"Some bonds don't need time. They simply recognize each other."

The morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows of Rathore Mansion.

For the first time in years...

Aadhya woke up without an alarm.

Without someone shouting at her.

Without a list of chores waiting outside her door.

She slowly sat up on the comfortable bed in the guest room, still trying to believe everything that had happened over the last two days.

A soft knock came at the door.

Before she could answer—

The door flew open.

"Aadhya!"

Vivaan's cheerful voice echoed through the room.

He stood there with messy hair, wearing a hoodie and holding two toothbrushes.

"Good morning!"

Aadhya blinked in surprise.

"Good morning..."

He grinned.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up."

"You have?"

"For twenty-three minutes."

"You counted?"

"Obviously."

She laughed.

"You really counted?"

"Yes."

"I almost knocked ten times."

Aadhya smiled.

"I'm sorry."

Vivaan waved dismissively.

"It's okay."

"Now hurry!"

"We have a lot to do."

Half an hour later...

After breakfast...

Vivaan stood impatiently outside the dining room.

The moment Aadhya stepped out, he grabbed her wrist—carefully, making sure not to hurt her.

"Come!"

"W-Where?"

"Mansion tour!"

Before anyone could stop him...

He had already started pulling her through the hallways.

Advik looked up from the newspaper.

"There he goes."

Vihaan chuckled.

"I told you."

"She's officially been kidnapped."

Rudransh smiled.

"She'll be back... eventually."

Even Vikram laughed softly.

"This," Vivaan announced proudly, spreading his arms dramatically,

"...is the east corridor."

Aadhya looked around.

"It's beautiful."

"It gets boring after a week."

She giggled.

"I don't think so."

He pointed toward a large room.

"Library."

Her eyes sparkled immediately.

"So many books..."

Vivaan noticed.

"I knew it!"

"Knew what?"

"You looked at the books before the room."

She blushed.

"I like reading."

"Perfect."

"I'll get you a library card."

She looked confused.

"A library card?"

He whispered dramatically,

"You'll need one."

"It's Arya Bhai's rule."

Aadhya's eyes widened.

"Really?"

He kept a straight face for three whole seconds.

Then burst into laughter.

"I'm joking."

She lightly hit his arm.

"That's not funny."

"It was a little funny."

The tour continued.

"This is the music room."

"The indoor games room."

"The home theatre."

"The gym."

Aadhya looked amazed at every single place.

"You have all this..."

Vivaan shrugged.

"I've lived here forever."

Then he smiled.

"But now I get to show it to someone."

As they walked past the staircase...

They crossed paths with Aryaveer.

He had just returned from a business meeting.

He smiled at the two of them.

"Mansion tour?"

Vivaan nodded proudly.

"Yes."

"I've already shown her twelve places."

Aryaveer raised an eyebrow.

"Twelve?"

"It's actually fifteen."

Aadhya smiled.

"I think I've already forgotten half of them."

Vivaan gasped dramatically.

"Impossible."

"We'll start again."

Aryaveer chuckled.

"I'll leave you two to it."

As he walked away, he couldn't help smiling.

It had been a long time since he'd seen Vivaan this happy.

A little later...

Vivaan stopped outside a blue-painted bedroom.

"This..."

He opened the door proudly.

"...is my room!"

Aadhya stepped inside.

The room reflected exactly who Vivaan was.

Football trophies filled one shelf.

Comic books were stacked everywhere.

A guitar leaned against the wall.

Family photographs decorated another shelf.

And a giant beanbag sat in one corner.

"It's so... you."

Vivaan looked confused.

"What does that mean?"

She smiled.

"It feels cheerful."

"Like you."

He scratched the back of his neck.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is."

Vivaan suddenly became thoughtful.

"Wait."

"I want to show you something."

He walked toward a wooden cabinet and carefully opened the top drawer.

From inside...

He took out a photo album.

Unlike the others, this one looked old.

Very old.

He sat beside Aadhya on the rug.

"This is Mama."

He opened the first page.

A beautiful young woman smiled back at them.

Aadhya recognized her immediately.

"The same photo from downstairs."

Vivaan nodded.

"But these are different."

He turned another page.

"There..."

"Mama teaching me to ride a bicycle."

Another page.

"That's my fifth birthday."

He smiled softly.

"I don't remember much."

"I was only five."

"But everyone tells me she laughed a lot."

He traced one photograph gently with his finger.

"I wish you could've met her."

Aadhya looked at the smiling woman.

"I think..."

Vivaan looked at her.

"...she would've been very kind."

He smiled.

"Everyone says that."

After a small pause, he asked quietly,

"Do you... remember your mother?"

Aadhya became silent.

She looked down at her hands.

"I do."

"But..."

"I don't remember her smiling at me."

Vivaan didn't know what to say.

Instead...

He quietly slid the album toward her.

"You can look whenever you want."

She looked surprised.

"Really?"

He nodded.

"If you're my sister..."

"Then Mama's memories are yours too."

Aadhya's eyes became moist.

She carefully touched the edge of the album, almost afraid to damage it.

"Thank you."

The silence didn't last long.

Vivaan suddenly remembered something.

"Oh!"

"I forgot."

"I have questions."

She laughed.

"Questions?"

"Lots of them."

He sat cross-legged in front of her.

"Favourite colour?"

"Blue."

"Favourite sweet?"

"Gulab jamun."

"Favourite season?"

"Winter."

"Favourite subject?"

"Maths."

"Favourite animal?"

"Rabbit."

He nodded seriously after every answer.

Then—

"Do you snore?"

Aadhya stared at him.

"What?"

"It's important."

"It is not."

"What if we go on vacation?"

She couldn't stop laughing.

"I don't know!"

"Ask someone else."

He pretended to write on an imaginary notebook.

"Investigation pending."

She laughed so hard that tears gathered in her eyes.

Outside the half-open door...

Several people had unknowingly gathered.

Aryaveer leaned against the wall.

Rudransh folded his arms with a smile.

Advik whispered,

"I've never seen Vivaan interrogate someone this enthusiastically."

Vihaan grinned.

"I don't think he's taken a breath in five minutes."

Even Vikram stood quietly at the end of the corridor.

Watching.

Listening.

Smiling.

Only Veeransh happened to walk past on his way to the study.

He glanced inside the room.

Aadhya was laughing freely.

Vivaan was making ridiculous expressions while asking another impossible question.

For just a moment...

The corner of Veeransh's lips lifted ever so slightly.

So small...

That no one noticed.

Except Vikram.

He saw it.

And silently thanked fate.

Inside the room...

Vivaan looked at Aadhya with a huge grin.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I was scared."

"You were?"

He nodded honestly.

"I thought having a sister might be awkward."

"And?"

He smiled brightly.

"It isn't."

"It feels like you've always been here."

Aadhya looked around the room.

Then at the photo album resting in her lap.

Then at the boy smiling at her like she'd always belonged.

For the first time since entering Rathore Mansion...

The word home no longer felt unfamiliar.

It felt possible.

Very, very possible.

To Be Continued...