The illegitimate daughter of a powerful businessman, she was sent to live with her six half-brothers after her father's sudden death.
The boys were born from privilege, pride, and perfectly manicured bloodlines. No one welcomed her. No one cared.
De...
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I looked at Aditya, trying to understand what he had just said.
My mind refused to arrange his words into sense.
He met my eyes, his eyes flickering with something that created an unsettling feeling inside me. "Atharyu Bhai never really had a choice," he said softly.
My breath hitched. "What do you mean?" I asked instantly.
Before he could answer, his phone rang- and never had this tiny device irritated me more.
Aditya glanced at the screen.
It reads, Atharyu Bhai.
After straightening his posture, he picked up the call. "Yes, bhai," he said. A pause. "...We're on our way."
With saying that, he ended the call and looked at me. "Everyone's waiting. Come."
I bit my lips so hard it hurt. I don't know whether to ask again. But the way he walked away tells me that was it for the day.
He is out of his trance.
I stood up and walked back to the car.
The city lights blurred past the windows, but inside the car, everything was painfully still and dim.
Aditya drove in silence, as if he was living in his own world of imagination. Like the distance between his imagination and reality was too vast to bridge.
And today I got the answer to why he was just breathing. Because his soul was somewhere else, maybe in this world or maybe beyond it.
His hands were tight on the steering wheel—clenching, unclenching, and clenching again.
The car finally stopped.
Aditya killed the engine. And on the outside, the world exploded.
Fans. Media. Cameras. The concert venue was alive, buzzing, and overflowing with people everywhere. Some were chanting Kabeer's name, clicking pictures, and shouting with excitement. I have never seen surroundings this lively. It felt like stepping into an alternate universe.
And they were all here for a glimpse of superstar Kabeer.
Aditya turned toward me. For the first time during the entire ride, he truly looked at me.
"My words may not mean anything to you now," he said, voice low and almost unsteady, "but I'll spend my entire life proving that I'm worthy of being..."
He hesitated.
"... worthy of you as your—" His voice faltered. "...brother."
Never have words sounded this strange to me. They held no meaning until they are earned.
"Wait here," he added quickly, opening his door and stepping out.
Before I could process anything, my side door opened. Aditya stood there, hand extended toward me.
