Chapter 3: Choices and Consequences

Ayaan’s Dilemma – Seeking Answers

Ayaan sat in his hostel room at AIIMS Delhi, staring at his phone screen.

The conversation with Dr. Siddharth Kapoor still lingered in his mind.

"I was afraid."

"I wanted to help your father, but I didn’t. I was just a child, too."

Ayaan wanted to be furious.

Wanted to tell the professor that fear wasn’t an excuse.

That his father had suffered alone, and he had done nothing.

But deep down… Ayaan also felt something else.

Confusion.

Was it fair to blame a young boy for being scared?

Would he have done anything different at that age?

His fingers hovered over his father’s contact.

He needed to talk to the one person who had lived through it all.

Dad Calling…

Aarav picked up instantly. “Ayaan? Everything okay?”

Ayaan hesitated. “Yeah… I just… I need to ask you something.”

Aarav’s voice softened. “Go ahead.”

Ayaan took a deep breath. “Do you ever think about your school days?”

Aarav was silent for a moment. “All the time.”

“Did you ever—” Ayaan hesitated. “Did you ever wish someone had helped you back then?”

Aarav sighed. “Of course. But life doesn’t always give you what you want.”

Ayaan frowned. “What if they wanted to… but didn’t, because they were scared?”

Aarav chuckled softly. “Ayaan, fear is a complicated thing. Some people freeze. Some run. And some pretend they don’t see anything at all.”

“But… is it unforgivable?”

Aarav’s voice was thoughtful. “That depends on what they do after.”

Ayaan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“If a person regrets not helping, they have two choices. They can either hide in guilt forever… or try to make things right, even if it’s years too late.” Aarav paused. “Which one is Dr. Kapoor?”

Ayaan sat back, thinking.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Well,” Aarav said, “why don’t you find out?”

Ayaan sighed. “So you’re saying I shouldn’t just hate him?”

Aarav chuckled. “I’m saying you need to decide. But I know my son—he doesn’t judge blindly.”

Ayaan closed his eyes. His father was right.

Tomorrow, he would go back to Dr. Kapoor.

And this time, he would listen.

Riya’s Battle – The Real Challenge Begins

Meanwhile, Riya stood outside the sports department office, arms crossed.

She had one month to fill the stadium.

One month to prove that women’s cricket deserved the spotlight.

And she had no idea where to start.

Her phone vibrated.

Ayaan: You alive?

Riya smirked and typed back.

Riya: Alive and planning my rebellion.

Ayaan: Sounds about right. Need backup?

Riya: Nah, I got this. Go deal with your old man’s past first.

Ayaan sent a thumbs-up emoji, and Riya exhaled.

No turning back now.

She would make history.

The Parents Have Landed – Trouble Incoming

At Delhi Airport…

Aarav, Vikram, Isha, and Neha walked out, each with a mission in mind.

Aarav smirked. “Let’s go find our kids.”

Vikram grinned. “And let’s see if they’re struggling or if we were right all along.”

At that exact moment—

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU TWO!”

Aarav and Vikram froze.

Slowly, they turned around.

Neha and Isha stood behind them, arms crossed, eyes blazing.

Aarav gulped. “Uh… fancy seeing you here?”

Neha narrowed her eyes. “Don’t ‘fancy seeing you’ me. You two were planning a secret trip, weren’t you?!”

Vikram laughed nervously. “What? Nooo… maybe…”

Isha raised an eyebrow. “Well, guess what? We’re going too.”

Aarav sighed. “Of course you are.”

Vikram muttered, “There goes our plan.”

Neha smirked. “Oh, trust me. The real plan is ours.”

And just like that, four very competitive parents were about to invade Delhi.

The real question was…

Were Ayaan and Riya ready for them?

To Be Continued…

Next:

Ayaan faces Dr. Kapoor.

Riya’s cricket campaign goes viral.

The parents arrive… and chaos follows.

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