Pranbir: lifeless without you

Part 12: his solace

Prachi:"Ranbir, who is more important to you? Them or us? Those people who hurt you every single time or those who love you immensely?"

Ranbir tried to calm himself.
Prachi:"before it was different. You physically hurt yourself to avoid the emotional damage. But now, you are connected to us: Aryan, me.
Don't hurt yourself for us. Don't close on us. We love you Ranbir. If you are hurt, we feel it too. Aryan is connected to you, Dida is. I am.
And we are always with you, forever. They cannot spoil this. Most importantly you can't let them spoil this.
Don't ever give them that satisfaction."

Aryan:"she is right, bro. Now you are not alone. You don't have to keep it for yourself. Share it with us. And we will listen."
Ranbir hugged both of them. He tried to stop the tears from falling but a few escaped.
He wiped them before breaking the hug.

Ranbir, to Aryan:"Sorry, i didn't even listen to you earlier."
Aryan, trying to lighten the mood:"Prachi.... (Dramatically) Ranbir is saying sorry... what a miracle?"
The boys chuckled.

Ranbir:"you need medicine as well, you came in between my beatings."
Aryan:"my fiancée will do mine, let your girlfriend do yours."
Aryan left from there, closing the door.

Ranbir turned to Prachi who started to pick up the mirror pieces.
He bent down and helped. They cleaned the room in complete silence. It was too quiet. Ranbir knew she was angry.

He held her hands and made her face him. He noticed that she was teary eyed.
Ranbir:"i am really sorry...." He held his ears to apologize.

Prachi:"that's not going to work. You didn't think of me.... Mr. Kohli, that's not right."
Ranbir:"really sorry."

Prachi:"don't ever hurt yourself for those people. I have only you now. I can't see you getting hurt."
Ranbir nodded. She hugged him tightly.

Prachi:"sit, i will do your first aid."
Ranbir followed her orders and sat quietly. Prachi started to apply the medicine. First on his bleeding hands, then moved to his cheek.
And lastly his lips.
He hissed as soon as the cotton touched his lip.
Prachi:"sorry sorry...." She blew on his lips to lessen the pain.
Prachi felt his gaze on her and looked at him.

Prachi:"i had to do your first aid twice today. That should not happen again. I won't let...."
Ranbir shooed her and then realised something.

Ranbir:"how did you come here?"
Prachi:"Aryan...."
Ranbir:"someone saw you?"
Prachi:"you think if i saw that woman and your dad i would be here? That reminds me, how can they hurt you, i will talk witg....."

Ranbir:"no, no. Let's go to your hotel."
Prachi:"i will meet them..."
He dragged her outside his room and steadily brought her to the car.

Prachi:"i will drive." Ranbir handed her the keys and went to the passenger's seat.

At the hotel:
Prachi went to change into her night dress. Ranbir was removing his shirt when he saw some bruises on his back.
There were more before, his back used to be covered with marks but now they faded away. Only some were left.

Prachi came out and saw him looking at his bruises.
She hugged him from behind and kissed his back.
Ranbir turned around to hug her properly.

Prachi:"let's sleep. I am exhausted."
Ranbir:"let go."
They both laid down and Ranbir hugged her.
Prachi kissed his forehead and run her fingers in his hair.

Ranbir fell asleep within a few minutes.

Prachi looked at the bruise on his shoulder and remembered when Ranbir told her everything about his parents.
They would beat him every day. Most of the days he didn't know why.
One day after getting beaten up, Pallavi came to him and offered him drugs to numb the pain. Ranbir told her that he refused, but she forcefully made him have it. Not once, nor twice but several times. He became addicted to it afterwards.

Prachi also remembered how Ranbir told her that Aryan helped him to stop the drugs.
After that he left, he went to other place in india for his schooling. And finally London.

She was worried for him, he was not safe there. She didn't trust them.
She also felt asleep soon after.

On the other side:
Aryan was with Shahana who was tending to his wounds.
Shahana:"what happened like that, Aryan?"
Aryan didn't say anything to her until now. But in a few days, Shahana was going to stay with them. She should know.
So he started to tell her.
Aryan:"you know right, when my parents died i lived with Dida in Pune."
Shahana nodded.
Aryan:"Vikram uncle business was failing slowly, he had to sell the Pune house. That's why we came here. Dida used to tell me that i will have Ranbir as my friend. He was very naughty. However when we came here, Ranbir was different.
He was quiet, didn't utter a word. He would always stay in his room.
Initially i thought that he was angry with me. Like he will have to share everything even his room..."

Shahana looked in listening attentively. Aryan has always been protective of Ranbir. She wanted to know why.

Aryan, continued:"then one night, i heard him screaming in his sleep. He was having nightmares. Nightmare of someone beating him. I calmed him down that night and he hugged me and slept.
The next morning he tried to avoid me and i didn't want to make him feel bad that's why i let it go. But then it happened again and again, every night. I would calm him down and he slept afterwards but then i questioned him.
He showed me the bruises on him, saying that it was his parents. I didn't believe him and thought that he was just scared. But one night i saw it."

Shahana was teary eyed.
He told her about the drug problem also. How Ranbir had to leave to get his life back on tracks.

Shahana:"how can they do this to him? That too his own parents? I can't believe this..."
Aryan hugged her.
Aryan:"Ranbir never told Dida any of it. Neither the beatings nor the drugs. He didn't want her to know. I thought they realized what they done but no. They are still doing it."

Shahana:"but why are they doing this, Aryan? Why?"
Aryan:"i don't know. Ranbir never told me."

Shahana:"i  am glad that he has you and now Prachi. She seems a nice girl."
Aryan nodded:"i never saw Ranbir like this with a girl."
Shahana:"love, Mr. Khanna. Love. It brings the best out of you."
Aryan nodded and hugged her once more.

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Thank you so much for the comments. Couldn't write more as i am very sleepy. So if there is mistakes, really sorry.
And thank you for all the votes and comments.