Queen of the Beast (CEO's Possession)

28| A glass of temptation

Advika's POV

"Shravan, my Shravan," Mom whispered, her voice breaking as tears began to fall.

"Butterfly, calm down," Dad said.

But she didn't listen to him. Her hands rested on her head as if stopping it from spinning.

"Mom!" Arya ran to her.

"Butterfly, have some water," Dad urged again, taking a glass from the plate and moving it to her lips.

"No!" She pushed the glass aside "Shravan. First, tell me that he is fine"

"He will be fine. I’ll make sure of it," Dad reassured her, though his own worry was evident. "You haven’t had anything since morning. Please, calm down."

If Dad had been scared when he first heard about the fire at the farmhouse, he was absolutely petrified now, watching his wife in distress. He might look tough on the outside, but inside, he loved his family more than life itself.

Earlier that morning, I’d thought that Shravan’s death wouldn’t affect me, but now, the mere thought of it sent a chill through my soul.

Suddenly, dizziness hit me, and I lost my balance. I was about to fall back when two strong arms caught me on time. I blinked and looked up with blurry vision. I didn't realize when the tears pooled in my eyes.

"Shravan" I mumbled.

"Shravan!" Arya was the first one to turn around and see us.

Shravan made me sit on the chair as Mom caught her attention.

"Mom!" He sat on his knees beside Mom, who immediately started caressing his head. "What happened to you?" He asked her "Why are you crying?"

"Are you... Are you fine?" Mom asked.

"I am fine, mom." He wiped her tears.

Shravan's love for his mom isn't hidden from me or anyone else. He is a Shravan Kumar but only for his mother.

"Will anyone tell me what happened here?" Shravan stood up, and he was indirectly asking his father, "Why is mom crying?"

"Dad got a call that the farmhouse had caught the fire, and the guard told us that you were inside." Arya let her words hang in the air.

"Why the hell were you not picking up the call?" I flinched when suddenly Dad shouted.

"Because my phone was on silent, and I was driving. I left the farmhouse the moment I got your call. The guard didn’t know about it," Shravan explained.

Everyone exhaled in relief, though my heart was still racing, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. Slowly, I began to feel calmer.

"See, you were arguing with me over this fast in the afternoon," Mom said to Shravan. "Now, you came out of that farmhouse on time just because Advika was waiting for you—she fasted for your long life."

I looked down when everyone's attention turned to me. It wasn’t often that I was the center of attention in such a way, especially when it came to Shravan.

"Now that Shravan is fine and the moon has risen," Arya said, stepping forward with a smile, "I think we should start the ritual so that everyone can eat and drink."

Dad helped mom in standing up. Arya gave us our pooja ki thali. I had seen enough Karwa Chauth scenes in movies to know what to do. I no longer needed guidance.

I stood beside Mom, and Shravan stood in front of me. He looked indifferent, not particularly interested in the ritual, but it was something I had to do. So, I did it without complaint.