An old friend

That boy looked nothing less than a hero — tall frame, green eyes, perfect body, and an amazing personality. Seeing him, even Ayra, Nayra, Nandita, and Siya were left mesmerized. Vedant and Ishan looked at them in surprise, but far away from all this, Ansh stood silently, staring at the boy as he walked closer.

As the handsome boy and his two companions came near Ansh, the boy's gaze fell upon him too — and he began staring back.

Their eyes locked. Ansh had a slightly surprised expression on his face, but since his face was half-covered with a mask, it was hard to tell what he was feeling. The handsome boy, on the other hand, stood still without any visible expression, continuing to look at Ansh.

"Ayaan, do you know him?" asked the girl walking beside the handsome boy. His name was Ayaan. Without any emotion, Ayaan calmly replied, "No," and continued walking forward. Vedant then came up to Ansh and asked, "Do you know him?" Ansh lowered his head and quietly replied, "He moved ahead."

After leaving the Sanrakshak building, everyone went their separate ways. But instead of heading back to the orphanage, Ansh made his way straight to the den of those goons from whom Usha Ma had borrowed money for the orphanage. There, he saw people gambling, drinking, and even beating each other up. Ignoring all of it, Ansh looked around until his eyes stopped at one particular spot — a table surrounded by 4–5 men holding glasses of liquor.

"Here's your money. And don't worry, you'll get the rest soon." Ansh threw a bundle of 10,000 rupee notes on the table and said. The men looked at him, confused. One of them, irritated, stood up and asked, "Hey kid, who the hell are you?"

They were stunned by Ansh's boldness. "This is part of the money you lent to the orphanage. I'll return the rest soon. Till then, don't even think about showing your face there again."

Hearing this, one of the men angrily shouted, "Now you'll tell us what to do?" and grabbed Ansh's jacket collar.

In response, Ansh raised his hand, and green glowing lines began to swirl from his palm, forming into a wind vortex. The pressure of it sent the man flying into a wall. His companions were shocked.

"This… this kid is awakened!" said one of them, stepping back.

"I'm saying this again—your money will be returned. Just stay away from the orphanage until then." Fixing his collar, Ansh gave them a final warning and walked away.

When the orphanage was in sight, Ansh removed his hoodie and mask, changing into a simple t-shirt. Making sure no one saw him, he slipped inside and went straight to his room. "Thank God no one saw me," he said with relief. Although other boys lived in the same room, Ansh knew they'd be busy elsewhere at this hour—making this the perfect time to sneak in without Usha Ma noticing.

But just then, a knock came at the door.

"Ansh, are you inside, child?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Ansh realized Usha Ma had seen him enter. "Yes, I'm inside," he replied hesitantly.

She walked in and asked, "Where had you gone, child? I've been worried all morning."

"I… I went out looking for work," Ansh replied quietly. He knew lying wouldn't help—mothers can always tell, whether it's Devaki or Yashoda.

"You're suffering because of me, my child," Usha Ma said emotionally.

Ansh walked to her and softly replied, "Please don't say that. You raised me, gave me love. This orphanage is my home, and protecting one's home is a duty, Ma."

She looked at him in surprise, thinking, "Is this really the same Ansh — the quiet, lonely boy?"

A few silent moments passed. Then suddenly, Ansh remembered something and asked, his face turning a little gloomy, "Ma, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, child, ask me anything."

Ansh hesitated, then looked into her eyes and asked, "Do you think he still thinks about us?"

Usha Ma was taken aback. Ansh hadn't brought this up even once in the past five years.

"You're talking about Ayaan, aren't you?" she asked gently. Ansh didn't answer.

She continued, "Look Ansh, I know you and Ayaan were childhood friends. When his powers first awakened, he defeated a powerful demon and saved your life. When the Sanrakshak leaders learned of it, they chose him for the elite 'Lightning Division'. And for that boy, I thought it was the right path. That's why I let him go. But after he left… you became so lonely. And that still hurts me."

Hearing her words, Ansh's thoughts drifted back to the memories he shared with Ayaan.

Ansh and Ayaan had grown up together in the orphanage. They went everywhere together, ate together, laughed together. One day, they snuck out to the forest to play and got lost deep inside.

Suddenly, they heard a growl. Scared, they clung to each other. A giant lizard emerged from the bushes and lunged at them with its tail. At the last second, Ansh pushed Ayaan away and took the hit himself. The barbed tail flung him through the air, and he crashed into a tree, unconscious.

Ayaan froze in shock, screaming Ansh's name. The beast turned to attack him, but red and blue light began to glow from Ayaan's body. The lizard stopped in its tracks. Ayaan extended his hand and shouted, "Heat Wave!"

A wave of fire burst from his palm and engulfed the monster, burning it to ash. Ayaan collapsed soon after.

From a distance, a man had been watching everything. He brought both boys back and explained everything to Usha Ma. Then he requested that Ayaan be enrolled in the Lightning Division.

That's when Ansh and Ayaan were separated. And now, after all this time, they met again.

But even after all these years… why did they just stare at each other without speaking?

Why…?

Writer। - 🕉️