Ayaansh entered Arnav's room and walked up to him. It was almost eleven hours and Arnav had still not gained consciousness. His heart was sinking more and more with each passing moment. The stillness of the time was scaring him beyond his strength.
One of the wires attached all around pricked Ayaansh's hands when he reached for Arnav's hands making him hiss. His eyes filled up. Those wires were pricking all over his brother's body. It must be hurting awfully!
"Kyun aap mere aage aa gye, Bhaiya? Kyun meri vajah se chot khayi aapne? Itna pyaar karte ho aap mujhse?" He brought Arnav's hands to his cheeks.
The hands that were unbearably beautiful. The hands that held on to him when he himself wanted to let go of everything else.
"Maine kabhi aapse kuch nhi maanga, Bhaiya. Kabhi maangna hi nhi pada. Aapne bina bole hi meri saari ichcha puri kar di. Par aaj mai maang rha hoon, please aankhein khol do." His tears rolled down and drenched Arnav's hands. "Mai nhi reh sakta aapke bina. Hum me se koi nhi reh sakta. Dekho sab ro rhe hai. Aapka bachcha bhi ro rha hai, woh sirf aapse hi chup hoga... Please uth jao aap.."
It was all the love that he wanted to give, but couldn't that was flowing from his eyes. All that unspent love gathered up in the corner of his eyes, the lump in his throat, and in that hollow part of his chest. Grief was just love, indeed, with no place to be hidden!
"I love you, Bhaiya. Aap mere liye sab kuch ho. Agar aapko kuch ho gya toh..." Ayaansh sobbed out.
In that moment it just clicked Ayaansh. He realised how far they've come and he remembered all the times when he had thought his life was a mess that he would never recover from. And then Arnav happened to him! Arnav had entered the most damaged parts of his soul and showed him how it still shone like gold!
When he felt a hand on his shoulders, he turned and hugged Aniket's midriff. "Bhaiya aankhein kyun nhi khol rhe, Bhaiyu? Dekho na aap woh sun hi nhi rhe..."
Aniket looked at Arnav's sleeping figure with tear glazed eyes. His brother had been right all along! Now he knew the damage he had done to him! Arnav was punishing him in the worst possible way!
Suddenly Ayaansh felt like Arnav's finger moved a little and he looked up. He looked at Arnav who was lying still and shut his eyes. All the world had dropped dead!
Again, he felt a squeeze on his hands and lifted up his eyes to see Arnav blinking at him. Everything was revived!
"Bhaiya.."
Aniket dimmed the light amd pressed the emergency button quickly.
Arnav groggily opened his eyes and saw his family staring at him with tears in their eyes. He saw Aryan crying and tensed. He wanted to reach for him and tried to sit.
"Bas ek second, Bhai..." Rishaan objected and checked his vitals and other things. Once he was satisfied, he pulled off a few wires and oxygen mask from Arnav and turned to the family with a smile.
"Everything looks good. His vitals are stable and everything is under control. Just make sure he doesn't starin himself and let him rest." Rishaan said and walked out to give privacy to them.
Aniket helped Arnav sit and Aryan rushed to hug him as soon as Arnav was up. He buried his face in his chest and cried. Arnav's stitches were killing him but his arms got wrapped around his child on its own. He swallowed the pain and let Aryan take comfort. He knew how much Aryan was attached to him. His eyes travelled towards Ayaansh and it came back to him!
"Ayu," Arnav called out in a hoarse voice and extended his other hand.
Ayaansh immediately took it and sat beside him. "Bhaiya.." He was trying very hard not to cry.
"Tu theek hai, bachcha?" Arnav asked feebly as his eyes frantically traced Ayaansh for any injury.
Ayaansh's courage gave away and the tears spilled out. He had to force himself to not hug Arnav. He knew Arnav's body will not be able to handle both his and Aryan's weight. So he just nodded his head.
Arnav sighed and turned his attention back to Aryan who was crying bitterly.
"Bas kar, bachcha, kitna royega?" Arnav kissed him on head. "Mai bilkul thik hoon."
Aryan couldn't speak. His tears were just not stopping. Arnav was invincible in his thoughts. Seeing him in that condition scared Aryan beyond words. Arnav's warm embrace was only making him tear up more and more.
Arnav tensed up. "Bas kar, beta.."
Aniket gently pulled back Aryan. He was letting him take his time but he could also see the way Arnav was gulping down his pain. The bullett hit was very close to his chest. The stitches couldn't tolerate that much strain.
"Bhaiya bilkul thik hai, bachcha. Dekh tere saath hi hai." Aniket wiped away his tears. "Stitches hai na unke body pe. Thoda dhyaan se reh, hm?"
Aryan nodded his head but he looked so sad that Arnav pulled him back in his embrace. His pain didn't matter when his child wanted comfort.
"Thik hai, bachcha?"
Aryan's eyes filled up again. He shook his head. "Aapko pata hai mai kitna darr gya tha. Aap aankhein nhi khol rhe the... Agar aapko kuch ho.."
"Kuch nhi hua na, beta." Arnav cupped his face and wiped his tears. "Apne bachche se door reh sakta hoon mai kya? Mai bilkul thik hoon. I'm sorry I scared you. Please mat ro."
Aryan sniffed.
Arnav looked up at Aniket. He could see the exhaustion in his eyes. His tears agitated him. Aniket understood that and blinked away his tears.
Ashi entered the room and staggered in relief when she saw Arnav with kids. She had gone to the temple and rushed back when Aniket called her to inform Arnav had gained consciousness.
"Arnav.."
"Mai thik hoon, Ashi.." Arnav smiled wearily.
Ashi held his hands and broke down in tears. Only she knew what she had gone through in last twelve hours.
Arnav wiped away her tears gently. "Rona nhi, Ashi. I'm really sorry for scaring you all."
Ashi nodded her head with great difficulty. She looked at Aryan who was refusing to let go of Arnav. And then she looked at Ayaansh and Aniket who had gladly taken a step back for their little brother. All of them loved Aryan enough to let him take his time and assurances that only Arnav could give.
Whole day, the family fussed over Arnav. They were hovering around him like he was some sort of criminal who needed to be shadowed. Arnav would have been annoyed but Aryan kept him occupied throughout. Aniket and Ashi gave each other knowing smiles
"Discharge kab denge? I want to go home!" Arnav asked.
"You know you've gone through a surgery, Bhaiya?" Aniket asked, deadpanned.
"I know, Ani. But office ki important meetings hai.."
"Have you lost it, Arnav?" Ashi snapped at him.
"Kya hua, Ashi? Mai meetings..."
All of them gave Arnav an unbelievable look.
"What?"
"You're on bed rest, Bhaiya! Office ki meeting chhodo, shakal bhi nhi dekhni aapko. You need to rest."
"Mai konsa abhi ja rha hoon yaar! Abhi I just want to go home!"
Ashi gave him a look and walked out of the room angrily. She didn't want to lash out on her husband in that condition but apparently her husband was desperate for the reaction.
"Isse kya hua?" Arnav asked in confusion.
"Aapki biwi hai, aapko nhi pata?" Aniket couldn't keep the teasing tone away.
Arnav glared at him. "Teri bhi best friend hai na?"
Aniket shook his head. "Aap chup chap rest karo, Bhaiya. Bhabhi already bohot pareshan hai. Bohot darr gyi thi woh. Please rest karo aap."
Arnav sighed. "Mai thik hoon..."
"Haan, superhero ho na aap?" Aniket glared at him.
"Mai jaanta tum log darr gye the, Ani. I understand. Samjhta hoon mai woh darr..."
"Jaanta hoon." Aniket mumbled.
Arnav frowned "Kya?"
Aniket shook his head.
"Naraaz hai mujhse?" Arnav asked gently.
Aniket shook his head again but looked away from Arnav.
Arnav sighed and squeezed his hands. "I'm sorry, bachcha. Par mai kya karta? Ayu ko..."
Aniket stopped Arnav by hugging him. He didn't want to hear what he already knew. Arnav was surprised but hugged him back. He could feel something was troubling Aniket. He wanted to ask but they dropped off the conversation when Aryan came back and settled down with them.
"Kya baat kar rhe ho aaplog?"
"Bhaiya ko ghar jana hai." Aniket replied with pleasure.
Aryan looked at Arnav in shock. "Ghar? Aapko rest karna hai, Bhaiya..."
"I can rest at home also, bachcha." Arnav wished one of them could side with him but that seemed like a far fetched dream.
"Aap ghar pe sirf apni office ki files ke saath rest karoge. Rishi Bhai ne kaha hai aapko teen din yahin rehna hai."
"Teen din?" Arnav was shocked. No one had told him that.
Aniket bit back his smile. They had not told him because they knew how Arnav would react to it. But Aryan didn't have bear the burnt that they would have to. Arnav never lashed out on Aryan. He was always their best chance!
Ashi saw Ayaansh sitting outside the room and frowned to herself. There was something wrong with the boy. She had noticed he was avoiding going close to Arnav. She approached him and sat beside him.
Ayaansh looked up.
"Andar kyu nhi ja rha?" She asked directly.
"Ja toh rha hoon, Bhabhi..."
"Save me the lies, Ayaansh." Ashi cut him off. "Arnav ko avoid kyun kar rha hai?"
Ayaansh fell silent. He couldn't lie when his Bhabhi took that tone.
"Jab tak Arnav ne aankhein nhi kholi thi tab tak toh ek minute ke liye bhi door nhi hua unse? Ab kyun avoid kar rha hai?" She gentled her tone when she saw the tears pooling up. "Arnav itni baar puchh chuke hai tere baare me. Andar ja na, bachcha."
The guilt on his face wasn't unnoticed by Ashi. She understood what Ayaansh was going through. The boy had been abused for all those years for the things that weren't even his mistake. Arnav saving his life while risking his own was not something his conscience could deal with easily. She understood his turmoil but she couldn't let him take the guilt trip when there was absolutely nothing to be guilty of.
She got up, held his hands and walked inside Arnav's room.
Arnav saw them coming and smiled. Ashi left his wrist making him sit near Arnav and looked him in the eye.
"Jab koi humse pyaar karta hai na, Ayu, toh uska dard humare liye apna dard ban jata hai. Tere Bhaiya ne tujh par koi ehsaan nhi kiya hai. Tu guilty feel karke unke pyaar ki insult kar rha hai."
Ayaansh gasped. "Bhabhi..."
Arnav was confused by his wife's talks. "Kya hua? Kya baat kar rhe ho dono?"
"Apne bachche se hi puch lijiye, Arnav." Ashi walked out from there. She knew her husband was the only person who could deal with Ayaansh right now.
"Ayu?" Arnav gave him a questioning glance.
Ayaansh shook his head and hugged him carefully. He had stayed away from Arnav since morning but now that he had Arnav so close to him, he couldn't hold himself back. He had been craving his brother's embrace awfully.
Freeing his one arm from Aryan, who had fallen asleep holding onto Arnav's hands, he wrapped his arms around Ayaansh. Even he wanted to assure himself that his child was indeed safe and unharmed.
They stayed in silence untill Arnav felt the tear drops on his hands. He tried to pull back but Ayaansh just buried his face in his embrace.
"Tu ro raha hai, bachcha?"
"I was so scared, Bhaiya.." Ayaansh whispered slowly.
Arnav sighed and gently ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry for scaring you, bachcha."
Ayaansh didn't say anything but snuggled closer to Arnav.
"That man wanted me, Ayu." Arnav said after a while. Ayaansh looked at him in confusion. Why was Arnav talking about that man?
"He used you to get to me. It was all my fault. Meri vajah se teri jaan khatre me aayi. Mujhe maaf..."
"Aap kya keh rhe ho, Bhaiya?" Ayaansh stopped him immediately. "Aapki galti kaise hui? That man was insane. Aapne toh mujhe bachaya. Meri jaan bachane ke liye aapne apni Jaan ki parwah nhi ki." His voice choked. "Aap meri vajah se hospital me ho. Aapki galti kaise hui..."
"Meri galti nhi hai par teri hai?"
Ayaansh was taken aback. Arnav had changed the whole perspectives of the incident.
"Tujh tak woh aaya hi meri vajah se na? Toh galti meri hui.."
Ayaansh looked down.
Arnav sighed and lifted up his face. "Tujhe dard hua na mujhe iss halat me dekh kar? Vaise hi mujhe bhi bhi dard hota agar tujhe kuch ho jata. Mai tujhe nhi khud ko uss dard se bacha rha tha."
Ayaansh's eyes filled up.
"Agar tu guilty feel karega toh mai yeh samjhunga ki tune hume tujhse pyaar karne ka haq hi nhi diya!"
Ayaansh gasped. "Bhaiya.."
Arnav cupped his face. "I love you a lot, bachcha. Kab samjhega tu?"
Ayaansh hugged him tightly. "I love you too, Bhaiya. Aap yeh sab mat bolo please. Mai darr gya tha aapko uss halat me dekh kar. Ek pal ke liye laga meri duniya hi ruk gyi hai. Aap mere liye sab kuch ho, Bhaiya, I can't lose you. I love you!"
Arnav's arms automatically wrapped around his baby brother. "You will never lose me, Ayu. No matter what, I'll always come back to my family!"
"Dimaag kharab hai tera?"
"Mujhe nhi jana, Bhaiya."
"Kyun nhi jaana?"
"Kaha na nhi jana! It's a stupid fest, Bhaiya."
Aniket whacked Ayaansh hard. The boy didn't know when to shut up. "Stupid? Yeh wahi stupid fest jiske liye you've been roaming around like a stupid!"
Ayaansh looked away. He was having this conversation, more of argument, with Arnav for past half an hour. It was the day of fest. He had his performance in the evening and Arnav wanted him to go. But Ayaansh wasn't ready to leave Arnav's side at all.
"Why don't you want to go, Ayaansh? You had been waiting for it for whole month." Arnav asked, praying for patience.
"Mujhe nhi jana, Bhaiya! Please!" Ayaansh held Arnav's hands. "Mujhe aapke paas rehna hai."
Arnav sighed and cupped his face. "Bachcha, mere paas yahan sab hai na. Tu ja na apne performance ke liye."
Ayaansh shook his head. He didn't want to go. That's it.
Arnav's eyes became drowsy. He wanted to talk to Ayaansh but his eyes were getting heavy. Aniket noticed his exhaustion and gently made him lie down.
"Rest kijiye, Bhaiya. Itna stress lena aapke liye thik nhi hai."
Arnav felt too worn off to protest. He fell in slumber as soon as he lied down.
Ayaansh's eyes filled up.
Seeing his tears, Aniket pulled him in a hug. "Agar tu nhi gya toh Bhaiya ko bohot guilty feel hoga, bachcha. We all know tu kitna excited tha iss fest ko lekar aur ab agar tune perform nhi kiya toh Bhaiya ko bohot bura lagega."
"Par mujhe Bhaiya ko chhod kar nhi jana, Bhaiyu."
"Ab toh Bhaiya thik hai na, bachcha. Dekh abhi dawai lekar soye hai woh. Kuch ghanto tak woh uthenge nhi. Unko rest karne dete hai. Jab tak Bhaiya uthenge tab tak toh tu apni performance kar ke vapas bhi aa jayega." Aniket reasoned.
"Mujhe nhi jana..."
"Tu chahta hai Bhaiya khud ko blame kare?"
Ayaansh shook his head vigorously.
"Toh Aisa mat kar, Ayu. Ja aur Jake apni best performance de. Bhaiya will be very happy seeing you perform." Aniket cupped his face and made him look up. "Apne bachche ko dekh ke unka dard apne aap khatm ho jayega."
Ayaansh looked at him with his own teary eyes.
"Apne liye na sahi, Bhaiya ke liye ja kar perform kar, bachcha."
Ayaansh's eyes filled up. He had seen the disappointment in Arnav's eyes. He didn't want that. If all Arnav wanted was him to perform, then he would!
Ashi stayed back with Arnav and couldn't go to the fest. Aniket had told Ayaansh he would make it for his performance but he was caught up in some hospital formalities in the last moment. Aryan was the only one present there. He was in great dilemma when Aniket asked him to go with Ayaansh. He didn't want to leave his Bhaiya's side and neither did he want his Bhai to be alone on such a special day. In the end, Ashi convinced him that she would take care of his Bhaiya and he should go with Ayaansh.
"Come on, Bhai!!!!"
Ayaansh looked at his little brother who was cheering for him with Ritvik and Swara. He was grateful they were there for them!
He strummed and the whole audience fell silent. The tune had them hold back their breaths!
Arnav's voice rang in Ayaansh's ears.
Mere liye mera bachcha humesha best rahega, remember that, hm?
I love you a lot, bachcha, kab samjhega tu?
Pal do pal ki hi kyun hai zindgi
Iss pyaar ko hai sadiyan kaafi nahi
To khuda se maang loon
Mohlat main ek nayi
Rehna hai bas yahan
Ab door tujhse jaana nahi
Jo tu mera humdard hai
Jo tu mera humdard hai
Suhana har dard hai
Jo tu mera humdard hai
Aryan's eyes misted. The words perfectly depicted what they had been going through for past hours.
Ayaansh closed his eyes and Arnav's smiling face came in his view. His Bhaiya wasn't there but he could still feel his love. Ayaansh's life had been a perfect graveyard of buried hopes. Arnav had entered and sown the most beautiful flowers in those!
He always had parents but never knew what it felt like having parents! Now he finally knew! The epiphany had him smiling through his tears!
Teri muskurahatein hain takat meri
Mujhko inhi se ummeed mili
Chahe kare koyi sitam yeh jahan
Inmein hi hai sada hifazat meri
Zindgaani badi khoobsurat hui
Jannat ab aur kya hogi kahin
Jo tu mera humdard hai
Jo tu mera humdard hai
Suhana har dard hai.
Jo tu mera humdard hai
Ayaansh opened his eyes when he heard Aryan calling out to him. He looked for Aryan in the crowd and spotted him with his phone. Aryan saw him looking towards himself and turned his phone to let Ayaansh have a look. Ayaansh looked at the smiling face of Arnav and closed his eyes against the rush of tears.
Teri dhadhkanon se hai zindgi meri
Khwahishein teri ab duayein meri
Kitna anokha bandhan hai yeh
Teri meri jaan jo ek hui
Lautunga yahan tere paas main haan
Vaada hai mera mar bhi jaaun kahin
Jo tu mera humdard hai
Jo tu mera humdard hai
Suhana har dard hai
Jo tu mera humdard hai
Humdard hai
Humdard hai
Humdard hai
Ashi's eyes brimmed up with tears. The song held such deep emotions. Aniket pulled her in a side hug. Both of them well understood the meaning behind Ayaansh's words. They looked at Arnav who was completely unaware of the fact that Ayaansh had discreetly opened up his heart in front of everyone.
Arnav smiled looking at Ayaansh. The smile on his child's face was everything he needed to see. The wounds were worth the war!
____________________________________
A/n
How was the chapter?
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THIS WAS THE LAST CHAPTER!! Still can't believe I'm wrapping up this book. Thank you for being so supportive and showering your love on this book! You guys are the best!
To all those who have been constant in this journey, a big thank you to all of you! I owe this book to you guys!
And please drop down your views in the comment section. This was the last chapter. I really want to know your opinion. Each and every comment would mean a lot to me!
Love,
Muskan