RANJISH

23. Reality Check (Part- II)

Ayu: (Shocked, his voice thin) Kahi woh chale toh nahi gaye?

Abhi didn't wait for an answer. He knew Aru's mental state, and he knew Aru's promise to leave.

Abhi: (Shouting) Ayu, tu neeche check kar! Main upar waale rooms aur terrace dekhta hoon!

The house erupted into a desperate search. Armaan, Abhi, and Ayu ran through the vast mansion, shouting Aru’s name, their voices echoing through the expensive silence.

They searched the study, the library, the kitchen, and every corner of the grounds. They found nothing.

The dreadful realization dawned on them all as Abhi and Ayu searched the whole house. The faint bloodstain on the sheet and the missing small bag confirmed it.

The feeling shattered them. The protective circle they had built around Aru had failed. He was gone, having fled the mansion weak, betrayed, and utterly alone.

Ayu walked back to the main foyer, his face numb, the shock finally giving way to a devastating certainty. He collapsed onto a nearby sofa, his eyes vacant.

Ayu: (Whispering, the sound cracking) Chale gaye woh, Bhaiyu. Ab dobara nahi aayenge... kabhi nahi aayenge.

Abhi followed, leaning against the wall, his shoulders slumped. He was also teary. He knew the depth of Aru's hurt; this time, it wasn't a tantrum or a threat. Aru had fled when he was weakest, sealing his resolve. He knew this time they wouldn't be able to bring him back easily.

Armaan, however, was already in full action mode. He immediately pulled out his phone, bypassing his usual security chief and dialing Rana, his trusted official who handled all confidential, high-stakes crises.

Armaan: (His voice low and strained, barking orders) Rana, I need a complete surveillance and search grid set up immediately. Aransh has left the mansion. Find him. Track  his phones, his car... Everything. Discreetly. I need an update every thirty minutes

Abhi watched this frantic display, and the pent-up frustration and hurt finally erupted...

Abhi: (Angry, his voice rising) Ab kyun dhundhna hai aapko use, Bhai?!

Armaan: (Snapping his head up, his panic momentarily morphing into defensive anger) Abhi?!

Abhi: (His eyes wet with tears, stepping closer to Armaan) Kyun chilla rahe hain aap? Kya galat keh raha hoon main? Aap chahte hi nahi the ki woh humare saath rahe!! To be happy, Bhai! Chala gaya woh. Aapki wajah se chala gaya! Aapko khushi dene ke liye chala gaya!

Abhi's words were a brutal, unforgiving mirror held up to Armaan’s face...

Armaan recoiled as if struck again. He looked at Ayu, shattered and crying, then at Abhi, whose loyalty and heart were broken.

In that moment, Armaan saw how his brothers were hurt. He finally understood that the boy he was determined to prove wrong had, in just a few short days, conquered everyone's heart with his unexpected care and honesty. He had driven away the one person who was actively trying to heal their family, and he had done it out of blind, self-imposed hatred.

Abhi watched Armaan furiously making calls to Rana, mobilizing his entire security apparatus. He knew this frantic search effort was futile against Aru’s emotional pain...

Abhi: (His voice low and defeated) Aap Rana ko hire kijiye ya kisi ko bhi, woh nahi aayega. Woh bahut hurt hua hai, Bhai. Woh is baar kisi ke kehne par nahi aayega...

Armaan stopped pacing. He looked at his brothers one shattered, one defeated and finally made a promise, fueled by guilt and a strange, powerful sense of responsibility...