The house was always tense when Raj and Ryan were in the same room. Born to different mothers but raised under the same roof, they had spent their entire lives in an unspoken competition. The elder Raj inherited their father Amar’s multi-million-dollar business, disciplined, successful, and constantly carrying the weight of expectations. Following his passion, Ryan rejected norms and rose to pop stardom, winning the hearts of millions.

Their rivalry had been simmering for years, boiling over into outright disdain. Every interaction between them was laced with sarcasm and veiled jabs. Although their father had attempted reconciliation before his death, his final wish was for his sons to reconcile and stand as one. But, in his absence, their bond only faded further. Their only common ground was their mother, Aarti. Though she wasn’t Ryan’s biological mother, she had raised him as her own after his mother, Shrestha, passed away. But even her love hadn’t been enough to bridge the gap between the two.

Then, one day, Aarti collapsed in the kitchen.

According to the doctor, she urgently needed a kidney transplant. Raj wanted to be the donor right away, but tests showed that his kidney wasn't compatible. The only potential donor was Ryan. The same Ryan who had spent years avoiding family obligations. The same Ryan who had vowed never to be tied down by their legacy. But this wasn’t about pride, it was about saving the only person who had ever truly loved him.

Ryan sat stiffly in the hospital chair as Raj paced the room, running a hand through his hair.

"You're the only match," Raj said, his voice strained. "Mom needs this. You have to do it."

Ryan scoffed, crossing his arms. "You think I need you to tell me that? I know what’s at stake. But don’t act like this suddenly makes us some happy family."

Raj exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This isn’t about us. It’s about her."

Ryan’s jaw tightened. He looked away, staring at the blinking lights of the hospital monitor. "You think I don’t know that? She’s the only person who ever gave a damn about me. Of course, I’ll do it."

Raj stopped pacing. He studied Ryan for a moment before nodding. "Good."

A tense silence filled the room before Ryan smirked. "But I swear, if I wake up and you’ve put some business contract in my hand while I’m under anesthesia, I’m suing you."

Raj chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t expect me to start calling you my hero after this."

Ryan grinned. "I wouldn’t dream of it."

Another storm hit while Ryan was getting ready for the transplant. He was born out of wedlock, the result of an affair, according to a nasty story that circulated through the media. He was surrounded by paparazzi who called him a disgrace. Overnight, his carefully built reputation was collapsing. His once-healed traumas were painfully reopened by being called undesirable, illegitimate, and a mistake.


For the first time, Raj saw his brother not as a rival, but as someone struggling, someone who had spent his life trying to carve his path in the shadow of the family name. Raj did what no one expected, he stood beside Ryan in a press conference and set the record straight.

As cameras flashed and microphones were thrust in his face, Raj took the stand.

"I know there have been some unwanted rumors, and I’m here to put an end to them," Raj began, calm yet firm, "Ryan is my brother. Our father and my mother separated before Ryan’s mother, Shrestha, came into his life. There was no affair, no hidden scandal, only a twisted narrative that the media has chosen to spin."

Ryan, standing beside him, looked down, exhaling slowly. He had spent years building his career, never letting his personal life define him. And now, Raj, his so-called rival, was standing up for him. It was surreal.

A reporter pushed forward. "Mr. Sharma, do you mean to say that Ryan has been unfairly labeled?"

Raj’s jaw clenched. "That’s exactly what I’m saying. He is not a mistake. He is as much a Sharma as I am. And anyone who disrespects my brother disrespects my family."

Ryan turned to Raj, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. He grabbed the microphone. "I spent years thinking I had to prove myself, to be something more than just ‘the other son.’ But I don’t need validation anymore. I know who I am. And thanks to my brother, so does everyone else."

The kidney transplant was a success, and Aarti woke up to find both her sons by her side. The rivalry that had defined their entire lives no longer held any meaning. They weren’t just reluctant allies anymore. They were brothers, standing together.

As they were leaving the hospital, Ryan smirked, nudging Raj.

“Guess we make a good team after all, huh?”

Raj chuckled. “Don’t get used to it.”

However, their bond felt unshakable this time, stronger than ever.