Aru's pov.

Many things happened in one minute.

1) She was just kissed by the person she likes.

2) She remembered she forgot her phone at the apartment.

3) They were all in danger if they found that phone because it had the message from Sherrilyn.

She was now running back to the apartment.

'No no no no!' Aru thought frantically.

She can't afford to put her friends in danger again.

As she reached the museum, she already saw someone on the floor. And worst of all, she knew exactly who it is.

"Sherrilyn" Aru whispered.

"Aru." Sherrilyn whispered back. "You're not safe here"

"Are you okay?"

"I...don't know, but-"

"I'm calling the police and an ambulance" Aru said, about to fish out her phone before remembering it wasn't there. She would make sure Sherrilyn was okay later, but right now she had to do something.

"I'll come back for you. Try to keep your eyes open" Aru hugged her and left.

She ran up the stairs. She couldn't hear anyone, so she assumed it was a good sign. She opened the door and looked.

Where was she last? She couldn't remember. But she had to act quickly.

"Aru"

She turned around. Boo.

"What do you want?" She snapped. He flinched.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Realisation flickered across his face. "You mean you saw my file?"

"I can't believe you. I trusted you!"

"Aru-"

"I don't want to hear it"

"Don't listen to me then, but I wanted to give you-"

"Just shut up!"

"I just want to give you your phone" Boo said, handing her the phone.

"How do I know you haven't hacked it?" Aru put her hands on her hips.

But the phone started to ring.

"Hello? Is this Aru?" The person said.

"Yes, who are you? Listen, I'm busy-"

"It's me, Kara. Do you remember me?"

"K-Kara? What?" Aru whispered. "After all this time...?"

"It is me! You remember me!" Kara exclaimed excitedly.

"Where are you? I want to meet you"

"There'll be time for that later. Listen, Dad isn't in the right state of mind, he's going insane. Shakhuni's there isn't he? I sent him, just-"

The line went dead.

"Kara? Kara!" Aru yelled frantically. But it was no use.

The door slammed open, and her sisters ran into the room.

"You" Brynne snarled. "Why are you here?"

He sighed and his face fell. "I'm sorry. No matter what, you will always be my girls"

"I wish you'd just get out of our lives!" Aru yelled.

He was shocked for a moment and then hurt and grief washed over his face. And then regret. And then, finally, realisation.

"Well, before that, I need to make sure you're safe! Listen, you have to get out of here, it's a-"

A gunshot blared. Boo slowly fell to the floor. "Pity" Someone said.

"D-dad?" Aru asked. Was it really him?

"Aru, darling" He said fondly.

"No-but" She fumbled for words to say. Mini put a hand on her shoulder.

"Boo" Mini whispered.

"He was working for you, and you killed him!" Aru yelled.

"Ahh him? Well you see, all this time he was trying to lead me away from you" The Sleeper looked at Boo's body. "He only worked for me in order to make sure I'd never get to you. What a villain"

'Wait what?'

But that would mean that all this time...

"He was trying to protect us" Brynne whispered.

And suddenly, everything washed over Aru. Those times he asked for the address, it was to make sure they were safe. That time when he told the police not to investigate, it was because he already knew who did it. The Sleeper took Boo's body and started to leave the room.

"BOO!" Aru screamed. She heard her friends screaming out his name as she fell to her knees. "I TAKE IT BACK! I DIDN'T MEAN IT! COME BACK! BOO!"

Suddenly, it clicked. 'It's a trap'

Which meant...

Just then the door slammed open. People wearing black, similar to the attire of the man that had knocked out Aru that day, seized her friends and started to drag them out.

"No! Wait-"

"Aru!" Someone burst in and hugged her. She smelt the familiar jasmine perfume, felt the luscious brown hair and the sweet shampoo that it could only be one person.

"M-mom?" Aru asked, astonished.

"Aru! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Her mom pulled back and laid a hand on Aru's cheek.

"Mom, it's not safe here" Aru told her. "We need to find my friends and get out of here-"

The Sleeper reentered the room. "Well well. Your sister is finishing up some work, but after that we'll be a big, happy family again. Isn't that great?"

"Suyodhana, not a step closer" Krithika said in a warning voice.

"Family shouldn't be scared of family, Krithika"

"Then are we really a family?" Aru whispered.

Something flashed across The Sleeper's eyes, so quick that Aru couldn't catch it. Was it guilt? Regret? Sadness? But whatever it was, her mom seemed to have caught it because her voice took on a lighter tone.

"No. We aren't family right now, be certainly can be when you quit this job. Quit this job and come with us"

The Sleeper faltered.

"Everything...all of your criminal record...your years in prison, we can figure that out. As a family" Krithika held out her hand. Aru watched all of this with wide eyes. Her mom wasn't about to give another chance to a murderer, was she?

But then she understood. She saw what passed through their eyes, something that was stronger than anything and could not be destructed.

It was love.

This is what love does to people. They can do anything, and you'll still love them.

You'll always forgive them.

And you may be thinking, does The Sleeper still love Krithika Shah?

No. But Suyodhana Shah definitely does. And Suyodhana Shah was going to accept Krithika Shah's offer.

His hand lifted to meet Krithika's when hell broke loose.

His eyes went glassy, he slowly dropped to his knees, revealing-

Kara. And a gun pointed in their direction.

Aru's mom cried out in pain and anguish. She fell to her knees and placed her hand near her father's chest.

Kara dropped her gun and ran towards Aru. She engulfed her in a tight hug.

"I love you so much. Are you okay? I love you."

And there was that word again. Love.

Aru slowly hugged back. She felt her tears fall and her sister's tears drip onto her neck.

"K-Kara? But dad-"

Aru stopped short after saying that word. It felt so foreign to her, yet it had a tinge of sweetness in her mouth, and warmth on the tip of her tongue.

But then the bitter came in, and the spice. The tinge of sweetness was still there. Was this what was bittersweet?

"Shhh. Lots of things are going to change, Aru-"

The door opened again and the familiar click of a gun. Kara froze.

"Police! Let go of the girl and take 6 steps back ward, hands where I can see them"









Wow. It's been 24 days since I updated this.

I'm not satisfied with this, but I just finished it and released it anyways.

I was considering discontinuing, but we're so close to the end so yeah.

What do you think?

-Loife xx