11
Dattatriya got up from his seat with that same effortless grace he always carried.
He walked down towards the court, the crowd falling a little silent just by his intimidating presence alone.
Even though he wore a simple black kurta, he looked like he owned the entire stadium.
I watched quietly as he stood at the center for the toss - his expression calm, detached, yet in full command of the moment.
He flipped the coin high in the air; it spun and spun, glinting under the stadium lights before landing back neatly into his palm.
He announced the result without even raising his voice, and it echoed loud and clear:
"Blue team wins the toss. "
And the crowd erupted - especially us.
We all cheered loudly, clapping and whistling, as our laddu - Utsav - grinned widely and gave a playful salute towards us.
Sheraa even let out a soft growl in excitement, rubbing his head against my arm.
In the middle of the cheers, my eyes were still drawn back to Dattatriya.
He looked up at me from the court - our eyes locked for a split second.
It wasn't long, but it felt like time slowed down.
There was something intense, something almost personal, in the way he looked at me.
Like I was the only person standing in that massive stadium.
He gave the slightest tilt of his head - almost like a silent goodbye - before turning around and walking back with long strides.
He didn't linger.
He didn't even stay back to watch the game.
He just left.
As if his only purpose for being there was completed the moment he made the toss and saw me.
I stared at the spot he stood for a moment longer, my heart oddly tight, before I finally pulled myself back to reality.
The referee's whistle blew sharply, slicing through the air -
The game officially began.
The ball was in motion, players darting across the court like streaks of lightning, and from the very first pass, it was clear -
Today, Utsav was unstoppable.
And we were ready to scream our lungs out for him.
The match was nothing less than chaos - glorious, heart-racing chaos.
From the second the referee blew the whistle, Utsav bolted across the court, dribbling the ball like his life depended on it.
I stood up immediately, Sheraa still clutched tightly in my arms, both of us intensely focused on the game.
"GO LADDULOVE, RUN LIKE A CHEETAH!" I yelled, completely ignoring the dignified air the VIP area was supposed to maintain.
Gyan bhaiya and Dyan bhaiya were already standing too, shouting strategies like they were the actual coaches.
Papa just shook his head in amusement while Arya bhabhi clapped so hard her bangles jingled.
Then came the first heart attack.
Some oversized idiot from the opposing team pushed Utsav roughly when he was about to score.
I screamed, nearly throwing Sheraa in rage, "ARE YOU BLIND, REFEREE?
! MY BABY IS A NATIONAL TREASURE!"
Sheraa growled along with me, creating a very dramatic scene that had half the audience turning to look.
Bhairava bhaiya calmly pulled me back to my seat, muttering, "Little star, behave. You're going to get us banned."
I sulked but didn't stop glaring at the rude player.
If looks could kill, that guy would've been six feet under.
Then came a hilarious moment - Utsav tried to show off with a flashy spin move.
.. and slipped, landing flat on his butt.
For a second, everyone froze.
Even Sheraa paused.
Then Arya bhabhi snorted loudly and I facepalmed so hard my forehead ached.
"My talented laddu..." I muttered, hiding my face behind Sheraa's fur while my bhaiyas laughed mercilessly.
Utsav, being the dramatic soul he is, stood up, bowed theatrically to the audience, and continued playing like nothing happened.
The crowd roared in laughter and applause - he had charm, no doubt.
But then came the final moments - two minutes left on the clock, scores neck to neck.
The tension was so thick, even Sheraa looked stressed, his ears twitching every time the ball bounced.
I clutched Papa's arm tightly, "If he wins, I'm buying him a car!"
Papa chuckled, "If he wins, I'm making him do twenty extra hours of study."
Finally, Utsav caught the ball, darted forward with lightning speed, and -
Slam dunked into the basket right at the buzzer!
The whole place erupted.
His teammates swarmed him, lifting him in the air.
I jumped and screamed so loudly, "THAT'S MY BABYYYYY!!"
Even Sheraa bark-growled in joy, probably just copying the vibe around.
Our little laddu had done it -
Utsav's team won the match!
The principal proudly went up to announce the winners and Utsav's name was chanted across the stadium like a hero's welcome.
I wiped my eyes discreetly - not crying, okay? Dust in the air. Definitely dust.
Today, Utsav wasn't just my little brother.
He was everyone's star.
And oh god, I've never been prouder.
Finally, my laddu - my champion - came running straight to me, grinning from ear to ear.
"Mere ladlee!" I cried happily, opening my arms wide.
He ran right into them, and I hugged him tightly, lifting him a little off the ground as Sheraa purred around our legs.
After squeezing me nearly breathless, he moved to Arya bhabhi, who pulled him into another tight hug, peppering his forehead with kisses.
One by one, he hugged Papa, Bhairava bhaiya, Gyan bhaiya, and Dyan bhaiya too, receiving a mixture of proud claps on the back and head ruffles.
Once the congratulations settled down, Utsav looked at us with a sheepish, pleading expression - the kind that spelled trouble even before he opened his mouth.
"Di... Papa... Bhaiyas... can I go celebrate with my friends? Please?" he asked, almost bouncing on his toes.
I immediately opened my mouth to protest -
But Bhairava bhaiya, with a calm but amused smile, placed a hand on Utsav's head and said, "Jaane de, little star. He's grown up enough. Let him go."
I pursed my lips, feeling torn between being the protective elder sister and wanting him to enjoy his moment.
Finally, I pulled Utsav closer by the collar and said sternly, "Just party, Uttu baby.
Nothing else. If anything legal happens, you know whom to call.
.." I pointed meaningfully at myself.
"And if it's illegal.
.." I lowered my voice dangerously, "...
you know whom to call too."
This time, I pointed at Bhairava bhaiya.
Utsav saluted dramatically, "Yes, ma'am!" and ran off before I could change my mind.
I stood there, staring at his retreating figure, my heart already restless.
Dyan bhaiya came next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, smirking, "Chhod na, bacha hai, jaane de, maze karne de."
(Let him be, he's just a kid, let him enjoy.)
I gave him a small nod, pretending to agree - but inside, an uneasy feeling churned in my chest.
Something told me... tonight was not going to go smoothly.
Not at all.
I was sitting in the living room, excitedly showing the pictures of the new car I had booked for my laddu - a gleaming black Porsche - to Gyan bhaiya.
He whistled low, impressed, "Arre chhoti, you're spoiling him yaar.
Porsche? Seriously?"
I grinned proudly, "Mera laddu deserves it.
He won the championship, made all of us proud.
What's the use of being a big lawyer if I can't spoil my baby brother a little?
"
Gyan bhaiya chuckled, shaking his head, "At this rate, he'll start expecting a private jet for winning chess tournaments too.
"
I laughed, "Let him! I'll buy him a whole airline if he wants. "
We were still laughing when suddenly my phone rang.
Frowning, I glanced at the screen - unknown number. I thought maybe it was related to some court case, so I answered sharply, "Hello?"
But the moment I heard that small, broken voice whisper "Di..." my heart dropped into my stomach.
I shot up from my seat, panic surging through me.
"What happened, Utsav?" I demanded urgently.
All my bhaiyas and Papa immediately got alert, their bodies tense.
I heard him sob through the line, "Di... I'm arrested..."
A furious coldness gripped me, but I kept my voice steady for him, "Where are you, baby? Which police station?"
He told me through his hiccupping cries.
"Calm down, Uttu baby," I said as gently as I could, even though my blood was boiling. "Di is on her way. Okay? Just sit tight, my jaan."
He hummed weakly and I hung up, my hands already moving fast.
Turning to everyone, I said, voice hard and cold, "He's arrested."
A heavy silence fell across the room for a second before everyone jumped into action.
I gave Dyan bhaiya a sharp glare, "Aur jane do, maze karne!"
(And you said - let him enjoy!)
He pouted like a guilty child while Gyan bhaiya smacked the back of his head.
I massaged my temple, pushing down the waves of rage and worry threatening to explode.
Immediately, I called my PA, instructing her to get the bail papers ready.
Without wasting a second, we all rushed out toward the police station, my mind already calculating a hundred ways to destroy whoever dared to touch my little laddu.
As soon as we reached the police station, I saw the crowd of flashing cameras and microphones swarming like vultures.
"What the fuck," I muttered under my breath, furious, and immediately got down from the car.
My bhaiyas and Papa all followed, stepping out of their cars - like a wave of darkness descending.
The reporters tried to shove their mics at us, yelling questions, but one deadly glare from Bhairava bhaiya was enough - they all froze in fear and backed away like scared rats.
Without wasting a second, I stormed into the station.
Inside, all the police officers immediately stood up, stiff as boards. Fear oozed from their faces - good, they should be scared.
I ignored them.
My eyes locked on my baby - my Utsav.
He sat there on the bench... bruises marring his face, arms, his clothes torn slightly, sitting like a small broken bird.
My heart shattered.
I turned my ice-cold gaze at the inspector, voice deadly low, "Did you hit my brother?"
The air turned so heavy that the officers visibly flinched.
"Bhaiya," I said softly without looking back - and Bhairava bhaiya immediately knew.
He cracked his knuckles, stepping forward like a dark shadow. The whole station turned silent as a graveyard.
I walked to Utsav, crouched in front of him.
The moment he saw me, he whispered brokenly, "Di..."
And he launched himself into my arms, trembling, whimpering.
I hugged him tightly, rubbing his back.
"Shhh, baby... Di's here. Bhaiyas are here. You're safe now, love. Calm down," I whispered gently.
Still hiccupping, he clung to me and said, "Someone... drugged my drink... and when I woke up there was a girl... she said I raped her... she said I was a monster and... and..."
His voice cracked, and he broke down completely, sobbing against my chest.
I kissed his hair and whispered, "It's okay, baby. It's okay. I believe you. We all believe you."
I stroked his head gently.
Then in a deadly soft tone, I asked, "Who hit you, love?"
He sniffled and pointed at the inspector and muttered, "The girl's brother... and the police... they... they hit me."
My jaw clenched so tight I thought it might break. I nodded calmly.
"Lana," I called, without raising my voice.
Within seconds, my assistant Lana entered, carrying a thick folder.
She silently handed over the bail papers to the trembling inspector.
The officer, sweating bullets, quickly stamped and signed the papers without even daring to look at me.
I stood up, holding Utsav close.
"Come baby, let's go home," I whispered, cradling his head gently.
He nodded weakly, trusting me completely.
But before walking out, I turned and gave the police officers one last freezing glare, my voice venomous:
"This is not over. I'll make sure every single hand that dared touch my brother is on the fucking floor."
The entire station shivered under my promise as we walked out - and this time, no one dared even breathe wrong in our path.
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