Niharika went on all shy mode, the following day. No matter how much Ranvijay tried to talk to her, she would shy away, blushing profusely. Somehow, this was ticking the beast in Ranvijay even more.
Niharika was getting ready to go back to her cousin's wedding celebrations. She was wearing kajal, when Ranvijay came out of bathroom, with his hairs wet. He wore his shirt, and started buttoning it up, in front of the same mirror as Niharika. Until now, Niharika was busy wearing her kajal, once she was done, her eyes fell on Ranvijay buttoning up his shirt, looking directly at her through the mirror.
Without even a bit of blush, her cheeks reddened. Ranvijay smirked looking at her, "If you shy away this much, I might not be able to spare you for the day."
Niharika looked at him, through the same mirror, confusion written all over face. Ranvijay proceeded further, hugging her back, kissing her side of face, and her nape, and rubbed his nose on her shoulder, that was exposed from the blouse.
"Breathe, wife." Ranvijay whispered in her ear, touching his nose on her upper lobe, Niharika wasn't even aware, that she has stopped breathing.
"Already, I am left wanting more, and with this antics of yours, you are making it impossible for me, not to pin you here and this very moment, and repeat all those what I did to you last night!"
She blushed even more, trying to hide her face in the crook of his neck, in the same position. Ranvijay spared her some slack, loosening the grip on her, she immediately turned around, hugging him tightly.
While hugging back, Ranvijay felt the long threads of her blouse hanging, waiting to be knotted. He gently removed her hair from her back to a side, and tied the threads in their successive knots.
Suddenly, Niharika questioned, "You are happy with me, right?" Fear, insecurity, concern playing in her hopeful eyes, Ranvijay break free from the hug, cupping her face in his hands, looking directly at her, a small smile gracing his lips. He kissed her forehead, staying there, Niharika's eyes closed on their own accord. As if they both had their answers, even without words.
Niharika smiled, "This man, give him dirty talks, he will talk even without hitch, but ask him something emotional, his 'I-don't-talk-but-Express' mode will get on".
"Are you complaining, wife?" Ranvijay asked faking hurt. "Not at all," somehow him calling her only wife, fills her with an odd sense of security, pride and a tiny bit of seduction also.
Time Skip (At office)
"What are doing here, Arjun?"
"Can't I come to see my brother."
Ranvijay didn't bother to answer. But, Arjun's face clearly showed, he was up to no good, and that somehow, disturbed Ranvijay.
"I will come to the point. As you know, father's age affected him, with some serious contortions in his management ability. I need money to put everything back to its original state."
"Have you consulted someone about this?"
"I am the boss, why would I need someone's consultation to decide what's better for my company?"
"Are you sure? As far as I know, you haven't studied management, nor you have any experience regarding this, I think it would be better for you to consult someone, if you to keep your position, and also your company's well being."
"Shh...shh, big brother, I don't need your suggestion, nor help. I just want what is rightfully mine."
"I think, you already do. You have what you should, also what was rightfully mine, I have given that to you."
"You still have something of mine,
left with you."
"Stop playing puzzle, and come to point."
"This company."
Ranvijay's eyebrow crushed.
"What are you meaning? Dadu clearly gifted this to me."
"But don't you think,
I have equal rights on dadu too. So, it should be half and half."
"I can't believe, my Arjun is speaking all these." He chuckled bitterly. "Fine, if you want so. Anything for my little brother."
Arjun didn't know Ranvijay would agree this fast. He came with the hope of some serious arguements. He came thinking, he would have to do even more than this to convince him. He was stupefied. Was he wrong? Was he wrong in the portrayal of his brother? Was he just thinking all these in head. He was once again torn between the two halves fighting inside him.
He couldn't shed off Ranvijay's endearment from his head, "my Arjun" was repeating in loops in his head. He was so much disgusted with everything, that he left from there without any other word.
On the other hand, Ranvijay heaved a sigh. Arjun's behavior has torn the last thread of hope he had. He couldn't help but call Niharika, "Hey!" Ranvijay didn't reply, but immediately asked, "Where are you? What are you doing?"
His voice didn't seem right to Niharika, "Ranvijay, What happened?"
"Can you please come to me?" Ranvijay literally begged. There was an awkward silence, which Ranvijay couldn't deal with, emphasizing another please, that came out as a mere whisper.
"I will be there in an hour." Just when Niharika cut the call, Ranvijay was startled with a huge crash sound followed by a commotion.
He went out of his office to see what all of it's about, when Dhara rushed in, "Arjun Sir fell down the stairs."
His heart shattered like glass, he ran out like a mad man, spotting a wailing Arjun, who was trying to stand up with help of some other employees.
"Have you lost your mind, Arjun?" He rushed to his brothers side, lifting him up in a blink. "How did you fall, you stupid, your eyes aren't just showpiece, learn to use them!" Ranvijay was losing his calm.
"Tell your staff to do their job properly, there was water on the stairs!" Arjun was stupefied for a moment at Ranvijay's outburst but he quickly replied, saving his respect.
"What! Who the hell did that? Can't you be a little more careful!" Ranvijay literally growled at his employees. Everyone was stunned, the Ranvijay who never raised his voice on them, was shouting at the top of his lungs, that too for his injured brother. Injured? Maybe a sprained ankle and scratches here and there.
"Someone call the doctor." Ranvijay again screamed at the top of his voice, helping the limping person to his cabin.
He was pacing back and forth, calling countless doctors to see if they're available. On the other hand, Arjun was looking at Ranvijay with an emotion, unknown to his own heart. He couldn't quite decipher, what he was thinking, why he was feeling happy, why he was feeling guilty, more over why he was feeling! He just wanted half of Ranvijay's dream some minutes ago, and but Ranvijay is running around, worried for him? Something he was sure, that Ranvijay can never pretend. He would straight away reject you and face the consequences than pretending and giving false hopes.
To Ranvijay's dismay none was available, he was about to tear his hair apart, when Niharika burst into his cabin.
Ranvijay looked up from his phone, "Ranvijay, what happened, what is the chao.." Niharika couldn't complete her sentence, when Ranvijay ran to her and hugged her midway, so tightly, that the world would collapse any moment, he let her lose.
Niharika was stunned, but she expected something like this, owing to his voice over phone. She didn't see Arjun sitting at the corner looking at them.
She didn't know, what she was consoling him about, "Shh, I am here... hey, what happened?"
She stroked his back and his hair, he hid his face in the crook of her neck, mumbling, "Arjun got hurt, and I can't even find a doctor. I am such a bad brother!"
"Arjun?"
"Yeah, there he is, look, how much he got hurt."
Arjun was observing them, "No, she isn't that wingless-fairy-beautiful-but-a-bitch looking, how she is caressing bhai, mom can't be right, or is it her drama, urgh, why is this so complicated!" He thought to himself.
Niharika at last found Arjun sitting on the couch, lost in his own world.
"Don't worry, let me check, I don't think he is seriously injured." She tried to reason.
"How can you say that, Niharika? See he is bleeding!" Ranvijay exasperated.
"Bhai, calm down, am not that much hurt." Arjun unconsciously called Ranvijay bhai, but that didn't go unnoticed by both Ranvijay and Niharika.
"Do you have a sprain, Arjun?" Niharika asked gently.
"I think so." (Arjun)
"Ranvijay, can you please adjust the small stool, so he can lift his leg up?"
Ranvijay didn't need to be told twice, he quickly adjusted the stool, gently lifting Arjun's feet up on the stool, then placed a cushion behind Arjun's back.
"Ranvijay, can you arrange some ice from your cafeteria? And do you have a first aid kit? Also ask someone to bring a gel or spray for sprain and a crepe bandage."
Niharika went to bring a wet towel from his office bathroom, while Ranvijay barked the orders to his staff.
"Tell me if it hurts or stings okay?" Niharika started cleaning Arjun's wound, and Ranvijay was peeping in, as if he was the one injured, gasping every now and then.
Arjun was looking into his sister-in-law's eyes. Not an ounce of vileness, she was so gently handling him,as if really was a little kid. And Ranvijay giving sound effects of his wounds, was although irritating him, a part of him was actually happy.
Niharika did his first aid, and calmed the bull-like Ranvijay, that everything was taken care of.
"Arjun, I think you should stay at our home tonight. You're quite injured to handle everything all alone." Niharika suggested, leaving both the brothers surprised. Ranvijay was fighting in his heart to tell this, but couldn't muster up the courage.
"No need, you just said right, I am not injured." Arjun tried to escape the arrangement, but he failed when Ranvijay joined in using his brother voice, "I too insist. I will drop you to your home tomorrow. "
They headed home together at the end of the day. Niharika cooked dinner for three of them, she cooked rajma chawal, looking up at YouTube , after Ranvijay requested it, telling it was Arjun's favorite.
Ranvijay offered Arjun his tee and pants to change, and they decided Arjun will be living in the only room, while they will crash the hall's convertible sofa.
When Arjun looked at himself in the mirror, wearing Ranvijay's clothes, with his lingering scent, he somewhat felt good. He remembered his childhood days, when he would feel proud wearing his brother's shirts and pants. Ranvijay was once his role model.
Arjun looked at the apartment carefully, a one bedroom flat, Ranvijay could have afforded better, the flat was yet to be completely furnished, but necessary things were there.
He couldn't help but admire what Ranvijay and Niharika had, the simplicity of their relationship. Then why does his mother was saying such things? She didn't look sad in this small apartment, she didn't even hesitated leaving the bedroom all to him. She can't be a gold digger, there's something bigger than that in the story.
When he tasted the rajma chawal, along with them, sitting on the couch, his eyes watered at the taste and the feel. Both the taste and the feel screamed only one thing- HOME.
It was getting hard for him to have a grip on his emotions, when Niharika scooped the last bit of rice on his plate, and Ranvijay too scooped some of his rice from his plate, when he noticed Arjun's plate was empty, but Arjun's face was still showing some hunger. His brother still understood, if he is full or not.
He lost so many things, but he can't walk back from where he is, not now. Not ever.
Ranvijay and Niharika retired for the day, adjusting in the couch. When Ranvijay closed his eyes, Niharika looked at him, and hugged him, resting her chin on his chest, "Why did you call me in the office?"
"Arjun wants 50% shares of mine in the company."
"What?"
"Hmm, he wants equal share in everything. "
"What did you say?"
"What will I say? I agreed?"
"Why? Ranvijay, this is ridiculous! You only have this company on your name. Nothing else. You were just pondering over, what if it gets corrupted.."
"I don't want to fight family, Niharika. I am tired. I can't fight with Arjun atleast. He is my little brother, I love him the most in my family." His voice was a mere whisper," I still remember holding him in my arms for the first time, his nose was so red, as someone has rubbed acrylic on it. We played together, I don't know what happened to him, after I went for hostel. For first few years, he was okay. But then we started to get away from each other. Then he attempted suicide for depression. I couldn't protect him, Niharika, I couldn't protect him. I can never forgive myself for that. So, I will give him, all he wants. I know he can't handle it, he is taught in architecture, it's not his thing, I know. I tried to make him understand that, but he didn't budge. But, I don't wanna fight him. I will never fight him."
Niharika understood his pain, she placed a kiss on his forehead, "I am with you, okay? No matter what."
Ranvijay coiled his hand around her waist, bringing her closer, "I am not letting you go either, you are the last hope, last reason for me to stay and fight in this world." He smiled at her. "I am a damaged person, Niharika, never leave me alone, for I might cause a havoc around just to find you and keep you back."
"The day when you would need to do that will be day, when we will be playing hide and seek with our kids. Havoc or not, I will see then, how you find me!" Ranvijay grinned at Niharika's response.
"Just one night, and you're planning kids, you are quite fast, Wife!"
"Shut up!" Niharika hid her flushed face in to his chest and they slept cuddling each other, in the small space of the sofa converted into bed.
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Phew, 2409 words, probably the longest chapter. Sorry for the delay. And thank you for staying, voting and commenting. I wish you keep up the good work.
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Next update after 1k views and 200 votes.