The book of snippets

Two birds

"Bhai" Nanko calls, "I am scared."

Abir immediately turns to him, no matter what is going on inside him, Abir can never turn away from his brother, "Kyun? Kya hua?"

"Woh main" Kunal pauses, "Kal London jaa raha hoon na..."

"Haan tho Harvard London main hi hain na" Abir quips, Kunal pouts, "suno bhai...

I've never been to another city let alone another country, wahan koi bhi nahin hoga, ketu, atul, naanu koi bhi nahin... maa bhi nahin.. aur... aur... aap bhi nahin..."

The way he says it pricks at Abir's heart.

"Do you think I will be okay?" Kunal asks.

"I know you will" Abir replies, "Kyunki tu mera nanko hai aur main humesha tumhare saath hoon..."

Kunal smiles softly as Abir ruffles his hair, "I will miss you bhai..."

Abir takes a loot at his brother, capturing every minute detail, he wants to remember this to the last the cell, "I will miss you too nanko" his eyes get red, "Bohoth zyada..."

4.

He's always wondered why Kunal didn't ask about their father the way he did. Why he didn't miss him? That was the only thing he couldn't talk to Kunal about, Kunal wouldn't stop him or shun him like maa does, but he couldn't tell it all, because he knows Kunal wouldn't understand.

The only comfort through out this pain to him was that at least Nanko doesn't know how abandonment feels.

Now, fate the cruel thing, he knows that too.

Abir does not know what to do.

He has never really liked Shweta, most people in the house did, but the way Kunal smiled when he talked about his dreams, their future... about her, he would have done anything to keep that smile intact.

But now that vile insepid had left his brother at the altar, she abandoned his little brother and broke his heart.

Abir should be angry at her, but he is angry at himself, cause he is scared and doesn't know what to do. He had wished for this, for Kunal to leave Shweta. But he didn't know what to do now.

Later that day. Kunal switches off his mobile and speeds away on his bike. Abir has always hated that bike too, but Kunal loved it and Abir has never been able to refuse him anything. He'd convinced Maa to get him the sports car as compensation.

Now he didn't know where his brother was or how he was and Abir was so afraid, he couldn't bloody breathe.

It's a lot later, more than he'd like, every damn minute was more than he'd like. When kunal calls him, he's holding back tears and biting back pain and Abir isn't much better, after all they have always shared everything.

When he reaches there, nearly speeding himself, Kunal is sitting against his bike, eyes closed, hand held to chest.

He runs to him pushing down the horror shows his mind is playing, Kunal looks at him with tired, scared eyes as Abir crouches down to him.