The wind again ruffled and turned the page!
|A U T H O R|
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Jealousy.
There is something awful about it. They are like a shadow specter, slowly creeping in like the darkest of nights. It disguises itself as a protective guardian, convincing you that it's doing you a favor by thinking in its venomous ways.
However, as time goes on, its true nature becomes evident. It's a parasite emotion, weaving its web of deception. At first, its poison seems sweet, holding you in its false comfort. But, alas, the realization dawns, and by the, it may be too late to escape its clutches.
The sweet death of relationships and inner peace awaits, patiently lurking just for you, ready to devour all that was once cherished.
Until, you face it, all the words just seem words. A passing through mouth and vanishing in the tickling of time, the results awaiting in the future.
Rishabh, also faced the same. Feels the same.
For him, taking Reyansh down was becoming his life goal. Slowly forgetting about his inner peace. But can we blame a listener who has been fed all the lies, and had made himself on its root.
Rishabh wanted to snatch everything of Reyansh. Everything without taking his breath.
He considered Reyansh his idol, not until when his grandfather sewed lies in his innocent mind. Telling how the Rathore gave him away to the Malhotra's, because of Reyansh.
Yes, Rishabh was Reyansh's brother.
His finger curls against the glass, clenching his jaw, and when the anger overtook his sense, he let the glass go, throw it at a corner of the dark room. The blinds penetrating the sunlight, just the way his intellect was hidden behind the year longs jealousy.
He hated Reyansh, because he's the heart throb of their school and college. Even though, Reyansh hardly mingled with the others but even the kids whose nose were sticked behind the thick books, knew who was he.
Then, he came to mafia, and again snatched the throne from Malhotra. Whispers of cruelty, break in the dense aura of underworld. People worshipped Reyansh, equally feared him. He again lost.
As he grew up, the absence of his parent pinched him in his guts. There also Reyansh won, as he got all the love but Rishabh only the left over. The Malhotra had only him, his brother Arnav and the old wicked hag, his grandfather, Rajveer Malhotra.
"Bhai?" Arnav, his cherished brother, approached him, a bond stronger than blood. Arnav too, for whom he held deep respect, admiration, and affection. Yet, silence hung between them.
Not getting a reply, he kneels before Rishabh, Arnav touched his brother's knee gently, sensing his unrest,"You're upset over the clause, right?"
Rishabh's jaw clenched, a simmering rage consuming his thoughts. The clause, a wicked twist in his plan to eliminate his enemy's beloved.
Kiraz. That's the name of his bloody brother's wife. He had straight away denied to believe, when the mole sent by him to observe the Rathore's move, has filled him with the information. That, Reyansh Rathore has kidnapped a girl, who neither has any background related to the mafia world, nor belong to their clan.
Top of that, Reyansh got out of his character and married her.
Initially, it was hard to believe and bat an eye to the information, but when he saw the scattered photos of his blood related brother, dancing with her in his arm, going to a fucking candle light dinner, in a random street of Kolkata, he knew better to believe them than ignore it.
And, so he did. He believed the news, meet her in the function, and even send their meet up photos to his brother. He could only imagine the fire burning within his brother. And that even the ten second imaginative thought set his burning chest at ease for a second.
However, Reyansh's proclamation changed everything, safeguarding family members from harm, no matter what. Even if he did, the consequences prized more than the mere sati
"Bhai, we'll fucking carve out a way to remove that, Reyansh." Arnav still insisted on comforting his brother, as his brown eyes, which never bat an eye when he kills someone, has drowned in worry for Rishabh.
Rishabh lifted his head, his gaze shifting to Arnav, regaining his composure. His face transformed into the stoic mask every seasoned mafia member wore and mastered themselves in. He was a master of concealing emotions, yet Reyansh again held the title in that art. Reyansh's ability to hide his feelings struck fear into anyone with intelligence.
Reyansh had accumulated enemies over the years but also an army of fiercely loyal followers willing to protect him at any cost. This loyalty prevented Rishabh from acting against Kiraz in Kolkata. Every scheme he hatched, Reyansh's counter plays outwitted him.
Despite this, only Reyansh himself truly understood the workings of his enigmatic mind. Reyansh was a master of mystery, a trait that kept his enemies at bay.
Rishabh rose from the couch and strolled to the window, where heavy curtains blocked out the sunlight. He pushed the curtains aside, and a smile crept across his face as the harsh sun rays bathed him. His gaze fixed on the Malhotra estate, and his thoughts drifted to a conversation with Rajveer, an old and cunning figure, not unlike a scorpion.
How badly he had wished he could hurl the tea pot at Rajveer's wrinkled head when the ultimatum had been delivered.
Rajveer gave him two options:
Either to take down Reyansh and take over the Mafia Throne.
Or to loose the title head of Malhotra's Mafia, passing over to the real heir of it, Arnav and be the head of the Malhotra Ltd.
But if he fails to take Reyansh down, he'll be stripped from the title of Malhotra and kicked out without a penny. Yes, that's how wicked the old hag is. Even if Rishabh has learnt to call him Nana from since the age he started talking, still that man never melted and tortured the young skin of Rishabh.
He's yet to make any decision. His mind's scraped with the turn of event and the old dying corpse decided to launch the bomb on him last night.
"Arnav, today's a special day. A day of mourning."
Arnav knew about what he was talking about, so he completed his brothers half,
"Because it's Reyansh birthday."
Rishabh face twitched in a smile, and he knew what he's to do. A brother must visit his brother on the day he's born. With the new determination, with which his young blood burned in passion of vengeance. At evening, he got ready in his customized suit, and drives towards the Rathore mansion.
His entrance into the mansion promised to be nothing short of scandalous, but he was prepared to step inside, whether with clean hands or stained ones. Of which he's not at all remorseful. That's what happened, nothing in his life goes without drama.
Then, where is Rathore there's bound for drama to invite itself.
Mixing himself amongst the white collar of the invitees, just like the wolf in the skin of sheep, he makes his way towards the entrance of the Rathore Mansion.
The white brown elite walls of mansion, of which he's only seen pictures now stands before his eyes. He'd swore in his life to never let even his shadow meander over this mansion, even if wanted and screamed to get the shackles away from his bones, which has always stopped him from going and declaring himself as one of the heirs of the Rathore, when life went hard.
Perhaps, it's bound of us to break promises, even if we made it with ourselves.
He stepped his foot, crossing the threshold of the Mansion, of which he held the equal rights as his other brother. He went straight to the miny bar, located at the corner, hidden in the dark and from were the unfolding of scene appeared more precise.
Grabbing a seat, he ordered himself a scotch, sipping on the bitter liquid, slowly. With every burning of his throat, he even got the restrain of not getting the gun out and shoot Reyansh, who made his way down the stair with his gorgeous wife.
He must admit, his brother got himself a fine specimen. Of whom he was aware that his brother has caged her in the golden webs of his manipulating lies of his life. He forced himself to stare at every conversation they made, watching how his brother's wife was blushing with every word coming out of his mouth.
For a fleet second, giving in the desperation of the small cry of the young boy trapped somewhere in the deep past which ha always paid him visit, he looked towards his parents, about whom he hardly known anything.
Then he looked at his sister, Vedika the young girl, scheduling herself in the corner having fun with her friends. Except that she is engaged to Rajveer's friend grandson, he once again doesn't know anything.
He even checked the Mihir Shekhawat background, to search for a reason to intensify his deep-seated hatered towards Reyansh. However, he didn't find anything, to leaving him without an additional cause to grew his animosity.
He watched the old couples, Parvati and Mohan, who stared at their beloved son with so much care and tenderness, of which he never was aware his whole life. How they feed the cake to him, blessed Reyansh with nothing but success. His grandparents, uncle aunt, his siblings, every eye glistened when they fell on the fleet smile of Reyansh, as if he is the shooting star who visits their desperate eyes, after thousands of years.
How much he'd wished and dreamt to have whatever Reyansh holds in his life. Even times, he even held so much of jealousy that he even wished for the hardships his enemy cum brother went through.
He slammed the glass over the counter, got up, button his suit, and walked past the crowd of people who bunched against the star of the night. While, an instinct tells him to wipe his face to his other side and glances at his enemy, to only catch his penetrating eyes set on him.
Reyansh neither blink or let the confused glint marred over his eyes. He just stares at Rishabh. A smirk etched Rishabh's lip, his brother really stands on name, for his infamous dark aura filled with darkness.
"Reyansh." Kiraz shakes Reyansh hands, grabbing his attention. Forcefully, breaking his eyes from Rishabh letting him a chance to vanish in the crowd, he looks at the smiling lady of his life.
"What did you wish for?" She asks him, delight leaking in her words.
"Wishes shouldn't be told." He deadpans her. Still Kiraz maintained her glow and excitement.
"You can tell me, I've great connection with the heavenwards. If I tell them they'll surely listen to your wish."
"You and your theories." Reyansh rolls his eyes.
"Hey, I really have. You see I know someone there and if I tell her, she'll defiantly fulfill your wish." She answers him. Realization dawns over him, about whom she was talking about. Her dead friend, who is the sister of his sister-in-law, Amaira. He dreads the day when she'll get to know about this. But he'll never let her it be a hinderance in her mental health.
He ducks his head, planting his lips on her head, keeping her close to him, by her waist.
Rishabh watches the couple from afar, and he knew what he must do. He knows which choice he should make. He turned his back and exited the mansion.
That day, two wishes were made.
Let me stay forever with her, with only her presence in the harsh journey of life.
Separate her from him.
Whose wish the writer of this tale should follow. As both knocked on his door, made straight out of their hearts.
A heartfelt wish.
••~~~••
I just felt the need to show Rishabh's side. Wishing you liked it.
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Published: 11October, 2023.