Anguish & Affection

Part 1

Aditi Singh Chauhan gave her uninterested brother a playful nudge, saying "C'mon Golu, it's time for you to upgrade your wallet. You've been using the same one for years now!"

The employees of the store waited for the comments of Atharv Singh Chauhan, a billionaire who had just walked in. It would bring them great honor and publicity to add him to their list of clients, and they were keen to avoid losing the profitable business opportunity that had presented itself. Their eyes darted back and forth, looking for clues in his expression or manner to see how he was reacting to their latest designs.

The sales attendant's cold and cruel words daggered into the chest of nineteen-year-old Atharv like freezing blades. "Be gone with your tattered clothes and stench! This is no place for the likes of you!" The repugnant young man cast his eyes downward, shame engulfing him as he slinked away - a broken soul.

He remembered a time when the salespeople and managers welcomed him and his family with open arms. But destiny had cruelly conspired against him, dropping him in the middle of a chaotic hurricane that howled and churned until it sucked away everything he cherished and loved.

A deep hollowness bloomed in his empty pockets, a reflection of the hungry voids created by those desperate to join the powerful and wealthy. He shot one last longing look at the tantalizing meals, aching for the day when he could devour something warm, fragrant, and juicy instead of consuming the cold, flavorless meals from their meager plates.

The manager inched closer to Atharv and asked, "What color wallet would you like, Sir? We have the finest leather in the world right here." But Atharv didn't even flinch; he just kept staring at his phone.

"I'm not interested in buying a new wallet, Di. My current one is working just fine," he stated without lifting his head from the display.

Aditi peered at him with her piercing eyes, quickly surveying the rest of the room to make sure no one was listening. She leaned in and said quietly, "Is it because you're fine with the wallet or is it because it's a memento from someone who isn't here anymore?"

"You, the stingiest creature on this planet, spent your measly allowance on THIS?" Atharv exclaimed in disbelief, as he ran his fingers through the plush material of the luxurious black leather wallet. "Where did you find a pot of gold? Is there a typhoon coming to shower down gold coins upon us?", he jested.

The person who had just given him the touching gift had huffed and marched off towards their house. A crooked smile stretched across his face as he hurried after her, determined to catch up.

Atharv felt his heart sink into a vacuum of dread as the nostalgia swirled around him. His hand clutched the phone, knuckles white with tension. He felt the raging heat of anguish that had been smoldering inside him for years build into an inferno in his chest. The pleasant hum of the air-conditioner was drowned out by the roaring fury that he'd been holding back for so long. His lips twisted into a sneer of scorn and hatred as the fond memories were transformed into a storm of poisonous arrows that shredded every last shred of peace from his soul.

"Golu..."

Aditi's hand reached out to him, but her fingers trembled. The fine skin on the back of her hands bunched up into thick lines, and the wrinkles grew deeper as she clenched her fist. Her eyes rolled back into the skull, and beads of perspiration had adorned her forehead. Another hand of hers rested against her chest as she tried to catch her breath.

"DI!!!"

****

Atharv Singh Chauhan was a man tormented by his demons. She had been to the emergency room of the hospital many times in the last decade, but this time it seemed worse than before. Living in precarious conditions during their youth had weakened her immune system and made her prone to opportunistic infections ever since. Even with top-quality care from experts around the world, she couldn't be completely healed.