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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None of us answered Veeransh. Why is he even interested in my sister's life? He didn't think of showing this concern when he was out on a date with some other girl.
Asshole.
No, I don't hate Avni. But I don't love her either. I have very neutral feelings toward her.
When she came to live with us years ago, I was already drowning in the loss of Maheer. I didn't have any problem with her staying under our roof. But if people expect me to treat her like my sister to compensate for what we did to Maheer—then that is not me.
We brothers protect each other. It's our basic instinct to not let anyone enter our circle until they earn their place. That's what we've learned over the years.
Never trust innocent faces.
We only ever had each other. We didn't even have the support of our so-called parents. And everyone else who came close to us did so for their own benefit.
So my redemption does not lie in making Avni my sister. My redemption lies only with Maheer—and for Maheer.
I slid into the passenger seat, and Adarsh took the wheel. Our cars zoomed out of the hotel driveway.
Inside the car, Bhai kept Maheer cradled in his arms, his body curved around her, shielding her as if the world itself was a threat.
When we reached home, everything blurred into urgency. The guards opened the back door, and Bhai stepped out of the car carefully, making sure not to disturb her even slightly.
We followed behind in silence, but the tension was palpable on everyone's face. Even the guards at our house looked unsettled—they had never seen this kind of tension within these walls.
We all have fallen ill before, but it has never shaken us like this. Not the way it did to see Maheer struggling against her own body.
Aditya Bhai's room was the closest to the stairs, so Bhai took her there and laid her gently on the bed—like even the mattress shouldn't dare hurt her.
We entered one by one, taking positions around the bed, looking at Maheer from different angles, as if standing closer could somehow protect her.
Shaurya Bhai rushed in with his medical kit, his face carrying the calm seriousness of a doctor—but his eyes betrayed him. The ocean of emotions in them was impossible to miss.
Taking a deep breath, he moved closer and checked her vitals and her temperature. He tried to keep his movements precise, controlled, and professional.
"She has a high fever," he said finally. "Let's see if it comes down. If it doesn't in the next two or three hours, we'll have to shift her to the hospital."
Atharyu Bhai's head snapped in his direction, visibly annoyed.
"Can you treat her or not? What do you mean we have to wait? Can't you see she's in pain? I don't even know what is hurting her," he whisper-yelled.
