Author's POV
The trip kicked off as sunlight peeked through at seven. As dawn broke, golden light spilled into the snug breakfast nook. Around the table sat Sita, Iaa, Shiva, along with Kartikya - their giggles mixing with the scent of hot coffee and crisp toast. Meanwhile, Aravali stayed out cold, tangled in blankets - worn down by a sleepless stretch, her rest shattered.
Iaa and Aravali were sitting across from Shiva, staring into his eyes full of playful spark. "Hey Iaa, mind giving Aravali a nudge? Sita's dragging me out for snacks - we'll be right back," he said with a grin. A quick wink passed between her and Sita before they sneaked off, the thrill of their mini mission hanging around them.
Seeing the hidden plan, Iaa stepped near Kartikya, lowering her tone like they were sharing a secret. "Hey, urgent phone thing," she joked, pretending it was real. "Gotta run - be back in sixty minutes or so." Then came the request: "Could you handle getting Aravali up?" A quick nod followed by a sly blink - and just like that, she vanished. Left behind, Kartikya grinned, shaking his head slightly. That's exactly how close pals roll.
Kartikya's POV
I plopped down for breakfast, munching on crunchy toast while the smell of hot coffee filled the air - then outta nowhere, a disruption hit. Iaa tossed me a task needing immediate focus.
I slipped into Aravali's room, footsteps quiet from the thick carpet. Just hovered by her door, rapping lightly with my knuckles against the wood. No sound came back. Held there a moment, tried again - harder this time - while curiosity itched under my skin. Still nothing. So I coughed low and tapped three sharp knocks, frustration edging higher.
The door groaned as it swung wide, showing Aravali standing there - eyes barely open, brow twitching into a small scowl while she peered against the early glow. "What's going on here?" came out slow and heavy from her drowsy lips.
I'd seen the wrap on her palm - meant for what happened just a while back. "Yo, how's it feeling?" I said, really meaning it, eyeing her messy hair and tired eyes.".
Aravali's POV
I lay curled up in fluffy covers, drifting inside a cool fantasy where rivers of warm chocolate flooded everything, while gumdrop-covered branches rocked slowly in the wind. A sudden rap at my room's entrance yanked me out of it. My eyes shook off sleepy images as I pushed the door wide, facing whatever sent jolts through my chest like an electric spark.
"M-my hand? Oh, it is in good condition as always," I stuttered, trying to hide my amazement.
"Okay, time to eat downstairs," he remarked offhand - like what he'd said earlier didn't have me jolted wide awake.
"O-Okay, you go ahead; I'll be down in a moment." He nodded and slipped away, leaving me to grapple with a fluttering heart. "Oh my poor heart. Wait a minute, why was he here to wake me up?" I shook my head, brushing off the thought. "Whatever, I have to freshen up."
Once the endless soaks and scrubbing ended, I headed down where the smell of hot pancakes mixed with fresh coffee hit me. Stepping inside, big smiles lit up - there was Iaa, Shiva, or maybe Sita, all wearing sly expressions full of trouble. I raised one brow, shot them a puzzled stare while plopping onto my seat at breakfast, barely shaking off that dazed fog left behind by the wild start to my day.
Iaa glanced at the bandage around my hand, her tone tinged with worry - "It's okay if you're in love, just… don't do this to yourself, Aravali."
No sooner did those words leave his mouth when Shiva with Sita darted forward fast, wonder lighting their expressions. What's going on - let us see! burst from them at once, gazes locked tight in eager suspense.
"Guys, it's nothing; I just tripped on something and fell on a vase, hence the injury," I explained, trying to diffuse the brewing storm of questions.
Right, sure - but whose idea was that bandage on your palm? You're picturing the same thing I am?" Sita said, gaze flickering like she already knew. A small nod came from me; then fast as wind, they clapped palms over lips, holding back shrieks.
Blimey, Aravali, you're sharper than we reckoned!" Sita shot back, a cheeky grin flickering at the corner of her mouth.
Geez, seriously, no big deal went down," I said, cracking a grin even though I'd tried hard not to - those jokes wore me down. Now picture this: a packed train hub buzzing loud with clattering tracks and muffled voices from overhead calls. Some energetic teens, plus Kartikya, fidgeted on the concrete slab, totally hyped up waiting for their ride.
Finally, the train screeched to a halt in front of them, doors sighing wide like a silent welcome. Girl by girl stepped inside, giggling wildly while turning to wave - one last burst of joy before leaving behind what was known. For a heartbeat that felt endless, Kartikya stayed put, gaze locking with Aravli's - just a flicker - but long enough for something unspoken to pass between. Then, out of nowhere, he lifted his hand. Wait… did he really just wave?!
Later that day, the girls came back to Maajaan - tired, yet thankful. As they stepped inside, scents of old timber and simmering food wrapped around them. Each footstep on the groaning planks stirred up recollections. This visit though? It hit differently - not worse, just like the place had paused, quietly expecting them.
"Great to finally be home," Shiva said, her tone soft like sunlight spilling through dusty windows. She hauled her bag in behind her, body heavy from hours stuck on rattling trains - bones stiff, shoulders slumped low under invisible weight. Inside, the living room sat just as they'd left it: novels flung every which way over the tabletop, old blooms still upright but brittle as ash, and mismatched candles scattered about because Shiva swore they gave things vibe. Nothing had changed much… yet everything hugged them close, sort of how an echo remembers your voice even when you've stopped speaking.
Yet inside all that comfort, someone's missing stood out clear.
Someone was missing.
They hadn't spotted Hari in weeks - Shiva joked he'd vanished on some "getaway with dead buddies," which kinda left things feeling off-kilter in the group.
Shiva flung her shoes aside dramatically then dropped onto the hardwood, arms splayed out wide. "I'm starving - deep down, in my soul, body and mind, yeah… mostly heart."
You mentioned emotional two times," Sita tossed back, her voice dripping with irony as she glanced sideways at Shiva's dramatic act.
"This is no joke," Shiva stated, face tight with sincerity.
Iaa let go of her bag, letting out a weary breath while she stretched her arms and legs. "We should take it easy for a few minutes - "
Suddenly, a series of knocks cracked through the stillness.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
The girls stopped dead together, pulses racing while they exchanged shaky looks. Iaa shifted her gaze toward the doorway bit by bit as a dark hunch started rising in her chest.
Sita moved closer, speaking so softly it was almost silent. "Please say it's nothing like what comes to mind."
The look on Shiva's face shifted - half surprise, half unease. "Uh-oh - he's here again."
Aravali's eyes flickered, thoughts spinning fast. "Could this really be - "
Together, they spoke at once - tone sharp with shock and irritation - "HARI
Shiva's POV
I paused briefly - then grabbed the knob, steeling my nerves for what waited just beyond.
There he was, just standing.
Hari.
His cool sunglasses caught the colors of the sinking sun while he gripped a coconut drink with a bright striped straw. Without trying hard, he gave off island holiday energy, almost as if he'd stepped straight from a Goa shoreline - though deep down, he was fully aware he'd never set foot on those sands.
He flung his arms out, striking a pose way too intense for the moment.
"HELLO, MY BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEINGS!"
I fixed him with a bewildered stare. "Why are you dressed like an off-brand Bollywood hero?"
He blinked hard, playing shocked - "Show some love for the style!"
Sita let out a high-pitched cry, then threw herself forward, wrapping her arms tight in a cozy embrace. Iaa's lips curled up gently; meanwhile, Aravali didn't move, eyes flickering like she was stuck inside a dream unfolding too slowly.
He walked in like he'd been gone just a minute, carrying a loose, cheeky energy that reshaped the space - not by force, but simply by being there again.
Hari's POV
Ah, right - my kids. The little tornadoes I call mine. Those tiny creatures who keep me feeling something.
I glanced at the usual spot, relaxed even though stuff was scattered everywhere; nothing new there - same old scene under hazy daylight - but those two stood out.
Sita's pendant dangled crooked, its gems dull and splitting, flickering wild sparks - like clouds before thunder rolls in. Iaa stayed seated, legs folded tight, fingertips tapping steady on her thighs, glowing soft around the edges, proof her power kept creeping forward bit by bit. Shiva looked thicker, tougher than before, still, deep grooves cut across his brow, like something heavy never let him rest easy. As for Aravali… her gaze lit up - not just weak but fighting too, wearing that stare - the kind you get when somebody slips past your walls whether you want them there or not.
Cute.
But also… worrying.
"Alright, you guys," I said, plopping down on the floor legs crossed, faking the vibe of someone who teaches little kids. The room hummed, everyone waiting, barely breathing.
A heavy quiet settled in fast, like the air was holding its breath.
Author's POV
Huddled near him sat the four girls, arranged just like always - the circle that had drawn tighter through hard times, yet grew stronger with moments of happiness.
Hari groaned like it was a performance, his glasses slipping down his nose on purpose.
"There's a mansion," he started off, his tone low and intrigue-laden. "A really, really old one. You know, the kind that seems as if history itself is holding its breath within its walls, waiting for something to unfold."
Shiva lifted one brow, then asked, "Alright… so what's next?"?
Hari stared at one, then another - his look sharp, refusing to back down.
"It's not haunted."
Everyone stayed quiet, waiting - tension just sitting there, heavy. A mix of nerves and hope kept them frozen in place.
"It's. organized."
Sita blinked - her expression shifting into puzzlement. "Wait... structured spirits?"
Hari nodded solemnly.
"There are many spirits residing there. They have a structure, a leader. They serve a purpose."
Aravali slumped into her chair, doubt fading as curiosity kicked in. "Wait... you mean something like a phantom firm?"
No," Hari said, fixing her mistake real slow, his words heavy with hidden sense. Not quite that - more like some forgotten realm
The air went still. No one felt like laughing anymore; even Shiva had gone quiet. Hari spoke next, his tone low, heavy with meaning: "Here's the bad bit - the boss… the one pulling their strings…" He stopped short, letting it sink in. "…was the same figure you faced in Maajaan." Iaa froze, her breath sharp, eyes wide. "Varkash?" she said softly - his name lingering like storm clouds before thunder. Hari gave a slow nod. The air changed, like the sky had grown heavier and grayer with gathering storm. Nobody stirred or even flinched. Darkness nearby seemed thicker, somehow weighing down harder. She looked down at the broken bits of her necklace, their shine gone in the weak glow. Aravali gulped, her gut tightening from the pressure building inside. Shiva popped her fingers - one way she hid how uneasy she felt. A soft glow trembled in Iaa's palm, showing the force waking up beneath her skin. Then Hari broke the silence with something low and loaded: "He isn't finished with you - neither are you with him."
Aravali's POV
My jaw clenched before I even realized it. "That kid of a dumpster, what's he want from us?" I shot off, harsh and quick. Shiva flicked her eyes. Sita stopped breathing halfway. Iaa studied me close. Didn't care about speaking up. Not one bit. Hari let air out slow, like the burden was his alone. "We're not sure either," he muttered, low… and drained. Yet whatever he's after… ties back to each of you, in some way. Then quiet crept in again. Not fear. No tightness. Just weight. As if we all sensed it - this thing still hanging.