"Rudraksh Oberoi: A Tale of Power, Redemption, and Fatherhood"

Chapter -29

The next day, Roohi was walking in the schoolyard, her tiny hands clutching her lunchbox as she made her way to her favorite spot under a big, shady tree. Despite the previous day's confusion, she tried to stay positive, excited to see her new friends again.

As she approached the tree, she noticed Aarav sitting there, looking a bit uncomfortable. He was fiddling with his school bag, glancing up every now and then, clearly waiting for someone.

Roohi looked up, her big brown eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and wariness. “Hi, Aarav,” she replied quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

There was an awkward silence between them. Aarav shifted on his feet, clearly uncomfortable. He glanced down at his shoes for a moment, then back at Roohi. “I… I wanted to say I’m sorry,” he finally blurted out.

Roohi blinked, surprised by his words. “Sorry? For what?”

Aarav took a deep breath, his face showing signs of regret. “For being mean to you yesterday. I know I acted differently, and it wasn’t fair to you. I heard some things from my dad… things about our families… and I guess I just got confused.”

Roohi’s heart softened a little. she could see that he genuinely felt bad. “It’s okay,” she said softly.

Aarav reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bar of chocolate, holding it out to her. “I got this for you. As a way to say sorry.”

Roohi looked at the chocolate bar in Aarav's hand, her eyes widening with surprise. She hadn’t expected this at all. A small smile tugged at her lips, breaking through the sadness she had been feeling.

“Thank you, Aarav,” she said, taking the chocolate.“Will you be my friend?”

Aarav nodded, looking relieved. "Friends," he repeated, a small smile appearing on his usually serious face. “I’m sorry again for the way I acted, extending his hand to Roohi in a gesture of friendship.

She took it, their small hands shaking firmly, sealing their newfound bond.

As they released each other’s hands, Aarav leaned back against the Tree, a thoughtful expression crossing his face."You know," he said, his tone more contemplative, "I don’t really care about what our families say. I just know that you're nice, and I want to be your friend." Also, If anyone else tries to bully you again, I'll be there.

Roohi nodded, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of understanding and innocence. "Me too," she said simply. "It doesn’t matter where we come from or what our parents think. What matters is how we treat each other."

Aarav looked at her, surprised by her wisdom. "Yeah," he agreed. "You're right."

They sat there for a moment, enjoying the peace that comes with being understood. Aarav took out another chocolate bar from his pocket and broke it in half. "Here," he said, offering her a piece. "To celebrate our friendship."

Roohi accepted it with a grin. "To our friendship," she echoed, lifting the chocolate in a playful toast.

They ate the chocolate together, laughing and sharing stories about their school and their favorite things. The dark cloud that had hung over them earlier seemed to have vanished, replaced by the bright light of a new friendship. For now, they were just two kids, enjoying a moment of happiness, without the burdens of their families' pasts weighing them down.