The next morning, the room was quieter than it should have been.
Not the powerful kind - the kind that comes after chaos, when their heartbeat hasn't decided whether to fade or explode.
Durga started first, dropping onto the couch like always.
" So," she said casually , stretching her hands and arms, " are we going to talk about the fact that someone here almost hugged a random man and called someone else handsome ?"
Saraswati groaned, burying her face in a pillow.
" I was drunk."
" That didn't stop you from having standards," Durga smirked. " You literally said...."
" Don't repeat it."
Radhika laughed softly, leaning against the table, arms crossed." She hugged him like she knew him."
Saraswati peeked out." He smelled nice."
Radhika looked at her, " What about true love?huh."
Durga straightened," What true love?", she continued," is their something I missed."
Saraswati said, " Nothing ,nothing. Radhika please..."
Durga asked Radhika, " Come on, queens don't keep secrets."
Radhika replied already laughing." Saraswati is in love for the seventy- eighth time and if I include that stranger than seventy - ninth," she continued " sorry not in love but in true love, but with whom stranger or Jai."
Saraswati," I'm in love with Jai, I admit it but not a stranger. How can I love someone I haven't seen?"
Durga teasingly," but you can hug someone you haven't seen?"
Radhika and Durga laughed.
Saraswati replied," You won't understand, what love is ?"
Durga burst out laughing, " That's it. I'm never letting you drink again."
Sia was also there but only physically not mentally.
She was standing near the window, staring outside, fingers tightening around her phone.
Durga noticed," Sia? You good ?"
Sia blinked, then turned. " Yeah. Just... thinking."
Saraswati narrowed her eyes. " Thinking about what? Or who?"
Sia hesitated -- just a second too long.
" There was a moment," she said carefully, " when everything went wrong. Someone pulled me back. Hard. Fast."
Her hand unconsciously moved to her waist. " I didn't even see his face."
Durga raised a brow. "But?"
" But I remember the grip."
Silence.
Saraswati replied, " I know who he was."
Everyone turned towards her and collectively asked,
" Who?"
"Of course, he was that strategist of Braves.... Agni. We just read about them few hours ago in Radhika's laptop." Saraswati replied proudly.
Sia said, " Not that, after that brave saved me someone else was also there who touched me the same way at same spot."
Radhika and Durga was only looking at Sia's expressions.
Radhika all curious," Which one was better?"
Durga joined her to tease Sia," Yeah this is main question, which one was better?"
Sia back to her leader default settings. "Will you shut up and focus."
Saraswati casually said," You are thinking too much Sia, may be he was just a stranger who was escaping and just held you."
Sia still confused, " Yes, I guess you are right."
Radhika looked at Sia. " But the question still remains the same," she continued." Which one was better?"
Sia didn't replied.
Durga scoffed lightly. " Wow. Look at us. Reduced to remembering hands."
Radhika exhaled, irritated. " Atleast yours didn't say anything?"
Now everyone turned to Radhika.
Durga grinned." Oh. Someone talked? That's an improvement."
" Bumped into me." Radhika said flatly.
" Didn't even apologise properly."
Sarswati leaned forward." What did he say?"
" Something polite. Annoying. Calm."
She rolled her eyes. " I called him an Idiot."
Durga blinked," You?"
Radhika stiffened, "What?"
" You've never called someone Idiot before, I mean, really...improvement "
Saraswati was also shocked.
Sia said, " All thanks to Durga, for this improvement, atleast now our hacker responds back when someone hurts her, otherwise, she would only take pain on herself but won't hurt anyone ?
Radhika annoyed ," I ignore the people who hurts me.... but if they even think about hurting my people. I'll show them who is Radha."
Durga smiling, " Come on Radhika ,I had never seen you hurt or beat someone with anger or rage.I think you are good with your laptop and systems and about fighting ,let's leave that on me."
Saraswati and Sia were fully agreed to Durga's statement as they had always seen Radhika helping others not harming even a small insect.
" There were masked men too," Radhika muttered." During the chaos. One of them... looked back."
Sia's expressions sharpened." At you?"
Radhika nodded once. " Like he knew me. Or worse --- like he was checking me."
Durga looked at her. " You are beautiful, hacker, of course boys will check you. That's nothing rare," she continued," but you have always ignored them."
Radhika agreed." And I hate that it bothered me."
Saraswati tried to lighten the mood, "Okay but can we talk about the actual heroes for a second?"
Durga smirked instantly," Ah yes, the brave boys."
Saraswati's eyes lit up." They were good."
"Careful", Durga warned. " You're already emotionally unstable, little queen."
" I'm serious," Saraswati insisted." The one who saved me - Jai - he didn't hesitate. Just moved."
Durga snorted," You like him."
Radhika corrected. " No, no... true love."
Saraswati irritated," Will you guys stop it. What about you, huh, you were also saved by them ", she didn't stopped," Radhika you were mesmerized by Purav too?
Sia and Durga looked at Radhika with eyes already judging.
Radhika hesitated," No, of course not."
Sarswati replied," I was drunk ,Radha, not blind."
Durga leaned back ," I'll admit it Veer knows how to fight."
Sia," Impressed."
Durga didn't gave instant response,
" His stance was solid and controlled."
" ... And?" Saraswati teased.
Durga scowled." And nothing. But someone else grabbed my wrist before I could move."
Radhika's head snapped up, "Stranger?"
Durga nodded slowly," Strong grip. Wrong timming."
" Did you break his arm?" Saraswati asked hopefully.
" No." Durga said." I didn't get the chance."
Saraswati questioned," Why did the Braves saved us?"
Radhika replied," Because they are good people. If I have to say in your tone they are the heroes of our story."
Sarswati amused," finally, we have heroes, someone who will save us even though we will not need it.. but still."
She continued," this feeling of someone is there for you is what we had craved since childhood."
Durga shook her head.
"Don't fall for that.
Heroes are good to everyone."
Her eyes hardened," And people good to everyone are loyal to none."
The room slowly returned to its usual rhythm -- laptops opening, weapons being placed back where they belonged, Saraswati stealing snacks like nothing happened.
But something had happened
Sia stood by the table, scrolling through reports she already knew by heart. Her mind wasn't on the data."
Too clean, she thought.
The attack. The timming.
She looked up at others.
" We don't relax," she said, "Not yet."
Saraswati pouted," Even after surviving an almost - action - movie night?"
" Especially after that." Sia replied.
Durga nodded once." They weren't amateurs."
Radhika was already typing, fingers moving fast. Screens lit up around her.
"I checked their systems again," she said." The braves are clean. No backdoors. No hidden signals. No connection to --
She paused.
"To him."
Saraswati said," So braves are no threat to us, so we can be their friends."
Durga and Sia nodded.
Sia seriously replied, " You all know it right - queens can believe others, but trust is the crown they wear alone."
Radhika was lost in her thoughts.
Saraswati," Are you thinking about your Idiot or Purav?"
Durga added," Or Mr. K"
Radhika couldn't deny that she was thinking about that Idiot.
" Idiot, No." Radhika shot her a glare.
" That fast 'no' means yes," Durga smirked.
Radhika turned away. " He's irrelevant."
Yet somewhere deep inside, her mind replayed the calm voice.
She hated that she remembered it so clearly.
Sia exhaled," The braves are capable,"
she said." And dangerous."
Saraswati smiled." In a good way."
Durga shrugged." In a useful way."
All the queens smiled but that was not a smile which was cute but a smile of mischief which was going to happen.
On the otherside, At the Braves Headquarters.
Thebravesbase was not loud.
No music. No sirens.
Just four men sitting around, replaying moments that shouldn't have stayed this long in their heads.
Purav broke the silence first, spinning his chair slightly.
" I checked public cams, near the restaurant," he said," Nothing useful."
Agni frowned." That's not normal."
" Neither were those girls," Purav added casually.
Veer looked up," You noticed too?"
Purav smiled." The quiet one. Calculated every exit . Even while pretending to panic."
Agni leaned back," The one I pulled away--"
He stopped," she didn't freeze, she adapted."
Veer nodded," The one I saved , didn't need help. She was ready to fight."
Purav said," but I liked her."
Jai hadn't said a word.
He was staring at the table, fingers tapping slowly.
Purav smirked," Well the one who was drunk, was impressed by you?"
Veer joined the teasing. " What do you think, leader?"
Jai looked at them." I don't like easy girls," he said," not my type."
Agni said," of course, I know what's your type."
Veer and Purav looked at him.
Agni replied," he likes that purple beast girl. Am I right or am I right, Jai?"
Jai didn't respond.
Silence again.
Veer asked," What do you think about the attack?"
Jai replied," attack is nothing new for us cause we are part of a world which is disguised but its actions sometimes can't remain hidden."
" Then why were they there?" Purav asked.
Jai's voice was low. Certain.
" Because chaos follows them."
Purav studied him." You sound sure."
Jai stood up. " Because the moment things went wrong ..."
He paused.
" They didn't look scared."
Agni exhaled," normal girls don't do that."
Veer smiled faintly." Whatever they are..."
Purav finished it.
" .... they're not as innocent as they looked."
Jai turned towards the window." And they are not weak."
He walked toward the exit, mind already else where.
Behind him, Purav muttered.
" Looks like we just met the storm."
Jai didn't correct him.
Because for the first time in a long while, he wasn't sure which side he was on.