Legacy Unveiled: The Hidden Heir

Chapter 8: Fiery Temper

***Kiran's POV***

I glanced over as Arnav and Shivansh whisked Madhu and Geeta away, but Arnav patted my head. "He needs you for a bit," he whispered in my ear, glancing back at Pragyan and leaving us alone. I settled in front of him, our eyes meeting. He kept his gaze fixed on the ground, his fingers fidgeting nervously. I sensed he didn't want to reveal his face, but I gently lifted his chin. His eyes were swollen, his nose red, and his cheeks damp; he had been crying, I realized.

I grinned mischievously. "Ah, someone's feeling a bit low today," I teased.

"No, just had a rough moment," he muttered, avoiding my gaze.

"Come on, no need to hide it," I said, nudging him playfully. "Now, will you stop pretending?"

"I'm not pretending," he retorted, his voice tinged with irritation.

"Oh, yes, you are," I insisted, raising an eyebrow.

"Am not!"

"Are too!" I shot back with a smirk.

He chuckled softly, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes. I stood up. "I'm going to make you laugh," I declared, determination in my voice.

His expression turned wary. "How?"

I crept closer, my hand hovering near him. "You want to find out?" I asked, a mischievous glint in my eyes, before launching into a merciless tickle attack. Since fourth grade, I knew he was ticklish almost everywhere-neck, back, tummy, hands-you name it. And I was the only one who had that intel.

He laughed helplessly, "Stop it, stop it, no, no, no, hahaha," he pleaded between bouts of laughter and chuckles. But I kept going, relentless in my tickling assault, until he suddenly grabbed both of my hands, making me his prisoner.

"Okay, that's it?" I said, pretending to be surprised, a mischievous glint in my eye.

"Do you want more?" he teased, earning a blush from me as I nervously looked away.

He leaned in closer, the space between us shrinking.

"Cannonball!" someone shouted, and suddenly water drenched us. I wiped my head back to see the four (Madhu, Geeta, Arnav, Shivansh) smirking at us from the edge of the pool.

"Seriously, guys, you couldn't wait a moment?" I heard Pragyan mutter, his voice tinged with exasperation.

"Bring it on!" I laughed, cannonballing into the water and splashing them all. We goofed around like crazy for what felt like hours, until Kajol Aunty called out, "Hey, lunch is ready. You guys hungry or wanna keep the party going here?"

We all opted to stay, lounging around the pool like lazy cats, our breakfast turning into a brunch extravaganza.

Chilling at the pool's edge, I remembered something interesting. "Hey guys, found this weird door underwater. Looks kinda sketchy," I said, eyebrows raised.

Madhu jumped in, "Let's go check it out!"

"Count me in!" everyone chimed in eagerly.

I hesitated, "Um, maybe we shouldn't mess with it. It says 'Do Not Touch' pretty clearly," I warned, but who listens to the youngest, right?

They dived in anyway, and I watched nervously from afar. Arnav swung the door open, and they all disappeared inside, their whispers barely audible.

Suddenly, an alarm blared, breaking the calm. We scrambled out of the pool, dripping wet, and Kajol Aunty wasn't impressed. "Arnav, seriously?" she scolded, eyes narrowed.

An official led us to the office, looking stern as heck. He adjusted the pool settings in a rush, muttering about safety measures.

Then he got a call, his face turning pale. "Evacuate now! Tank's about to blow!" he yelled into the phone, rushing out like his pants were on fire, leaving us dumbfounded.

We exchanged worried glances, realizing our chill day had turned into a full-on disaster, and we were in deep trouble.

We bolted out of the room, sprinting through the halls now flooding with water. Just as we were about to make our escape, panic hit us hard - Madhu and Geeta were nowhere to be seen. Seriously, those two!

Without a second thought, I shoved Kajol Aunty and urgently blurted out, "Go, we'll catch up! Gotta find those idiots first." She hesitated, but we pushed her out anyway, determined to locate our missing duo.

"Where the heck could they have gone?" I yelled in frustration. After what felt like an eternity of frantic searching, we finally spotted them near the pool.

With no time to waste, Arnav and Shivansh grabbed them, and we sprinted out, the water already rising around our knees. We dashed away from the building until it was a safe distance behind us, collapsing on the ground, gasping for breath. Crisis averted, at least for now.

I could feel the tension thickening in the air as Arnav's voice cut through the peaceful forest, frustration evident in every word. "What was I supposed to do? Leave my phone and stuff behind?" Madhu shot back, her eyes sparking with defiance. "Do you care more about that stupid phone than your own life, Madhuri?" Arnav's voice wavered with emotion, his anger simmering.

Shivansh shot Geeta a furious glare, his eyes blazing with accusation, his fists clenched tightly by his side. The intensity of his anger was like wildfire, sending a chill down our spines. We stood there, surrounded by the verdant greenery of the forest, caught in the middle of their heated exchange. With each word, the divide between them deepened, straying further from the initial disagreement.

Madhu's shoulders tensed as she turned away, her breaths ragged. Arnav made no move to follow, the silence between them heavy with unspoken tension, contrasting sharply with the tranquility of the woods.

Finally, unable to contain myself any longer, I erupted, "Will you all just shut up!" My voice sliced through the forest, halting their argument mid-sentence. The four of them froze, their faces registering shock at my sudden outburst.

I glared at them, my anger burning hot inside me. They recoiled, taken aback by the intensity of my rage, their expressions a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

They sought refuge behind Pragyan, his eyes widening in disbelief at my outburst. My body felt like it was pulsating with heat, my heart pounding with adrenaline as if I were about to explode.

"Whoa, hey, calm down," Pragyan said, his voice cautious as he approached me, trying to diffuse the tension.

As I looked down at my reddened palms in shock, I realized the intensity of my anger. Glancing at my friends who cautiously kept their distance, I then turned to Pragyan, who reached out to cool my burning hands with his own.

"You can't let your anger consume you, Kiran," Pragyan's voice was surprisingly calm as he spoke. "When you get angry, you become... someone else, almost dangerous," he continued, his words sinking in with weight.

Turning towards the others, who looked back guiltily, Pragyan's demeanor shifted. "And you all need to cut it out, clear?" His tone was calm, but there was a cold edge to it, a warning not to push things further.

Pragyan didn't let go of my hand; he held onto it tighter as we walked forward, avoiding eye contact. The others trailed behind in silence, not saying a word to each other.

We spotted Kajol Aunty rushing over to us, her voice filled with concern. "Madhuri and Sangita, do you realize how much danger you put yourselves and the others in?" she began, but I tuned out, walking ahead and pulling Pragyan along with me. Arnav and Shivansh followed suit, clearly not interested in enduring the lecture.

As we walked, I felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I knew it was bad timing, but I couldn't shake the feeling. Whenever I was in trouble, only Pragyan knew how to handle me, whether I was angry as hell or just in a mess. His presence was calming, and comforting.

Finally, Pragyan met my gaze, and I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks," I said softly, "for always being there to calm me down." He looked puzzled but smiled all the same.