---
After some time, Shirah's mother returned home. She worked as an employee at a company. Although her pay wasn't much, the owner of the company was a kind person who genuinely cared for her employees.
"Shirah, where are you? Guess what mother brought home!" she called out cheerfully.
Aashwit and Shirah came to the entrance. When they arrived, they saw a beautiful woman with white hair standing there, holding a watermelon.
Shirah sighed and replied, "Mom, I'm not a little kid anymore, so please stop talking to me like one."
"Oh, but to me, you'll always be my little girl," her mother teased.
"Right, right," Shirah replied in a defeated tone.
"Oh! And look who we have here. Aashwit, when did you get here?" her mother, Sofiya, asked with a smile.
"This morning," Aashwit replied.
"Don't you think you're forgetting something?" Sofiya raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing.
"In the morning, *mom*," Aashwit corrected, smiling.
"Right, that sounds much better," Sofiya laughed, and all three of them joined in.
"Mom, Aashwit is staying over tonight," Shirah informed her.
"Alright, I'll go prepare the bedding for you two. Shirah, call your sister and let her know Aashwit's here; she'll be happy to hear that."
"Okay," Shirah replied.
Then, Sofiya turned to Aashwit with a mischievous grin. "Aashwit, why don't you reconsider my offer of marrying Shea and becoming my son-in-law?"
"No, thanks," Aashwit chuckled. "And please, never joke about that again. If Shea hears you, she's going to beat the life out of me."
"She's a good girl, though. You should really think it over," Sofiya persisted.
"A good girl? Yeah, she is—when she's not beating me up! Speaking of which, how's her wrestling tournament going?"
"She cleared nationals and will be competing internationally next week."
"If you need money, just let me know. I have plenty," Aashwit said casually.
Hearing this, Sofiya's face softened. "Don't joke about that, Aashwit. It hurts even more when you know the reality we live in."
Aashwit didn't reply with words. Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a bundle of cash, and placed it in Sofiya's hands.
Sofiya was taken aback. She stepped forward, hugged him tightly, and said, "This is all my fault. I knew you were living alone, and I let it happen. That's why you've gone down the wrong path, but don't worry, your mother is here now."
"What are you talking about, Mom? I'm not on the wrong path."
Sofiya looked at him seriously. "Where did you get all this money, son?"
"Mom, I just won a big lottery."
Sofiya narrowed her eyes. "You expect me to believe that nonsense? Do you think I was born yesterday?"
"No, really, Mom. I swear on Grandma's name, I didn't get this money by doing anything wrong."
Sofiya's expression softened again. "I guess I believe you, then."
*Sigh...*
"So, you won a big lottery, huh? How much did you win?" she asked.
"One billion," Aashwit replied casually.
"One billion rupees?" Sofiya shouted in surprise.
"No, Mom. One billion dollars."
"What the heck, child! Where did you find this lottery? Tell me the name; I might try my luck!"
"I can't tell you that; it's complicated."
"Too bad," she said with a small smile. She didn't ask any more questions. She knew better. Money always came with secrets, and though she still didn't fully believe the lottery story, she trusted Aashwit. He would never swear on his grandmother's name unless he was telling the truth. So, she decided to accept his story, as long as it wasn't illegal or harmful.
After a pause, Sofiya spoke again. "Is this why you don't want to marry Shea?"
"No, that's not it. I mean, when you first mentioned me marrying Shea, I thought you were joking. That's why I said I'd think about it."
"So, maybe you're worried because she's three years older than you? If that's the case, don't worry. We can wait until both of you are of legal age."
"No, that's not it either. The thing is…"
"What is it, then?" Sofiya asked curiously.
"The thing is… I'm already in love with someone else."
Just then, they heard the sound of metal hitting the ground. When they looked over, there was no one there, just a cup lying near the door.
Sofiya glanced outside and saw someone running away. She recognized the figure immediately—Shea.
Sofiya sighed, feeling a headache coming on. She turned back to Aashwit. "That was Shea's friend. She came to return the trophy to Shea and must've tripped."
"By the way, why isn't Shea home yet?" Aashwit asked.
"I'll call her. In the meantime, you can talk to Shirah. I'm sure he's finished his homework by now," Sofiya said, heading out the door in the same direction Shea had run.
---
**Shea's Point of View:**
Shea was on her way home after her daily training. On the outside, she was cold and indifferent, especially to strangers. But with people she trusted, she acted like any other normal person. To Aashwit and her brother, she was just the girl who loved to wrestle and beat them to the ground.
But what they didn't know was that behind that cold exterior lay a heart softer than a flower.
As she approached the house, she overheard her mother speaking.
"So, Aashwit, what do you think about the marriage proposal?"
Shea's heart skipped a beat. She quickly hid behind the wall and listened in on the conversation. She had just returned from the hostel, holding the championship trophy she'd won.
As she listened, her mind drifted back to a day she could never forget—a day when her entire life changed.
---
**Flashback: Two Years Ago**
It had been a long day at school, and Shea, as usual, stayed back for wrestling practice. By the time she left, it was already evening. The sky was dimming, and a cold breeze brushed past her, but Shea barely noticed. She was tough, after all. She could handle herself.
However, that evening, she took a different route home. Her brother had warned her about some troublemakers around that area, but Shea wasn't one to be intimidated easily. She figured they wouldn't dare mess with her.
But as she walked through the alley, she felt uneasy. Shadows seemed to move around her, and the streetlights flickered ominously. Suddenly, a group of boys appeared from the corner, surrounding her. They were part of a notorious gang at school, always causing trouble.
"Well, well, look who we have here—the wrestling champ," one of the boys sneered, stepping closer to her. The others snickered behind him.
"Just leave me alone," Shea said, her voice firm but her heart starting to race. She tried to walk past them, but they blocked her path.
"Aww, come on, don't be like that," another boy said, his voice dripping with malice. "We just wanna have some fun."
One of them reached out and grabbed her arm. She reacted instantly, twisting his hand and sending him crashing to the ground. But before she could move further, two others grabbed her from behind. She struggled fiercely, kicking and throwing punches, but there were too many of them.
Her heart pounded in her chest. For the first time, fear started to creep in. These weren't just school bullies—they had darker intentions. Her mind raced, thinking of ways to escape, but her strength was beginning to wane as they pushed her toward the wall.
Just as panic began to rise, she heard a familiar voice call out from the alleyway.
"Shea!"
It was Aashwit. He had been worried about her since she hadn't come home at her usual time and had decided to search for her. His heart had dropped when he saw the scene unfolding before him.
Without hesitation, Aashwit ran toward the group. "Get away from her!" he shouted as he threw himself into the fight.
The boys turned, surprised by his sudden appearance, but it didn't take them long to recover. One of them threw a punch at Aashwit, but he dodged it, countering with a swift hit to the gut. Another boy lunged at him from behind, and Aashwit swung his elbow back, catching him in the jaw. But there were too many of them.
Two boys grabbed Aashwit by the arms and pinned him down. Another kicked him in the ribs. Aashwit winced but didn't stop struggling. "Let her go!" he growled, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Or what?" one of the boys taunted. "What're you gonna do? You're outnumbered."
Aashwit didn't care about the odds. He kept fighting, throwing punches even as they hit him again and again. Blood trickled from a cut on his forehead, and his breathing grew ragged, but he refused to back down.
"Shea, run!" he shouted, even as he took another hit to the side.
But Shea didn't run. She couldn't. Her feet were frozen in place, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched Aashwit fight for her. She had never seen him like this before—so protective, so fearless, even when he was clearly at a disadvantage. Tears welled up in her eyes, though she fought to hold them back.
Just then, one of the boys slammed Aashwit against the wall. Aashwit grunted in pain, struggling to stay on his feet. He locked eyes with Shea, his voice softer now, but filled with urgency.
"Shea... please, just go."
His words broke something inside her. She couldn't let him get hurt like this—not for her.
"Aashwit... I'm not leaving you!" she cried, her voice trembling. She fought against the boys holding her, managing to free one of her arms. With renewed strength, she kicked one of them hard, sending him stumbling backward.
But there were still too many. Aashwit was weakening, his movements slowing. Just when it seemed like things were spiraling out of control, the distant sound of police sirens echoed through the air. The boys exchanged panicked glances.
"Let's get out of here!" one of them shouted, and just like that, they scattered into the darkness.
The police arrived moments later, rushing to the scene. Shea was still standing, her legs shaking beneath her, while Aashwit collapsed to his knees, exhausted and bruised.
She ran to him, her hands trembling as she touched his shoulder. "Aashwit! Aashwit, are you okay?" Her voice cracked with emotion.
He looked up at her, a small, weak smile on his lips. "I'm fine... I told you to run, didn't I?"
"You idiot," Shea whispered, tears finally spilling over. "Why didn't you run? Why did you come for me?"
Aashwit's smile faded, and his expression softened. "Because I couldn't just leave you. You're... too important to me."
Shea's heart clenched at his words. She helped him up, her hands still shaking from the adrenaline and the fear of almost losing him.
As they walked back, supported by the police officers, Shea stayed close to Aashwit, her hand gripping his tightly. She would never forget the way he had looked at her that night—with a mixture of determination and care. It was the night everything changed for her.
That was the night Shea fell in love with Aashwit.
---
**Present Day**
Back at the entrance of the house, Shea losses her grip on the trophy as the memory played in her mind. She had never told Aashwit how she felt—how much that day had meant to her. Hearing him talk about being in love with someone else now shattered her heart.
Without thinking, Shea turned and ran, unable to face him. The pain of hearing those words was too much. Her heart, once filled with hope, now ached with an unbearable sadness.
---