Third person's pov~
Ravi sat on the couch, arms still around his younger brother, who clung to him as if letting go would shatter him completely.
Rohan's fingers clutched the fabric of Ravi's shirt in trembling fists, his forehead buried in his elder brother's chest. And then-without warning, without holding back-he broke.
Years of silence. Years of guilt. Of regret, anger, distance, confusion. It all burst out in one long, aching sob.
Rohan Mehra-who always forced a smile, who pretended he was okay, who brushed off pain with sarcasm and noise-was crying like the little brother he still was in Ravi's heart.
Tears soaked through Ravi's shirt. His chest heaved with every shuddering breath Rohan took. And still, Ravi didn't move. Didn't rush him. Didn't hush him. He just held him tighter, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his brother's head.
"I'm here," Ravi whispered, voice thick but steady. "I've always been here."
Rohan didn't respond-not with words. Just a deeper, tighter grasp. A broken gasp. A soft, muffled: "I'm sorry..."
"Shhh," Ravi soothed, his own throat burning. "You don't have to be. You came back. That's what matters."
Time slowed. The grand mansion was silent around them, but this moment filled every corner of it. Two brothers. One carrying too much, the other refusing to let him fall.
For the first time in years, Rohan allowed himself to feel-not just guilt or fear or anger, but everything. And for the first time in years, he didn't feel alone doing it.
Because Ravi was still there.
Still his bhaiya.
Still his safe place.
And nothing-not betrayal, not distance, not false accusations-could ever change that.
.........
The front door of the Mehra Mansion creaked open gently.
Aarav stepped inside, clutching the straps of his tiny backpack, his little shoes pattering softly on the floor. His eyes scanned the empty hallway, puzzled. Usually, either Ravi or Rohan was already waiting for him with open arms and a smile. But today... it was only the driver who had picked him up, and now the house felt oddly still.
He tiptoed through the foyer, curiosity pulling him toward the living room.
And then he saw them.
His Rohan bhaiya-his brave, funny, loud Rohan bhaiya-curled into Ravi's chest, his eyes swollen, his face wet with tears.
Aarav froze, his mouth slightly open, clutching his water bottle tightly. He had never seen Rohan cry. Never. Not even when he scraped his knee or lost at a board game. He was always the one to make others laugh, the one to joke about everything.
Ravi noticed him first.
He turned his head, lips parting softly. "Aarav..."
At the sound of his name, the little boy blinked, confused and hesitant. "Rohan bhaiya...?" he whispered, his voice small, his feet slowly stepping forward.
Rohan quickly wiped his face, sitting up straighter but failing to hide the tremble in his jaw. He gave a shaky smile. "Hey, champ. You're home early."
Aarav didn't say anything. He dropped his bag, walked straight to Rohan, and climbed quietly into his lap-no questions, no jokes.
Just a soft, warm cuddle.
He wrapped his small arms around Rohan's waist, resting his cheek against his chest. "Don't cry, bhaiya," he whispered gently, "I don't like it when you cry."
That simple sentence broke something in Ravi too. He reached out and rested a hand on both of them.
Rohan closed his eyes tightly, holding Aarav close, his voice trembling. "I'm okay now. I promise."
Aarav looked up with his big innocent eyes and placed a soft kiss on Rohan's cheek, just like he always did when he got hurt. "I love you," he mumbled into his chest.
Rohan choked a small laugh through his tears and kissed the top of Aarav's head. "I love you more."
And in that quiet moment, surrounded by the warmth of two hearts that refused to let go, Rohan felt like maybe-just maybe-everything would be okay again.
......
Later that evening, the soft clinking of plates and the aroma of warm rotis filled the Mehra Mansion's kitchen. Ravi was at the stove, sleeves rolled up, flipping a paratha with far too much focus for someone who rarely cooked. Rohan sat at the table, arms folded on the surface, his chin resting on them, still emotionally drained but quieter now.
Aarav, however, had other plans.
"Look!" the little boy announced dramatically, hopping onto his seat and pulling out a messy drawing he'd made with crayons and pencil shavings. He held it up like it was the Mona Lisa. "It's you, Rohan bhaiya!"
Rohan raised his head, blinking. "That's... me?"
The picture was a charming mess: a stick figure with a very tall body, a crooked tie, and spiky hair drawn in three different colors. Next to him was a tiny stick boy with a huge smile, holding his hand.
"I made your hair rainbow 'cause you're a very cool brother," Aarav explained seriously, "And that's me-see? I even made my dimples."
Rohan let out a small laugh, his chest vibrating just a bit as he took the paper. "That's actually amazing," he said, genuinely touched. "I do look very... fashionable."
"I told Vansh you're a big boss," Aarav went on proudly, munching on a piece of cucumber, "And he said, 'Is he rich?' and I said 'No, he's cooler than that.'"
Ravi chuckled from the stove. "Well, he's right."
Aarav continued, completely in his element. "And then I told him how Rohan bhaiya is very strong and once opened my jam jar without even trying."
"That's true," Rohan said, now smiling fully. "That jar was stubborn, but not as stubborn as me."
Aarav giggled and whispered behind his hand, "I think Ravi bhaiya can't open it. Don't tell him, okay?"
Ravi turned with an exaggerated offended face, placing the paratha on a plate. "Excuse me?"
"No offence, Ravi bhaiya. You're good at other things. Like... being serious."
Ravi narrowed his eyes playfully. "Oh really?"
Aarav immediately started laughing, sliding onto Rohan's lap to escape. "I didn't say it! The jam jar said it!"
They all broke into laughter, the kitchen echoing with the kind of joy that no storm could erase.
Later, as they all sat together and ate-Ravi calm, Rohan visibly lighter, and Aarav happily dunking his roti into dal like it was a serious mission-it felt like the warmth had returned.
No matter how shaken the day had been, this-this little family-remained unbreakable.
.......
The Mehra Mansion was quieter than usual that night. After dinner, Aarav had finally dozed off, curled beside Rohan on the sofa, exhausted from all his efforts to cheer up his "sad bhaiya."
Ravi stood by the window in his study, the city lights twinkling in the distance, but his eyes weren't admiring the skyline-they were sharp, calculating, determined.
He had one week.
One week to expose the truth, to clear his brother's name, and to find out who had the audacity to frame Rohan Mehra under his roof. And Ravi wasn't just a CEO-he was a Mehra. No one messed with his family and got away with it.
He flipped open his laptop and began reviewing internal surveillance footage from the office over the last few weeks. He'd already asked the IT department to give him access to server activity, but he'd done it under the pretext of a routine audit-no one could know what he was really looking for. Not yet.
With every document he opened, with every timeline he cross-checked, Ravi's expression grew colder. Someone inside the company had tampered with the presentation files. Someone with high-level access and knowledge of Rohan's schedule.
He scribbled names in a notepad. Crossed out a few. Circled two.
Then he leaned back and sighed, his eyes narrowing at the screen.
"You really thought I wouldn't notice?" he muttered under his breath. "You thought I'd believe my brother could betray me?"
He opened the file Rohan had originally prepared-his version of the presentation. It was clean. Confident. Strategic. Not a single leak. Whoever sabotaged him had done it with precision-and intent.
Ravi tapped the desk, deep in thought.
"This wasn't just to humiliate him," he murmured, thinking aloud. "This was to break him. Destroy his credibility before he could even rise."
His jaw tightened.
Not on his watch.
He closed his laptop, stood up, and glanced at the photo on the desk-of him, Rohan, and Aarav on the day of Aarav's guardianship.
"I promised to protect both of you," he whispered. "Now let me keep that promise."
.....
The morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the Mehra Mansion, but the usual brightness in the air was missing.
Rohan sat quietly at the dining table, pushing his toast around his plate. His eyes were tired, red-rimmed, and heavy with unspoken guilt. Across from him, Ravi poured him a cup of tea, his expression calm-but firm.
"You're not coming to the office today," Ravi said softly but with finality.
Rohan looked up, startled. "Bhaiya, no-please. I don't want to sit around while-"
Ravi raised a hand, silencing him with the gentle authority only an older brother could command.
"Rohan," he said, eyes meeting his, "until I fix this... until I prove what I already know-that you're innocent-I won't have anyone looking at my brother with suspicion or hate."
Rohan's lips parted, but no words came out. The emotion in Ravi's voice was quiet but unshakable. Protective. Unyielding.
"Rest," Ravi added. "Spend time with Aarav. Be here when he gets home from school. Let me handle the rest."
And with that, Ravi gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, grabbed his laptop bag, and headed out.
---
At Mehra Enterprises
The office was bustling with its usual morning rhythm, but tension still lingered like fog. Everyone was whispering behind screens and corridors-about the 'presentation incident', about Rohan Mehra, about how Ravi hadn't issued any official statement.
Ravi walked in like a storm in a tailored suit. His face was unreadable. Professional. CEO mode: activated.
He made a direct line to Abhishek's cabin.
Abhishek stood up immediately as Ravi entered, sensing this wasn't a casual visit.
"Close the door," Ravi said. "We need to talk. Privately."
Abhishek did as told and looked at him with a concerned expression. "Is this about the-"
"Yes," Ravi cut in. "The files Rohan presented-those weren't his. Someone switched them. And whoever did it knew what they were doing."
Abhishek frowned, nodding. "I had a feeling something was off. Rohan was working late every night. The presentation you saw yesterday wasn't the one he prepared."
"I want access to every employee who had clearance to the internal database and the projector system in Conference Room 3. Check the system logs. Every login. Every file access. I want a list by tonight."
Abhishek looked at him seriously. "You think this is someone inside?"
Ravi didn't blink. "No. I know it's someone inside."
There was silence for a second.
Ravi's voice lowered as he added, "They didn't just go after Mehra Enterprises yesterday, Abhishek. They went after my brother. And that... was their biggest mistake."
---
..............
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