Mumbai
-----------
Police officer looked at the boy sitting infront of him. He wouldn't have even looked back at him if he was not Indian Football team captain Akshat Gautam. The boy was speeding on lanes as if he was on the racing paths. He actually admired the boy for his talent. But he didn't know the boy could be irresponsible. He sighed when he realised the boy was just a boy with young blood. He would have just fined him and let him go but he feared the boy would do some serious damage. The boy was his favourite football player. If that was the only way to protect him, he had no problem going against the law.
Police officer named Yousef gave him the phone - Apne guardian ko bulao.
Akshat closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. He wanted to yell he had no guardian but he couldn't let outsiders discuss his family issues. He took the phone and gave a missed call to a number.
Yousef looked at the boy confused when the boy just gave a missed call. Akshat didn't care enough to give him the explanations. Yousef sighed and sat down to see what would happen.
After 15 minutes, a 25 yr old young man entered the office in his three piece royal suit. He walked in like he owned the place. His face was void of any emotion. But one could see the anger radiating from his eyes. His body language screamed he is furious.
Yousef stood in respect when he saw Advitya Gautam, The ADVITYA GAUTAM entering his station. There is no one is Mumbai who doesn't know him. The fiasco which happened 8 months ago made him famous over night. But no one would talk about it. In fact there would be no traces of the incident in any internet.
Advitya looked at Akshat who looked down immediately. Yousef had an amused smile on his face. He didn't expect Akshat, the hot headed Young adult had a bone of obedience in him.
Gautam brothers are very private people. They had been an enigma until all hell broke loose, 8 months ago. Even after the incident, the intrigue people had about them didn't diminish. If anything, it just increased!
Advitya looked back at inspector. His eyes raging but his voice calm. Something that all three brothers shared in common! Advitya - Kya hua inspector?
Yousef spoke politely and told him what happened. Advitya nodded - I will make sure this doesn't happen again, officer. Thank you.
He walked back and sat in the car waiting for Akshat to sit down. He drove off without a word when the boy sat down.
Akshat looked at his brother who looked furious. It has been 6 months, his brother talked to him like he always did. He talked only when it was necessary. He knew he deserved it but it was too hard for him take. He wished to be held. He would wait until his brother was ready to forgive him but for once he wished to be held. And he didn't know how to ask for that. He was too proud to beg!
Advitya walked into the house without looking back. He froze when Akshat hugged him from back. The boy did that after 6 months. Advitya pulled away and turned around. Tears in the boy's eyes disturbed him. But he was hurt enough to not embrace him back - Khana khaya tune?
Akshat looked down. Advitya had enough. The boy's silence had no timing! Advitya - I asked you something, Akshat!!
Akshat flinched and shook his head. Advitya - Go have your dinner and sleep. It's already late.
Advitya walked away. Akshat wished his brother would have slapped him. But he could only be glad that his brother is exercising his right as he should. He didn't know what he would have done if his brother decided to take a step back.
Akshat walked into the room, a room where all three of them used to bunk together. A room which had been their sanctuary. Emotions flooded into him when he stepped inside. He could still see his 10 yr old bratty self running around the room with his bhaiyya chasing him and requesting him to have food. He could see his 19 yr old impulsive self getting pulled up for a stunt he pulled. He could see himself snuggling into his bhaiyya, searching for warmth and dozing off caring nothing about the world while his bhaiyya ran his fingers through his hair. He blinked away his tears and walked to the closet taking out a white shirt, which belonged to his bhaiyya. He hugged it to his heart and let the tears fall, trying to find the same warmth. He whispered "I am sorry bhaiyya. I miss you!!" He sat on the bed and laid down with shirt still in his arms.
Advitya on the other hand couldn't sleep. He also knew the reason. He hated to shout on his brother and the stunt Akshat pulled is not something he could ignore. The boy had been pulling such stunts a lot lately. But he couldn't bring himself to do that. He felt like he had no right to do that!
He couldn't bring himself to forgive the boy for what he did. He had no business hurting and insulting the man who raised them like his own. Not everyone is lucky enough to get a father like their bhaiyya. They were lucky to get him but unlucky to loose him in their foolishness.
He got up and walked to Akshat's room only to find the room empty. He sighed and walked into his bhaiyya's room to find Akshat sleeping on the bed hugging their bhaiyya's shirt to himself. He could see the tear stains. This was not the first time he found the boy in the position. He pulled up the comforter and tucked him in. He wanted to kiss the forehead but pulled back and walked away.
His heart was breaking. He wanted to the cry and shout on the top of his lungs. He was frustrated, with himself, with the boys, with his bhaiyya and with his fate. His one decision was one of the reasons of their misery. He regretted bringing her into his life.
He walked back straight into his study. He know he wouldn't be able to sleep. It has been the same for the past 6 months.
Ambedkarpur
Ambedkarpur was a village with its own values. The village is too modern to be called as a village, but the villager's pure heart and love, the green fields surrounding them and forest around them made it a village. The village is too modern, not in terms of technology or employment, but in terms of their values and personalities. They never look down on each other. Men and Women are treated with same respect. Village is named as Ambedkarpur for a reason. But there are still few people in the village who harbor sick thoughts in their minds and hearts. One such person was Balaji Patel.
Balaji Patel always wanted to be the president of Ambedkarpur. But villagers neither encouraged him nor entertained him. His sick ideology regarding women is not unknown to anyone. Same was his son Balveer Patel. Almost all the villagers steered clear of the father and son duo. Meanwhile father and son duo always tried hard in finding loopholes and drawbacks in Sharma family, in a hope to bring them down. Balaji's dream remained as a dream for all his life but he never gave up hope. He is just waiting for one such situation.
The women of Patel family had a heart of gold but are always suppressed by father and son. Bhuvana Patel is Balaji's daughter while Aruna Patel is his wife. Patel's are going to play a huge role in Agastya's life but he is completely unaware of it.
Raghav and Satya decided to go their fields and have a look if work is going on. Satya always tried to accompany his father trying to prove himself in one way or the other to gain his father's love. But unfortunately, the boy is too dumb to understand the love already shining in his father's eyes for him. A parent doesn't need his child to be something to love him. He was his child. That was enough reason. Raghav was never disappointed in his son. He was just worried for his son. The boy was neither educated nor did he have it in him to live in this world without his protection.
Pratyaksha was looking at her mother since almost 30 minutes whose eyes were just towards the door. To everyone's shock, her mother didn't step into the kitchen this morning. She left it completely to her trusted assistants. In her 24 yrs of life, she was witnessing it for the first time. But she was not shocked like everyone. She knew the reason. The reason was AGASTYA!! Since yesterday's conversation, Agastya was trying his best to avoid her mother. Either he was hurt by her words or he is too guilty to face her. Pratyaksha had a hunch that it was the later.
Anjali was to worried. She successfully stopped herself for 6 months to not ask him anything about his past. But she couldn't see his pain anymore yesterday. The boy was not even ready to eat his own hand made food. Anything and everything they talk, a hurt flashes in his eyes. Simple words of love from Harika or from her brings tears into his eyes. She didn't see anyone that broken in her whole life. That is the reason she couldn't stop herself.
Agastya on the other side was feeling guilty. The woman offered her love without a second thought, and he couldn't even do one thing she asked for. He could do nothing for his loved ones. He lost his brothers the same way. He would loose his mother the same way now. All his thoughts were making him restless that he didn't realize it was past time for breakfast. He looked at the clock and sighed. He had been avoiding his mother. But he can't do that forever. He need to apologize before it is too late.
Pratyaksha had enough. The man had no right to do all this. He can't be this ungrateful. Even if he is drowning himself in guilt, he need to snap out of it. She got up and made her way to outhouse. Time to put some sense into Agastya Anand's brain.
Agastya was about to get up when Pratyaksha barged in. There was no other way to describe the way she entered. He got up.
Pratyaksha didn't wish to beat around the bush - You need to stop doing this Agastya.
Agastya frowned - Stop doing what?
Pratyaksha - Yahi. Tum khud tho hurt ho hi. Aur apna ye guilt mein Mumma ko bhi hurt kar rahe ho.
Agastya looked away. He didn't want people telling him how selfish he could be. He knew he could give nothing but hurt.
Pratyaksha - Pata nahi kyu par Maa tumse bahut pyar karti hai Agastya. Jitna mujhse, bhaiyya se, Harika se karti hai na... Usse kai zyada tumse karti hai. Tumare aankho mein ye jo dard dikhta hai na... vo unhe bahut chubti hai. She can't tolerate seeing you in pain.
Pratyaksha looked at his shocked expressions and gentled her voice. Agastya needs to know this.
Pratyaksha - Tumare aane se pehle tak, Papa ne kisi ko bhi kaam pe nahi rakha. He doesn't need any "PA" for the work he does. But he offered you this "non existent job" just because Maa asked him to. Jaante ho kyu?
Agastya shook his head in daze. Pratyaksha - Because she understood you gave up on life you idiot. Shayad tume nahi pata. Mumma did her Bachelors in Psychology.
Agastya's eyes widened. He didn't even know she was educated.
Pratyaksha - No one in this village knows. But she is educated. She could see through you from the day you stepped into our house. She understood you gave up on life.
Agastya staggered back and sat down on the bed with a thud. All the life he spent for 6 months was a lie? She gave him job out of her pity? He didn't need anyone's sympathy.
Pratyaksha - She might have given you the job taking pity on you Agastya. But eventually, she loved you like her own son.
Agastya looked at her. Pratyaksha sat beside him and held his hand. She didn't mind taking liberties for once. Pratyaksha - We all love you, Agastya. Not because we could see how broken you are or something. We all love you for the person you are. It is true we all needed reasons to love you. But Mumma never needed one. You didn't see the joy on her face when you called her Maa for the first time. She was literally floating in air.
Agastya's eyes misted. He could never forget that day, the day his heart accepted her as his mother.
Pratyaksha - I know tum guilty feel kar rahe ho for not being able give Mumma what she asked. Par guilty feel karne ki zarurat nahi hai Agastya. She has been understanding you since the day you walked in to this house. She would understand you now as well. She would love you no matter what.
Pratyaksha got up. She said what she had to say. She left leaving Agastya in his thoughts.
Agastya let the tears fall. He didn't know what to do. They love him like their own. But his relationship with Sharmas' was built on lies. What would he do now?
How is the chapter?
What do you think would Agastya do now?
Few words about Pratyaksha?!
How did you find Advitya Gautam?
SHOWER SOME LOVE!!
SATHVIKA!!