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Chapter 9 - The Sunrise - Part I

They arrived at her home. She unlocked the door, and he entered, seating himself on the couch like new kid. She was four years older than him, and she sat beside him. After two minutes, she passed out on his shoulder. His eyes widened in surprise, and he hesitantly touched her head with one finger, trying to move it. When he touched her, he realized she had a high fever-she hadn't slept for two days while he was in the hospital.

He gently laid her down on the couch, got her a blanket, and took care of her through the night, placing wet towels on her forehead. While she slept, he stayed by her side, holding her hand. Despite being a grown man, this scene melted hearts. When she woke up, he also wake up and instinctively checked her forehead. She smiled weakly and asked, "Did you really take care of me? Really? The same man who attacked me a few days ago?" She pinched his cheeks playfully, said, "Thank you," and went to freshen up.

Before leaving the house, she told him he could order anything he needed and left some money on the table. That evening, as she got off the bus, she had to walk half a kilometer to her house from the bus stop. The streetlight in the alley was out, and it was pitch dark. She felt a bit nervous but kept walking. Finally, she saw the light from her house and felt relieved. She had brought gifts for him- new shoes, clothes, a mobile phone, and cosmetics. Her hands were full of bags.

When he saw her, he felt touched but tried not to show it. She left all the items in his room and started preparing food. She changed into comfortable clothes-shorts and a T-shirt-while he wore a big white hoodie and black joggers. After dinner, she washed the dishes, and when she finished, her hands were cold. Playfully, she touched his face with her cold hands. He immediately grabbed her face and pushed it aside like it was an object. Annoyed yet playful, she tried to grab his cheeks, but he backed away. She managed to catch him, and in the process, they fell onto the couch.

Now, they were close enough to feel each other's presence. She noticed how big and muscular he was and realized he was an attractive, handsome man. He thought she was chubby, cute, and fragile. They shared a moment as he gently touched her face, brushing her hair away. But suddenly, she grabbed his hair, and he grabbed hers in return. The romantic moment turned into chaos.

Now, they were close enough to feel each other's presence. She noticed how big and muscular he was and realized he was an attractive, handsome man. He thought she was chubby, cute, and fragile. They shared a moment as he gently touched her face, brushing her hair away. But suddenly, she grabbed his hair, and he grabbed hers in return. The romantic moment turned into chaos.

He sat at a distance, both of their hair messy, and they exchanged sharp glances. Janvi broke into laughter, and Shiv smiled. They went to their own rooms to sleep. Before Shiv entered his room, Janvi slapped him on the back playfully, made a funny face, and told him to sleep tight before running off to her room. For the first time, Shiv felt at home.

The next day was a holiday. A bell rang at her house, and she opened the door groggily. It was a delivery man with a pile of packages. She said how did you earn this much money did you rob a band or something?

Then Shiv showed her his coding skills and revealed his stock portfolio, which amounted to millions of dollars. She was shocked, and greed began to drip from her eyes. He looked at her with utter disgust, moved her face away from his phone with a single finger, and said, "I'm not giving you this." To his surprise, she smiled in relief, happy that he was finally doing something for himself.

The next day, as she was leaving for work, Shiv stopped her and asked, "Should I come to pick you up from the bus stop later?" She smiled and replied, "No, don't worry," and left.

That night, she came home late. There was no moon, and the street was pitch dark. Her phone was dead, so she couldn't use it for light. Fear crept in as she walked. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed hers. It was a drunken man with a dark shadow looming over him. She couldn't even scream. For a minute, she struggled to free herself. The man sneered, "Come on, let's have some fun."

Out of nowhere, a strong punch landed on the man's face, sending him to the ground. She saw Shiv standing there. Overcome with fear and relief, she started crying and hugged him tightly. Shiv hugged her back and gently patted her head. He took her hand and led her home. Once inside, he sat her on the couch and went to get her some water. But she grabbed his hand and whispered,

"Thank you," in a powerless voice.

Seeing her like this made him feel sad and helpless. He guided her to her room and was about to switch off the light, but she stopped him and said, "No, leave the lights on." He nodded, sat beside her bed, and said, "I'm here. Don't be afraid." He offered her his finger to hold, and she fell asleep, holding it tightly.

In the morning, she woke up feeling slightly better and saw Shiv still sitting beside her bed. She looked at him with budding feelings of gratitude and affection. When he woke up, he glared at her angrily and scolded, "I told you I'd come to pick you up. Why didn't you listen?" She smiled, hit him lightly on the head, and teased, "I'm four years older than you, you brat!"

One day, during a holiday, they both woke up, had breakfast, and decided to clean the house together. It was a peaceful day. They watched movies, snacked, and enjoyed each other's company. At midnight, they grew sleepy and went to their respective rooms.

Around 3:30 a.m., the doorbell rang. Half asleep, Janvi got up and opened the door with the chain still attached. Suddenly, a large, rough hand reached in and began tugging at the chain, trying to force the door open. A robber barged in, pushing Janvi aside. She screamed, and Shiv, hearing her, rushed out of his room.

The intruder attacked Shiv, but Shiv fought back fiercely. However, another man appeared and injected Shiv with an anesthetic. Both men overpowered him, picked him up, and dragged him into a car, kidnapping him. Janvi regained consciousness, stumbled downstairs, and ran outside. But the car was already gone.

Janvi went straight to the police and explained everything. The police searched Shiv's name in their database, only to find a death certificate issued 17 years ago. Janvi was shocked. She realized this was no ordinary matter-it was deeply tangled and sinister.

Meanwhile, Shiv woke up in a familiar room. It was his first room at his uncle's house, where he had spent his childhood. Waves of grief and despair overwhelmed him.

He felt betrayed by the world but, more than anything, worried about Janvi's safety.By the third day, Shiv was devastated, feeling utterly hopeless. That night, he saw Janvi again. She was pulling at his arm, trying to wake him. He couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality. In his semi-conscious state, he reached out to hold her hand, but she vanished. The room seemed to close in on him like a monster, its silence suffocating. Back at his uncle's mansion, his uncle gave strict orders to the guards: "Don't give him food or water. Let him die there." Shiv had been locked away, enduring unbearable hunger and thirst for two and a half days. He tried to break the door, but it was reinforced. He attempted to open the window, only to find it sealed with concrete.

He opened his eyes and saw Janvi.Confused and emotional, he began crying like a child, muttering, "No more... please stop." Janvi pinched him hard, then slapped him. The sharp pain jolted him back to reality, and he realized she was truly there. His tears flowed as he clung to her waist like a scared child. She hugged him tightly, holding him close to her chest."Let's get out of here," she whispered. They escaped together, running until they found a small hospital near Janvi's house. Shiv was severely dehydrated and malnourished, so he was put on IV fluids. The next day, he woke up feeling weak but more stable.

Lying on the hospital bed, he stared at the ceiling, his thoughts consumed by concern for Janvi's safety.In some time janvi came to pick him up and get discharged now she knows the truth about his past.

Hearing a faint sound, Shiv stirred and instinctively began searching for Janvi. In his disoriented state, he felt like a wild, restless soul. Wanting to compose himself before facing her, he stumbled into the washroom, splashed cold water on his face, and quickly shaved. As he looked at his reflection, he straightened up, determined to appear his best.

Feeling a bit more presentable, he headed out and approached the nurse's station. "Have you seen my guardian, Janvi?" he asked, his voice laced with urgency.

The nurse smiled. "She'll be here shortly," she replied.

Suddenly, from behind, Janvi sneaked up on him and put him in a playful headlock. "Gotcha!" she teased with a wide grin.

Caught off guard, Shiv laughed and grabbed her, lifting her off the ground with ease. "You troublemaker!" he exclaimed.

Janvi giggled and tapped his head gently with hers. "I'm not a troublemaker; I'm your savior," she declared triumphantly.

Their laughter filled the air, breaking the tension of the past few days, as they both felt a wave of comfort in each other's presence.

They reaches home janvi goes to her room and didn't camr for dinner shiv was knowing her rooms door he said 'I am using master key now'

As he entered, he saw Janvi curled up on the bed, her face buried in her knees, crying. Their eyes met, and Shiv quietly approached her, sitting beside her. He reached out to touch her hand, but she pulled it away. Undeterred, he grabbed a blanket, draped it over her, and wrapped her in a gentle hug.

Janvi burst into tears, sobbing, "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? It's so unfair! You've been wronged so badly. I hate your uncle-I want him in jail!" Her voice broke into childlike sobs as Shiv held her tighter. His own emotions overwhelmed him, and tears welled up in his eyes.

That night, after sharing their pain and vulnerabilities, they fell asleep together on the same bed, finding comfort in each other.

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