10. A Walk through the night.

Aishwarya pouted, her lower lip jutting out in a way that always made Arjun's resolve waver. She glanced longingly at the towering slide, its bright colors muted in the dim light of the park. The slide had always been her favorite, a place where she could let go of her worries and feel like a kid again, if only for a moment. 

"Just for a few minutes?" she tried again, her voice sweetening as she tugged at Arjun's arm. "I promise I'll be super quick!"

"Not a chance," Arjun replied, shaking his head. "It's past your bedtime, and besides, you know how dangerous it can be at night. What if you fall and hurt yourself?"

Aishwarya rolled her eyes, exasperated. "I'm not a baby, Arjun! I can handle a slide! You're just being overprotective."

"Overprotective? I'm being responsible," he shot back, his tone firm but not unkind. "You know how Mom would react if she found out I let you play out here alone at this hour."

Aditi, who had been quietly observing the sibling exchange, decided to intervene. "How about this, Aishwarya? If you promise to be careful, I'll go with you. We can both slide down together, and I'll make sure you're safe."

Aishwarya's eyes sparkled at the suggestion. "Really? You'd do that for me?" 

"Of course! I used to love slides when I was your age," Aditi replied, her smile warm and inviting. "But only if Arjun agrees."

Arjun sighed, knowing he was outnumbered. "Fine, but only for a few minutes. And I'm standing right here to keep an eye on you both."

"Yay!" Aishwarya squealed, her earlier frustration forgotten as she dashed toward the slide, her laughter echoing in the stillness of the park. Aditi followed, her heart lightened by the girl's infectious joy.

As they reached the slide, Aishwarya climbed up the steps with determination, her small frame moving quickly. Aditi took her place beside her, and they both sat at the top, looking down at the ground below. 

"Ready?" Aditi asked, her voice filled with excitement.

"Ready!" Aishwarya shouted, and together they pushed off, soaring down the slide. 

Aish was back at it, begging him again. "Come on, let her go. Yash is here too, and he loves playing on the slides. He'll go with Aish," Aditi said, standing her ground against Arjun.

"Me? With this monkey? No way, Adu!" Arjun exclaimed.

"Hey, who are you calling a monkey?" Aish shot back, frustration bubbling over.

"Who else?!" Arjun retorted, their voices getting louder with each passing moment.

"We should just leave them alone. They'll fight for a bit and then make up," Aditi suggested, reaching for Arjun's hand.

Arjun stared at her, surprised, his eyes showing his inner conflict, but he soon realized it was their only option.

The night was cool, with a gentle breeze carrying the sweet scent of jasmine. The sky was a deep blue, dotted with stars, and the crescent moon cast a soft light over everything.

As they walked, their hands brushed together, sending a spark through them, a mix of warmth and chill. Aditi paused, but Arjun tightened his grip, deciding to hold on despite the risks and the unknown.

"Hold on to me, or you'll get lost," Arjun said, squeezing their hands tighter.

"Okay," Aditi replied, her cheeks flushing a bit more with each step.

For a brief moment, it felt like the world around them faded away. It was just the two of them, standing on the brink of something they didn't fully grasp but felt drawn to.

They found a quiet spot by a small pond, the water shimmering under the moonlight like a mirror. They sat down, and though Arjun hesitated, Aditi gestured for him to take a seat.

As they sat under the vast sky in the stillness of the night, their eyes met for just a heartbeat before they both looked away. Aditi noticed Arjun's awkwardness and decided to break the silence.

"Your sister is really sweet. Who else is in your family?"

No one else. Just me and my sister.

"At my place, it's just me and my older brother."

"Hmm. I know."

Aditi figured he wasn't much of a talker, so she decided to stay quiet and started looking at the stars.

Meanwhile, in the garden,

While Aish and Yash were bickering,

Aishwarya looked around and noticed her brother was nowhere to be found.

"Did my brother really leave me all alone? I don't know anything about this place," Aishwarya said, feeling anxious.

"Don't worry, Adu is with Arjun," Yash reassured her. She brushed him off and took off running to find Arjun. "Bhai, where are you? I promise I won't fight anymore. Please don't leave me. I'm sorry, Bhai!"

"Don't run, you'll fall," Yash shouted after her. But it was too late. Her foot got stuck in the mud, and she tumbled down onto her knees, feeling a cramp hit her. "Oh no, I fell," Aishwarya groaned in pain. Yash hurried over to help her up.

"I told you not to run!" he said, lifting her and settling her on a nearby swing. "Ahh, it hurts so much," she winced. Yash examined her twisted leg and said, "Look, I'm going to do something that's going to hurt a bit, but it'll fix your cramp."

"What are you going to do?" Aish shot back.

"So, you like Aurora's books, right?" Yash asked. 

"Yeah," Aish replied. 

"Which one's your favorite?" he continued. 

"I love Midnight Dreams the most." 

"The one where the heroine visits the hero in his dreams? That one?" 

"No, the one where the hero—Ahh, Ahhh!" Aish screamed as Yash twisted her leg to the right, easing the cramp.

"What did you do? You twisted my leg! ...Ahh, it hurts so much. Are you crazy? AHH..." Aish yelled at him.

"Hey, monkey, just walk a bit and see if the cramp is gone!" Yash said calmly.

Aishwarya realized the pain had disappeared along with the cramp. She felt guilty for snapping at him earlier and apologized. Together, they set off to find Arjun and Aditi.

By the pond, Arjuna and Aditi were lost in their thoughts.

The silence was thick, almost palpable.

"So, when did you start writing?" Arjun asked Aditi, breaking the quiet.

"I've loved writing since I was a kid. Before my surgery, I had to visit the hospital a lot. Whenever I got bored, I'd jot down some thoughts. That's how I ended up writing a bunch of poems and then moved on to books," she replied.

"What inspired you to write your first book?" Arjun probed, eager to know more.

"Well, my dad was a writer too. When I was little, he used to tell me all these epic tales about brave warriors. Those stories inspired me to write my first book," she explained.

"That's really cool that your dad motivated you to write. I'd love to hear more about him."

"Sure! My dad always believed in another world—the world of books. He used to say that everything we write and think is happening somewhere else in a different universe. I was too young to grasp it back then, but now it kind of makes sense," Aditi said, her eyes reflecting a mix of nostalgia and realization.

Arjun understood that when Aditi spoke of her father's ideas about another world, he was hinting at a parallel universe filled with real people, just like their own. It was as if her father had a deeper understanding of his reality.

"I need to know everything about your dad! Right now!" 

Arjun grabbed Aditi's wrist a bit too tightly, locking eyes with her. She flinched at the sudden pressure. After a moment, he noticed he was being too intense and let go. Aditi was taken aback by this side of Arjun.

"My mom had an accident, and a few years later, my dad left us. It's strange, isn't it? The same dad who loved us so much ended up leaving us alone during tough times. That's why my brother hates him," Aditi said, her expression turning somber.

"And what about you? Do you hate him too?"

"In childhood yes, but not now...."

Aditi paused when she caught the sound of Aish and Yash chatting nearby.

"Hey, Aditi, is that you? I've been looking for you!" Aishwarya exclaimed as she rushed over to where they were sitting by the pond.

"Yeah, Adu, how's your health now?" Yash asked, his expression showing concern.

"I'm good now, Yash. So, have you two become friends?" Aditi inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Aishwarya shot a quick glance at Yash and felt a slight blush creep up her cheeks. After regaining her composure, she replied, "Well, yeah... it's going okay."

Yash laughed at her answer but decided to stay silent to avoid any potential drama. Aish yawned and suggested, "We should head back home now. It's getting pretty late."

They all nodded in agreement. The trio walked Aishwarya back to her house before making their way to the hospital.

Meanwhile, someone was seething with anger—Arjun. He clenched his fist, frustrated that he couldn't uncover the whole truth. But he vowed to himself that he would find out one day.