Rishton Ki Dor

15. Rishtey

"Abhi kaisa lag raha hai aapko bhaiya?" Ayaan asked the next morning. The two of them had just finished their breakfast. Ahil had left to deal with the company work.

"Mujhe bilkul theek laga raha hai," Mihir replied. "I'm telling you, I feel perfectly fine. Hum aaj hi ghar jaa sakte the."

Ayaan made a face. "Kya jaldi hai aapko waapas jaane ki? Raho na aaram se idhar. Itni acchi hotel book ki hai bhai ne. Mai to kehta hu do chaar din aur ruk jaate hai."

Mihir smiled at him. "Okay, ruk jaaenge. Aur Mom aur Sasha ko bhi bula lete hai. They'll also enjoy, haina?"

Ayaan narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Very funny. Udalo mazaak mere dum pe. Empathy to bilkul nahi hai aapme," he huffed.

Mihir just shook his head at him, still smiling. But he stopped when noticed something-a long scar near Ayaan's elbow in his right arm.

"Ye kya hai?" he asked, frowning. He took Ayaan's hand to examine it.

Ayaan looked at it and shrugged. "Are kuch nahi bhaiya, do din pehle bathroom mai thoda slip hoke gir gaya tha bas, counter ka maar lag gaya. Maine dawai laga li thi ispe."

Mihir sat up. "Kuch nahi hai? Itni gehri chot hai. Kab hua ye? Kisi ko bulaya kyu nahi?"

"Parso hi bhaiya. Tab koi ghar pe nahi tha."

Mihir's frown deepened. "Parso mai to ghar pe tha...mujhe kyu nahi bulaya tune?"

Ayaan's eyes widened in realization. Mihir was right, he had been at home that day! But Ayaan hadn't called him, because....well, because Ayaan had been doing the stupidity of staying away from him then.

"Bata! Chup kyu hai?" Mihir demanded.

Ayaan sighed. Looked like it was time to finally tell his brother the truth.

"Actually, bhaiya mai...mujhe aapko kuch batana hai....yaad hai aapne mujhe ghar pe kuch poocha tha?"

Mihir was confused for a second, then he remembered. He raised an eyebrow at Ayaan. "How is this related to that?"

"I'll explain everything, okay? Aap bas pehle meri puri baat suno."

Mihir was perplexed but he nodded. And so Ayaan began his explanation.

He told Mihir everything that had been going on in the last few days. Everything Rashmi had told him. What he'd overheard. It was harder than expected for Ayaan. Being vulnerable was not an easy task. But he reminded himself that this was Mihir, and forced himself to pour out everything that had been bothering him.

"Mujhe...Mai dar gaya tha, bhaiya," he said. He looked down as he spoke, unable to look Mihir in the eye and say the words. "I was scared ki aap meri harkato ke thek gaye the, mujhe hamesha sambhaalte sambhaalte fed up ho gaye...Mai genuinely aapke liye pareshaani ya koi burden nahi banna chahta tha bhaiya..." His eyes welled up, but he refused to let the tears fall. "I just...I wanted to be more mature. Everyone says I act like a child all the time...bas wahi badalna chahta tha...isliye maine socha ki aapko aur pareshan na Karu to...."

"To kya? Mujhse door rehke ke sab solve jo jaega?" Mihir questioned, and the anger in his voice stunned Ayaan enough to look up at him.