Hooiii bookworms!!! Welcome back! and here I am back with another chapter 😌 please don't forget to vote ⭐and comment 💭whatever you feel, anywhere!!
AND YEAH, COS: CROWNS OF SHADOWS, for a moment I wondered if it is too mathematical😁😁
Edited update: I've changes some scenes, do read to get updated plot
Let's get started!!!
12 Years later.... {long leap I know😅}
Unknown street, Bari
7th June 2017, 12:22AM
"Yess bro!! I'll be back in an hour" a girl groans mumbling into the call before disconnecting it. She sighs pausing in her tracks for a second, to gather herself, before resuming her journey.
She was leisurely roaming around the streets of Bari, just having a moment of lone-time, but seems like fate isn't on her side, she suddenly heard loud thud sounds followed by series of bullet sounds echoing from a distance.
As curious as she could ever be, prepping herself mentally to face whatever was awaiting her. Ducking down and reaching the adjacent street sneakily, she gulped before bending forward to analyse the situation. What all she could understand seeing the situation is, there is a boy around 16, alone fighting with a group of people who were with knifes, their guns scattered on the road now.
She was afraid honestly, but she also wanted to help. Not having much time to even think and act, she, from the very same place sneaked to grab a gun lying on the road. Her hands trembled realising she has to apply what her brother taught in reality.
Gathering herself, she tried to shoot them, though her aim was not that perfect yet, she managed to at least shoot them on their legs, hands or surroundings diverting them, giving the boy a chance to knock them out once they become weak or diverted. Having emptied her gun, she remained hidden as the boy kept fighting the now shot people.
But to her distress, a person out of nowhere popped out from behind her seizing her neck, her instincts kicked in and she flipped in return kicking him with knee on his face. Having him lying on ground groaning with pain, she kicked him in his stomach to an extent where he coughed up blood and wouldn't stand again.
Here, as the boy knocked out all the 6 people before looking around to find the one who helped him but, in an instant, she managed to hide again. After few moments of silence from all sides, she peeked out to see only boy there now looking around for someone. Sighing that the boy managed it, the girl came out of the shadows and approached him.
"Are you fine??" she asks carefully crossing the now dead bodies
"Yes, who are you?" the boy asks narrowing his gaze on her wondering why did she help a stranger... or does she know him?
"That doesn't matter now" she says pocketing her hands into her jacket turning around to walk away with her motive fulfilled but, the boy came running around her and stopped her in her tracks again
"It does, I owe you for helping me anyway" he says trying to keep her in conversation knowing his men would be arriving any moment now
"Thanks, but I am not in need of any favour" she says shrugging him off and trying to pass him away, but just then came 4 black cars, seeming very expensive and luxurious
"Phir se?" she muttered already looking around for any more guns or weapons, but her thoughts vanished when she saw that boy hugged the man who got down from the middle car
"You're fine?" the elder person asked as they both were surrounded by the guards immediately, while she stood there at a distance looking at the father and the son.
Sighing in relief that the boy's family came, she turned around to leave but the boy's voice stopped her again
"Hey girl... You didn't say your name at least" the boy tried to stopped her, but she ignored him walking ahead... seeing her just walk away, the boy ran and tugged at wrist stopping her. She turned around irritated seeing him not at all leaving her
"I told you I don't need any favour!!! It was just for the sake of humanity that I helped you" the girl yells irritated, listening to which the elder person behind fists his hand seeing the unknown girl yelling at his son
"Let's leave Yash" the elder man gritted gripping the boy's hand, but his glare was directed towards the girl, the girl feeling his glare returned the glare to him with the same intensity amusing the rest present there. She is daring to glare at their boss? They wondered
"Just a minute dad... if she didn't help me, I wouldn't have been here, safe" the boy, Yash says pleading his father who sighed realising the truth and nodded reluctantly
"And you, dare you talk with my son in that tone again" the elder person says pointing his finger at the girl who gritted her teeth and took a step forward
"Kyu? Koi devtha hain kya?" she mutters smirking, knowing they wouldn't know Hindi even in slightest chance
"Devtha nahi hain, par maanoge nahi toh unke paas bech sakthe hain" the elder person says now returning her smirk shocking her, they knew Hindi? But they were like total Italians
"Whatever... ham jaa rahe hain" she mutters her gaze cold as she turns around to retreat but then again, they were interrupted with another series of gun shots started to fire randomly in the street again
"F**k!! Yash, take her into the car" the elder person yells hurriedly pulling out his gun as Yash drags the girl into the car without even letting her process what was happening
"What's happening?" the girl asks shocked looking outside the window to see the people fighting and firing against each other...
"Just some enemies fights... you still didn't tell me your name" the boy again asks but before she could even register his words properly, she got down the car and grabbed the gun lying on the road, before sprinting to hide in a convenient place for her to take down the opposite group
"What the!?? She just sprinted off this faster?" Yash mumbled amused seeing her hiding behind the wall in a split second
While hiding behind the wall, she manged to shoot around 4 people on their legs, 2 on their chest which amused her of her shooting skills in needed situations. Having emptied the gun, she frowned thinking what else could she do, but the next moment she felt a gun sliding into her hands.
She looked towards her right to see Yash there with a similar gun in his hands, nodding at him, she aimed to the rest, but she herself was impressed and shocked seeing Yash's aim, which were all headshots
"You're too good at it" she mutters as the area now got silent indicating everything's cleared. They both sighed taking few breaths for few moments but before they could even relax, they hear Yash's father yelling
"Where the hell are they??!?! David, fast! search for them!!" Yash's father yelled furiously searching around. Looking at each other's faces, both Yash and the girl burst out laughing as they came out of their hiding spot...
Once they got out laughing, Yash's father along with the guards stopped in his tracks as he took in the fact that they're both safe. But what got him furious was, they're laughing?!?
"Uncle, we're here only, safe!" the girl says following Yash who was walking ahead silently seeing his father angry
"Dad..." Yash began to give explanation but before he could, the girl seemed to understand the tensed situation, so she butted in
"Uncle, that was my fault actually... seeing you fighting those many people, I couldn't sit idle inside the car, so I just came out to help you" the girl said with a tight-lipped smile as she kept an innocent face looking at the elder person. Though, Yash's father was raged, he couldn't resist more seeing those cute innocent eyes. He just sighed as he beckoned her towards himself...
"It's been years, I had an urge to melt for someone, but seeing your little innocent face, I couldn't help but to remember my wife" Yash's father mumbled still emotionlessly patting the girl's head...
"Kyu? Aapki patni hamari tarah hain?" the girl asked in a deadpanned voice seeing the man comparing her with others. She is not much of a fan to get compared; I guess...
"Nahi toh, she was an Indian, the sole reason for me to learn Hindi" Yash's father says sadly smiling remembering his wife, who was, is and will be his life...
"Oh, I am sorry you lost her" the girl says feeling sorry for the person
"it's fine, it's just you remind me of her cuteness" Yash's father mumbled sighing as he pockets his hands. Listening to him, the girl grinned widely stepping back before extending her hand towards him
"Aaravi..." she introduced herself formally earning a chuckle from Yash's father, which bought gasps of shocks from his guards behind seeing their boss chuckle
"Pleasure meeting you, little kid..." he shook her hands and Yash joined in...
"I am Siyash, but you can call me Yash" he too gave his introduction getting her nod... before their conversation could go on, Aaravi's phone rang...
📞📞
"Hello bro!!"
"Where are you?? It's been 2 hrs!! Are you safe?!?!"
"Yes! Me? At some... unknown street?"
"Ohh godd!! Kya karu tumhara cupcake!! Share your location, I'm coming"
"No need bro, I'll come in some 20 minutes" Aaravi says trying to cool her brother down, but before she could hear the reply from other side, Yash's father snatched the phone
"Hello?"
"Kon hain?" Aaravi's brother gets confused on hearing new voice. Who is she with?!?!
"Alessio Valentini"
"Mr. V-- Valentini? S- sir? Aap? Oh god... sir... I am so sorry from her behalf if she did any mistake... she is just a kid; I'll just take her away..." came worried and panicked voice earning chuckle from Alessio
"Cool down boy! She didn't do anything!! In fact, she helped me and my son... she will be fine with me till morning, you can pick her up from our mansion"
"S... sir, it's fine I'll pick her up right now"
"I understand aapke behen ke liye aap worried honge, but rest assured, she's safe with us... and she will be comfortable also seeing, she already formed a bond with my son"
"Fine sir..."
📞📞
As the call ends, Alessio turns to them to see them so emerged in their talks that they didn't even bother about seeing their surroundings which was totally filled with dead bodies, weapons scattered, and blood spilled all around
"Aapne aapka naam nahi bataya" Aaravi says her attention turning to him as he handed her phone
"Alessio" he replied with a calm smile which he gives only to his son
"Let's go then? You'll be staying with us for the night" Alessio says shocking Aaravi knowing her brother's protectiveness. But anyway, she was liking the company of a new person, Yash now... so, it's fine anyway, she shrugged before nodding as Yash welcomed her to their car...
~~※🦚※~~
Pune, Maharashtra
23rd August 2017, 9:32AM
"Bro!!! I am leaving!" a girl yelled for her brothers KRISH CHAUHAN and ADVAIT CHAUHAN who in return came down running hurriedly...
"we're coming" they both said panting reaching her, making her frown and look at them in suspiciousness
"Kyu??" she asked sighing already guessing the reason
"For your company" muttered advait sheepishly smiling at her...
"I'm literally fine bro!! I can roam around without fear... don't act over protective, voh security bhi toh hamesha piche padi rehthi hain" she grumbled at their over protectiveness
"No, we aren't... it's just tomorrow's Ganesh Chaturthi we thought to look over the arrangements too and it's our company who's handling it" Krish said smoothly covering it making her nod sarcastically...
"Kyu har saal lethe hain wahi contract, har saal tho exact Ganesh Chaturthi pe aathe hain aap log, toh ab kyu aana hamare saath?" she says groaning, knowing they were just coming for her sake
"Itne saal toh maa thi tumhari saath mandir aane... ab tum toh mandir jaake help karna chodogi nahi, toh ham hi aayenge tumhari saath" advait says grinning making her sigh shaking her head...
"Tik hain, but I will do my work as usual like I do every year and you won't say anything" she puts forward her condition making them shut up... they thought, they'll make her rest this time, but seems like she had another plan...
"Kyu cupcake?? There are so many workers to do that" advait tried convincing knowing it's not gonna work but, him trying is what he considered at that moment
"Ji, bilkul hain but, it's our company event bro, and I like to help our employees, along with decorating the mandap for bappa" she says waving off her hands walking out of the mansion not giving them any chance to argue on this any further... as she expected, they left the matter there and followed her closely... the three reached a building which looked like a training centre... as the car honked for four times, a girl came running from inside impatiently towards them... as soon as Aaravi saw her, she got down the car and hugged her tightly
"Thank God you're fine... are you mad Rav?? You should have at least informed me something!! It's been 2 months without any update... you know how much I was worried when I knew about your mother?? How are you? Did they do anything out of limit in anger?" the girl went on blabbering making Aaravi chuckle and pat her arms calming her down
"shant meri maa... I am very much fine, when I have our bros with me... and no they didn't do anything" Aaravi explained her slowly making the girl listen carefully to her words
"Haa kaise kuch hone dete! Hamari behen jo hain!!" Krish smugly replied wrapping his arms around Aaravi, trying to dissolve the emotional atmosphere, samriddhi seemed to pause for a second trying sink in the thing Krish implied just now. She looked at Advait for assurance and his calm but happy nod gave her the answer...
"yayyyy!!! Rav!! I'm sooo happyyy!" she yelled and turned to Krish and advait and hugged them both too... the three laughed in happiness, though Aaravi tried to smile and laugh along with them, her smile didn't reach her eyes... she dropped the act after few moments and turned to samriddhi...
"Ms. Samriddhi, if you're forgetting, it's Ganesh Chaturthi tomorrow... can we now go to temple for arrangements? Pata nahi hamare bina wo kar bhi Kya honge?" asked Aaravi making Sam nod excitedly and the four sped off to temple...
"vaise... just wanted to remind you, you're going to attend school cupcake... regularly!!" advait informed from the passenger seat making Aaravi groan... not again!! She screamed inside her head
"Seriously bro??? No, hame nahi jaana please... you saw what was my condition when I attended for a week regularly right... ghar baitke pad lenge ham" she said making her innocent puppy eyes hoping they would accept and that worked with Sam first...
"Let it be na bro!!! let her study in home, slowly she'll get accustomed to go back again" Sam said making the two brothers sigh but nodded anyway, they can't just send her forcefully...
As they reached the temple, they got down and headed inside after buying the necessities for puja...
"Pranam pandit ji..." Krish greeted first making the pandit ji smile immediately
"Pranam beta! Kaise hain aap?" pandit ji asked warmly while taking the basket from Aaravi
"bilkul teek hain pandit ji... aur meri behen ne competition bhi jeet gayi, like always" Krish said proudness literally oozing out of his eyes as he looked at Aaravi... she smiled happily, though not heartfully it was genuine one... pandit ji widens his eyes surprised and turned to her again...
"bahot kush khabri hain beta... Ganapati bappa aapko buddhi, vivek aur vinamrata se hamesha yukta rakhein. laga unke na rehne se, Aaravi beta bhi nahi aayengi, par acha hua aap aagaye... har saal ki tarah aap hi pehli aarti karenge" pandit ji says, frowning everyone including Aaravi, who voiced it out...
"Par pandit ji, maa bas 2 mahino ke pehle hi swargwas kar gaye, toh ham yeh sab ab karna?" she said hesitating about what people will comment
"Wo kabhi bhi chale jaaye, yeh sirf unki iccha nahi, balki aapke bappa ki iccha bhi hain, aapke pehli aarti ke alava kisi ki aarti tho aapke bappa sweekar nahi karenge... toh pehle aap hi aarti dijiye" he said and patted their heads in happiness and went into puja... as their darshan completed, Krish went to check around the preparations while advait took Sam and Aaravi to make them relax somewhere...
"Bro you both sit... I'll take a look at mandap and come" she said excitedly and went into a direction before they could accompany her... she moved into the temple, towards the mandap to see it was being decorated beautifully...
"Finally, ma'am!!! Aap aa gaye... I am sorry for what you have to go through, but it's better you came here..." says a worker around 25 making her sadly smile remembering her mother...
"Ab maa ka favourite festival hain... toh unke liye to aayenge hi" she replied smiling, not wanting to dwell upon it and getting sad... she butted in and helped them in arranging flowers, she got onto the stool and fixed the flowers... when she completed the pink flowers, she looked down to ask someone to give her blue ones... but she didn't find any help there... looking for a random person, she called a boy, elder than her probably...
"oyyee!! Aap... can you please pass those flowers?" she asked that stranger who stared at her blankly not actually in this world
"arrey, vo basket toh dijiye!!" she yelled making him land back and give the basket hurriedly... she kept on decorating using various flowers with the help of the stranger... and also speaking whatever comes into her mind with that person, who is just humming on her talks...
"Vaise itne der se baath kar Rahe hain, naam toh puche hi nahi... naam kya Hain aapka??" she asked turning to him
"Vaidik" he said smiling at her while she was already thinking for a nickname for him
"Vidu... Vaidik bada hogaya, vidu kaisa hain?" she asks him who was looking at her amused... she is giving nicknames to a stranger whom she met literally few minutes ago?? As he was lost thinking she was again lost in her blabbering and decorating... as she was almost done, there came Krish looking for her
"you're here? Cupcake, what's the need to decorate now? You know how much we were worried?" Krish scolded reaching there, making Aaravi come down grinning and looking at her work... meanwhile the stranger frowned on seeing Krish...
"it's fine broo!!! See, how's it looking?" she asked looking at the decoration proudly making Krish to gasp at the work which was looking soo stunning and surreal...
"Wow cupcake!! You did well" Krish said keeping his elbow on her shoulder making her bend and get rid of his arm
"He... where's this guy??? He went?" she was about to introduce to that guy but he was no-where to be seen now... sighing she left the matter and left with Krish...
~~※🦚※~~
Kashi Vishwanath temple, Varanasi
12th November 2019, 7:23AM
"Bro, please let me go" Aaravi pleads ready with her bag to visit Kashi temple, but Krish was too stubborn to not let her go and the reason??
"Cupcake, it's not we're caging you... but you know right, you're both in danger right now. What if that unknown bastard attack on you again? Give us a week, we'll find out who is that brainless idiot and then your freedom is back" Krish explained calmly already expecting her rebel nature in return but all he got was silence... which was very unusual from her, from a person who can never stay at a place, always roams around laughing and spreading laughter...
"Bro, mann kuch shaant nahi hain, I badly want to go" She muttered dipping her head down; to not let her tears out but her brother could already understand the modulation in her voice, Krish immediately stepped forward caging her in his embrace in brotherly protectiveness
"Shh, Sam will be safe, she'll be fine in no time cupcake... tum aisa chup mat bano, let your thoughts out... from that moment, you've shut yourself out, hamari hasthi, khelti Aaravi kahi dhik nahi rahi" Krish muttered wiping her tears, she gave him a watery smile but he can easily understand that was a very fake one... very much clear... sighing in realisation that she needs this visit to temple, at least to feel peace for some time, he nodded
"Thanks" she muttered nodding and walked out, which was very odd... she never thanks them, it would an excited hug or squeal if she was fine... assigning security on her tail, he got back into his work...
Meanwhile, as she reached the temple, she didn't go for darshan first, she sat there... on the stairs, just staring at the temple shrine, not knowing what her heart was exactly feeling, what her heart was exactly going through. Her security though wanted to alert her to not sit there, they let her be, in her own solitude...
But the moment she entered into the temple premises, she was lost in the crowd and security lost her track, though they could just see her glimpse from the crowd, before they could even move closer to her, there came 3 other people, similarly dressed like them. but the difference, why weren't aiming at other people to protect her, they were aiming at her
And in that crowd, after a moment they couldn't even see her anymore, panicked and worried of her missing they searched frantically in the crowd yet they didn't find her trace. On the other side, feeling sharp knifes clinking behind her back in the place where it should be flowers and incense stick, she stepped aside calmly to escape them, she couldn't.
Before the man could stab her, a man dressed in white and blue checks shirt and covered in mask, caught the man's wrist, twisting it sharply pushing him away
"Aap tik hain na beta?" the man asked looking at her, she nodded relieved and thankful for his help. But she already could see two other people in similar attire searching for her, and she didn't think anything but she dragged the man who saved her and walked to the temple's garden
"Thanks for saving uncle" she thanks panting as they sat under a tree now calmed that the security her brother sent was walking to her already
"Ma'am? Thank God you're fine" one of them spoke before stiffly nodding at her and getting back to his work
"Toh, itni danger mein, temple kyun aayein aap?" the man asks as he spreads his legs ahead feeling peaceful as ever in the temple, though he could something more but he decided to slide that for the moment
"Aapko kyu batau?" she narrows her eyes on him, seeing he is asking like it's soo common for him... shouldn't he be afraid that she was someone dangerous?? She wondered
"Ham aise situations se har roz guzarthe hain" he answered thinking for a moment; she frowned trying to find meaning in his words but she made it up thinking he would be also a security agent or in army probably she wondered not even having any interest to clarify it
"Hamari behen ke liye prathna karne aayein hain" she muttered lowly again unconsciously staring at the temple's shrine
"Tik ho jaayegi aapki behen" the man assured like he knew that was what going to happen and for some weird reason, she felt herself calm down a little, his words were calming her somehow
"Thanks hero" she thanked smiling at him, who shook his head and pat her head warmly
"Aap kyu aayein hain?" she asked in return feeling herself in a mood to have conversation with this masked man
"Hamari beti ke liye aayein hain" he answered with a distant look in his eyes, as he removed his mask with a deep exhausted sigh. The moment he removed the mask; Aaravi widened her eyes staring at the man Infront of her
"Aap—" She pointed a finger at him, immediately recognizing him, but before she could even speak further, the man shushed her
"Shhh, Pyaari Pari, don't shout now, let me be at peace" he says keeping a finger on his lips indicating her to shut up
"Phir bhi, you and your brother were my role models you know" she whispered back with a mischievous smile, which she herself didn't register that she was giving it whole heartedly
"Were? Matlab ab nahi?" he frowned looking at her who smirked shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders before leaning back like him
"Nahi, ab mere bhai aur aapka bada beta hain" she muttered smiling at his sulking expressions like a child. He chuckled flicking her forehead before going silent for 2 straight minutes...
"Sir, ma'am has been calling since 15" a man in casuals comes reporting him, who smiled nodding and turned back to Aaravi, who frowned a little on his foreseen departure, she was liking his company, she feeling like to smile and laugh again and he's leaving??
"Aapki wife?" she asked giving him a small smile to not be that disappointed on someone who just met her, or so she thought. He nodded as he stood up
"Bye then hero" she bids bye as she walks away also planning to leave but the man behind stood rooted for few moments staring at her retreating figure
"Bye pyaari Pari, hope phirse mulakaat hogi" he muttered under his breath before receiving the call from his wife.
~~※🦚※~~
4290 words😮💨😮💨
So? How's the chapter?? Hope it was interesting and engaging😌
what do you think about Aaravi? 🤔
She's a sunshine person or a grumpy one?🤨
What do you think about her brothers🥹?
Do you feel anything needs to be added more? feel free to comment about it 😉😉
And also should I add some pictures to improve it? 🤔🤔🤔
until the next part
~~yours sri🦚🪷
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