"If anything happens to me, you will take care of my wife and children, won't you chote?" Arjun uncle asked one day suddenly. After the trial, it had become a routine – after a day’s work in the court, both brothers would unwind after dinner at the back porch. They’d sit on the lawn chair with his feet propped up on the balustrade and a beer in hand. Their wives had been researching and gossiping and shipping anything everything under the sky waiting for the baby to arrive. Rohit, after much arguments, agreed that they were too tired to stay up and watch television and Mahi and Yuvi has moved to their boarding school the previous day.
Downing a bottle in only 3 gulps, Prem uncle grabbed for another and popped its cap.
"Thirsty eh?" Arjun uncle lamented, cocking an eyebrow at his brother. They had worked on a case together. They had done great progress on the court despite the bickering and the arguments. Even though the older one was irritated by the fact that the younger one was always there to question him and go the opposite way, he realised he had enjoyed it - maybe because he constantly felt like something was about to go terribly wrong. Their had been unspoken tension ever since the trial. The brothers just knew that the goons would be after them.
Tilting his head to the side, Prem uncle cocked an eyebrow. Of course he was thirsty! Look at the weather! “Are you living in a cold season now?” he countered. “The night is warm, the air is humid, don’t tell me the sweat on your neck is because of cold weather.” he snorted through his nostrils as he shot his brother a derisive look.
"Bro, you’re lucky I am exhausted to my bones or you would find my fist hitting your face by now." Despite the threatening words, the older one’s face betrayed them all. He was grinning from ear to ear with his huge black eyes twinkling.
"You didn't answer my question, you will take care of them, won't you?" Arjun uncle asked. This time a bit desperately.
"Yeh bhi puchne ki baat h?" Prem uncle said in disbelief as he took another swing .
Arjun uncle was about to respond when he heard his wife call out to him. And she sounded distressed.
"Kya he?" He asked as he ran into the room with his brother. She just pointed at the TV.
"Murderer on lose. Has killed the famed lawyer Gurunath and his wife. The police are trying to track him." The news reporter went on and on in elaborate details but it all blanked out to the brothers. They just looked at each other.
"Mujhe jaana hoga" Arjun uncle said calmly to his brother.
"Lekin bhaiyya, bahar khatara h! "Saroj aunty protested.
"Meri bat sun, choti. There is no Sugar coating this, lekin humara tumhare saath rehna is calling for trouble atleast our kids are away. You are pregnant. Pata nahi ye log kya kya kardenge..."
"Par aapko agar kuch hogaya toh -"
"Toh Mahi aur Yuvi ke pass tum log hoge." Arjun uncle Said with finality. The brothers hugged each other hard as the women base teary- eyed farewells.
Somewhere, they all knew that this would be the last they saw of each other.
A week later, they got the bad news from the police. They had seen it coming but nothing in this universe could prepare them for the pain that came their way.
Saroj aunty and Prem uncle tried to keep a brave front. They brought Yuvi and Mahi back home, tried to be the best guardians. They knew, just knew that they would die soon too. But as long as they were here on earth, they would give all the love that they had to all four of their sons.
Baby Virat was born a month after. Prem uncle And Saroj aunty had tried their best to keep the pregnancy a secret. They knew that Naveen and Jyran would stoop low enough to kill a baby and their precious four year old toddler too.
The baby seemed to understand what was happening, strangely. The sweet baby didn't even cry - like he knew that if he cried loudly or was too noisy, he would be discovered. He knew that he was supposed to be a secret and he did it. He stayed quiet just grinned at them toothless - ly. They hadn't even told Mahi and Yuvi about the pregnancy, afraid that they, in their excitement would tell someone and their life would be in danger.
Four year old Rohit sat with his legs swinging off the edge of the wooden chair. He was watching with big eyes as everyone bustled around the house with excitement for the newborn baby. The wrinkly little babe was wrapped up in his dad's arms securely.
He looked up and caught Rohit's eye, the little boy grinned happily at him. "Papa!" He held up his arms with excitement.
Prem uncle moved carefully over to Kol on the chair. "This is your new brother" He explained. "Virat"
"Virat" Rohit mimicked nodding his head.
He knelt down, making sure he held the baby's head securely. As gently as he could he lay the slumbering babe across Rohit's lap.
Rohit blinked at his father, surprised. "Brother? Like Mahi bhai and Yuvi bhai?" He questioned curiously, shocked as he raised a finger to poke the newborn's wrinkly face with a chubby finger.
Prem uncle grabbed his hand with the hand that wasn't supporting the baby's head. "No, do not poke" He scolded gently.
"Wrinkly" he noted,scrunching up his face and observed his brother with a childish fascination. "He's tiny." He mumbled.
"He's a new born beta, it will take him some time to grow." Prem uncle explained gently.
"Pour water?" Rohit asked curiously.
"No, no. No pouring water, beta. That's for plants. Not babies." Saroj aunty explained amused.
"Okay..." Rohit accepted still studying the baby curiously. Rohit beamed up at his father. "Mine?" He asked.
"Yes, beta. He is your younger brother. Like how Mahi bhai and Yuvi bhai always protect you, he is yours to protect. You are his big brother."
"Lekin ye itna so kyu raha h?" Rohit asked.
"Kyunki babies sleep a lot." Prem uncle answered patiently.
"If I am like Mahi bhai and Yuvi bhai, can I order him around?" Rohit asked genuinely.
His parents laughed. "You can play with him when he is older." His mom said smiling.
"Yayy!" Rohit exclaimed as he ran out of the room to pick up where he had left colouring.
"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Prem uncle asked as he walked back towards the bed and handed the baby carefully to Saroj aunty.
"Virat will be fine even if we aren't here. He has the best three big brothers with him." She agreed smiling.
Fast forward to 2 months.
"Prem, something is not right." Saroj aunty said as she sat by her husband's side that evening.
"You're having that feeling too? Like something wrong is about to happen?"
"Yes."
"Saroj, there is something I should tell you." Prem uncle said slowly.
"Kya hai?" Saroj aunty asked.
"Naveen killed himself , uski dead body mili - "
"Isn't that good news? I mean death is never good news, Lekin this guy dying means, we are out of danger." Saroj aunty said trying to make sense out of his words.
"He apparently has been dead for a month. Approximately before Gurunath and Poornima were murdered."
"Toh who killed bhaiyya and bhabi?" She asked scared.
"He has a brother - Jyran. No better than Naveen."
"Well, we can't seem to catch a break, eh?" Saroj aunty said sarcastically.
"I'm so glad that Rohit is at Akash bhaiyya's house." Just then they heard a big bang from the room that Virat was in. They quickly ran inside the room in panic only to see the glass shattered and a lot of blood around and a grinning Jyran sitting on the window will with a revolver in his hand.
"Hamara bacha kaha h?" Prem uncle growled.
"Mujhe kya pata? Phek diya maine neeche!" He said nonchalently. Prem uncle moved forward to hit him but Jyran was faster and shot him on the head. The last thing be heard before darkness surrounded him was his wife's scream.
Saroj aunty helplessly stared at her husband's dead body. All this was happening so fast!
"Hello bhabi, bye bhabi!" Jyran said sarcastically as he shot her on the head too. The sicko happily saw the lady fall with a thud. She wasn't dead, but soon would be.
"My baby - " Saroj aunty whispered brokenly as she took her last breath.
He smiled and climbed out of the window.
"Boss, yeh bache ka kya kare?" Gambhir asked nervously.
"Bhej de koi anaath ashram me. Baad me kaam aayega humare." Jyran said as he lit up a cigarette and walked away.
Just then, it started raining heavily. Out of season - it was summer. It was like the nature was crying over the dreadful act that had been committed that night. The baby was awake but did not make a single noise.
Gambhir and Gokul quickly got into their own car and made their way to a far away orphanage, wanting to be as far as they could from the crime scene before the people and police caught on.
They roughly took Virat out of the car and placed him on the wet steps of an orphanage and drove away. Baby Virat finally cried. Like something told him that he could finally let it out. And so cry he did.
Hearing the loud cries, the orphanage warden stepped out and saw the baby on the steps. He roughly grabbed him up. "Another one? People should really start using protection and stop leaving these noisy idiots on my doorstep." he grumbled as he took the baby in with him, not knowing or thinking for a second, what the baby had gone through just within the last hour.
(Heyya peeps.
For reference, check out chapter 2, 25 and 26)