COLLUSION: THE WEB OF COFFINED TRUTHS (PART1)

VR Mansion: 10:00 AM

Rehansh parked his car and walked into the mansion, humming a happy tune, still lost in the memories of this morning.

Flashback: Earlier That Morning

"Ughhh!" I groaned, burying my face in a soft, fluffy pillow that smelled like lavender. Wait… lavender? My eyes shot open as I quickly sat up, looking around. I was still in Arya's room. On her bed.

Wait a second… did I sleep here the whole night? What the heck?!

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Arya's sweet voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Good morning, sunshine," I replied with a smile.

"Looks like someone had a good sleep," she teased, placing a few soaked almonds in my mouth before handing me a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, of course… but why almonds?" I asked, then suddenly remembered something. "Uh, sorry… I slept here. I didn't—"

"Soaked almonds in the morning are good for health," she interrupted. "And it's totally okay to have sleepovers with friends. Don't worry, I didn't mind you sprawling all over my bed and leaving no space for me!" She laughed, making me feel embarrassed.

I felt a wave of guilt hit me. "Oh man… sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," she reassured me with a smile. "You're a tall guy with a huge body. I get why there was no space for me. So, I just went to the couch for the night."

Hearing that made me feel even guiltier. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," she said again, cutting me off. "It was late, and we watched three movies in a row. It's natural to doze off. Now, drink your coffee before it gets cold and freshen up. There's a new toothbrush and towels in the lower right cabinet."

With that, she left the room.

After freshening up, I walked out of the bathroom, now smelling like her—lavender, of course. As I stepped out, the sweet aroma of breakfast filled the air, making me hungry.

"So… what's for breakfast?" I asked, joining her at the dining table.

"Waffles," she announced cheerfully. "You can choose your toppings—strawberries, blueberries, vanilla ice cream, or maple syrup. I love ice cream and berries on mine!"

She placed a plate of waffles in front of me.

"Thanks, Arya," I said, picking my favorite toppings.

"Here, have your juice," she added, handing me a glass of orange juice.

"Thanks, Arya. Breakfast was really good," I said sincerely, appreciating her care in every little moment.

I glanced at the time—9:10 AM. Ansh was probably going to be pissed that I changed my plans and ended up sleeping over at Arya's place.

Bidding Arya goodbye, I was about to leave when she told me she had been called in early since her senior doctor was going to be late. She insisted on going on her own, so I didn't argue and left.

As I drove off, one thought lingered in my mind—what wouldn't I do to wake up to her every morning? To have her take care of me, stay with me forever… to show her how much I love her every single day.

Flashback Ends

"Rehan, my son?" I heard Daadi's worried voice as she rushed toward me, clearly distressed.

"Daadi!? Relax!" I immediately hugged her, patting her back as she seemed out of breath. I slowly guided her to the sofa so she could sit down.

"What happened, Daadi? Why do you look so worried?" I asked, holding her trembling hands.

"Son, where were you? Do you know how anxious I was? You weren't home… and neither were Ansh and Shivi. Only Aru was here, but after a phone call, he rushed out without telling me anything. Do you know where he went?" she asked, concern written all over her face.

"Daadi, please calm down," I said gently. "I was caught up with office work, so I had to spend the night there. Ansh and Shivi are out handling a business deal, so maybe they called Aru to join them. Don't worry, they're all fine. I'll call and check on them. You just relax, okay?"

She nodded slightly.

"Did you have breakfast?" I asked. She nodded again.

"Did you take your medications?"

She pouted, avoiding my gaze.

"Daadi! You need to take care of yourself!" I scolded lightly.

Just then, Siya walked in.

"Good morning, Rehan Bhai!" she greeted me with a smile.

"Good morning, Siya. Look at this—Daadi hasn't taken her medications! Didn't you remind her?"

"Sorry, Bhai," Siya sighed. "It was already a big task to get her to eat breakfast. Then she refused to take the medicines until you all came home."

"Alright, Siya, go bring the medicines now," I instructed.

As Siya left, I turned to Daadi. "Where's Ishani?"

"The queen hasn't woken up yet! What do you expect?" Daadi sighed dramatically.

"I'll wake her up," I chuckled.

Siya returned with the medicines, and I handed them to Daadi, who took them with a frown. My grandmother was definitely a drama queen.

Then, I went to Ishani's room. She had a habit of oversleeping, and now that she was pregnant, her laziness had doubled. If left undisturbed, she'd sleep all day. But she needed to eat—it wasn't healthy for her or the baby to go without food for so long.

I sat beside her and gently massaged her hair.

"Ishani… good morning. Time to wake up," I said softly.

"Ughhh… five more minutes," she groaned sleepily, pulling the duvet over her head.

I shook my head at her behavior.

"Come on, drama queen of the Raisinghanias… time for breakfast," I said, pulling the duvet off her.

"Ugh! Bhaiiiiii!" she whined.

"Get up!" I coaxed, helping her sit up before sending her to the bathroom to freshen up.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I called out.

A house help walked in, carrying her breakfast—Rava Upma with vegetables.

Ishani stepped out of the bathroom, her face immediately scrunching up in disgust at the sight of her meal. Ever since she got pregnant, she had started hating all healthy foods. She used to be a fitness freak, surviving on salads, but now? All she wanted was junk food and the weirdest combinations ever—like KitKat dipped in hot sauce. Yeah, I know. Gross.

Since neither Vansh nor Arav was home, it was my turn to convince her to eat something healthy.

Just then, my phone rang.

Mi Amore💕

I smiled as I stepped out to answer.

"Morning, sunshine!" I greeted happily.

"Hey! I just wanted to tell you… your brother is here," Arya informed me, her voice laced with concern.

"What?!" I asked, shocked.

"Yes… looks like he was stabbed. But don't worry, Dr. Dixit is attending to him. He hasn't woken up yet, though. You should get here soon. I'll explain everything later. Just drive safe."

My heart dropped. Without another word, I rushed to my car and sped off to the hospital, not even stopping to inform Daadi.

Seven Hills Hospital: 11:10 AM

I reached the hospital and ran toward the room where I saw Arav sitting outside.

"Where is Ansh? What happened to him?" I asked in panic.

Before Arav could respond, Arya stepped out of the room.

"Hey, Mr. Shivin is awake. You can go see him now," she said.

"Arya!" I turned to her, desperation in my voice. "Where is Ansh? Arav hasn't said anything yet. And what happened to Shivin?"

"Calm down, Rehan," she said gently. "The good news is that Shivin is okay now. He was having breathing difficulties due to excessive smoke inhalation, but he's stable. His bruises are being treated, and he'll recover in a few days."

"Okay… but Ansh? Is he okay?" I asked again.

Arya hesitated. "He's still in the ICU. He hasn't woken up yet and—"

"What?!" I panicked.

She held my hand and guided me to a seat.

"Listen, Rehan. You don't have to worry. Vansh made it through the night. That's a good sign. Dr. Dixit will check on him once he wakes up, which should be soon. Until then, trust me—I'll take care of your brother."

Tears welled in my eyes. Arya wiped them away gently, pulling me into a comforting hug.

Meanwhile, Arav left to check on Shivin.

As Arya was called away for rounds, she left—but her handkerchief remained with me. I kissed it softly before heading into Shivin's room.

Shivin explained everything, and rage coursed through me. Whoever was responsible for this… would pay. I swore to take revenge.