2|

Chapter 2 - The Flight Home

The hospital room was dim when Anaira finally fell asleep.

Not properly.

Not peacefully.

Just exhausted enough for her tiny body to give up after hours of crying, fear, confusion, and shock.

Even in sleep, her eyebrows stayed slightly furrowed like her mind still hadn't understood how to rest.

Anushka sat beside her carefully, one hand resting lightly against Anaira's back while the child remained curled against her side clutching the stuffed rabbit tightly.

Virat stood near the window silently watching both of them.

Outside the glass panels of the hospital corridor, media had already started gathering downstairs.

Of course they had.

Anything connected to the Kohli family became national news within minutes.

And now: Anushka Sharma's sister dead. Domestic abuse allegations. A child involved.

The country would tear the story apart by morning.

Virat's jaw clenched immediately.

No.

Not the child.

He picked up his phone and walked outside the room.

Within seconds his voice turned cold.

"I want every entrance cleared before we leave."

The security head immediately answered, "Yes sir."

"No cameras near the child. I don't care how you do it."

"Yes sir."

"And if even one photo of her face leaks-"

His voice hardened dangerously.

"You answer to me directly."

The man on the other side fell silent for a second before quickly replying, "Understood sir."

Virat disconnected the call and rubbed his forehead tiredly.

He had spent his entire adult life under cameras.

He could handle headlines.

So could Anushka.

Even Aarav had grown up learning how to ignore constant public attention.

But Anaira?

An eight-year-old child who had just lost her mother?

Absolutely not.

He wouldn't allow strangers turning her trauma into entertainment.

Virat looked back through the glass panel of the hospital room.

Anushka had shifted slightly against the bed now, carefully adjusting Anaira's blanket.

The child immediately moved closer in sleep.

Instinctive.

Seeking comfort.

Virat's chest tightened unexpectedly.

He remembered when Aarav used to do that as a toddler.

The memory hit strangely hard.

Aarav.

Virat looked down the corridor automatically.

His son sat alone near the waiting area staring blankly at his phone screen, though he clearly wasn't reading anything.

Virat walked toward him slowly.

"You should rest for a bit."

Aarav shrugged faintly.

"I'm okay."

Virat sat beside him.

For a few moments neither spoke.

Then finally Aarav asked quietly, "What happens now?"

Practical question.

But Virat heard the confusion underneath it.

What happens now?

To Anaira. To them. To this suddenly changed life.

Virat leaned back slightly.

"She comes home with us."

Aarav nodded once slowly.

Silence again.

Then- "She's really small."

Virat looked at him.

Aarav stared ahead tiredly. "I didn't remember her being that small."

Something about the way he said it sounded unsettled.

Like reality was only starting to hit him now.

Virat stayed quiet.

After a moment Aarav laughed humorlessly under his breath.

"I had one normal week before my life turned into a daily soap."

Virat almost smiled despite everything.

Almost.

But Aarav's expression changed again quickly.

"She looked scared of me."

Virat noticed the guilt immediately.

"She's scared of everyone right now."

Aarav rubbed his hands together slowly.

"I didn't know things were that bad."

Neither did we.

The thought remained unspoken between them.

Virat had known Karan Chopra was controlling.

Aggressive.

But this?

No.

Not this.

If he had known-

Virat shut the thought down immediately because it only led to anger.

Dangerous anger.

Inside the room, Anaira suddenly whimpered softly in sleep.

Both Virat and Aarav looked up immediately.

Anushka gently soothed her back to sleep within seconds.

Aarav watched quietly for a long moment before speaking again.

"She held onto mom like she was drowning."

Virat looked toward the room again.

"She probably feels like she is."

-

By four in the morning, discharge formalities had finally been completed.

The doctors suggested Anaira continue therapy immediately once they returned to Mumbai.

Virat agreed without hesitation.

Anything she needed, she would get.

When Anushka gently woke her to leave, Anaira looked disoriented at first.

Then reality returned to her face almost instantly.

Children adjusted to grief strangely.

One second sleepy. Next second remembering everything again.

"Where are we going?" she whispered softly.

"Home," Anushka answered carefully while helping her wear a small cardigan.

Anaira blinked slowly.

"To Mumbai?"

Anushka nodded.

The child looked nervous immediately.

Virat noticed every tiny shift now.

The way her fingers twisted together when anxious. The way she looked at people's expressions before speaking. The way she apologized for everything.

Trauma sat visibly on her.

A nurse handed Anaira her rabbit and tiny backpack.

The little girl immediately hugged both close to herself.

"Thank you," she whispered politely.

The nurse looked emotional instantly.

God.

Even now she was trying to behave perfectly.

Anushka crouched in front of her gently.

"Baby, we're going downstairs now, okay?"

Anaira nodded.

Then hesitated.

"Will there be lots of people?"

Virat and Anushka exchanged one look instantly.

She already knew.

Even at eight.

She knew who the Kohlis were. What attention meant.

Anushka softly brushed hair away from her face.

"There'll be security with us."

Anaira looked down immediately.

"I don't like cameras."

Virat spoke for the first time directly to her.

"You won't have to see them."

Anaira looked at him quietly.

Then nodded once.

And somehow that tiny bit of trust hit Virat harder than expected.

-

The moment they reached the private hospital exit, the chaos began.

Media vans.

Camera flashes.

Reporters practically climbing barriers.

Security immediately formed a tight circle around them.

Virat walked in front while Anushka carried Anaira against her chest completely hidden inside her hoodie.

The little girl clung tightly to Anushka's neck the second cameras started flashing aggressively.

"It's okay," Anushka whispered softly while rubbing her back.

Virat's expression turned terrifyingly cold the moment he noticed one cameraman trying to lean closer for a picture.

"Back off," he snapped sharply.

The man immediately stepped back.

Nobody messed with Virat Kohli when he looked like that.

Aarav walked beside Anushka protectively, glaring openly at cameras.

Questions echoed everywhere.

"VIRAT SIR IS THE CHILD COMING WITH YOU?"

"ANUSHKA MA'AM WHAT HAPPENS NOW?"

"IS KARAN CHOPRA UNDER ARREST?"

Virat ignored everything.

His entire focus remained on getting Anaira safely inside the car.

The second the door shut behind them, silence filled the vehicle.

Anaira still hadn't let go of Anushka.

Not even slightly.

Her tiny fingers were gripping Anushka's hoodie tightly while her face stayed buried against her shoulder.

Anushka kissed her hair softly.

"You're okay."

Anaira nodded faintly without lifting her head.

Aarav sat across from them watching quietly.

Something inside him felt strange.

Heavy.

Unfamiliar.

Because this little girl was suddenly... theirs.

Not technically yet.

But emotionally?

Something had already shifted.

His mother looked at Anaira the same way she looked at him when he was sick as a child.

And his father- his terrifyingly emotionally unavailable father- had personally threatened half the media industry in one night over this child's privacy.

Aarav stared out the window silently.

He suddenly had a little sister.

The thought felt absurd.

Yet weirdly real at the same time.

-

The private jet was already prepared by the time they reached the airport.

Virat's security team had cleared the entire private section beforehand.

No photographers allowed nearby.

No unnecessary staff.

No leaked visuals.

Virat stepped out first and looked around sharply before nodding once toward Anushka.

Only then did she carefully carry Anaira out.

The child looked exhausted now.

Completely drained.

Her eyes were half closed while she rested limply against Anushka's shoulder.

Aarav quietly picked up her tiny backpack without saying anything.

Anushka noticed.

So did Virat.

Neither commented.

Inside the jet, warm lighting filled the cabin softly.

Usually Aarav loved flying private.

Loved the luxury, the comfort, the lifestyle.

Tonight it all felt strangely unimportant.

Anushka settled into one of the larger seats and adjusted Anaira carefully in her lap.

"Do you want to sleep properly?" she whispered softly.

Anaira looked around uncertainly.

Then quietly- "Can I stay here?"

Anushka's face softened instantly.

"Always."

The child slowly curled closer against her chest.

Virat watched silently while removing his jacket.

Anushka tucked the fabric gently around Anaira's tiny legs because she looked cold.

A few minutes later, the plane finally took off.

The moment turbulence hit lightly during ascent, Anaira grabbed Anushka tighter instantly.

"It's okay baby," Anushka soothed softly while rubbing her back slowly. "It's just the plane."

Anaira nodded against her chest.

But she still didn't let go.

Aarav sat across from them unable to stop watching.

He'd never seen someone so small look so exhausted emotionally.

Children usually slept messily.

Freely.

Anaira slept carefully somehow.

Like even resting too much felt unsafe.

Half an hour into the flight, Anushka noticed Anaira trying hard to keep her eyes open despite barely functioning anymore.

"You can sleep."

The little girl shook her head immediately.

Anushka frowned gently.

"Why not?"

Very quietly- "What if... I wake up alone?"

The sentence nearly shattered the cabin.

Aarav looked away instantly.

Even Virat's chest tightened painfully.

Anushka immediately pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.

"You won't."

"I promise."

Only then did Anaira finally relax slightly.

Anushka adjusted her properly in her arms, one hand continuously running through her hair slowly.

Within minutes Anaira's body started giving in to exhaustion.

Her breathing softened.

Tiny fingers loosened slightly around Anushka's hoodie.

And finally- for the first time since entering the hospital- she fell into deeper sleep.

Anushka looked down at her silently.

Then suddenly tears slipped down her face again.

Virat moved beside her immediately.

"She used to sleep exactly like this as a baby," Anushka whispered brokenly. "Aditi used to send me pictures..."

Virat gently held the back of her neck.

Anushka looked at him with red swollen eyes.

"We can't send her anywhere else."

Virat didn't even hesitate.

"I know."

No discussion.

No confusion.

He already knew.

The moment he saw that little girl sitting alone in the hospital bed, something settled inside him permanently.

Aarav looked between both his parents quietly.

Then finally asked the question sitting inside his head for hours.

"So... what exactly happens now?"

Virat glanced toward Anaira sleeping against Anushka.

Then back toward Aarav.

"We apply for legal guardianship first."

Aarav stared silently.

Anushka wiped her tears quickly.

"And later," she whispered softly while looking down at Anaira, "if she wants... we adopt her legally."

The cabin went quiet.

Aarav leaned back slowly against his seat.

Adopt her.

Make her family officially.

The thought felt huge.

Life-changing.

Real.

Virat looked toward his son for a moment before speaking quietly.

"She's eight, Aarav."

"I know."

"She's been through hell."

Aarav swallowed slightly and looked toward Anaira again.

The little girl had shifted closer unconsciously in sleep, face half hidden against Anushka's chest while still clutching that stuffed rabbit.

So tiny.

So heartbreakingly tiny.

Virat's voice lowered further.

"She needs stability now. Safety."

Aarav nodded slowly.

And weirdly- for the first time since all this began- something protective stirred inside him too.

Not responsibility exactly.

Something softer.

Possessive almost.

Like his mind had finally accepted: she belonged with them now.

A sudden soft sleepy sound escaped Anaira then.

"Mumma..."

Anushka immediately kissed her forehead.

"I'm here baby."

Anaira relaxed instantly again.

Virat looked at both of them silently.

Then after a moment quietly asked, "What did Aditi call her mostly?"

Anushka smiled weakly through tears.

"Nairuu."

A tiny silence followed.

Then unexpectedly Aarav muttered softly, "Nairuu."

The nickname sounded strangely natural inside the cabin.

Warm.

Real.

And somehow that made everything hit harder.

Because this wasn't temporary anymore.

This child was slowly finding a place inside their lives already.

A few hours later, while the cabin lights remained dimmed, Virat sat near the front speaking quietly with his legal team through phone calls.

"I want custody paperwork started immediately."

"Yes sir."

"And media restrictions."

"We're already handling it."

Virat's expression remained hard.

"No child statements. No photographs. No leaks from the hospital."

"Yes sir."

Virat disconnected the call tiredly.

When he turned back, he saw Aarav sitting beside Anushka now.

Anaira was still asleep across her lap while Aarav awkwardly held the rabbit because it had almost fallen.

He looked deeply uncomfortable with the situation.

Yet he still stayed.

Virat watched silently for a moment.

Then Aarav noticed him.

Their eyes met briefly.

No words spoken.

But somehow both understood the same thing.

Protect her.

No matter what.

A little while later, Anaira stirred awake slightly.

Disoriented.

Confused.

The moment she realized where she was, panic flickered across her sleepy face instantly.

Anushka immediately soothed her.

"It's okay Nairuu, we're here."

The nickname slipped out naturally.

Anaira blinked slowly.

"Nairuu?"

Anushka smiled softly.

"That's what your mumma used to call you, no?"

For the first time since yesterday-

the tiniest smile appeared on Anaira's face.

Small.

Fragile.

But real.

And somehow that tiny little smile completely destroyed whatever emotional control remained inside the cabin.

The flight felt longer than usual.

Maybe because nobody inside the cabin was thinking about time anymore.

Usually when the Kohlis travelled together, there was always noise somehow. Aarav complaining about training schedules, Virat watching match analysis even during flights, Anushka forcing both of them to eat properly instead of surviving on coffee.

Tonight the jet felt strangely still.

The soft engine noise filled most of the silence.

Anaira had fallen asleep again nearly an hour ago, this time more deeply from pure exhaustion. Her small body stayed curled against Anushka like she subconsciously needed to make sure someone was still there.

Even in sleep, one of her tiny fists remained wrapped in Anushka's hoodie.

Anushka carefully adjusted the blanket around her again.

"She feels warm," she whispered worriedly.

Virat immediately looked up from his phone.

"Fever?"

"I don't know."

Anushka gently pressed her palm against Anaira's forehead.

The child shifted slightly at the touch but didn't wake up.

"Maybe stress," Virat said quietly.

Anushka looked down at the little girl in her arms and her expression broke all over again.

Stress.

An eight-year-old being described with words like trauma and stress felt so wrong.

"She hasn't properly slept in hours," Virat added softly.

Anushka nodded absentmindedly, still brushing her fingers slowly through Anaira's hair.

Aarav sat nearby watching silently.

He still couldn't fully process how quickly everything had changed.

Yesterday evening he was arguing with his coach over batting positions.

Today there was a little girl asleep in his mother's arms who was suddenly going to live with them.

Life genuinely made no sense sometimes.

His eyes shifted toward Anaira again.

She looked impossibly small curled up like that.

And now that the panic from the hospital had settled slightly, Aarav started noticing smaller things too.

The faded sleeve of her sweater. The way her shoes looked slightly worn out. The tiny scar near her elbow. The dark circles under her eyes no child should have.

His chest tightened uncomfortably.

They had money. Power. Resources.

Meanwhile Aditi had apparently been living like this for years without properly asking anyone for help.

Or maybe she did ask.

Maybe everyone just failed her.

Aarav hated that thought.

Very quietly he asked, "Did Maasi ever try leaving him?"

Anushka looked up slowly.

Virat already knew this conversation would happen eventually.

"She tried once," Anushka answered after a pause.

Aarav frowned slightly.

"What happened?"

Anushka looked down at Anaira before replying quietly, "She went back."

The answer was simple.

But heavy.

Virat leaned back tiredly against his seat.

"Karan isolated her slowly," he said calmly. "That's usually how these situations work."

Aarav stayed silent.

"He controlled finances," Virat continued. "Most of her social circle disappeared after marriage. By the time things became openly bad, she barely had anyone left except family."

Anushka swallowed hard.

"She kept saying Anaira needed both parents."

Virat's jaw tightened instantly at that.

And now Anaira had neither.

The thought settled heavily inside the cabin.

After a while Anushka whispered softly, "She was scared people would judge her."

Virat gave a humorless smile.

"People judge women for surviving wrong marriages more than men for creating them."

Silence.

Painfully true silence.

Aarav looked out the window quietly.

Then after a moment he asked something softer.

"Did Nairuu know?"

Virat looked toward him immediately.

The nickname had slipped out naturally.

Aarav noticed too but didn't correct himself.

Anushka sighed shakily.

"I think children always know more than adults realize."

That sentence stayed in the air for a long moment.

Because it was obvious now.

The fear. The apologizing. The flinching.

None of that appeared overnight.

Anaira suddenly stirred slightly in sleep again.

Her breathing changed.

Faster now.

Uneven.

Anushka immediately noticed.

"Nairuu?"

The child's face tightened like she was seeing something unpleasant even in dreams.

Then quietly-

"Mumma..."

Her voice cracked.

Anushka instantly pulled her closer.

"I'm here baby."

Anaira's eyebrows furrowed harder.

"No shouting..."

The cabin went completely still.

Aarav felt his stomach twist.

Virat shut his eyes briefly.

Anushka gently rubbed her back continuously until Anaira slowly relaxed again.

But after that, nobody inside the jet could breathe normally anymore.

Because hearing fear in a sleeping child's voice did something terrible to people.

Especially people who already loved her.

A little while later, the cabin crew quietly approached Virat.

"Sir, we'll land in around forty minutes."

Virat nodded once.

"Media?"

"We've coordinated a private arrival route completely."

Good.

Virat looked toward Anaira again.

The country did not deserve access to this child.

Not now.

Not ever.

He had seen how cruel headlines could become.

How people online dissected every photograph, every expression, every family detail.

No.

He would protect her from that world for as long as possible.

Anushka suddenly spoke quietly without looking up.

"We should change her surname legally later."

Virat looked at her carefully.

Not because he disagreed.

Because he already knew she was right.

Anushka's voice trembled slightly.

"I don't want her carrying his name forever."

Aarav looked toward both his parents silently.

This conversation made everything feel even more real somehow.

Not temporary help. Not emotional decisions made during grief.

Permanent.

Virat leaned forward slowly, elbows resting against his knees.

"We won't rush her."

Anushka nodded immediately.

"Of course not."

"She's already losing everything familiar at once."

Aarav stayed quiet listening.

Virat rarely spoke emotionally.

He solved problems. Managed situations. Protected people.

But Aarav knew his father well enough to hear what remained unsaid too.

Virat had already accepted her.

Completely.

Maybe he didn't even realize it yet himself.

Because Virat only became this protective over people he considered his own.

And right now?

Nobody in India would dare release one photograph of Anaira without consequences.

That alone said enough.

The jet lights dimmed slightly further as dawn slowly approached outside.

Soft orange sunlight started appearing faintly through the windows.

Anaira shifted again before slowly opening her eyes this time.

For a few seconds she looked confused.

Then immediately alert.

Children from unstable homes woke up fast.

Virat noticed that instantly.

No sleepy laziness. No slow adjustment.

Just immediate awareness.

Anushka smiled softly.

"Hi."

Anaira blinked up at her quietly.

Then looked around the cabin slowly.

"We're almost home," Anushka whispered.

Home.

Again that uncertain expression crossed Anaira's face.

Like she still didn't know whether she belonged there.

Aarav awkwardly held out the rabbit toward her.

"You almost dropped this."

Anaira immediately took it carefully.

"Thank you."

Her voice was tiny from sleep.

Aarav shrugged like it was nothing, though internally he still felt weirdly nervous around her.

He'd never had younger siblings.

Didn't know how to behave around kids properly either.

And Anaira wasn't exactly an easy child to read right now.

She looked toward Virat suddenly.

"Will there be cameras there too?"

Virat answered honestly.

"Probably."

Her fingers tightened around the rabbit again immediately.

"But they won't come near you," he added calmly.

Anaira studied his face quietly like she was checking whether adults actually meant what they promised.

Then after a moment she nodded once.

Anushka kissed the top of her head gently.

"You don't have to be scared."

Anaira stayed quiet for a few seconds before whispering something so softly they almost missed it.

"I don't know how not to."

The sentence hit every single person inside the cabin differently.

Anushka looked like she might cry again.

Aarav stared down at his hands silently.

And Virat-

Virat felt something fierce settle permanently inside his chest.

Because no child should say words like that so normally.

No child should live afraid for so long that fear itself becomes natural.

And somewhere between hospital corridors, media chaos, whispered conversations, and this quiet flight home-

Virat Kohli realized something fully.

Anaira wasn't entering their family temporarily.

She already was family.