The iron gates of the Ahir mansion closed with a thunderous clang.
For a single, unbearable moment, the sound echoed louder than the children's cries.
Five black SUVs waited outside the estate like shadows with engines.
Rain clouds had begun gathering above, turning the late afternoon sky a bruised shade of grey.
Savita stood at the top of the marble steps, her saree fluttering in the wind, eyes cold and unwavering.
"Take them."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
The ten bodyguards moved instantly.
Meera struggled against the men holding her.
"NO! Don't touch my children!"
Her scream tore through the courtyard.
Aghav twisted in the grip of the guard restraining him and shouted back.
"Mama! I'll come back!"
Vivaan cried openly, kicking and thrashing.
Aria's face was wet with tears, but her eyes remained sharp, watching everything.
Anaya clung desperately to the edge of Meera's saree until a guard tore her away.
Little Reyansh bit down hard on a bodyguard's hand, earning a sharp curse.
Savita's expression did not change.
"If they are truly your children," she said coldly, "let fate decide whether they return."
Five car doors slammed shut.
Five roads opened.
And destiny split.
Road One — Aghav
The first SUV sped toward the city outskirts.
Aghav sat rigidly in the back seat, tears drying against his cheeks.
But his mind did not rest.
He watched.
The driver glanced at the rearview mirror every twenty seconds.
The guard beside him had a limp in his left leg.
The central lock clicked whenever the car slowed below thirty.
He memorised every turn.
Every road sign.
Every number plate reflected in nearby vehicles.
His small hands slowly tightened.
Survive first.
Return later.
The thought burnt inside him.
At the next traffic signal, the car slowed.
Aghav's eyes sharpened.
The guard beside him reached for his phone.
That one moment was enough.
Aghav slammed his elbow into the man's ribs, kicked the door open as the lock disengaged, and leapt out into the rain-soaked street.
The world spun.
Horn blasts screamed around him.
But the boy ran.
Fast.
Into the crowd.
Into fate.
Road Two — Aria
Aria's SUV took the highway.
She sat silently.
No tears now.
Only memory.
She counted the guards.
Two in front.
One beside her.
A gun tucked under the left jacket.
Checkpoint in seven minutes.
She had seen the sign.
When the vehicle slowed at a toll plaza, Aria suddenly pointed behind the guard.
"Fire!"
The man turned instinctively.
Aria ducked low, slipped between the seats, and shoved open the half-lowered window.
For a moment, her tiny frame was suspended in the air.
Then she dropped into the crowded toll lane.
By the time the guards exited the car, she had already disappeared among the vehicles.
Her heart pounded.
But her eyes remained steady.
Remember everything.
Road Three — Vivaan
Vivaan's road was lined with rain and chaos.
He was still crying.
Still calling for his mother.
But even through fear, instinct spoke.
At a fuel station stop, the guard stepped out for a moment.
The rear door remained unlocked.
Vivaan wiped his tears.
Then ran.
His small legs moved as fast as they could.
Into the market crowd.
Into the storm.
Into the unknown.
Road Four — Anaya
Anaya was quieter than the others.
Too quiet.
Her eyes remained fixed on the temple bells visible in the distance.
When the SUV slowed near a crowded roadside shrine, she whispered to herself,
"Mama said to go where people are."
The moment the car stopped behind a truck, she slipped beneath the guard's arm and darted out.
A priest standing near the temple entrance saw her.
A frightened little girl.
Alone.
He immediately moved toward her.
By the time the bodyguards noticed, the crowd had already swallowed her.
Road Five — Reyansh
Reyansh's road disappeared into the rain.
His guard kept a firm grip on his arm.
But the little boy never stopped fighting.
At a narrow bridge, thunder cracked overhead.
The driver slowed.
Reyansh stomped hard on the guard's foot and bit his wrist again.
The man cursed and loosened his grip.
That was enough.
Reyansh jumped.
The roadside was muddy and steep.
He rolled down into the wet grass below the bridge.
Rain lashed his face.
Above, guards shouted.
But the storm hid him.
For the first time, the little boy smiled through tears.
Mama will find me.
The Mother Left Behind
Back at the mansion gates, Meera had fallen to her knees.
The road ahead was empty.
The cars were gone.
The rain had begun.
Five roads.
Five children.
Five broken pieces of her heart.
Her trembling hand moved to her stomach.
The child inside stirred.
A storm yet unborn.
Through tears, she whispered into the rain,
"Survive… all of you."
And far away, on five different roads, five children made the same silent promise.
Survive first. Return later.