Chapter 2

Present day, Mumbai, India.

Dawn was just breaking over the horizon. The whole city was getting ready for another busy day in life. Two people were enjoying a morning run near the sea, on Marine lines. Everyone around was busy doing their own things. The sun was just rising, and the pair stopped running to observe the beautiful scene in front of them.

"I'll never get used to this big brother, no matter how many times I see this scene." The first person said the second.

He smiled wishfully before saying, "You rarely ever see it Navya, I've seen it countless times and it's still mesmerizing for me."

"I don't think it'll ever lose its charm Jay," Navya replied with a wide grin.

He smiled at her, "No, it won't," he replied happily, enjoying every second with the girl he considered as his little sister.

Jay Desai and Song Navya, were cousins, but she was closer to being a sister to him. Although they had a few years of age gap, they grew closer over the years as she visited during summers with her mother when they were younger. Like any brother, he loved spoiling her, was always teasing her, making fun of her looks even though she was one of the most beautiful young women he'd come across, and he came across quite a few beautiful women in his time. Being a CEO of one of the most successful companies around did that. And he was immensely proud of his sister as well. He knew she didn't have the easiest time managing her life. Going back and forth between the USA, India and South Korea all the time to manage business, taking over her father's position after his death, going through a car accident that put her mother in a coma, helping him out whenever she could. She even managed and constantly updated company server firewalls and such, keeping them protected. She was best in hacking and also knew how to keep hackers out better than anyone, being one herself. She was also helping the government in making their sites more secure. And despite everything, here she was still standing beside him, enjoying the sunrise in front of them. He just wished she could enjoy her life like normal kids of her age, going to high school, having fun. Which was why he was insisting on her completing her formal education, even though he knew she gave most postgraduates a run for their money.

"Let's go home kiddo, we have to go to the office as well, and grandma must be wondering how we are not home yet," he told her.

Both of them were living with their grandmother on her insistence, she was the only parental figure left in his life, and he enjoyed taking care of her. Her cooking was just an added bonus for him. Both cousins loved food made by their grandmother, she even taught them how to make various dishes whenever she cooked. Although they have a chef in their house, their grandmother loved cooking, a passion her and Navya both shared.

Those two were the only remaining members of his family, and he'd long ago sworn to protect them with everything he had, even if he knew his sister was more than capable of protecting herself, and probably had more experience in fighting considering her line of work. But he was still her big brother, who could blame him for being protective? And she too understood his need of protecting her and her friends, who he'd also taken in as his sisters.

"Yeah, you are right brother. Let's go," she replied.

They went to the office after eating a delicious breakfast made by their grandmother.

"So, have you thought about where you want to complete your high school?" he asked her when they were in the car. She groaned, "Not again brother, you know I don't need formal high school education."

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't get one kiddo," he replied.

"No I have not," she replied with huff.

Sensing the mood, he didn't press for more information, and focused on his laptop more, she too had her tablet out, doing something. Suddenly she whispered, "Oh my god!" he glanced toward her to see her staring at her tablet screen. She handed him her tablet before he could ask anything. What he saw on screen made him want to snort and cuss at the same time. Only those two could find trouble even while leading a normal life, he thought fondly.

"At least now you know in which high school you would be going," he said, trying to cheer her mood.

She stared back at him horrified for a moment, "Of course, now they need to bury this all, they'll force them to go there." She started typing furiously on her tablet, "I need to control this footage from spreading all over the world, it can't reach international media, good thing I had notification alert over Korean media…" she rambled on.

He just shrugged, and let her carry on with her work saying, "Let me know if you need anything."

"Yes, hand me your laptop," she commanded, now in work mode. He did so without any question, knowing she didn't have her laptop with her at that moment. She was done before they reached the office, handing him his laptop, she went away saying she had a call to make.

Same day, New York City, USA.

A girl was sleeping peacefully when her phone suddenly started to ring loudly. She was startled awake and fell down from her bed in a hurry. She groaned but finally managed to get to her phone and picked it up without even looking at caller id, already knowing who called her by sound of that particular ringtone.

"Yah Navya, do you have any idea what time it is here? I was asleep," she started, but was interrupted by a voice on the other line.

"Oh god, Jae kyung you fell down from bed, didn't you?" followed by giggling from the other side.

"How did you..?" she started, but then thought better of it. Her friends knew her better than she knew herself, finishing her sentence with "never mind" instead. "What's so important that you are calling in the middle of the night?" she asked.

"Check out the video I just sent you. But be careful, it cannot be leaked anywhere. Delete it after watching," she replied somberly.

"Alright, be on line," she replied, already fishing for her private messaging application, which was developed by Navya.

"Oh god, what are we going to do Navya?" she asked as soon as she finished watching the video.

"Well, how do you feel about finally finishing high school?" she asked instead.

"Sounds good." She replied, getting the message clearly. "Inform me when arrangements are done," knowing her friend would take care of all the necessities. "I'll get prepared to leave."

Navya entered her brother's office when she was done with the phone call. She went inside without knocking, knowing he won't mind, and sat in a chair beside him, setting up a video call on his laptop which was laying on the table while he was going through some paperback files.

"Hello?" a feminine sound was heard, he went beside her, thinking it might be one of her best friends. But the person in front of him was someone else entirely. He kept staring at them for a moment, before focusing on his sister.

"Hello Goo Jun hee unni!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

"Navya, how are you dear? You are calling after a terribly long time! And where are you now?" Jun hee asked, noticing an unknown man beside her dear friend.

"Oh I'm in India right now, Meet my elder brother unnie*, Jay Desai. And bhaiyya* this is Goo Jun hee unni!" she introduced both, they exchanged pleasantries, before continuing conversation. "Unni, I just saw footage of two girls saving a boy on Shinhwa roof top….."

Whatever Jun hee was expecting, it certainly wasn't what Navya proposed, but she couldn't really object to her dear friend and her brother's best friend's cousin now, could she?

Bhaiyya*/Bhai - Elder brother in Hindi.

Unnie* - Older sister of female in Korean/ familiar elder woman.