𝘿𝙪𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙣

Monday mornings are absolutely loathed by students.

They’re tagged as “the worst mornings ever”—especially when they mark the beginning of a new term.

But for one particular eighth grader…

it felt like the end of the world.

So, deciding to be a complete brat for the day, she refused to wake up—ignoring every call from her brothers.

Her four brothers silently prayed for her survival…

Because the moment their eldest brother entered—

it was over.

His eyes scanned the room once… before landing on the sleeping figure.

Saransh Oberoi.

The eldest.

The strictest.

And right now—already in a bad mood.

An early morning call from their father had ruined whatever calm he had… and his sister’s behavior wasn’t helping.

“Ruvika Oberoi. Get up. Now.”

The tone was sharp. Final.

Within seconds the princess was up.

“Bhaiya! See, I’m up!” Ruvika said quickly, flashing a sheepish smile.

The rest of the brothers stared at her.

Unbelievable.

“I want you at the table in twenty minutes,” Saransh said, his voice calm but authoritative.

Something was off.

His eyes held a different kind of storm.

The moment he left all five siblings collapsed onto Ruvika’s bed.

“What just happened?” Ruvika asked, frowning.

Karthik shook his head. “How would I know? He was perfectly fine earlier. Now he looks like he’s about to kill someone.”

“I was going to ask him to buy me new headphones,” Raunak muttered.

“You got headphones a week ago. What happened to those?” Karthik snapped, giving him a sharp look.

Raunak immediately backed off. “Not-nothing, bhaiyu.”

“Can we not do this right now?” Ruvika cut in. “I have barely fifteen minutes left.”

Ayaan smirked. “Our little monkey needs to get ready. Come on, boys.”

A pillow flew straight at him.

He ducked.

The room filled with laughter as the brothers started leaving all except one.

Tannay.

Ruvika noticed immediately.

She frowned and sat beside him. “What happened, twinny?”

Tannay ran a hand through his hair, visibly uneasy.

“I don’t know… I just have this strange feeling. Like something’s going to happen.”

Ruvika softened.

“Whatever it is… we’ll face it together. And we have them too,” she said, nodding toward the door. “No matter what comes… we’ll fight it.”

There was a pause.

Then Tannay exhaled.

“You’re right.”

He stood up. “Come down quickly. You’re already late.”

And the next second

he was kicked out of the room.

Completely unexpected.

✧ ✧ ✧

The breakfast table at the Oberoi mansion felt…

Wrong.

Too quiet.

Too still.

And then—

she arrived.

Ruvika Oberoi.

The heart of the house.

The chaos.

The drama.

She walked in like she owned the world—hair slightly messy, eyes still sleepy… but attitude?

Fully charged.

“Good morning, people who clearly missed me,” she announced, pulling out her chair.

No one laughed.

Not even Ayaan.

That’s when she knew—

something was seriously wrong.

She nudged Tannay sharply with her elbow.

He flinched, glaring at her, but she ignored it and gestured for him to move closer.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered.

“How should I know?” he muttered, irritated.

Ruvika gave him a look.

“Ruvi.”

Saransh’s voice cut through the silence.

Too calm.

Too controlled.

“Yes, bhaiya?” she replied, turning toward him.

Something was definitely wrong.

Saransh took a slow breath.

His hands closed in a tight fist

And then

he spoke.

“They’re coming back next week.”

The words echoed in Ruvika’s mind.

Her breath hitched.

The pancakes in front of her suddenly felt tasteless.

And just like that—

memories came crashing back.

“You’re a bad omen.”

“A curse to this family.”

“You will never be an Oberoi.”

“One day, even they will see you as nothing…”

Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table.

The noise around her faded.

Because the people she dreaded most were coming back.

The words didn’t fade.

They lingered.

Echoing again and again, louder each time, as if someone had trapped them inside her mind with no way out.

Ruvika’s grip tightened around the edge of the table.

At first, it was subtle—just a slight stiffness in her fingers.

Then it grew.

Her knuckles turned pale, the skin stretched tight as if holding onto the table was the only thing keeping her from slipping away.

Her chest rose sharply.

Once.

Twice.

And then—

it stopped cooperating.

Air refused to come properly.

Each breath felt incomplete, shallow, like something invisible was pressing down on her chest—tightening, restricting, suffocating.

Her lips parted slightly, trying to pull in more air, but it wasn’t enough.

It was never enough.

“Ruvi?”

Tannay’s voice reached her first.

Soft.

Careful.

Too far away.

She didn’t respond.

Couldn’t.

Her vision blurred at the edges.

The people sitting around her—her brothers—began to lose shape, their faces blending into the background as the noise inside her mind grew louder.

Her hands started trembling.

Not violently.

Just enough to make it impossible to hold still.

---

“I—I…” she tried to speak.

The word broke before it could form.

That was when Karthik moved.

He was beside her in seconds, pulling a chair and crouching down so he was directly in front of her.

Not towering. Not overwhelming.

Ground level.

Where she could reach him.

“Ruvika,” he said, his voice steady, controlled. And the in him  Doctor was alert “Look at me.”

She didn’t.

Her eyes remained unfocused, somewhere far beyond the room.

Ayaan came rushing towards Ruvika.

One hand came to her shoulder, firm but careful, anchoring her in place.

“Hey… hey, I’m here,” he said, his usual teasing tone completely gone. “You’re okay.”

Saransh stood up from his seat.

The sound of the chair scraping against the floor cut through the room.

“Everyone out.”

His voice wasn’t loud.

But it carried authority that didn’t need volume.

The staff immediately cleared the area.

Silence settled again—

this time heavier.

Raunak stepped in quietly, moving behind Ruvika and pulling her chair back just enough to give her space.

“It’s alright… take your time,” he murmured, his voice softer than anyone had ever heard it.

Tannay dropped to his knees beside her.

His eyes never left her face.

“Listen to me,” he said gently. “You’re here. Nothing’s happening right now. You’re safe.”

But her breathing only grew faster.

More uneven.

Her chest rising and falling in short, broken movements as if her body had forgotten the rhythm of breathing.

Karthik carefully reached for her hand.

Not gripping.

Just holding.

Enough for her to feel it.

“Focus on me,” he said calmly. “Not the thoughts. Not the voices. Just me.”

He took a slow breath in.

“Breathe in.”

Ayaan’s hand remained steady on her shoulder.

Not moving.

Not forcing.

Just there.

“Now out,” Karthik continued, demonstrating again.

For a moment—

nothing changed.

Then, slowly—

a shaky breath escaped her.

“That’s it,” Raunak whispered from behind her. “You’re doing fine.”

Another breath followed.

Still uneven. Still fragile.

But present.

Tannay leaned slightly closer.

“Stay with us,” he said softly. “Don’t go anywhere else.”

Her fingers loosened a fraction.

The tight grip on the table easing, even if just a little.

Saransh stepped closer a little. No words coming out of his mouth.

As he watched his princess in this state. Unspoken rage formed in his mind...

He took a deep breath, Ruvika needs you now.

Then, quietly—

“Ruvika.”

Her eyes flickered.

Just for a second.

But it was enough.

“I’m here bacha, no one is taking you away from us ever” he said.

No command.

No authority.

Just grounded presence and assurance that made Ruvika ease a little.

And something shifted.

Not suddenly.

Not completely.

But enough.

Her breathing began to slow.

Still shaky. Still weak.

But no longer breaking.

The noise in her head softened.

The room came back into focus.

Her brothers—one by one—became clear again.

Karthik finally exhaled, easing his hold slightly but not letting go.

Ayaan’s hand remained on her shoulder.

Raunak stayed close behind her.

Tannay didn’t move at all.

And Saransh—

stood there like a wall nothing could break through.

Because no matter what the past told her…

no matter what those words tried to convince her—

here, in this moment—

she wasn’t alone.

She never had been.