"You have intertwined our destinies. You involved her into this mess from the beginning of it all and now it's my time to intervene." He challenges.
"You have taken away everything from me and I never questioned you. I never bothered. But now I know...
"So grateful of you little brother. How are you doing?" Ritwik asks with a sarcastic chuckle, looking at him curiously. Curious because Manik hasn't looked into his eyes even for once and from upfront he can see the dark circles, the bags under his eyes. He has a sculpted body, something he never possessed before, the front of his sharp nose is slightly bent to the right side, he either fights or he had a fight with someone. But above all his eyes, his once innocent eyes, are gone, they are replaced with this gloomy, stony pair of grey eyes. He isn't doing good, he can't be.
"I am totally fine. How are you all doing?" He asks back, suddenly moving forward towards the stairs.
"I am doing fine. I heard your beloved brother isn't doing as fine as I am though. And also you left behind a best friend, who misses you more than any of us." Ritwik explains.
"Oh really?! It didn't look like that." He retorts, snapping his head and looking directly at him for the first time.
"You saw them." Ritwik states knowingly.
"Yes, I did and trust me they looked happier without me. I was never needed here Rik bhai. An unnecessary burden, an extra load. Anyone would be better off without me." Vulcan walks as fast as he can, but Ritwik sticks behind him, never giving up .
"You're angry. You're angry at us for taking away Teressa from you, you're angry at her for not considering your opinion. Accept the truth, Nik" Ritwik shouts.
Yes he is and he should be. But was it the reason, no it wasn't. And he knows it more than anyone else.
"I don't want to talk about a past that never involved me. If you please bhai, I have to leave. I have an urgent meeting to deal.." His words get cut off.
"Will you believe that we did everything out of an influence we had no control over? I guess you won't. I can't and don't blame you for any of it Nik. I will never ask you to think about me or Dev. We have been nothing but asses to you. But think about Teressa, think about Pratima ji, think about Nilu, I know you loved that kid with your heart. I am asking you to think about them, think about the family you had." Ritwik tries and Vulcan's eyes soften at the mention of the hazel eyed kid, the only one who stuck to him when everyone left his side but hiding it he immediately turns his head to look at him menacingly.
"You? Ritwik Raj Nagpati? Talking about family? The one who stayed out of it for most of his life, the one who stabbed his own brother and attempted to murder him? These words don't suit you bhai. But trust me when I say I don't blame you for anything, because the old me couldn't but I see you now. I see how.." His mouth stops along with his legs as he stands infront of a vacant parking spot. A vacant spot that's filled with a smell he was craving for God knows how many lives. Ritwik, Leo and Purnit stops at wherever they were because the expression on Vulcan's face is something none of them can decipher. His expressionless eyes are tearing up. His stern face is slowly turning vulnerable. His breathing becomes heavy as his trembling right hand slowly moves upwards clutching his chest where his heart is beating inhumanely fast. He closes his eyes letting the tears fall freely on the ground.
Pine trees, mountains, sandalwood....
Mrinal.
The world around him blurs as his focus falls on the only thing he can feel right now. A weird pain surges through his veins, a pain he never felt before and a hazy picture slowly surfaces infront of his eyes, a breathtakingly beautiful smile, the prettiest mouth with two overlapping canines making it even more beautiful, and then comes the dimples. He hears it, the pure, heartfelt laughter. The only difference is that, now he can see her smile and he is seeing it for the first time.
But then it disappears and his teary grey eyes snap open. He sharply turns his head towards the car that just left the particular parking spot. He can see it moving out and before the others could process what's happening he runs, he runs after it like a madman.
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