Rooh (Book 2 - Singhania Brothers)

Part 5 : Consequences

A deafening silence prevailed in Singhania Mansion. The kind of silence that seperated lightning and thunder. The calm before the storm!

Ashi looked on worriedly. She was getting impatient by every passing second. Arnav's silence and calm demeanor wasn't helping. She could see the anger blazing in his eyes that he was keeping burying under his calm. Her apprehensions only grew ten folds more when she saw the fear behind the anger in his eyes. The reaction driven by fear is far worse than the one driven by anger!

She was equally angered by the description of events that the security had filled them with. The number of stupidities done by Aryan were a quite a lot to be slided away without consequences but what triggered her was not the stupidity, it was Aryan's lack of thoughtfulness. Aryan didn't need anyone telling him how inappropriate it was for him to lie and go with the other boys. To add on to it he must not have taken the wheels in his hands, not specially when he knew how particular Arnav was regarding his safety.

She gazed at her husband again who was calmly sitting on the sofa, his eyes fixated at the door and his face, devoid of any of the emotions that where driving a storm inside his chest.

Holding back was always difficult for Arnav. Whether be it love or anger, concern or fear! But surprisingly, not for once he had let his anger dictate his actions  when it came to his siblings. The reason being, he had nurtured them not only as a sibling, but as a father.

Today, he was being skeptical.

He had had a hard time to calm down himself when he got the call from security, narrating him the palpitating details of the incident that had taken place. He had blasted them off but he had enough experience to know that the fault lied at Aryan's feet.

His emotions was scattered all over the place with the call. All his insides were shrivelling with fear. However, he pulled himself together when he was assured that Aryan was safe. Though Arnav's heart couldn't rest unti he saw his child in front of him but the anger had surfaced and the terrifying probabilities of what could have happened with a moment of delay were escalating inside his head, driving the fear and hence the anger with great intensity.

Aniket walked inside the house, unaware of what had happened in his absence and smiled at Ashi. He was about to say something when the restlessness on Ashi's face registered in his brain. He frowned and turned his head to Arnav who was sitting on the couch. His eyes were not staring him but the door, Aniket realised a moment later. His expressionless stare worried Aniket. He quickly walked up to Ashi.

"Bhabhi?"

His voice brought Ashi out of her trance.

"Kya hua, Bhabhi?" He whispered slowly.

Ashi shook her head. "Aryan!"

Aniket was alerted. "Kya Kiya usne?"

She started telling him what the security had told them. She wasn't even done and Aniket's anger was already making itself known but one look at Arnav and his anger was replaced by worry. His eyes met with Ashi's who silently conveyed the same worry.

Both of them turned to the door when they heard the footsteps. Arnav stood up. Aniket was beside him in the blink of an eye. He could see how hard Arnav was trying to hold back.

"Bhaiya.." He began.

"Save it, Aniket." Arnav dismissed him as he took a step ahead towards the door.

"Bhaiya, please ek baar..."

Arnav stared at him. The sternness of the stare made Aniket take a step back automatically.

Aryan entered the mansion with slow and hesitant steps. His inner self wanted to turn away and sprint outside but he couldn't. He was followed with Mr. Sinha who walked past him, towards Arnav and talked to him for a few seconds. Arnav had just nodded his head once.