"Ishan we will be having a new child on the top of your bunk bed. Please clear out your toys from up there," The warden hummed to the 4 year old child.

Ishan looked at her blinking with his wide bambi eyes.

"Where will Mr Bear and Ironman sleep then?" Ishan asked innocently.

"With you, on your bed," The warden sighed out.

"Nuhh Mr Crocodile doesn't like me sleeping with others," The child mumbled innocently.

"Then they will be packed in your bag the whole night. You can take them out whenever you want to play with them but we can't let you hog the top of your bunk bed anymore Ishan." The warden grunted walking out.

Ishan pouted climbing up and looking at Mr Bear and Ironman laying on it.

"I am sorry, I want you to sleep nicely as well but Mr Croc won't let me sleep with you guys," he said hugging the Ironman.

He gave both the toys a peck on their cheeks before climbing down and putting them inside his bed.

"Oo look at who left this stinky toy here, what should we do with this now?" The 8 year old boy smirked while his other two friends laughed.

Ishan turned around to find his crocodile stuff toy in their hand.

"Give me back my Mr Croc," Ishan growled launching himself towards the left guy and hitting him with his small hands.

"Oww ouch ye chota bohot shaitan hai, ruk tujhe abhi sabak sikhata hu," The boy said flinging him aside.
[Oww ouch, this little one is acting like a brat,wait, I will now teach you a lesson.]

Ishan hissed getting up from the floor and glaring at him with tearful eyes.

"Ale ale dekho toh chota bacha rone lag gya," The other one snickered.
[Look at him crying like a baby]

"Main chota nahi hu, I am 4 years old." Ishan snapped.
[I am not a baby]

The three boys laughed at Ishan's attempt to look furious. Ishan huffed kicking the left one's knee and tried to take his crocodile stuff toy back.

"You bitch," The boy hissed punching at Ishan's face who whined at the pain.

"Let's teach him a lesson," The boy said and his friends hummed giving a kick to Ishan for fun before walking out of the bedroom with Ishan's toy in their hand.

Ishan ran after them yelling at them to stop. He couldn't run faster than them because of his short legs and the fact his stomach was still hurting because of those hard kicks.

"Please no," Ishan gasped when they threw the toy towards fenced area. The bull dogs sleeping at that time of day as the toy landed in their sleeping area.

The boys chuckled flipping the bird at Ishan before walking back inside the building.

Ishan sobbed as he tried to open the door of the fenced wires. It was a bit difficult because the lock was tight.

Finally the door opened as he sneaked inside trying to not make a noise. The bull dogs were scary even when they were asleep.

Ishan sniffled lowly as he clutched the toy, he continued to sneak out trying to not wake any bull dog only to topple over the largest one. The dog woke up startled growling as he looked at the child laying on top of him sobbing in fear.

Uh oh.

---

Shubman looked at the building lazily as he walked inside. The orphanage looked more of a farmhouse with the ponds and farm areas beside the building. Many children running around and playing freely without any worry.

Shubman scoffed as he looked at the guard who was holding his bag. He never wanted to be here. He wanted to be with his Dii. Yeah, his sister who was sent to juvenile for the crime he did. She took the blame on herself when it was Shubman who put the house on fire and killed his parents.

What else he could have done to save his sister? They were marrying off her 15 year old sister, who was a child herself to a big bad guy only for money, so that they could save their small business from going bankrupt.

Nobody was listening to him. What else could the child do then? So he did the thing which he saw on the movie '7 khoon maaf,' and set the house on fire at a night before the big bad guy was coming to see his sister.

He pulled his sleeping sister to the lawn beside the house and his few essentials and then set the house on fire just like the movie depicted. Both the siblings slept in the lawn as their house burned. And when Shubman woke up in the morning his sister took all the blame to herself, giving his brother a promise to not tell anybody the truth.

None of the relatives were ready to adopt him after his sister was sent to juvenile so that's why Shubman was sent to this orphanage.

He didn't even wanted any relative, all he wanted was to be with his sister. But the world wasn't letting it happen. But Shubman didn't cared. He just have to bear 8 years in this orphanage and then he can be with his sister again.

Suddenly loud barks jolted his train of thoughts, across a fenced area a small toddler was running from a group of bull dogs. Two guards were rushing inside to help the lad.

Shubman stared at the commotion while walking inside the building. Just before he was entering the corridor he saw the warden slapping the toddler who was clutching a toy in his hand while sobbing loudly.

Shubman rolled his eyes while walking through the corridor. Ofcourse these children are going to cry all the time. Shubman hoped these cry babies won't enter his personal space and give him his privacy. The last thing he want to do is be a babysitter for them.

---

Shubman emerged out of the bathroom after washing himself. It was lunch time, a woman came to feed him but he denied immediately. He wasn't in the mood to eat anything. Couldn't they all just leave him alone?

He huffed going to the bedroom. He had been appointed the top bed in the bunk beds. There were atleast 10-15 bunk beds in each bedroom. Atleast there was a bed, he had been expecting just mattress on the floor. This orphanage was good enough with basic amenities. The bathroom was also clean.

He hummed climbing on top of his bed as he saw the child from before sitting on the bottom bed with a woman hugging him.

"Miss I wasn't fooling, I swear they threw Mr Croc there. I went to save Mr Croc"

"I know Ishan, I trust you. I will punish those boys okay. Please eat the food. Good boys don't waste food," She said patting his back.

Ishan sniffled nodding his head.

"That's my boy, you are always such a good boy, my favourite. Now stop crying, look I got you two cups of raita. You love it naa?" She cooed wiping the tears away from his face.

Ishan nodded taking the plate and munching on his food.

"Good boy, finish it all. I will come in a while, till then I should find this plate empty okay?" She said and Ishan smiled nodding his head. She walked out of the room to make the other children eat their food.

Shubman rolled his eyes at the interaction. All these women acting all fake and lovely, it's just a job for them. Why would someone love and care for a child who ain't their own son or daughter?

"Why are you not eating bhaiya?" Ishan asked and Shubman jolted to find the boy on his bed. When did he even get here?

"What are you doing here?" Shubman snapped glaring at him.

"It's my bed. I can be anywhere I want to," Ishan shrugged.

"No it isn't, your bed is down and mine is the top one. Get down," Shubman bit off.

"Why are you so angry? Did the aunt forgot to guve you food? Are you angry because you are hungry?" Ishan tilted his head.

"Kid, stop talking and get down." Shubman closed his eyes in frustration.

Ishan quickly climbed down and Shubman sighed in relief.

But then Ishan was climbing up again with his plate in his hand.

"Why are you coming up with food?" Shubman grunted.

"I am sharing my food with you, you can eat some and be less angry." Ishan giggled putting the food in front of him.

"I don't want to eat," Shubman muttered.

"Why?" Ishan asked. The boy had big eyelashes, Shubman noticed.

"I don't think you are my guardian or something that I have to tell you,"

"Gua- gua- gua- Do you want guava?" Ishan asked unable to pronounce the word.

"Heh? Guava? Seriously? Are you a kid?" Shubman shook his head.

" I am a kid." Ishan shrugged.

"Look kid, just get down." Shubman scoffed turning his head.

"Why?"

"Because I want to get some peace,"

"I also want some ice cream," Ishan pouted.

"You- you are doing it intentionally right? If you don't get down ri—"

"Shubman gill, I don't have time for brats like you. Why are you not eating your food?" The warden scoffed barging inside.

"Because I am not hungry," Shubman shrugged.

"He want peas," Ishan said pointing at Shubman.

"What? I do not,"

"You just said you want peas,"

"I said I want peace,"

"Yeah you want peas,"

"Peace,"

"Peas,"

"Peace,"

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU," The warden growled.

Ishan jolted at the loudness. He quickly put a finger on his lips shutting his mouth.

"And you Shubman, I have catered lots of brats like you. I will ask you last time nicely, do you want to eat lunch or not?"

"No," Shubman muttered.

"Fine then, meet you at dinner. No snacks or anything for you till then," The warden scoffed going out of the room.

Ishan gulped down his raita while staring at Shubman.

"When will you go down?" Shubman sighed staring at the brat.

"You really are going to starve yourself?" Ishan asked instead.

"I am not hungry," Shubman snapped and Ishan casted his eyes down.

"Don't shout, Miss says only bad boys shout."

"Then I am a bad boy, now go." Shubman scoffed and Ishan nodded his head.

"Fine, I was just sharing my food. Miss says its nice to share, if you don't want it, then it's okay." Ishan said climbing down to his bed.

He didn't disturbed Shubman for the whole day.

---

Dinner time came soon enough. Shubman was feeling hungry by now but he refused to eat anything which was not made by his sister.

Everyone were in the hall eating their dinner and probably chit chatting with their friends. Except for Ishan. He was again eating his dinner on his bed.

"Why are you not out like others?" Shubman asked from the top. Ishan looked up at him and shrugged.

"They don't let me eat it, atleast here I can finish it without ny food getting thrown by others."

"Don't you have friends to help you? I saw you playing with others in the evening. " Shubman asked.

"They are not my friends, I just spend time with them. Mr Croc says to not trust anyone and just soend time with others when I am bored. Nobody deserves to be my friend,"

Shubman shook his head at the attitude this small lad just showed.

"Why are you not eating dinner? Aren't you hungry?" Ishan asked.

"I don't want to,"

"Do you want to eat from my plate? I can  share with you," Ishan said showing his plate.

"I. Am. Not. Hungry." Shubman scowled.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I am, don't disturb me. Instead learn to take revenge from your bullies," Shubman scoffed.

"Bull?"

"The children who annoys you,"

"I also annoy them back,"

"What did you do when they threw your stuff toy huh? You were only crying and then acted like nothing happened,"

"I will annoy them back for that. I know what to do," Ishan said.

"How?"

"Why will I tell you? What if you become their friends and tell them?"

"I am not interested in being anybody's friend," Shubman snarled.

"Still, if you want to know then just wait for tomorrow. You will know it," Ishan grinned eating his food.

Shubman waited for the next day.

---

The next day when Shubman was done with his morning routine and cleaned his bedsheets and mattress he looked at Ishan who emerged out of the bathroom.

"You can bath alone?" Shubman was surprised.

"Yeah, I am a good boy and can bath and even go to washroom alone. I don't disturb miss for these things," Ishan grinned.

"Whatever good boy, by the way you did that naa?" Shubman asked pointing at the three lads who were standing on their knees with their hands up.

Ishan giggled nodding his head.

"They sleep so heavily so they didn't even noticed me pouring water on their bed. So when warden came and saw their beds wet she thought they peed. They don't even know themselves that they didn't peed. So my revenge is done," Ishan grinned.

"You are such a bad boy,"

"Nuhh, I just did tit for tat. I didn't lied or  annoyed anyone younger than me and did not disturbed miss or warden or any guard unnecessarily so I am not a bad boy." Ishan humphed.

Shubman chuckled shaking his head. This boy was something else.

Atleast he knows how to stand up for himself. He was even a bit mature than a 4 year old toddler but still acted like how a child should act.

---

A/N -