---
"Mother, when are we going to tell her about this?"
"You don't need to say anything to me," came a familiar voice from behind.
Shirah's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to see Shea standing there, her face set in determination. She took a deep breath and spoke firmly.
"You two have nothing to do with this now. This is my problem, and I'll solve it myself."
Shirah smiled knowingly. He had suspected Shea had been eavesdropping all along. He had purposely turned on the speaker to let her overhear their conversation. He wanted her to confront her own feelings for Aashwit because, deep down, he knew she didn't truly love him. Her feelings were more about dependency and comfort—a desire to lean on someone after the overwhelming experience of being saved by him.
Her mind had built an illusion over time, idealizing Aashwit as brave, kind, and beyond her reach. She admired him, felt safe with him, and in her weakest moment, her mind clung to him as a source of protection. This emotional attachment, born from the 'suspension bridge effect'—the heightened feelings caused by stress and relief—had over time convinced her that it was love.
But Shirah knew better. Shea's so-called love wasn't love at all, just a form of attachment—a kind of affection that resembled the bond between a child and a father, or perhaps an older sibling. In this case, though, because Aashwit was an outsider, not family, her emotions had become complicated. Unable to define it clearly, her mind had settled on the idea of love.
Shirah had never been in love himself, but he understood one thing: love can't be forced. It grows on its own, without reason or logic. That's why he saw love as something almost foolish—an unpredictable force that could consume people and disrupt their peace.
He didn't hate love; he just viewed it as a dangerous road. One where, if you ventured too far, you risked losing everything. And yet, if you stayed away, you might regret it for the rest of your life. Shirah had chosen to avoid that path—not out of fear, but because he preferred peace. He was lazy in his way, content with his quiet life. Why chase after love when it only brought restlessness and pain? In the end, people died, love faded, and those left behind were often filled with sorrow. It was better, he thought, to live a calm, undisturbed life.
After Shea's defiant words, Shirah nodded.
"So, how do you plan to solve this?"
"I'm going to talk to him directly. And about Mohini? I won't share him with anyone."
"Okay."
---
**At Aashwit's house—**
Shea approached the door to Aashwit's room, a curtain half-covering the entrance. She hesitated for a moment before calling out, "Aashwit, may I come in?"
"It's your house too," came his voice from inside. "You can come and go whenever you want."
She stepped inside to find Aashwit sitting on the floor. He looked up at her calmly and said, "Two years. The championship."
"What are you talking about?" Shea asked, confused.
"I know why you're here. I'm saying that in two years, if you still feel the same, we'll talk about this. You need to win the championship first. Then we'll see."
"You're questioning my love for you?" Shea's voice cracked as she shouted, tears welling in her eyes.
Aashwit smiled softly. "I'm not questioning your love. I'm giving you time to understand it."
Shea shook her head, her voice rising in frustration. "You *are* questioning it, aren't you?"
"No. I'm saying you need time to understand your feelings. If after two years, you still believe this is love, then we can discuss it further."
"But I've loved you for over two years already," she argued, her voice breaking.
"I know. But please, just accept this one request as my first and last."
Shea hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod. "Fine. But remember this: after that, you're mine. I won't share you with anyone."
"We'll see."
"No," she insisted. "That's final."
"We'll see," Aashwit repeated calmly.
Shea stomped her foot in frustration. "No! That's final!"
Aashwit stepped closer to her, leaning in to whisper in her ear. His proximity sent a shiver down her spine, but just as quickly, the sensation faded with his next words. He placed a key in her hand.
"Here, this is the house key. I have a spare. Give it to Shirah. And… can I borrow your phone? My incoming calls have been cut off because of the recharge."
"You…you…" Shea stammered, still reeling from the conversation.
Before she could finish, Aashwit reached into her bag, pulled out her phone, and made a quick call. After hanging up, he handed it back and said, "Mom, don't hid you are not good in hidding ,you can come in. I'm heading out for work. Could you clean the house while I'm gone, like always?"
A woman in a simple dress entered the room and smiled. "Of course."
Turning to Aashwit, she added playfully, "You always know when I'm here."
"I told you, I sensed it the moment you came after Shea."
She laughed. "Superpowers, huh? You must have some secret ability to sense people from miles away."
"It's a secret," Aashwit replied with a grin.
"More secrets, huh?" she teased.
Aashwit ran towards the door. "Take care, everyone! I have some errands to run."
"Hey, wait!" Shea shouted after him.
"Same time, same place—two years from now!" Aashwit called over his shoulder. "Until then, I'm off to see the world!"
Shea's heart sank. Her mother seemed unfazed by her son's departure, even excited about his plans to travel. It made her feel abandoned, as if her mother cared more about her own dreams than staying with her children.
After Aashwit left, Sofiya cleaned the house as usual, and then she and Shea returned home.
---
**Aashwit's perspective—**
As he soared through the sky, invisible, heading north toward the Himalayas, Aashwit mentally connected with Mohini and Udhav.
"Listen, you two. Don't freak out, but I'm talking to you through my mind. I'm going on a journey—probably a year and a half, maybe two years. Wait for me until then."
Before Mohini could respond, Aashwit cut her off. "Don't worry. I won't forget you. I'll contact you every month if I can. If you don't hear from me in eight months, it means something happened."
"I want to come with you," Mohini said. Although she had a talk about this before,but she couldn't help.
"Me too," Udhav added.
"It's too dangerous. I can't take you with me. Besides, I have powers. Guns and weapons won't harm me. You don't need to worry."
Mohini and Udhav both know it is almost impossible to change Aashwit's mind once it setup on something. therefore
"Okay," they both reluctantly agreed.
Aashwit smiled. "Take care. I'm off now."
With that, the connection broke, and Aashwit flew northward toward the majestic Himalayan mountains, leaving Kanyakumari behind.
---
**To be continued…**