion guarding his lioness.

I'd never seen that look on Pragyan's face, not even with his sister, and it made me smile. They'd always have each other's backs. After some moments, Kiran pulled away. "Where's Geeta?" She stood up, wobbly but determined. "Sit down, you're not fully conscious yet. Geeta's okay," he said gently, trying to pull her back down. But hey, even the lioness is stubborn sometimes. She brushed his hand off and headed to the lounge chair across the pool where Geeta was wrapped in a towel with an ice pack on her forehead, Shivansh applying it, while Madhu was chatting with Kajol Aunty. Pragyan watched Kiran as she sat down next to Geeta and started talking to her.

"Umm... Pragyan?"

"Yeah?" he responded, not even looking at me.

"You know I saw everything, right? Madhu will be..." I paused when I saw his expression shift. He wasn't the same fun-loving 16-year-old anymore; suddenly, he seemed so serious and grown-up. And all it took for this change was 14 years of crushing on his dear girl.

"Honestly, Arnav, I don't care," he said, his voice firm, like, "Don't mess with me," and I got it. I'd be mad too if I didn't understand what was going on. I was just staring at the ground, lost in my thoughts. "I don't know what to do. She needs to go into the other world; her powers might even kill her if she isn't taught how to control them. But if she goes, she might forget us."I was shocked when I looked up and saw Pragyan tearing up. "Hey, stop... are you seriously crying, dude?" I went and sat next to him, nudging him gently. Pragyan buried his face in his hands, and I instinctively slung my arm around him, feeling the weight of his despair. For a teenager, facing the possibility of being forgotten by the one you love, let alone losing them, was like a dagger to the heart, a pain that seared through the soul.

**Shivansh's POV**

I noticed Arnav gesturing for me to join them. Handing the icepack to Kiran, I approached silently. It was evident that Pragyan wasn't okay. It was a rare sight to see one of us break down, but when it happened, we stood by each other. In all the years of our friendship, it had always been either Arnav or me shedding tears, never Pragyan. But today, that changed.

As I settled next to Pragyan, who struggled to conceal his emotions, we wordlessly wrapped our arms around him. It was a silent promise, a reassurance that we were there for him, no matter what.

After some time, he finally removed his hands, and boy were his eyes puffy. "You alright, mate?" I asked, concern lacing my voice, as he wiped his face on a towel.

"Yeah... just had a rough moment... sorry that you had to see me like this," he responded, his voice cracking with emotion. At that moment, both Arnav and I exchanged a knowing glance, and without a word, we simultaneously smacked him on the head, hard.

"Owww! What was that for?" he exclaimed, rubbing his head with a mixture of reproach and amusement.

"For being the world's biggest prat! We're the older ones here; you don't need to show us how to handle yourself," I said, my frustration seeping into my words.

Arnav's eyes flashed with intensity as he added, "That's right. You had a breakdown, and you needed to let those emotions out. You have no business apologizing to us. We've known you since first grade, you doofus."

Pragyan let out a laugh mingled with tears, "You guys are insane, but thanks. I needed that." In that spicy moment, amidst laughter and tears.

Right then, Kiran, Geeta, and Madhu showed up. Arnav and I quickly got up, motioning for Geeta and Madhu to come with us. "Let's give them a moment," I whispered, and we all headed back to the pool. As we reached out of eavesdropping range, I explained what had happened, and Geeta and Madhu's eyes widened with sympathy.