Saarthi- Rawte Brothers Book 3

1. Truth or Togetherness

"Sach ya Saath"

A question which bothered him. The silence around him echoed with immense pain as the noises filled in his mind.

"No you won't"

"I have no choice Mani"

"Nahi Mannu we will find a way out just don't do it."

"I have to go, Aaj agar Maine yeh nahi Kiya Mani toh bete ke nate toh main har Gaya magar Aaj ek bhai ke tarah bhi Mera haar hoga."

"This is not right Mannu, galti ki saza galti se nahi hoti tu Shant hoja woh tere papa hai."

"Badkismati se hogaye aur agar tune zindagi main kabhi mujhe aapna dost samjha hai toh Jane de."

"Dost mana hai isliye rok Raha hoon agar tujhe kuch hoga toh Teri family ko main kya jawab dunga batah."

"Keh dena Ma se ki unka betah aapni ki galti ka saza bhugat raha hai."

"Mannu."

"Mani tu mera best friend hai isliye keh Raha hoon main jo nahi kar paya chahkar bhi woh tujhe karna hai kyunki shayad meri wapasi ho hi na."

"Mannuuu" Abhimanyu gasped for breath as the shout vibrated through him. He felt himself shaking as he somehow brought his legs towards him and wrapped his hands around it trying to cajole himself. He felt a sob break through him as he realised that he was rendered helpless once again after years. Every cell of his body has only one question for him.

Was it all worth it?

Was threading in relations was all worth it?

This dirty game he was playing for years, was it really worth it?

Where would it take him next?

He shook again when a soft pair of hands held him at his place only for him to whimper in fear. He looked at the soft feminine concerned eyes as they reflected with love and worry and he felt another sob, that was the person he had destroyed. He destroyed the woman who stood strong against everyone and everything but could not against the truth which didn't just question her choices but also the mother in her and that was unbearable.

"Mannu" Avantika slowly pulled him closer to her concern in her increasing every moment. The brokeness she saw in his eyes made him gasp. The past one year she would have never thought for once that her little child would be embracing something so big that it would end up ripping her very soul apart. She pulled him to her lap and gently patted his head.

No matter what it was she loved him a lot but she couldn't let go of her truth. She will only have to learn how to. Sanely knew he himself was in pain but she was not able to forget anything that happened. Everything was like a movie in her eyes taking her from the first time they met in the hospital till this morning when she felt the slap land on her face with high intensity, the slap of truth, the slap which directly fell on the mother in her and the guilt in her filled up yet again.

She never realised that he was protecting her from the same truth. She wanted to say she didn't need any protection but this is not something any mother could take. She never realised he was holding himself strong for them, he did everything for them when he didn't have to do that. She never realised that her decisions caused her to trade in relations. The ball was with him till now but now the ball is in her court.

What is it that she wants?

'Sach ya Saath'

She looked at his tired self and had to stop herself from sobbing.