At Malhotra Mansion
Ahaan arrived home, feeling the weight of another long day at Malhotra Industries. As he stepped into the grand foyer of the mansion, he could hear the lively chatter of his family coming from the living room. The familiar sounds brought a rare smile to his face, momentarily lifting the burden of his responsibilities.
"Good evening, everyone," Ahaan greeted, his voice carrying the authority and warmth that characterized him.
"Good evening, Ahaan bhai!" Tara and Ivaan chorused, their faces lighting up at the sight of their elder brother.
"Welcome home, beta," Mrs. Archana Malhotra said, her smile radiant as she motioned for Ahaan to join them. Mr. Rajesh Malhotra, with his usual stern but loving demeanor, nodded in acknowledgment.
"How was your day, Ahaan?" Mr. Malhotra inquired, pouring himself a cup of tea.
"Busy dad , but productive," Ahaan replied, taking a seat beside his siblings.
"We had a significant breakthrough in our latest project. Things are looking promising."
"I'm proud of you, Ahaan," Mr. Malhotra said, his tone filled with pride and expectation.
"Your dedication is admirable."Mrs. Malhotra, ever the nurturing figure, looked at her children with love.
"I'm sure you'll all do great things. Just remember to support each other."After dinner, as the family conversation continued, Tara began to pester Ahaan with her usual enthusiasm.
"Ahaan bhai, I have a day off from college tomorrow. Can we go watch a movie together? Please, please, please?"Ahaan, unable to resist his sister's pleading eyes, sighed but smiled.
"Alright, Tara. We'll go to the movies tomorrow. But you have to behave and no more pranks." Tara grinned mischievously, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Promise, Ahaan bhai. No more pranks!"
That night, after the household had settled down, Ahaan found himself unable to shake off thoughts of Amaira. He picked up his phone and dialed Riya, his efficient and reliable assistant.
"Riya, I need you to gather some information for me," Ahaan said, his tone brisk and authoritative.
"Of course, sir. What do you need?" Riya replied, ready to take notes.
"Find out everything you can about a singer named Amaira Desai. She performed at the restaurant last night during my meeting with Mr. Khanna," Ahaan instructed.
"I'll get on it right away, sir," Riya responded, sensing the urgency in Ahaan's voice. She quickly began her search, tapping into her network of contacts and resources.
Next morning
The Malhotra household buzzed with activity. Tara, always the prankster, couldn't resist pulling one last trick on her brother Ivaan. She decided to swap his shampoo with a bright red dye, knowing he wouldn't notice until it was too late.
As Ivaan stepped out of the shower, his hair a shocking shade of bright red , he let out a yell.
"Tara! What did you do?"Tara burst into laughter, unable to contain her amusement. "Oh, come on, Ivaan! It's just a bit of fun."
Ivaan's face turned a deeper shade of red to match his hair.
"You're dead, Tara!" he shouted, as he bolted out of the bathroom and down the hallway. Tara squealed and took off running, her laughter echoing through the house. She darted around the living room, knocking over a vase in her attempt to escape. Ivaan was hot on her heels, his wet, red hair dripping onto the carpet as he chased her around the furniture.
"You better run, Tara!" Ivaan threatened, although there was a playful undertone in his voice.
"I'm going to turn you into a green monster next!"
"Oh, you wish!" Tara retorted, dodging behind the couch. Their banter grew louder and more chaotic, drawing the attention of Ahaan, their older brother. Ahaan walked into the living room, his expression stern. He had been trying to concentrate on his files, but the ruckus made it impossible.
"What's going on here?" Ahaan demanded, his voice cutting through the noise. Ivaan paused, his hand just inches away from grabbing Tara.
"Look at what she did to me!" he exclaimed, pointing to his vividly bright red hair.
Tara peeked out from behind the couch, her grin unabashed.
"It was just a harmless prank, bhai." Ahaan sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Ivaan, go wash that out if you can. And Tara, clean up the mess you made. Both of you, calm down. Some of us are trying to get work done around here."
"Sorry,bhai " they both muttered, the energy of their chase dissipating.
As Tara started picking up the pieces of the broken vase and Ivaan headed back to the bathroom, Ahaan shook his head with a weary smile. The Malhotra household was never dull, and while it could be frustrating, he wouldn't trade it for anything.
"Tara, this isn't acceptable. I told you no more pranks. What if something went wrong?" Ahaan scolded, his tone firm.Tara's eyes filled with fake tears, and she sniffled dramatically.
"I'm really sorry, Ahaan bhai. I didn't mean to cause trouble."Ahaan's stern expression softened as he saw the tears in Tara's eyes. He sighed and pulled her into a hug.
"Alright, Tara. Just don't do it again?" Tara nodded, hiding a triumphant smile.
"Thank you, Ahaan bhai. I promise I'll be good."Just then, Ivaan walked back in, his hair restored to its natural color but his mood still sour.
"Ahaan bhai, aap humesha Tara ko aose hi chod dete ho or mujhe humesha daat te ho"Ivaan exclaimed, Ahaan turned to Ivaan, his expression serious.
"Ivaan, Tara apologized. But you need to be more responsible too. You missed work yesterday without informing anyone. That can't happen again. You need to take your responsibilities seriously." Ivaan pouted, feeling the sting of Ahaan's reprimand.
"You always take Tara's side."
Ahaan's voice grew firmer.
"Ivaan, you have extra work to do today to make up for yesterday. Or ye mat bhulo tum bhi usse utna hi pareshan karte ho and vo choti hai tumse ye yaad rakho." Ivaan sighed, knowing better than to argue further.
"Yes, bhai." Ivaan walked away with anger sitting on his nose but didn't say anything to Ahaan. Ahaan sighed tiredly feeling guilty at unable to make Ivaan understand him.
Later that morning, after the family had settled into their routines, Ahaan called Riya into his office at Malhotra Industries.
"Good morning, sir," Riya greeted, her voice professional as always.
"Good morning, Riya. Did you find the information I requested about Amaira Desai?" Ahaan asked, his tone indicating the importance of the matter.
"Yes, sir," Riya replied, handing him a neatly organized file with Amaira's personal information.
"Amaira Desai is twenty-five years old. She lost her parents at a young age and was adopted by her grandmother, Pallavi Desai. They run an orphanage called Sukoon. Amaira is currently pursuing her MBA and works part-time as a singer at various events and restaurants to support the orphanage. She's known for her soulful voice and has been gaining quite a following."
"Who is sponsoring her MBA?" Ahaan asked confused, wondering how Amaira was able to afford MBA fees presuming the finances of the orphanage.
"We do sir. She works here since her bachelor days and is a good employee. Mr. Ivaan saw potential in her work and asked her to peruse further studies and she was included in the list of scholarships we provide to the best employee to study further and practice it here" Riya explained placing the employee file of Amaira on his desk.
Ahaan skimmed through the file, his interest piqued by the details. "Thank you, Riya. This is exactly what I needed."
"Is there anything else you need, sir?" Riya asked, noting Ahaan's intense focus on the file.
"No, that's all for now. Good work, Riya," Ahaan replied, dismissing her with a nod. As Riya left, Ahaan couldn't help but feel more intrigued by Amaira. Her dedication and talent were admirable, and he felt a growing desire to know her better.He mentyally made a note to enquire more about Amaira from Ivaan.
The Afternoon Encounter
As promised, Ahaan took Tara to the movies. They arrived at the mall, and while Tara was excitedly picking out snacks, Ahaan's attention was caught by a familiar face. Amaira was there, surrounded by a group of children from the orphanage.
"Bhai bhai, look! It's Amaira didi!" Tara exclaimed, recognizing her from the restaurant performance Ahaan had mentioned.Ahaan felt a flutter of excitement and curiosity.But did not show that on his face and still kept his neutral face on.
"You know her, Tara?"
"Yes, I met her yesterday in college, she is doing her MBA there and you know what she's amazing! She sings beautifully and takes care of these kids," Tara explained, her eyes shining with admiration.
"How do you know?" He asked wondering.
"We shared each others instagram account. I surfed through all her pictures and reels last night. They profile is filled with her singing videos and with the kids" Tara replied pulling her phone out of her jeans pocket and showed Ahaan the profile she was talking about.
Intrigued, Ahaan suggested,
"Why don't you introduce us?"
"Sure, come on!" Tara led Ahaan towards Amaira, who was helping the children choose their snacks.
"Amaira didi!" Tara called out, waving enthusiastically.
Amaira turned, smiling warmly at the sight of Tara.
"Tara! What a surprise!" Amaira said keeping an eye on the kids.
"Meet my bhaiya..." Tara was introducing Ahaan to Amaira when he interjected.
"Hello ! Tara just told be about you she mentioned some things about you " Ahaan said, extending his hand.
"All good things, I hope" She asked looking awkward Ahaan replied with a nod.
The children, noticing the interaction, gathered around Amaira, their eyes wide with curiosity.
"Didi, who are they?"one of the children, Sara, asked.
"My friends. She's Tara didi" Amaira carried the five year old in her arms and played with the hair of a small boy who looked at adults with interest.
"Hi sweetie pie. I like your frock. Will you exchange with me?" Tara teased her as she hid herself in Amaira's neck feeling shy.
"What's your name doll?" Ahaan asked pulling her hand. Sara turned her head at him and blushed intensely.
"Sara" she replied shyly.
"My sister's name is Tara. Almost same-same" He said tugging at her arm.
"Same same but difflent" She said copying the reel she had seen Amaira watching. Ahaan burst out laughing hearing her and forwarded his arms to her. Sara moved from Amaira's arms to his willing and clutched her hands around his neck as Ahaan talked to her animatedly allowing Tara to interact with other children.
Ahaan found himself charmed by their innocence and Amaira's warmth.After a brief conversation, Ahaan excused himself to join Tara in the theater. Throughout the movie, he found his thoughts drifting back to Amaira and the children, a sense of connection forming that he couldn't quite explain.
At Sukoon Orphanage
Later that day, back at Sukoon Orphanage, Amaira was in her element, interacting with the children who adored her. She spent the afternoon helping them with their homework and engaging in playful activities that filled the air with laughter.
"Amaira didi, can we play a game?" asked little Vidhi's, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"Of course, Sara. What game do you want to play?" Amaira replied, her voice gentle and warm.
"Let's play hide and seek!" another child suggested, and soon the whole group was buzzing with excitement.
Amaira organized the game, her heart swelling with affection for the children. She loved these moments, where the worries of the world faded away, replaced by the simple joys of their laughter and innocence. She looked around at the other children: Aarav, a quiet boy with a passion for drawing; Meera, a bubbly girl who loved to dance; and twins, Rohan and Riya, who were always up to some mischief.
"Amaira didi, look at my new drawing!" Aarav called out, holding up a picture of a colorful butterfly.
"It's beautiful, Aarav! You're getting better every day," Amaira praised, giving him a warm smile.
"Can we have a dance party later?" Meera asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Absolutely, Meera. We'll have a dance party after dinner," Amaira promised, her heart full as she saw the joy in the children's faces .As they played, Amaira's phone buzzed with a message. It was from her contact, confirming her next performance at another upscale restaurant. She felt a rush of excitement, knowing each opportunity brought her closer to her dreams.
Meanwhile, Ahaan couldn't get Amaira out of his mind. The encounter at the mall had only intensified his curiosity. Determined to know more.
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