ANVESHA'S POV:

I entered inside my luxurious banglow and parked the car in the parking. All the way, I was wondering about many things which just included my professional stuffs. Being the top journalist of a top new channel isn't easy you know!

I took my bag and some other things which I bought while coming back from the departmental stores. After taking out the house-keys, I opened the door but found the lights switched off

I frowned. It couldn't be a power-cut since the lights outside were on. I wondered the reason. I switched on the lights only to get shocked the next second.

Everything was lying on the floor, broken. Seemed like a typhoon just arrived, destroyed and ended. The broken vase, fallen shoe rack and many other things. What made me more worried was the red mark on the white wall. On noticing it keenly, I realized it was nothing but blood. A loud gasp left my lips. The amount of terror I felt was indescribable.

'Dad!!' I screamed.

No response.

'Dad!! Where are you?'

Silence.

'Papaa!! Mujhe darr lag raha hai' I shouted as loudly I could.

Getting no response again, I gathered some courage and took small steps inside. The whole house was messed up.

I moved towards the dining room where there was a pool of blood. I moved my eyes a bit. The most shocking scene of my life awaited. I screamed till my throat was choked.

'PAPAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!'

Suddenly I woke up screaming with a hard jerk. I was shivering and sweating badly. I was immediately pulled in a warm comforting hug.

'Avi...kya hua betu? you were shivering while sleeping' he spoke.

'Papa...vo...vo khoon...' I murmured.

I wasn't in a state to differentiate between reality and a dream. But the most I knew, that the nightmare ended. I felt soft strokes on my head. I closed my eyes feeling frightened.

'Avi...it was just a dream...a bad dream...calm down betu' the perosn hugging me, spoke.

I turned my head upwards to see Vidhaan bhai looking at me with concern dripping out from his eyes.

'Bhaiya...vo...papa...' I tried to ask.

'Vo jahaan bhi hain...he is alright' I said softly.

And I bursted out hugging my brother tightly. I realized, once again, that my papa is no more with me, he left me in this world...alone! Since the day he died, I got numerous nightmares making me realize the absence of him from this world. I just want to go to him and hug him tightly. Only I knew how much I missed him, his voice, his warm embrace, everything. But....but nothing was in my hands.

I cried for a while and bhaiya was hugging me till I needed. After few minutes, he released me and wiped my tears and kissed my forehead softly.

'Bhaiya, why he left us? Why?? He knew I can't live without him! Still! Pehle mumma chali gayi or phir....' I couldn't speak as I choked on my tears.

'Shhhh...don't say like this Avi! You know na...chachu loves you the most in this world...phir vo tujhe chodkar kaise ja sakte hain? He is still with you and you know na he is watching you' he consoled me like a kid.

I nodded my head weakly and he gave a small smile.

'And you are not alone betu...mai hoon, bhai hain, mom dad...tere bade papa and badi mumma...hum sab hain na...I know you miss chachu but life cannot go on like this na...you have to move on from your grief. I am not telling you ki tu chachu ko bhool ja par do something jo unko apni beti par proud feel karwaye...you getting my point?' he asked cupping my cheeks.

I nodded again, this time a strong one. He pecked my hairs and got up from the bed.

'Freshen up and come down for the breakfast' He said while folding the duvet.

'Haa' I replied.

'And don't overthink...varna your pea-sized brain will explode' He teased me before smacking my head lightly.

I looked at him with wide eyes realizing what he just said.

'What? I am just stating facts, baby sister' he continued.

'I see' I said rolling my eyes.

'Vaise...kya banaya hai badi mummy ne nashte me?'

'Tera favourite' he said coming a bit closer. I smiled in excitement. But...

'Karela custard' the moment the words left his mouth, he threw a pillow at my face and sprinted out of my room.

'BHAIYAA!' I whined.

Who will say that this person, who is also my brother is the great VIDHAAN VISHWAJEET SETHI, who was just consoling me like how a caring , mature brother does and a few moments later, just annoyed me with his few acts. I huffed on this making a pout.

I got up and went inside the washroom. I took a cold shower thinking how my life changed in just 5 months. Death of dad, I left my job and Mumbai, got shifted once again in Delhi. But no matter how much I would have lost, I will always be grateful to god for one thing, My family.

Vishwajeet Kumar Sethi and Jaya Sethi were my bade papa and badi mumma, parents of Vidhaan bhaiya. My father Indrajeet Kumar Sethi was his younger and only brother and a doctor. My mother Meera Sethi was also badi mumma's real sister who passed away when I was five. I don't remember how she looked or how her voice sounded like. But I have always seen my mother in badi mumma. She and bade papa have always treated me more than their own daughter.

I turned off the shower and went out of the bathroom. I wore my casual clothes and went down to have breakfast after making a ponytail.

'Good Morning Pa!' I greeted him who was busy in watching the morning news as usual.

'Good morning my princess' he replied and I headed towards the kitchen.

'Good morning Mumma' I said looking at badi mumma. I often address her as 'mumma'. She smiled at me patted my head.

Although we do have maids and butlers but badi mumma cooks in a normal day for us. Reasons- first, she loves cooking! She often experiments different cuisines which we obviously love to devour and second, cooking is her love language. She is an epitome of Maa Annapurna for sure!

We four sat on the dining table and were served the breakfast by the maids.

'Vidhu, what about that deal with Singhs?' Bade papa asked to bhai all of a sudden.

'I am not sure papa, Mr Jaiwant Singh is all convinced but his son Rishabh is in negotiating terms' bhai said.

'Rishabh is a beginner in this world, he is not experienced yet and so isn't aware of the pros and cons of deals, don't think about him much and moreover, we are doing business with singhs since long, I know Jaiwant' bade papa said confidently.

I like this quality of him very much, his confidence and way of convincing people, business ethics! And my both the brothers are his replicas in the terms of skills. They have sharp minds and a witty sense making them a renowned name in the business world.

Later, both the men were indulged on their talks which we ladies paid least attention to. Soon, we finished the meal and the men left for their work.

Mumma owns an NGO in this city which works for several causes. She opened this NGO almost fifteen years ago with the partnership of her friend and the wife of a renowned businessman, Revati Mehra. She is often busy in working and helping people through her organization with Mrs Mehra and I am proud of her for this.

Both the ladies are best friends since years and so are the men. Mrs Mehra's husband Mr Anand Mehra is bade papa's old companion. Both the families, being veterans in the field of business are quite close to each other. Infact we three and the Mehra kids studied in the same school.

I did my schooling till secondary from Delhi and went to Mumbai thereafter with papa and continued my studies. In the final year of journalism, I did an internship at one of the biggest new channels of India, perks of being a top scorer! But I left my job after papa's.....death and moved back to Delhi.

Here I started my work as a copywriter and a freelancer on bhaiya's advice just to distract myself. Besides, I am a renowned blog writer on social media. Well, I can flex the number of my followers and fans.

Journalism was my passion which I gotta know in my late 10th standard. I was a topper in every semester in my university. the last case I dealt with, before dad's death was something related to drugs. I don't wanna ruminate that day again.

My routine was fixed. Waking up, breakfast, doing my work on my mac, writing some posts-

'Avi!'

I was pulled out by badi mumma's voice. I went to her after knowing that she was sitting in the hall with Mrs Mehra. She might be here to discuss something regarding the NGO or just for the ladies' time. IDK!

'Hello aunty!' I greeted.

'Hi beta!' She replied with a soft smile. She was a kind lady unlike some Indian aunties who like to poke their noses in each others' homes. What I liked the best about her was that she never asked anything regarding me getting married unlike many aunts in my family and neighbour.

'So-' She continued. I furrowed my brows.

'What's your plan on getting married, Avi beta?' she asked with her usual smile.

Sorry people! Extremely sorry Anvesha! I thought very wrong about her. Being an Indian lady and not doing a part time match-maker job. Huh! Impossible!

'We haven't thought anything yet, Revati. Vaise bhi, betiyaan itni jaldi badi ho jati hain, pata hi nahi chala kab Avi itni badi ho gayi' Badi mumma replied. Thankyou Mumma! I love you!

Aunty's smile widened after badi mumma said that...or it is just me who thought that.

'Jaya, mere paas Avi ke liye ek bohot acha rishta hai' aunty chirped.

No no no no...why aunty? I thought atleast you to be generous. I suddenly started feeling uneasy. I was not at all ready for another disaster. I didn't had any strength to fight again. I excused myself and came to my room.

'Abhi uski umar hi kya hai, jab vo ready hogi shadi ke liye, tab uski pasand se karwa denge' I heard badi mumma saying while dispersing from there. I love you more badi mumma!

I came back to my room and locked the door. I hugged my teddy bear and I didn't even knew when tears started forming in my eyes and a sob escaped my mouth.

It was all my fault. Hadn't I trusted him, situation would have been different today. Dad would have been alive. It was me!

I cried while laying on the bed hugging my toy remembering the moments with dad and him! He is the biggest mistake of my life. A reality from whom I want to escape, I memory which I want to erase and a person whom I never want to face. If it would have been in my hands, I would have punished him in the cruelest way but...Alas! it isn't possible. I don't remember when I slept again drowning into my world.

~

Phewww!!!

This was the introduction of our Anvesha. Wa

it for the next part to know about our hero!

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