Orphanage Courtyard – Afternoon
Ravi sat in the corner again. No one came near him anymore… and by now, he was used to it.He had accepted himself as "the cursed boy."
Then, two people approached — a boy and a girl.
Boy (looking at Ravi, slightly annoyed):"You came here again without telling us? Why do you keep running away from us? We just want to be your friends."
Just then, another boy came running.
Second Boy (panting):"Hey! Don't you know? He's cursed! Stay away from him… or you'll meet death too!"
Hearing this, tears filled Ravi's eyes. He quietly got up… and ran away.
At the Stairs
Ravi sat alone, crying.
Ravi (thinking):"Mom… Dad… why did you leave me? Everyone here troubles me… they call me 'The Cursed Boy.' Was it really my fault… that you died?"
Suddenly, the boy and girl found him again.
Boy (catching his breath):"Phew… finally found you after searching everywhere!"
Girl (softly):"But why do you keep running away from us? We just want to talk to you."
Ravi (quietly):"You don't understand… I'm cursed. If you stay with me, you'll die too ,just like my parents did."
Ravi thought:"I don't know why but in this whole orphanage… Shivam and Tanya are the only ones who try to talk to me From the last five years. No one else even comes close."
Shivam (smiling, sitting beside Ravi):"Oh really? Then I'm cursed too… because my parents died in a car accident, and I survived."
Tanya (with a small laugh):"Then I'm cursed as well! My whole family died in a house fire."
Shivam:"See… there's no such thing as curses. It's just people's superstition."
Tanya:"And anyway… a friend's job is to bring a smile to their friend's face. So come on… give us a smile."
From that moment… Shivam and Tanya became not just Ravi's friends, but his protectors.