Bright rays of sunlight fell on Jhansi disturbing her blissful sleep. She had been dreaming of confessing her feelings to Shani who reciprocated them. Later, they slept hugging each other under the star-filled sky. It was passionate, dreamy, and romantic.
She didn't want to ever wake up from such a dream, she wished it to be her reality. But, the glaring rays of sunlight had started burning through her dreams making it impossible to dream. Left with no choice she opened her eyes.
Surprisingly, her eyes fell upon the large expanse of lawn and the clear blue sky instead of the posters of famous movie stars and her awesome art decorated all over her room. Although she doubted the possibility, her eyes lit up just imagining it. Unfortunately, Shani was not hugging her. Truly unfortunate.
The glaring rays of sunlight didn't spare others as all of them woke up one after another. They all gathered forming a big circle. Jhansi was the first to discover the anomaly of the group.
"Where is Shani? I can't find him midst us."
The others turned their eyes trying to spot him but they couldn't.
Harsh suggested, "Perhaps, he woke before us and decided to head home."
Charan shook his head, denying, " No, Shani would never leave us like this."
Ananya supported, " Yes, I believe the same. Shani would have at least told Jhansi before leaving, he wouldn't leave without informing her. "
Charan's gaze snapped toward Ananya's and when their eyes met a giddy feeling overcame them as the stark clear image of kissing filled their mind. Both of them felt their brain burst out of sheer embarrassment. Just what happened yesterday night?
Jhansi spoke, "If Shani hasn't left then he is going to return soon. Let's wait for him before heading home."
A deep groan made the Nikambes turn towards Shashi, the old man who was their guest. He looked at the group of children staring at him, then at himself.
This was not the first time Shashi had gotten drunk so he had a clear idea of what happened yesterday, although the details were fuzzy. He bowed, " Thanks, Nikambes for entertaining this humble man for a night. I will now take my leave. If you ever want a gym then never hesitate to come to Lokandwala Outdoor Gym, also come anytime to meet me, I will always be here."
The Nikambes waved their hands in goodbye to the humble old man.
Jhansi checked her watch for any important notification when a video caught her eye. She played it, its contents shocking her to the core. Soon, Shani appeared with treats in hand.
"Since I woke up before you lazy guys, I thought why not give a surprise? These are sweets from the famous Mothe Dairy chain. You only get these at 6:00 am morning and it finishes within 5 minutes."
The Nikambes gobbled them up like greedy leechers feeling utter bliss from the taste.
Shani questioned," Where is the old man, Shashi?"
"He left after expressing his gratitude. He especially wanted to tell you 'Thank you'. "
Shani's eyes looked down at the envelope, now hidden in his pant pockets. He wanted to open it as soon as possible, every waking moment he didn't was killing him.
"The Nikambes spread out now. We will meet on Sunday."
They all nodded their heads in agreement heading for their respective homes. Ananya rushed towards Charan seemingly wanting to talk to him privately. Well, he didn't matter. 'The Nikambes'; were free with what they wanted. Just like he was going to.
The others didn't notice any change in Shani but Jhansi did. She saw the change in his expression and the determination in his eyes. As if even if the world collapsed in front of him, he wouldn't despair and instead face it head-on. Such an expression could only mean he was going to do something very crazy.
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Shani returned home after spending the night outside. His parents were of course worried.
Mr Reddy was reading the daily newspaper as usual when Shani entered the house. He looked at his dishevelled state and expressed his dissatisfaction, " You come back after spending the night outside without explaining." he hit the dining table in anger, " Why are you wasting your life on needless things."
Shani argued, "What do you want from me??! Study and bring good grades to enter the dream college. Guess what I do study and have a plan for the future. It's just I won't follow your path."
"No, I won't let you do as you wish. If I had stopped your brother from doing as he wished, surely he would still be alive. I won't let another of my child die." Mr Reddy couldn't stop the continuous tears flowing from his eyes.
Shani's expression softened as he supported his dad from falling holding him firmly in place. Mr Reddy spoke through the tears, " Yesterday was his 1st anniversary. I can't believe it's been a year since Vigu left us. He wasn't supposed to die before me. Why did it have to happen?"
Shani also began to cry, " It shouldn't have happened. I will make sure to make the people responsible for it to pay with their lives. Dad is there any information on his case after your repeated investigation."
"There is nothing concrete to even give a hint of murder. All clues point towards accidental death."
"It's not accidental I am sure of it. Whoever is behind this must be good at hiding the truth and have powerful backers."
"Shani, don't do anything rash. I am the police officer in this house, so it's my duty to bring punishment to the criminal. I will never give up until the end of my life. You should focus on your future. Don't waste your time dwelling on the past."
"Ok, Dad I will do as you want."
Mr Reddy sighed in relief, " That's good, very good."
Of course, Shani was lying. It was just to bring peace to the minds of his parents. The moment his brother died, his life was dedicated to finding the truth and the killer. He wouldn't care who or how many there are. All of them will pay one by one. None will be spared. This was the promise he made to himself.
He went to his crying mother and hugged her tightly. Every time he hugged his mother, the feeling of rejuvenation, to be born again from ashes made him feel refreshed. Nothing could compare to the sensation.
Chiaki seemed to understand his mood and climbed on top of him to hug his neck. The cheeky little girl knew how to sneak up on unaware. A truly sneaky move but he couldn't resist, not his cute little younger sister.
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