Chapter 1: The Bond That Raised Me
The smell of burning rubber.
The clang of metal against metal.
Oil-stained fingers tightening bolts with perfect precision.
That was Aarav's world.
But it wasn't always meant to be.
Eight years ago, a single phone call shattered everything.
A truck.
A rainy highway.
And two bodies that never came home.
At eighteen, Aarav didn't just lose his parents.
He lost his childhood.
And Riya… she was only six.
That night, while relatives whispered about "what will happen now," Aarav sat beside his little sister's hospital bed, holding her tiny hand.
She didn't cry.
She just asked—
"Bhai… Mama and Papa will come tomorrow, right?"
That was the moment Aarav stopped being a boy.
And became her world.
The Rise of a Protector
He dropped out of college.
Sold their old house.
Worked day and night in a small roadside garage.
People laughed at him.
"Kid thinks he can survive alone."
But Aarav wasn't just hardworking.
He was brilliant.
Machines spoke to him.
Engines listened to him.
Within three years, the dusty garage became Aarav Customs — the most talked-about custom bike workshop in the city.
His designs were aggressive.
His bikes roared like beasts.
And his name?
It started traveling.
Not just in mechanic circles.
But on the streets.
Tattoos inked his arms.
Scars marked his knuckles.
And behind that cold, sharp jawline…
Was a man whose heart beat only for one person.
Riya.
The Day She Left
Now Riya was eighteen.
Bright. Beautiful. Full of dreams.
She had topped her 12th board exams and earned admission to one of the best colleges in another city.
Aarav packed her bags himself.
Folded her clothes.
Slipped extra money secretly into her purse.
At the bus station, he adjusted her dupatta and gently kissed her forehead.
"Study hard."
"And remember… I'm always just one call away."
Riya smiled.
"You worry too much, Bhai."
If only she knew.
New City. New Life.
College was nothing like home.
It was louder. Bigger. Brighter.
Freedom felt intoxicating.
That's when she met him.
Karan.
Messy hair.
Soft smile.
Always carrying a notebook filled with poetry.
They were paired for a group project.
At first, it was just academic discussions.
Then coffee.
Then shared headphones.
Then late-night calls.
One evening, under the quiet starlit sky outside the library, Karan looked at her like she was the only star that mattered.
"You make my world feel small, Riya…"
"Like I only need to live where you are."
Her heart fluttered.
For the first time in her life, she felt something different from safety.
She felt freedom.
The Name That Changed Everything
One afternoon, while scrolling through Riya's phone, Karan froze.
On the screen was a picture.
A tall, muscular man in a black vest.
Tattoos crawling up his neck.
Grease on his hands.
Eyes sharp enough to cut steel.
"Wait… this guy… is your brother?"
Riya smiled proudly.
"Yeah. That's Aarav. Why?"
Karan stood up suddenly.
His face had lost color.
"You mean Aarav Bhai?"
"The former underground racing king?"
"The guy who used to control half the illegal street circuits in Mumbai?"
Riya blinked.
"What are you talking about?"
Karan swallowed.
"People don't just 'know' him, Riya. They whisper his name."
"Even now."
Silence filled the room.
For the first time, Riya realized…
She didn't know everything about her brother.
And for the first time, Karan looked at her not just with love—
But with fear.
And admiration.
Fading Calls
Days turned into weeks.
Riya got busier.
Classes.
Friends.
Outings.
Karan.
Her calls to Aarav became shorter.
Her messages?
"Busy, Bhai."
"Will call later."
"Don't worry."
At night, inside his large workshop office, Aarav sat alone.
He opened an old folder on his phone.
Photos of Riya:
Her first school uniform.
Her missing-tooth smile.
The time he carried her on his shoulders during a fair.
The birthday cake he baked badly but proudly.
His thumb paused.
No new messages.
One of the workshop boys entered.
"You okay, Bhai?"
Aarav locked his phone and forced a small smile.
"Yeah…"
"Just remembering someone who forgot me."
But deep inside…
Something felt wrong.
And Aarav had learned one thing from his past—
When silence grows…
Storms are coming.