The ticking of the wall clock suddenly became deafening.

Tick...

Tick...

Tick...

No one spoke.

No one moved.

It felt as though time itself had stopped inside the Sharma house.

Aradhya stared at her grandfather.

She was waiting for him to smile.

To say—

"It was a misunderstanding."

"They're safe."

"They'll be home soon."

Instead...

Mahendra slowly bent down and picked up the receiver with trembling hands.

"H-Hello..."

"...Yes."

His voice cracked.

"We're coming."

He hung up.

Savitri rushed to him.

"What did they say?"

Mahendra couldn't answer immediately.

He removed his spectacles and wiped his eyes with shaking fingers.

"They've... they've taken Rajesh and Sunita to City Civil Hospital."

"Are they alright?"

Another silence.

"They didn't say."

That was enough.

Savitri's knees almost gave way.

"No..."

Ramesh immediately held his mother.

"Ma!"

Pooja came out of her room despite everyone asking her to rest.

"What happened?"

Suresh looked completely frozen.

His elder brother...

His bhabhi...

Just a few hours ago they had all eaten breakfast together.

How could this happen?

"Dadu..."

Aradhya's voice was barely above a whisper.

"We should go."

Everyone looked at her.

Her face had gone pale.

Yet her voice...

Didn't shake.

Mahendra slowly nodded.

"Yes."

"We're wasting time."

Ramesh immediately grabbed the car keys.

"I'll drive."

"No."

Suresh stopped him.

"You're not in the condition."

"I have to go."

"I'll drive."

"I said I'll drive!"

The brothers' voices rose for the first time.

Mahendra spoke firmly.

"Enough."

Both fell silent.

"We're all going."

He looked toward Aradhya.

"You stay here with Aarush."

"No."

Everyone turned toward her.

"I'll come."

"Beta..."

"No."

Her voice was calm.

"But I'm coming."

"Didi?"

Little Aarush held her hand.

"Where going?"

She looked down at him.

Her throat tightened.

She forced a smile.

"We're going to see Mumma and Papa."

He smiled innocently.

"Bring chocolate?"

For a moment...

No one in the room could breathe.

Savitri burst into tears.

"Oh, God..."

She hugged the little boy tightly.

He looked confused.

"Dadi?"

"Why crying?"

Within minutes...

Everyone left for the hospital.

The drive felt endless.

No one spoke.

Only muffled sobs echoed inside the vehicle.

Aradhya sat beside the window.

Her fingers were clasped so tightly together that her knuckles had turned white.

She looked outside.

People were walking.

Children were laughing.

Shops were open.

Traffic moved as usual.

How could the world continue...

When hers had suddenly stopped?

She closed her eyes.

Nothing will happen.

Papa is strong.

Mumma always wears her seatbelt.

They'll be injured... that's all.

Please... just let them be injured.

She repeated those words over and over in her mind.

Like a prayer.

Like a bargain.

The hospital came into view.

City Civil Hospital.

Ambulances stood outside.

Doctors hurried through the entrance.

The smell of antiseptic filled the air.

Everything looked painfully normal.

As though hospitals weren't places where lives changed forever.

Everyone rushed inside.

"Excuse me!"

Ramesh stopped at the reception.

"Rajesh Sharma... Sunita Sharma... road accident."

The receptionist typed quickly.

Then her expression changed.

"I'm... sorry."

She pointed toward another corridor.

"Please meet Dr. Verma."

Those two words—

I'm sorry.

They made Mahendra's heart sink.

Outside the emergency room...

A police officer stood waiting.

He removed his cap as the family approached.

"Are you the family of Mr. Rajesh Sharma?"

Mahendra nodded slowly.

"Yes."

The officer lowered his head.

"I'm very sorry."

Aradhya's heartbeat became louder.

No.

No.

No.

The emergency room doors opened.

A middle-aged doctor walked out.

His face carried the expression every family feared.

"Who is the immediate family?"

Mahendra stepped forward.

"I am his father."

The doctor inhaled deeply.

"We tried everything we could."

The world became silent.

"But the impact of the collision was extremely severe."

"No..."

Mahendra whispered.

"They had multiple internal injuries."

"No..."

Savitri cried.

"I'm sorry."

The doctor lowered his head.

"We couldn't save either of them."

Silence.

Utter...

Absolute...

Silence.

Then—

"No!"

Savitri screamed.

The sound echoed through the entire corridor.

She collapsed onto the floor.

"My son!"

"My daughter!"

"This can't happen!"

Mahendra stumbled backward until he hit the wall.

His eyes remained fixed on the doctor.

He couldn't cry.

He couldn't speak.

He simply stared.

As if his mind refused to accept what his ears had heard.

Ramesh covered his face.

His shoulders shook violently.

Suresh punched the wall.

Again.

And again.

Blood appeared across his knuckles.

He didn't feel it.

Pooja began crying uncontrollably.

The police officer quietly looked away.

He had witnessed this scene countless times.

It never became easier.

Amid all the chaos...

One person remained standing.

Aradhya.

She looked at the doctor.

"What did you say?"

Her voice was frighteningly calm.

The doctor looked at her.

"I'm sorry..."

"My parents..."

She blinked.

"...are dead?"

The doctor slowly nodded.

"Yes."

She stared at him for several seconds.

Then...

Very politely...

She asked,

"Can I see them?"

The doctor hesitated.

"They're inside."

She nodded once.

Without crying.

Without screaming.

Without collapsing.

She simply walked toward the emergency room.

Every step echoed in the silent corridor.

Behind her...

Everyone else had broken apart.

But the sixteen-year-old girl...

Kept walking.

Because somewhere deep inside...

Her heart had already begun whispering the truth she wasn't ready to hear.

From this moment onward...

There would be no one left to protect her.

And somehow...

She would have to become the one who protected everyone else.

To be continued...