From enemies to brothers

Ch-4 The nightmare

That night, mahi was feeling emotionally exhausted. Seeing his father in the same condition as her....seeing his step brother, step mother, old house....everything came spilling in the dreams which turned into nightmares scarier than ever.

First, he saw her.. bleeding in his arms, dying, each breath looking more painful than the last one.
"This has happened because of you mahi....I am dying because of you."

"No...no, please, listen to me." Mahi said crying, "please..nothing will happen to you." But her eyes closed and she did not talk further.

And then suddenly the scene changed and he was in the hospital, In the ICU room in front of his father.

"Mahi...I am dying because of you." He could hear his father's whisper. "You are responsible for this."

Mahi screamed feeling restless and was trembling. "please, I am not responsible." He started to repeat, his voice increasing with each sentence.

Suddenly he could hear shouts of "mahi, mahi, are you alright?" And felt someone shaking him.

His eyes opened and he could not see anything for a few seconds, so he blinked many times and finally he could focus on the person shouting his name.

It was virat.
And he was not in the hospital or the road, he was in the room, the guest room.

He realized his hands were trembling and he was feeling out of breath, he quickly took his handbag from the table, having a little difficulty due to shaking of his hands, but he managed to find the medicine. He took the glass of water from the table and after spilling half the water, manged to swallow the pill with other half.

It took fine minutes for the medicine to show effects and finally his body stopped trembling and his hands stopped shaking and he could breathe normally again.

"Are you alright?" Virat asked his tone showing the concern he was feeling.
"Yes, I am alright. I am so sorry to wake you up." Mahi said realizing that he should have thought about this before.

"Was..was it a nightmare?" Virat asked.
Mahi nodded.
"Because of dad's situation?"
"Yeah." Mahi said half truth and half lie.

"Have you gotten nightmares before also?" Virat asked further.
"No, first time."
"Then how do you have the medicine? Which medicine did you eat and from where did you get the prescription?"

Mahi looked at virat a lottle surprised. Why was he concerned. He was actually accepting him to get angry for disturbing his sleep, but anger was the last thing on his face.

"Leave all this na virat." Mahi said trying to be casual. "you had to wake up at the middle fo the night because of me and I am sorry. But you can go to sleep now. I promise it won't repeat."

"Does aunt know about this medicines you have been taking?" Virat just wasn't leaving the topic.

"How does it matter, just go to sleep, please."

"I will tell her." Vi said getting his answer.
"Why? Why are you going to tell her? How does this concern you and what you will get?" Mahi asked getting a little irritated that his step brother was not letting it go.

"The screams....they were so loud and painful that I could hear it in my room and the thing is both of our doors were closed and what does this sentence "please I am not responsible?" Mean anyway?"

"It's nothing big, virat, if you tell aunt, she will make a big deal out of it."

"It looked like it was worth making a big deal of."

Mahi knew virat was worried about him and the nightmare that he had, as surprising as it sounds. And deep in his heart, he was feeling warm, seeing him concerned over him, but he knew he had to do this.
If he didn't, virat looked like he would tell aunt everything, and all the efforts made by him to hide everything from her, just so that she wouldn't worry, would be destroyed. 'Sorry virat' he said to himself.

"Can't you mind your own business?" He snapped, changing his voice with the help of years of acting.

Virat looked at him surprised and a little hurt at his tone which made mahi regret it more.

"Why are you behaving like a baby, going to complain about me to my aunt?"

"I don't believe you." Virat muttered. "I was just worried about you."

"I don't want your fake sympathy." Mahi said his voice holding anger which he didn't feel at all.

"Fake sympathy?" Virat asked. "Really? That's what I get for expressing a little concern? You know what, do whatever you want, hide whatever you are hiding from aunt, let nightmares increase and even die if you want." Virat shouted, storming out of the room.

Mahi was angry. At himself, this situation and everything happening right now.
He threw the two pillows and blanket on the floor angrily

"The fuck is wrong with you, mahi?" He asked himself. "He was concerned for you and you talk to him like that?" He wanted to try to build a relation with him, but if he behaves like this then it's the last thing that will ever happen.

Mahi sighed. He knew now he could not sleep, the nightmares could come again and he didn't want to take a risk. He decided to go downstairs instead and started to read a book on improving acting that he had brought.

At 7:00 am, virat woke up and went downstairs only to find mahi reading a book. He had half a mind to ask him about how he was and whether he had slept at all, because it definitely didn't look like he had slept, but after how his step brother had behaved with him, he had decided he wouldn't talk to about anything unless absolutely necessary.

Mahi saw virat going directly into the kitchen, ignoring him and he knew this is how it was going to be for the rest of the time, here. And it was his own fault.