ODYSSEY-The Journey Ahead (DISCONTINUED)

✰𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜✰

IN OTHER PART OF THE CITY

             Home Sweet Home

                Mr. Vijay Mishra
        Mrs. Shivya Vijay Mishra
                           &
        Our little Ray of sunshine

The rusted nameplate on the door read.

"ANI, you will hurt yourself baccha, stop running around the house."

"hahaha, mummaa aap mujhe pakad kar dikhaiye mai ruk jaunga"

"Ani mumma is tired baccha please"

"Aise kaise mumma, aap toh superwoman ho aap kaise tired ho sak.."

"BHAIYA"

I startled out.

Aditansh's worried eyes were boring into mine. I looked around. We stood outside the flat we were to shift in. Our home. Our new abode.

I felt pressure on my hand and looked to my side. Aashay was looking equally worried at me, more like on the verge of crying.

I could only give them a small smile. I put the keys in the lock and when the lock clicked I felt my hands trembling.

With a gentle push, The door creeked open. The dust around blurred our visions. The smell of old wood filled our nostrils. I could hear Aashu and Adi coughing behind me, but it wasn't the center of my attention. I took small steps inside.

The coughing behind me only intensified but to me it was all muffled. I kept walking I reached there. My hands lifted at their own accord and gently carressed the sliding balcony door pane. With trembling hands I reached for the handle and twisted it open.

As the first blow of the breeze gently carressed my face, I felt her presence. I shuddered at the sudden gust. All my pent up emotions came crashing down. I fell to my knees. Tears made way, and the voices of the past echoing in my brain, came out as loud cries.

I let myself drown in the misery of my past, present and everything there was.

mumma, please apne paas bula lo ab mujhe. Haar chuka hu mai ab. Damm gutata hai mera. Nahi ho raha please maa, papa ne bola tha mai khud ko mazboot rakhu, mai tha papa bas aur nahi. Khatam kardo sab maa, bula lo apne paas.

Aditansh's POV

I was stunned into silence. Since the death, Bhaiya, had not once let his tears fall. He was always the more emotional one amongst us all in the family. But since the tragedy, he did not shed an ounce of emotion.

I had feared his outburst, but never, not once, did I fathom that I would ever see him like this.

Kneeled on the floor, in the middle of the balcony, resigned, devastated , broken. The screams of the cries were bulleting me one after the other. I knew there were words behind those cries but he would never utter them. My mind was instructing me to rush to him and pick him up but my heart knew it would be cruelty to plunge in on the moment.

Bhaiya ne bahot se dard aur maayusi dekhi hai, beta. Kabhi kuch nahi bolega voh. Dil hi dil me ghutega lekin bolega nahi. Khayal rakhna uska Adi.

When the loud crys toned down, I walked to the balcony and kneeled down beside Bhaiya.

Unki Aaakhon ka khalipan darsha raha tha ki voh apne khayalon me the. Shareer bhale hi yaha tha par unka mann aur uske khayal unn purane dino me the.

After a while, Bhaiya streched himself back and took support of the wall. I could see him running his eyes around each corner. How they would pause at the small pots of plants, which now had flowers badly wilted, the small paintings that hung around. He softly shifted his gaze to me.

And that is my brother for you all!
A small smile. A pain-filled one, but a smile nonetheless, graced his tear soked face.

He opened his arm, beckoning me to slip closer. We held on to each other, no words exchanged, just holding ourselves in each other's embrace.

"Aashu kahan hai?" Bhaiya asked whilst his head rested on mine.

I frowned. It was unlike Aashu ko stay silent for so long. Bhaiya, sensing my feeling, got up and walked out of the balcony.

But Aashay was no where to be seen.

Aditansh's POV End

My heart paced.
"Aashu!" I called out.

But nothing in return.

I went looking around the house, but couldn't find him anywhere.

I was not ready for this.

I kept calling for me.
When I could not find him anywhere inside the house I rushed outside.

"Aashay!"

And there I found him.

Cuddled in himself in a small corner outside, Tears streaming incessantly.
Aditansh caught up and sat down next to Aashay. In the silent moment, I too walked up to them and sat down.

I tried holding Aashay's hands but he pulled back. He looked up at me.My boy who never left an opportunity to cuddle and hug, didnot make any effort this time.
But believe me, I don't blame him.
Our lives had turned way too cold for us to expect any warmth.

Silence prevailed.

"Yeh dard kab khatam hoga?"

Aashay asked, to neither of us in particular.

For a while none of us spoke anything.

I heard Aditansh pull in a deep breath. He stood up and dusted his trousers.

"kabhi nahi"

He turned back towards us.

"Ab iske saath hi zindagi guzarni hai. Ro kar, tadap kar, ya khush hokar."

He walked back inside.

Reality. One has to accept it. You can choose to hide behind illusions but reality will find its way to make you recognise it. And this,
THIS IS MY REALITY.

Saheban kadardaan Meherbaan

This was the chapter.
It has been brought to my notice that ACTUAL HUMAN BEINGS read my stories. So from  now onwards, I will try to make my 'End of Chapter Notes' more human-friendly.

And about the chapter, I find it very high on emotions, and well, I am not even remotely as enlightened as one must be to talk so deeply.
Regardless, I felt the chapter was critical in the play of the story line, so pushed myself to write it.

Thank you for reading, fellow human being!