Karthik was shocked to see Khushi there. And he got worried thinking, His Bachha might have heard whatever he told before.

While Mr. Goenka smiled lightly looking, at Khushi.

"Bhai, what are you doing here? And who is he?" She asked, pointing to Mr. Goenka.

'Thank God! She didn't listen to our talks.' Karthik thought in his mind.

He then looked back at Mr. Goenka and replied," He is no one Bachha. Just an Unwanted guest."

The smile faded away from Mr. Goenka's face.

"Come let us go. Where were you, Till now?" Karthik questioned her while going back to their home.

Khushi sighed, "Ohh, I was in the playground. Playing basketball."

"Basketball, now? Exams are coming and you are playing games. That's very bad." Karthik exclaimed.

"Now what should I say bro, Our college is going to conduct a sports day in the next two weeks. For that, I have been selected." Khushi said.

"Accha." He opened the door of their room and both entered.

"But don't neglect your studies because of these games, okay?" He said bringing the snacks.

Khushi nodded her head and went to her room.

'Tomorrow I have to talk with Naira about my Family.' Karthik thought.

♠︎♠︎♠︎

In Singhania Sadan-

Naira was sitting in her room and talking with Gayu.
"I am very much sure, Gayu Di. Karthik is having some issues with his family. I just don't want to push him to know more about it. He will tell us, whenever he is comfortable." Naira said.

Gayu smiled at her, "You are right. Don't worry about Bua Dadi. Mami will make her understand."

"I don't care about others, Di. I just don't want Karthik to get hurt because of their words." Naira replied.

The very next day, Karthik calls Naira to the nearby park.

She saw Karthik sitting on a bench, And thinking something very deeply.
She went and sat beside him, and held his hand.
"How is your sister?"

Karthik smiled at her, "She is fine. Naira, I called you here, so that I can tell you about my Family."
She looked at him, "Karthik, there is no compulsion. You can tell me whenever you want to."

"I want to clear all this now only. You might be wondering na, first, I said, I was an orphan, and the very next day My Chachi and Chachu came. And next my Sister." He continued.

"Forgot about all these. I just want you to hear whatever I am going to say Now."

"Did you hear about, Mr. Manish Goenka?" He asked her.

Naira, "Haan, after your Chachu and Chachi left that day, Choti Dadi said about him. Is he your father?" She asked

"Unfortunately. Khushi And I were born to him. Our mother's name is Saumya." He smiled remembering his mother.

Naira caught it.

"You know she was the sweetest woman in our life. We were a happy family with Me, Papa, and Maa. When I was 13 years old, My mother gave us the good news that I was getting a sibling. That day was the happiest of my life. And you know what more amazing thing was, My Kuku was born just before my birthday. My happiness had no bounds then, everything was going smoothly, but after some days my Dad started to behave harshly with my mother. Our house used to be filled with their fighting, and that was only because of My Dad's new P. A Ms. Swarna Gupta." He uttered with hatred in his eyes.

Naira was shocked to see the hatred in his eyes.

"That was the end of our happy days. From the time she entered our lives, our family lost peace and happiness. I saw my mother crying at night sitting in the rain. She couldn't bear it one day...when I was playing with Kuku, she jumped from the terrace and committed suicide." He was crying remembering those unfaithful days.
Naira has tears in her eyes. She hugged him and tried to console him.

"That very next day, Mr. Goenka came back marrying his P.A. Dadi supported it, but Chachi and Chachu didn't. On that day my hatred for him increased more. And I swore to myself, I am never going to forgive him."

"Along with him I started to hate my Dadi as well. One year later, Mr. and Mrs Goenka welcomed their baby. Then I realised, there will be no use for me or for my sister being with them. On my 15th birthday, I came out of that house and their lives with my sister. Except for Chachi and Chachu others don't know where I am living. They never ever even tried to search for me or my sister. My Akhil Chachu and Chachi treated us just like their own children. They helped me to take care of my sister and with my work. Chachu asked me many times to come back to that house, but I refused it, Because now that house is just equal to haunted place." Karthik stopped.

"Does Khushi know about all these?" Naira asked him.

"No. I don't want, her to know about our haunted past. You know Naira, if any others were in her place, they would have asked about their parents. But my Kuku, Till today, She never questioned me about them. She never irritated me asking about our mother or father or our family. Haan, But irritates me for only one thing, she loves panda. She always asks for those Panda soft toys." Naira chuckled through tears.

"She is blessed to have you as her Bhai, Karthik" Naira said smiling.

Karthik wiped his tears, "I am the blessed one, Naira. I thank Krishna Ji every day for sending her as my sister. Now you are also added to that list." Naira blushed a little.

♠︎♠︎♠︎

It was evening, and Khushi was waiting for her Bhai along with her friends standing on the ground.

Her friends Ridhi and Geet noticed an aged man standing near his car bonnet and looking at their friend, Khushi.

"Khush, look at that uncle, we have been seeing him in our school for the last two days," Ridhi said, looking at the man.

Khushi looked at the man and recognized him.

"Haan, and also he is looking at you only. Do you know him?" Geet asked.

"What someone is following, Khush, and you are telling this now? If Karthik bro gets to know about this, then he will eat us alive." Arnav exclaimed dramatically.

Khushi looked at him and scrunched her eyebrows.

Khushi then turns to go to that man but stops hearing her brother's voice.

"Baccha," Karthik calls her smiling.

Khushi looked at him and went to him.

"Sorry, I got a little late. Come let us go now." Karthik apologies.

Khushi nods her head and sits on the bike behind Karthik.

The man starts his car.

After some time Khushi saw the man following them.
She immediately shouts, "Bhai...stop the bike aside."

Karthik stops the bike with a jerk and looks at his sister, "What happened, Kuku?"

"Bhai keep your bike aside. I will just come." She steps down from the bike.

And the man who is following them also stops his car and looks at them.

He saw Khushi coming on his way, while Karthik gets confused seeing her going towards a car.

She knocks on the car window and asks the man to come out.

Karthik stood shocked seeing the man.
'Mr. Goenka.'
He thought.

Mr. Goenka came out of the car and stood awkwardly looking at Karthik and Khushi.

Karthik fisted his arms in anger.

"You were the one right, that day I saw you talking with my Bhai," Khushi asked Mr. Goenka, nodding his head.

"What are you doing in our school? My friends told me you have been stalking me for two days." Khushi revealed shocking Karthik.

"Who are you? And what is your relation with us?"
Mr. Goenka gulped upon hearing this.

"Don't worry, I am not going to ask this. Because I know who you are!" This truth shocked Karthik to the core along with Mr. Goenka.

Saying this She silently went to her brother, and said,"Let us go Bhai." Coming out of the shock, Karthik started his bike and goes away from there.

Mr. Goenka also goes away from there.

On the way to their home, many thoughts were running through Karthik's mind. He wasn't able to come out of the shock given by his Bachha.

Same was the case with Mr. Goenka too.

Reaching the home, Khushi sprinted to her room, Karthik also ran behind her.

He saw her sitting on the bed and twisting her fingers. Karthik silently entered the room and sat beside her.
"Kuku, I...what do you know about Mr. Goenka?"

Khushi looked at him and replied smiling, "That, he is our father." Karthik was stunned with her answer.

"I know Mr. Manish Goenka is our father, Bhai." Khushi Replied.
Karthik looked at her, "How?"

"Sorry Bhai, woh one day when you were talking with Chachu I heard that name. And the day before yesterday, when you were talking with him, I came to know that he is our father. " Khushi explained how she got to know.

"Are you not angry with me? For hiding the truth!" Karthik asked her, gulping.

Khushi held his hands and said, "No Bhai. Because I know, if you hide anything from me, then there must be some big reason for that."

Karthik hugs her and whispers," Haan Baccha. There is a big reason for hiding the truth from you. I know the truth will shatter you like anything. And I don't want that to happen."

"I know Bhai and I trust you. Now also I don't want to know the truth, Bhai. But you can tell me if you feel like I have to know about it. I have you, Chachi and Chachi. I don't need anything or anyone else in my life other than you people." Khushi said, making her Bhai go aww on her maturity.

"I didn't even know ki when my Baccha grew up this much." Saying he ruffled her hair.

Khushi giggled.

They heard someone clearing their throat. Both turned their heads and saw, Naira standing near the room.