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**At Aashwit's house —**
Udhav had just stopped thinking about the past when he noticed Aashwit waking up. The first thing Aashwit saw was Mohini, asleep on his chest like a baby koala. With a gentle tone, Aashwit said:
"Wake up, sleeping bird, it's morning."
"Mummy, just give me a few more minutes," Mohini murmured sleepily.
Udhav, watching the scene unfold, chuckled. "Wake up, princess. It's morning already, and we have to go meet Aashwit. Did you forget?"
Udhav had accepted Aashwit as his brother-in-law after that fateful day when Mohini had beaten him. He had no resistance to their relationship now.
Hearing Udhav's voice, Mohini opened her eyes groggily and started to get up. Realizing she had been lying on Aashwit's chest, memories of the previous night flashed through her mind, causing a blush to spread across her face. To hide it, she buried her face in his chest and whispered, "Just five minutes more…"
Aashwit smiled and nodded. Meanwhile, Udhav headed to the kitchen. Despite his casual appearance, Udhav was a skilled cook and a master of playing the Veda, an ancient musical instrument. He was a genius in his own right.
When Udhav entered the kitchen, he found nothing to cook. "Aashwit, do you have any money for ingredients?" he asked.
"There's a slip of paper on the table," Aashwit replied. "Show it to the shopkeeper, and he'll give you what you need."
Udhav grabbed the slip and headed to the shop. Ten minutes later, he returned with the ingredients. By then, Mohini had woken up and was busy cleaning the house while Aashwit went through his morning routine.
After cleaning, Mohini took a bath. Aashwit handed her a new set of clothes, even though he could also have created the ingredients himself using his powers. He wanted to enjoy some quiet time with her instead. Meanwhile, Udhav prepared breakfast. When Mohini finished dressing, she helped her brother in the kitchen.
After breakfast was ready, Udhav went to take his own bath. Aashwit then turned to Mohini and said:
"I have something to tell you."
"Oh? Then say it," she replied, curious.
"I have magical powers… which I can't fully explain to you right now."
Mohini smiled softly. "I know. You don't need to explain."
"But… there's one more thing," Aashwit hesitated before continuing. "I have an emptiness inside, a hole, or rather, a space in my heart. I thought you could fill that part, and you have, but only slightly. My memories of a past life are returning, and there's a high chance I'll change in the future."
"No matter how much you change or who you become, I'll always be with you," Mohini said resolutely.
"And I also feel a connection to others… women, to be specific. It's not friendship or familial love, but romantic."
"That doesn't matter," Mohini shrugged. "If they're fine with sharing you, then so am I."
Aashwit looked at her, surprised. "How can you love me this much? There has to be a reason."
"Love doesn't need a reason. I just love you, and that's all there is to it," she replied simply.
"You're so dumb," Aashwit said with a soft laugh.
"I am, but only for you," Mohini teased. "And if I told you that I didn't want to be with you because you're going to have relationships with other women, would you let me go?"
"Of course not," Aashwit said seriously. "You're mine, and mine alone. I'll kill anyone who tries to take you away."
"See? I didn't have a choice from the start."
"You always have a choice. If you want to go, you can kill me and leave. Trust me, there won't be any resistance." Aashwit spoke with a calm certainty.
Mohini began lightly hitting his chest with her hands. "I'd kill myself before harming you in any way!" Tears welled up in her eyes.
Aashwit gently cupped her face, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "My little dummy girl…"
Suddenly, a cough interrupted the moment. Udhav stood nearby, holding plates of breakfast. "Come on, guys. Stop flirting so early in the morning. At least wait until I'm out of the room," he said in a mock-serious tone.
They all laughed and sat down to eat. The breakfast was delicious, the best meal Aashwit had had in years. Afterward, Aashwit said, "Alright, guys, get ready. We have to go meet someone."
"Who?" Mohini asked curiously.
"A very interesting person," Aashwit replied with a smile. " Shirah ."
At this, Mohini and Udhav both fell silent, sensing the importance of this meeting.
After cleaning up, they left the house and locked the door behind them. They walked for about 15 minutes before arriving at a modest house. It wasn't much better than Aashwit's, but it had space for a cycle and an extra room. When they knocked, a boy with black hair and black eyes opened the door and greeted them.
"Come in," he said calmly.
As they entered, Shirah , the boy, looked at Aashwit and said, "Alright, tell me how you found these two and what the problem is."
Aashwit stepped forward, transferring his memories into Shirah's mind telepathically. 'The memory related to my powers… don't tell them. They're not ready for the truth,' Aashwit warned.
Shirah nodded. "Got it."
Why wasn't Shirah surprised by Aashwit's powers? The reason was simple—he didn't care.
It didn't matter to him whether Aashwit had powers or not, or if he was even human. What mattered was that Aashwit wasn't a threat and had always been a part of his family. Aashwit had been coming to their house since he was very young, staying with them whenever he wanted and leaving when he felt like it. He even called Shirah's father "Dad."
Shirah's father had remarried when Shirah was 13, ten years after his mother's death. Shirah didn't have any issues with it. His stepmother had a daughter who was three years older than him. When Aashwit found out about the remarriage, he feared he wouldn't be able to play with Shirah anymore. But to his surprise, Shirah's stepmother was kind-hearted and treated Aashwit with the same love and care she showed Shirah. Over time, Aashwit came to call her "Mom" as well.
Turning to Mohini and Udhav, Shirah said aloud, "No need to explain how you found them. People get revived in games all the time. Just tell me what the issue is."
Mohini and Udhav was stunned by his casual attitude about the revival of two death persons.
But then Aashwit pulled Mohini and Udhav aside and instructed them, "Go to this location. You'll find the chief minister there in disguise. Just meet him, and he'll handle everything."
"What's he going to do?" Udhav asked.
"Nothing much. He's going to adopt you as his son and daughter."
Mohini and Udhav were shocked but, remembering how they had died and been resurrected, they believed him.
After they left for the meeting, Aashwit turned to Shirah and asked, "So, what do you think? Why did these two get resurrected when I tried to create life? Why isn't it happening again?"
Shirah thought for a moment before replying, "It's because of the reincarnation process and the anomaly caused by your return. The natural and magical energies of another world are leaking into this one, which is why your powers and memories are awakening. It's also why your connection to them exists.
"Right," Aashwit nodded.
"So, my guess is that these two didn't die a natural death."
"What do you mean?" Aashwit asked, puzzled.
"I mean that they likely died because of the connection they formed with you. My theory is that when the natural energy started increasing in this universe, the universe tried to balance itself. But because you're an anomaly, it couldn't. After some time, it began adapting to the excess energy and balanced itself again. But because these two formed a deep connection with you, you unconsciously started sharing that energy with them. Their souls, however, are not as strong as yours. So, in a way, the universe couldn't let them stay alive and disturb the balance. They began to follow a different path—one that belonged to someone else from another universe."
"Why would they follow the path of a different universe?" Aashwit asked.
"Because the energy they're receiving from you isn't fully adopted by this world, but their souls belong to this universe. You're fine because your soul isn't from this universe."
"That still leaves the question—how was I able to revive them?" Aashwit asked, still confused.
"In my opinion," Shirah continued, "their premature death created a hole in the cycle of life. Don't be naïve, Aashwit—you know better than anyone that the universe doesn't care if you're from this world or another, whether you're young or old, human, whale, or bacteria. What matters is the strength of your soul and will. From the knowledge you gave me, the strongest soul in your previous world belonged to a dragon. But to the universe, it doesn't matter if you're a dragon or not."
"So, you're saying that their deaths were caused by me, and this created a gap in the cycle, which allowed me to revive them?" Aashwit asked, piecing the puzzle together.
"Not exactly, but close," Shirah replied. "The universe didn't let you revive them—you did. Because of the connection you shared, their souls weren't able to re-enter the cycle. When you found them, you created bodies strong enough to hold the energy."
"How accurate do you think your theory is?" Aashwit asked, concerned.
"If the information you gave me is correct, then I'd say my theory is 98% accurate," Shirahanswered.
"And the other 2%?" Aashwit pressed.
"Come on, bro," Shirah grinned. "There are always exceptions in this world—or I should say, multiverse. And I'm not omnipresent."
"Thank you, Shirah," Aashwit said.
"No need," Shirah replied casually.
"I have one last question," Aashwit said hesitantly. "Can I revive my grandmother?"
Shirah shook his head. "No, she wasn't removed by the universe. Plus, you don't have the same kind of connection with her."
"So, I can only revive those I have a connection with?" Aashwit asked.
"Even then, no," Shirah explained. "If someone is killed by another being from this or any other universe, the universe won't allow them to return. There's a universal rule: life feeds on life."
"Plants also feed on the sun's life force," Aashwit mused.
"Exactly," Shirah nodded. "So, if any of those you're connected to die again, you won't be able to revive them."
"Understood," Aashwit said, his expression serious.
"Now that business is done," Shirah said, changing the topic, "I have some questions for you."
"Alright, ask away," Aashwit said, relaxing a bit.
"So, in the end, you accepted her and your feelings, right?" Shirahasked with a smirk.
"How did you know?" Aashwit raised an eyebrow.
"The way you two were looking at each other," Shirahsaid, grinning. "A blind man could tell what's going on."
"No blind man could tell that—I only looked at her for a second. I guess I'm not the anomaly—you are," Aashwit teased.
"Oh, you're probably right," Shirah laughed. "My mom says that too."
"By the way, where is your mom?" Aashwit asked.
"She went to a relative's house," Shirah replied nonchalantly.
"Alright then," Aashwit said. "I guess I should head out now."
"Why leave? You can stay with us for the night, like always. And by the way things are going, I can tell you're going to be a busy man in the future."
Shirah smiled. "I guess I can stay for dinner. It's been a while since I had a meal with my mom and brother."
"Oh, so you remember you have a big brother," Aashwit joked. "I thought you forgot the word 'brother.'"
Shirah laughed. "Come on, I was just being professional back then. That's why I didn't call you 'brother.'"
"You can't lie to me," Aashwit said, shaking his head. "Tell the truth—you were embarrassed to call me 'brother' because we're the same age."
"That's not true," Shirah said defensively. "I was embarrassed because you're only one day older than me!"
They both laughed, the weight of the conversation easing off as they continued talking.
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