Diya

"Miss Rao, I have gone through all the test results, and I believe I've found a treatment that can work for her condition."

My eyes lit up with hope. "Really? You can cure her?"

The doctor nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Yes, but it will require immediate and continuous treatment. It's advanced, which means it's expensive."

"It doesn't matter how much it costs. Start the treatment. I'll figure out the money."

Maa reached out, clutching my hand weakly. "Diya, beta... don't-"

"Ma, don't worry about the money. You'll be fine. That's all that matters."

"Very well. We'll begin the treatment tomorrow. Make sure to settle the first payment at the front desk before you leave." The doctor said as his smile widened.

I helped my maa to get out of the office and into the corridor. "Maa, wait here. I will be back in few minutes."

I was walking towards the reception when a man walking briskly in the opposite direction, his face partially obscured by the brim of a baseball cap. His posture was tense, as though he was trying to blend in but failing.

I was too focused in my thoughts to pay much attention until we accidentally collided near the elevator.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," I stammered as the man dropped the items he was carrying. Small packages wrapped in plastic fell to the floor, some spilling a fine white powder.

My gaze darted to the substance, the man muttered something under his breath, hastily gathering the packages. My brow furrowed as my eyes locked on his face, which he kept turned away. Something about him screamed danger.

"Wait," I called after him. "What is that?"

The man froze for a split second, his body tense, before snatching up the last of the packages and bolting down the hallway.

"Hey!" I shouted adrenaline kicking as I ran after him. Nurses and patients turned to look, but no one moved to stop him. He was fast, disappearing into a restricted stairwell before I could catch up.

I stood by the wall, trying to catch my breath. But my mother's weak voice called out from behind, "Diya, where are you?"

Who the hell was he?" I muttered but I hurried back to maa. "I am sorry maa." is said as I helped her to get up from her place.

I guided her towards the exit, trying to stay calm. "I've called the cab. It'll be here in a few minutes," I reassured said.

And to my surprise, I stopped in my tracks, blinking as I looked across the waiting area. For a split second, I felt like I saw Laksh. But how could he?

When I took a closer look, he was sitting quietly with his head resting on his knees.

"Laksh?" I called out.

Laksh's head shot up, his face lighting up the moment he saw me.

He jumped to his feet and ran to me, throwing his arms around her legs. "You promised, you promised to make TikToks!"

I crouched down, cupping his face. "Laksh, what are you doing here? How did you-"

"I brought him," a sharp and cold tone slashed through my ears. And when i looked in the direction of voice the black-dressed was standing right to my back.

"Laksh was insisting on meeting you. He wouldn't stop until I brought him here."

"Are you Laksh's father?" I asked hesitantly.

"No! I work for him." he simply said his frame not breaking for the fraction of the second.

"Okay but how did you know?" I asked again looking around. I didn't tell anyone I was coming here.

"Please come with me, I will drive you back to the home." he said motioning his arms towards the exit door.

"But I already called the cab." I spoke. And how was I supposed to go with someone I barely know.

"Please come with me. Boss has given us orders." he said ignoring my protests.

"Boss?" Before I can take in further, Laksh brought back my attention to him. "Come with me." he said his face was on the verge of crying.

"Fine. Fine. I am coming with you." I said. I took maa's hand and slowly guided her to the exit. But her grip on my hand tightened.

"Ma," I whispered, trying to reassure her, though I myself felt unsettled.

"Diya, we're not getting into a car with a stranger. I don't care who sent him. We'll take an auto, like we always do."

"I understand your concern ma'am," the man interrupted. "But my instructions are clear. Laksh is waiting for you, and this is the safest way to get you home."

"Laksh? That child?" my mother spoke. "Fine. But I'll keep my eyes open. And if something seems wrong, we're getting out of that car immediately."

As we followed him, a black wrangler waited for us at the end of gate. The man opened the car door, I helped maa to get into the car. Laksh hopped in my lap.

"Can you make me that square one sweet of choco once we get home?" he asked in very low tone voice.

I burst out laughing, shaking my head. "You're going to turn into a dessert one day."

"Shhh...that uncle will tell papa." he motioned me to shut.

"Laksh...woh khadus bhaiya kon hai?" I whispered into his ears softly as he giggled.

(Who is that grumpy man?)

Laksh's eyes widened dramatically, his tiny hands shooting up to cover his mouth as if I'd just asked the biggest secret in the world. He leaned in closer, his warm breath tickling my cheek.

"He's Danger Uncle," he whispered.

"Danger Uncle?" I whispered back, my brows lifting in mock surprise. "Why?"

"Because he's always angyyy!" He scrunched up his face, trying to mimic the man's stern expression, which only made him look like a pouting puppy. "And he tells papa everything! Even if I don't drink my milk!"

I gasped dramatically. "The milk."

"Yes, the milk!" Laksh said, nodding vigorously. "And if I eat chocolates before dinner!"

"Sounds like Danger Uncle is your number one enemy," I said, chuckling.

Laksh's face suddenly lit up with mischief. "But guess what? I hide my chocolates in my shoe! He never checks there!"

At that, I couldn't hold back my laughter. Even Maa, who had been silently watching the exchange, let out a reluctant chuckle, though she quickly tried to hide it with a cough.

The man in black turned slightly, his eyes flicking back to us through the rearview mirror. His face remained as stoic as ever, but I swore I saw his lips twitch, almost like he was trying not to smile.

Laksh noticed too, pointing a tiny finger at the mirror. "See? Danger Uncle is watching us! Don't tell him about my chocolate shoes!"

"Don't worry," I said, barely holding in another laugh. "Your secret is safe with me."

"But..." he stopped dramatically. gasped in awe.

"What's wrong," I asked.

"I forgot" he tucked out his tongue. "I never asked your name. Even papa asked me." he said that made my heartbeat dropped perilously.

"Diya." I said smiling warmly at him.

As the car started moving, Laksh cuddled closer, resting his head against my chest. "Diya," he mumbled sleepily, "you're my favorite. Even more favorite than sweets."

I pulled him closer to my chest. This kid had carved his way into my heart and it was melting my heart. My heart ran to my imagination if I had a kid that would be like Laksh.

"And you're my favorite too. Even more favorite than brownies."

"Really?" he asked, lifting his head slightly, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Really," I promised, planting a soft kiss on his forehead.

After sometime the car stopped right in front of my apartment and he jumped out literally dragging me.

"Wait Laksh." But he wasn't going to listen that easily. He was filled full of excitement and life.

Later that evening.

I checked the social media and I had received another two orders for the tomorrow. I quickly contacted the clients, noting down the details they wanted for the decorations. Flour, sugar, butter, eggs... I made a mental list of the ingredients I'd need, making sure everything was in place for tomorrow's baking.

As I sat back in my chair, a soft smile curled on my lips, thinking about the day I'd spent with Laksh. The way his little face lit up when we made those TikTok videos together... it made everything feel right. But just as I was lost, maa's voice broke through the moment.

"Diya, don't you think you're getting too involved in that kid's matter?"

I blinked, surprised by her sudden shift in tone. "Maa, he's just a child, and I love his company. So, what's the problem?"

She turned away slightly, as if avoiding my gaze, "I don't feel this good. Today, that man came after us. Wasn't that concerning?"

I knew she was worried, I understood, but... "I know maa, but he's just a kid." I tried to reassure her, though I wasn't entirely sure I believed it myself.

"I don't think we should let strangers into our lives, Diya. Today they came after us who knows, tomorrow they might bring us some danger."

"I'm telling you to be safe. I'm just worried about you, that's it." With that she turned away from me, facing the wall, her thin body curled into a ball as she lay down on the divan, her back to me.

I exhaled sharply, frustration and concern bubbling up inside me. She was right. The man, who was he? How did he know about us and why did Laksh's father order him? And then there was Laksh. What did I even know about him? His family, his life... all of it was unknown.

But no matter how much I tried to justify it, there was something in my heart that couldn't shake the bond I'd formed with him. Laksh was so young, so innocent. I couldn't just walk away from him because of some shadowy doubts about if it might or might not have been a threat.

I stood up and was about to return to the room when I felt like somebody knocked on the door. At this hour? Who could be that?

I peeped through the peep hole but there was no one. Empty space and dark stretched corridor. I waited a moment longer, straining to hear another knock or some sign that I wasn't imagining it. But there was nothing.

For one last time, I checked again, my hand trembling slightly as I peered through the peephole. But no sign of anyone, confirming I was about to turn when I saw a small piece of paper, half-visible, wedged through the crack in the door. It wasn't there before. Someone had slid it under deliberately.

Gulping down and gathering my courage I opened the door just enough for the piece of paper to slip through the crack and fall to the floor. In one swift motion, I reached down, grabbed it, and slammed the door shut behind me, locking it instantly.

Unfolding it I tried to read the handwriting which was messy, jagged as if written in haste or under duress. The words were barely legible in places, but I could still make them out.

The note read:

'Don't try to look into matters that don't concern you. You've already lost half of your family. Do you want history to repeat itself?'

My hands trembled as I stared at the note. I looked again out of the peephole but I saw nothing other than darkness. Making sure the door was locked tightly I crumbled the paper in my hands and ran to the bedroom.

What the hell? What do they mean by repeat history? My father and my elder brother died in a car accident. The memories reeled in my mind though I never got to perform their kriya karam, to properly mourn them. I'd been told it was an accident, but now, something about it didn't sit right.

What if it wasn't an accident? The thought hit me, I had always wondered why I never got to see their bodies. Why the police hadn't seemed to investigate deeply. They'd just labeled it an accident. But now... now I was wondering if it had all been a cover-up. If they hadn't been killed in a car accident at all.

My father... he wasn't some big-shot authority figure. He was just a Lab Professional, a man who tested drugs for medical companies and hospitals. His job had always seemed so mundane, so unassuming. He never had any enemies he wasn't involved in anything shady.

But then my thoughts collided in a sudden realization. Drugs. The man I had encountered today the one who'd dropped those small, suspicious packages he had been carrying drugs. I couldn't ignore the connection any longer. The white powder, the hurried way he tried to hide it... It had to be more than a coincidence.

That man... he must know something about my family. He must know something about my father's work. Maybe that's why he'd been so urgent in his movements. Maybe he'd seen something or uncovered something that my family had been oblivious to.

And now, he was threatening me. He was trying to scare me into silence, into submission.

I clenched my fists, If he thought I would back down, if he thought I would let him intimidate me, he was gravely mistaken. I wasn't some passive victim to be frightened away by threats.

I would find out the truth. I would uncover what happened to my father and why that man was suddenly a part of the picture. And if this was all some twisted game to intimidate me...

I would make sure that man paid. He would go where he belonged to jail.