The next day—
Ayaan waited outside his school again.
But this time…
Something felt off.
A black car parked nearby.
Engine running.
Windows tinted.
Ayaan frowned slightly.
Then—
A man stepped out.
"Hey, kid," he said with a fake smile."Your mama sent me."
Ayaan hesitated.
"She did?"
"Yeah," the man said smoothly."She's busy. I'll take you home."
Ayaan took a small step back.
"No… Mama said never go with strangers."
The man's smile faded.
"Don't make this difficult."
He reached forward—
Suddenly—
A strong hand grabbed his wrist.
"Touch him… and you lose that hand."
Aarav.
His voice was calm.
But deadly.
The man tried to pull away—but Aarav twisted his arm hard.
"Who sent you?" Aarav demanded.
The man stayed silent.
Aarav's grip tightened.
"I'll ask once more."
Before he could answer—
The man broke free and ran.
Aarav didn't chase.
Because his priority was clear.
He turned to Ayaan.
"Are you okay?"
Ayaan nodded, shaken.
"Papa…"
Aarav pulled him into a tight hug.
"I've got you."