Nothing was right in Rudra's world.
The live wire in the pool. His brother getting electrocuted. The sight of his brother's shaking body in the water. Om and him pulling him out. Bhavya hurriedly pushing his brother's chest and stomach to get the water out. The paramedics descending upon them. The cursed sound of a flatline. The multiple defibrillations. His brother aspirating. The relentless CPR. The intubation. The long hospital stay. The blame, the snarks, the taunts. His brother waking up. The hope. The end of the tunnel.
Everything was right in Rudra's world again.
But his brain was muddled. A week had passed. Too much had happened. He had lost too much, gone through too much. He was beyond exhausted. He stared at his brother. Touching the side of his head, Rudra asked, "Are you okay?"
Shivaay smiled. He held Rudra's hand. "Yes. I am fine. But are you okay?"
Rudra's eyes swam with tears. No one had asked him that question for so long. Only his brother could have so much concern for him. And to think, he had spent the last five years hating this man. How could he? No. Scratch that. How dare he? How could he live like that? His heart dropped to his knees. He had left this very brother in the jail to rot alone. He had got married and not even bothered to tell him. He was never going to look at his own reflection in the mirror again.
His voice choked. "I don't wanna lie to you, Bhaiya. I am not at all okay."
Shivaay straightened on the bed. He cupped Rudra's face. "Aye, what happened?"
"Everyone thinks I did this to you."
The familiar, comforting smile and hand on his head was back. Shivaay stroked his head. "Well, everyone is wrong."
Rudra stilled and the tears flowed unchecked. He pressed his head in Shivaay's palm. "You trust me? Even after all that?"
Shivaay ruffled his hair and hugged him. He whispered, "You saved me, Ru. Even after all that."
Rudra couldn't hold back anymore. He sobbed for the lost five years and he sobbed for the past week; the wretched memories of Shivaay writhing in shock torturing his mind and heart alike for a week now. Only the heavens knew how he had managed to pull Shivaay out. He choked, "You remember?"
"I do..." Shivaay nodded and looked at Rudra. "I think I was just paralyzed briefly after the shock. But I felt and saw everything that followed. Thank you for saving me, mere bache."
It made Rudra cry harder. His brother called him his bacha after years. He was Shivaay's baby. He always would be. How the hell had he ever forgotten it? "No. I just saved myself and repaid a little bit of my debt. Bade karzein hai aapke, Bhaiya. I wouldn't have been able to live if you died on my watch."
Shivaay bobbed his head in acknowledgement. Rudra took a moment. The past week had given him a chance to do what he hadn't done in the past five years. No one talking with him had given him the time to get the whole case resolved. Needless to say, he was never getting over the guilt of not believing Shivay. He would always carry the regret in his heart. The sin of pushing his brother away would always taint his soul. But he could repent, right?
He looked into Shivaay's eyes. "I know what happened five years back. I had you investigated and I blackmailed Khanna. He cracked."
Shivaay didn't know what to say so Rudra continued. "You saved me that day. That too from my own Father. You spent five years in hardship. Nothing I will ever do will make it go away. I am sorry. To be honest, I am not even worthy of seeking an apology. I couldn't be a good brother."
Shivaay's chest heaved on hearing all that and he gasped. Rudra panicked and held the glass to his lips and he managed to take a few sips. He squeezed Rudra's wrist as tears pooled in his eyes. "Ru, I am sorry too. I should have told you both the truth. I ruined so many things to keep up your father's false image."
