Hasini's life was never peaceful.

Living in Visakhapatnam, she carried more pain in her small heart than anyone around her could understand. From nursery to 6th class, she studied in PEN School, where she was constantly insulted, beaten by teachers, and ignored by classmates because she was weak in studies. Those years slowly turned her into a silent and traumatised girl who feared making mistakes.

When she joined Narayana E-Techno School in 7th class, life changed a little. She was no longer the dull student everyone mocked. She wasn't a topper either, but she tried her best to survive among new people, new classrooms, and unfamiliar faces. Even then, peace never stayed with her for long. Small fights, misunderstandings, and loneliness followed her everywhere.

At home, things were even harder. Her younger brother, just one year younger than her, was aggressive and short-tempered. Though she loved him deeply during childhood, his behaviour slowly forced her to stop showing care openly. Still, every time he faced trouble in school, fear silently grew inside her heart.

Every morning, both of them travelled to school in the same auto. One ordinary day, while going to school, their auto suddenly got punctured near the road beside a bakery. The driver asked the children to walk to school since it was nearby. While her brother left with his friends, Hasini stayed back for a moment after spotting the bakery.

She wanted chocolate.

Something small. Something sweet enough to make her feel better before entering another tiring school day. She quietly walked inside without informing anyone. But the moment she stepped into the bakery, her heartbeat stopped.

A group of young men sat inside.

Around five or six of them surrounded one man seated in the middle. The atmosphere around them felt heavy, dangerous, and strangely powerful. The others were speaking, but he remained silent, simply listening. Even at twelve years old, Hasini could feel that terrifying aura around him.

Fear mixed with curiosity inside her chest.

In India, groups of men sitting together like gangs were common in many areas, and her first instinct was to leave immediately. But for some reason... her eyes stayed on him.

Hasini immediately lowered her gaze after seeing those men.

Her heartbeat became uneven. Fear slowly crawled into her chest. She was just a twelve-year-old girl standing alone inside a bakery filled with unfamiliar men. In India, she had already heard enough terrible news to know that not everyone in the world was safe. Even innocent girls were harmed by cruel people. Those thoughts frightened her badly.

For a second, she thought of leaving immediately.

But then she remembered the chocolate she wanted so badly. Since painting period was cancelled that day, she wanted something sweet to make herself feel better before classes started. So gathering a little courage, she slowly walked towards the shopkeeper without looking at the men around her.

"Uncle... one Dairy Milk," she said softly.

The shopkeeper looked at her and replied, "There's no small one left. Minimum fifty rupees."

Her face immediately fell. She only had a little money with her. For a moment, she hesitated. Surrounded by so many strangers, she felt too shy and scared to ask for credit. What if the shopkeeper refused in front of everyone?

Still, she gathered courage and whispered awkwardly, "Uncle... my school is nearby only. Tomorrow I'll bring the money... can you give it now?"

Before the shopkeeper could answer, one of the men heard her.

The man sitting silently in the middle slowly stood up and walked towards the counter. His footsteps alone made her nervous. He didn't even look directly at her. He simply took out money and said coldly,

"I'll pay. Give her whatever she wants."

Hasini became even more uncomfortable. She immediately shook her head.

"No, uncle... I don't need it," she said quickly and turned to leave.

But before she could walk away, she felt a slight pull on her school bag from behind.

He had caught the strap of her bag.

Not forcefully. Not aggressively. Just enough to stop her from leaving. Then from the side, he silently handed the chocolate to her.

"I said I'll pay," he said in a calm but cold voice.

Hasini nervously stepped back. "No uncle... I don't like taking things from others."

For a second, he stared at her silently.

Then he replied, "Fine. Repay me next time you see me."

She blinked innocently. "Will you come tomorrow?" she asked honestly.

"Hmm," he replied shortly, clearly uninterested in unnecessary conversation.

The shopkeeper handed over the chocolate. Hasini hesitated again before hurriedly taking out the hundred-rupee note she had in her small purse.

"I have only this now... take it. Remaining I'll give tomorrow," she said.

At first, he didn't accept it. But she nervously grabbed his hand and pushed the folded note into his palm before stepping back quickly.

"The school bell will ring... I'll get late," she said in panic. "They won't allow me inside. I need to go, uncle."

The word uncle made the atmosphere freeze.

Suddenly, he caught her school bag again and looked at her properly for the first time.

"How do I look like your uncle?" he asked coldly.

Hasini froze completely. Fear spread across her face instantly. His sharp gaze alone was enough to terrify her.

One of the men beside him immediately came forward and laughed lightly.

"Bro, chill... she's just a kid. She doesn't know anything."

The man kept staring at Hasini for another second before finally letting go of her bag.

"Leave it," another partner muttered. "She's panicking."

Hasini tightly held the chocolate in her small hands and hurriedly walked out of the bakery. Her heartbeat still hadn't calmed down. Even after stepping outside, she could still feel his cold gaze on her back.

But before leaving completely, curiosity stopped her.

Slowly, she hid herself behind the bakery pillar and carefully peeked inside again. Her innocent eyes searched only for him among all the men sitting there.

He was still seated in the middle. Calm. Silent. Dangerous.

The others around him were talking continuously, but he simply listened with one hand resting on the chair, his expression unreadable.

Without realizing it, Hasini kept staring at him for a few seconds. Five... maybe ten.

And suddenly-

His eyes lifted.

Directly towards her.

For just one second, their eyes met.

Hasini froze in fear.

Inside his mind, a small suspicion appeared instantly.

Why is this little girl still here?

His life was filled with enemies, betrayal, and people watching his every move. For a moment, he wondered if someone had purposely sent a child to spy on him.

The thought itself made him smirk slightly.

That dangerous little smirk was enough to terrify Hasini completely.

Her eyes widened, and without wasting another second, she immediately ran from there towards her school.

The entire day in class, she couldn't focus properly. Even while teachers were teaching lessons, her mind kept replaying that bakery scene again and again. His cold voice. His sharp eyes. His frightening aura.

By evening, school ended, and she returned home like every normal day.

But unknowingly to both of them...

that small bakery meeting had already become the beginning of their story.