The room fell into complete silence after Siddarth's shocking words. The air around them was heavy, and no one dared to speak. Then, Siddarth broke into a smile and said,
"Yes, we are not your parents... we are your grandparents."
A deafening silence followed. Shapra, Anmol, and Poojaari froze in place, their minds struggling to process what they had just heard. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, all three of them shouted at once.
"WHAT!?"
Their voices echoed through the room. Shock, disbelief, and confusion filled their faces.
Poojaari blinked rapidly. "Did… did I hear that right? Grandparents!?"
Anmol shook his head. "There's no way… Are we in some prank show?"
Shapra just stood there, completely stunned. His brain felt like it had stopped working.
At that moment, Siddarth sighed and snapped his fingers. Instantly, a figure appeared before them—Viren. Shapra and his friends gasped, their eyes widening in surprise. Viren stood there, a calm smile on his face.
"I am your grandfather," he said gently, looking straight at Shapra. Then, he turned to Shradha and snapped his fingers again. In an instant, Shradha's form changed—she was no longer the woman they knew. Instead, she stood before them as Sarvani, Shapra's grandmother.
The room, which had been filled with shock just moments ago, now seemed even heavier with tension. It was almost too much to take in.
Poojaari leaned over to Anmol and whispered, "Okay… now I know we're not in a prank show."
Anmol gulped. "Yeah… I don't think even a prank show could pull this off."
Viren took a deep breath and began to explain.
"Siddarth and his wife left years ago to search for the keys and the portal when you were just five years old, Shapra," Viren said. "That was the time when we told you that your grandparents had died in an accident. But the truth is, your parents never returned… and we never wanted you to worry about them."
Sarvani nodded. "It was the only way to protect you," she added softly.
As Viren finished his explanation, another person in the room was just as shocked—Ridhir. He had been sitting quietly, processing everything he had just heard. He finally spoke, his voice filled with amazement.
"Incredible… I never knew…"
Shapra, however, clenched his fists. His eyes burned with determination.
"Then I will go," he declared. "I will find all the keys and bring my parents back!"
Viren and Sarvani's expressions turned serious. "It's too dangerous, Shapra," Viren warned. "You are still not ready."
Before anyone could argue further, Ridhir stood up. A confident smile spread across his face as he placed a hand on Shapra's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Uncle Viren, Aunt Sarvani," he said. "I will train him. I will make sure he is strong enough so that you don't have to worry."
Sarvani sighed and then added, "You can leave… but only after your SEE exams are over. That is the condition."
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. For now, Shapra's journey would have to wait, but the path ahead was clear.
Poojaari grinned and patted Shapra's back. "Well, guess you're stuck with us for a while longer. Hope you don't mind."
Shapra groaned. "As if I had a choice."
Viren then turned towards Anmol and Poojaari. Both of them stiffened as his piercing gaze fell upon them.
Viren let out a small chuckle. "Anmol, I haven't had the chance to meet you properly, but now that I look at you closely, you resemble someone I know… Arvind, your grandfather."
Anmol's eyes widened. "You knew my grandfather?" he asked in disbelief.
Viren then turned to Poojaari, his eyes narrowing for a moment before softening. "Oh, it's you. I didn't recognize you at first."
Shapra, still recovering from all the revelations, looked at Viren with suspicion. "Wait a minute… You know Anmol's grandfather? And Poojaari too? How?"
To be continued...