Mafia's Heartbeat

bonus chapter 3

You Were Just a Baby

The room was silent, except for the soft rhythm of Tanuj’s breathing.

He lay curled beneath the warm quilt, face buried in the pillow, a faint smile still on his lips — the kind that only came when he felt truly safe.

But Aarav couldn’t sleep.

He sat against the headboard, knees drawn up, eyes wide open in the dark. His hands gripped the edge of the blanket, jaw tight.

The engagement night had been full of emotions, healing, and letting go. But some things... some memories didn’t loosen their grip so easily.

His gaze shifted to Tanuj’s small hand resting on the mattress. Fingers twitching gently in sleep.

And suddenly, the memory slammed into him.

---

FLASHBACK — AGE 10 (Aarav), AGE 7 (Tanuj)

It was late. Too late for guests.

Their father was drunk again. And he wasn’t alone.

Aarav had watched from the staircase, frozen, heart pounding.

The man their father brought home — eyes glassy, lips curled — had looked at Tanuj with something vile. Something Aarav didn’t yet understand, but instinctively feared.

Tanuj had been wearing one of his oversized T-shirts, barefoot, clutching his stuffed lion, his thumb in his mouth.  In little space, as he always was when the yelling got too loud.

The man’s eyes followed him as he toddled past to the kitchen, humming softly to himself.

Then, the words. Slurred. Laughing.

“That little one’s pretty. Sweet thing. You ever think of—”

Aarav hadn’t waited to hear the rest.

He ran. Grabbed Tanuj. Slammed the bedroom door shut. Locked it. Pushed a chair under the handle. Pulled Tanuj into his arms and didn’t let go all night.

He held him so tight that Tanuj couldn’t breathe properly.
But he didn’t complain. He just whispered:

“I scared, bhaiya.”

And Aarav whispered back:

“You’ll never have to be scared again. I won’t let anyone touch you. Ever.”

He kept watch the entire night.
---

PRESENT — MIDNIGHT, INSIDE THE HOUSE

Aarav’s vision blurred.

He looked down at Tanuj — older now, yet still curled up the same way, still holding his hand in sleep like he used to.

“You were just a baby,” Aarav whispered, his voice cracking.
“And they... they didn’t even see you as a person.”

His chest shook. He pressed the heel of his hand against his mouth to stop the sound. But the tears came anyway — fast, silent, unstoppable.

He remembered the fear. The rage. The helplessness.
He remembered choosing to carry all of it so Tanuj wouldn’t have to.

And now, in the quiet of the haveli, those memories broke him open.

But then — a small hand touched his cheek.

Tanuj had stirred.

Still half-asleep. Eyes barely open. But sensing his brother’s tears.

He gently wiped them with his thumb.

“Don’t cry, bhaiya,” he mumbled, voice drowsy and innocent. “I’m okay.”

Aarav stared at him, broken. “You shouldn’t have had to be.”

Tanuj blinked slowly. Then shuffled forward, pressed his head to Aarav’s chest, and murmured, “But I had you. So I was okay.”

Aarav wrapped his arms around him. Trembling. Clutching.

They lay down like that tangled in silence, breath syncing, hearts remembering.

And finally…
the memory faded.
Not erased. But softened.

Because Tanuj was here. Safe. Breathing. Warm.

And Aarav didn’t have to be the shield anymore. Just a brother. Just love.

They drifted to sleep, wrapped around each other like the world couldn’t touch them anymore.

And it couldn’t.

Not now.
Not ever again.

My love to JoohaIsMyPoha