53.
Aarav woke in the middle of the night, throat dry. His water jar was empty, so he dragged himself to the kitchen. The house was dark and still, save for the soft hum of the ceiling fan.
As he stepped into the hallway, something sharp stung his nose. Smoke. Cigarette smoke.
Aarav's brows furrowed immediately.
"I seriously can't believe Shaurya is smoking again," he muttered, grabbing a small flashlight and stalking through the dark.
At the end of the hall, a tall figure loomed by the open window, shoulders broad, the faint curl of smoke drifting past him. Aarav didn't think twice—he marched forward and delivered a hard punch to the man's back.
"Shaurya! You promised you'd never smoke again. Can't you be a little mature for once—"
"Hey, hey! Easy there—it's me."
The voice was rougher, lower. Aarav flicked the flashlight up to the figure's face. Ravi squinted, shielding his eyes.
"Are you trying to blind me?"
"Oh—no," Aarav said quickly, lowering the light. "But seriously, what are you doing here? And why the hell are you smoking? Put that thing out."
With a small shrug, Ravi flicked the cigarette into the bin.
"You're welcome," he said dryly.
"Why aren't you sleeping anyway?" Aarav asked, tilting the flashlight back toward him just enough to be annoying.
Ravi squinted again. "Could you stop pointing that at my face? And for the record, I usually wake up around this hour. Shaurya's been stretching in the room—keeps me up."
Aarav blinked. "Stretching? Wait—you said he's been sitting for hours? He didn't sleep at all?"
Ravi shook his head. "Nope. Rarely does at night."
Aarav frowned, guilt tightening his chest.
"Don't worry," Ravi added, gaze drifting back to the window. "He'll be alright."
But Ravi's tone wasn't convincing, and the look on his face even less so. Aarav studied him. He looked distracted—distant, ever since their conversation earlier about Veer.
"Hey... Ravi," Aarav said more gently. "You okay? You've seemed kind of... off, after we mentioned Veer. I'm sorry if I brought up something serious."
"I don't like having these conversations," Ravi replied flatly, eyes fixed outside. "And especially not with you."
Aarav blinked, stung. "Why not with me? What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing much. Just... one, you'll probably be overdramatic about it. And two, it's about your best friend—the one you conveniently forgot."
The words landed like a stone in Aarav's chest. He hadn't forgotten Veer. Not once. But still...
"Overdramatic is basically my personality," Aarav muttered, folding his arms. "Now, will you tell me what happened? I won't tell anyone. Not even Shaurya—if that's what you're worried about."
"Shaurya already knows," Ravi said simply.
Aarav's eyes narrowed. "Then I want to know too."
Ravi gave him a look, unimpressed. "Seriously, Aarav? It's three in the morning. And you're asking me for storytime? You're not worried about ghosts showing up at this hour?"
Aarav rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "I used to live with Shaurya. You think ghosts scare me?"
"I'm actually impressed Shaurya was never scared of you," Yug muttered. "You look... weird at night."
Aarav shot him a flat look.
"Ugh, just tell me already," Aarav said, puffing his chest. "Don't forget—I'm a prince."
Ravi sighed, turning toward the open window. He rested both hands on the sill, the night breeze brushing past his face.
"What do you want to know?" he asked quietly.
"When did you start liking him?" Aarav asked.
"I'm not sure," Ravi admitted. "Back when we trained together—me, Shaurya, and Veer. He must've been... nineteen, twenty maybe."
Aarav nodded slowly. "And why did you like him?"
Ravi gave a small, helpless chuckle. "There's never a reason, is there?
It just... happens. Just ask your sister why she loves Veer, that'd be my same answer.
But if you want details—he saw me when no one else did.
When Shaurya's father refused to let me stay in their mansion because I was 'tainted'—because of my ties to Ozge—it was Veer who fought back.
Days of arguments. That brat wouldn't shut up until Shaurya finally blackmailed his father—said he'd burn Vedansh Shekhawat's mafia unit to the ground if I wasn't allowed to stay. "
A faint smile tugged at Ravi's lips. "Those two brothers are insane."
He exhaled, shoulders softening. "But... long story short? Shaurya saved me. And Veer... Veer made me feel human. He made me smile every day. But it didn't last. Shaurya left abroad, and you and Veer went off to university. That was that."
Aarav tilted his head. "Why didn't you ever tell him? And if Shaurya knew—why didn't he say or do anything?"
"By the time Shaurya figured it out, it was too late.
" Ravi's tone dropped lower. "And maybe that was for the best. I could never tell Veer.
Not because I didn't want to—but because our worlds aren't the same.
Your family is royalty. Noblemen. My blood.
.." He paused, clenching his jaw. "My blood is filth. You might not care, but I do."
"You know none of that matters to us, Ravi," Aarav pressed. "So why are you saying this?"
Ravi smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"It matters to me. We could never be equals.
And besides—Shaurya loves Veer too much.
I could never confess, not after everything Shaurya did for me.
He gave me a home. A life. To tell Veer would've been like betraying him.
A sin, almost. I couldn't risk breaking what they had—the family they fought to keep whole. "
Ravi glanced at Aarav, who had gone unusually quiet.
"You look like you're about to cry," he muttered.
Aarav swallowed hard, blinking fast. His hand shot out, gripping Ravi's arm.
"Ravi..."
Ravi stiffened. "Oh, great. Now you're actually crying. What the fuck, Aarav? Shaurya's gonna kill me if he sees this. Stop crying!"
"Shut up, idiot. I'm not crying," Aarav said, voice cracking just enough to betray him. He sighed, his grip tightening. "Ravi... you're one of us."
Ravi groaned. "Here we go again. I swear, I'll just sleep right here by the window if you keep talking like that."
But Aarav ignored him, eyes shining.
"You're family. You've been with us forever. And I know exactly how you feel—because I don't belong to royalty either. Not really. But they accepted me. The same way they accept you. So don't you dare think it would've been a sin to confess to Veer."
Ravi went still, listening despite himself.
"You know what Shaurya told me?" Aarav pressed.
"That the reason behind all his success.
.. was you. That you were always the one behind him, always holding him up.
You know him better than anyone, Ravi. And I just want to say—thank you.
Really, thank you. Because without you, I don't think Shaurya would even be here with us. "
Aarav's voice broke, his hand gripping tighter.
"You deserve love too. Everyone does. I don't know how you see yourself, but to me—you're family.
Aarya already sees you that way too. You know how much she adores you.
So since we're family, please don't hide your feelings.
I know you're more vocal than Shaurya and you're really straightforward and I admire that about you.
So try to be vocal about your feelings as well. Don't get lost in this darkness".
Ravi turned to look at him. Aarav's eyes were wide, brimming with sincerity—so much like Shaurya's, so much like Veer's. Aarav was holding him too, not just physically but emotionally.
"I'd die for you guys you know", Ravi muttered quitely sighing.
"Don't say that. Say that we will save each other since we're a family", Aarav smiled at him.
Ravi's chest felt strangely heavier—and lighter—at the same time. No wonder Shaurya loved him so much. They really were the same at their core... two halves of one heart.
"Don't smile at me like that," Ravi muttered, trying to look away.
Aarav only smirked, tilting his head. "What can I say? I know I look good. But can I hug you? You look like you need one".
"No please".
"Just one hug".
"Nope".