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~Sathvika
Abhimanyu palmed his face as he sat on the edge of his bed. He tried massaging his forehead but the headache is just worsening second by second.
"Why are you being so unreasonable bhaiyya!!"
Those words echoed in his mind. And he knew he was just being that. Unreasonable!! But does he care? NO! His child is not stepping out of his sight, that too for an internship of 2 to 3 months? A Big NO! Arav is staying with him. If he is being selfish, so be it. They didn't stay apart from each other, for more than 2 days and the boy wants to do an internship, that too in Udaipur? Like hell he is going to allow him.
Akshara walked into the room to find her husband nursing his headache. Her heart went out for him. She went to him and gently started giving him a massage.
Abhimanyu leaned into her touch, wanting some comfort. In the whole argument, what pinched him the most was Arav thinking that he had to go out of Mumbai, away from him, to prove himself responsible. He didn't like that one bit!!
Akshara softly spoke when the frown lines started easing out on her husband's forehead "Abhi.."
"Hmm.." Abhimanyu responded.
"Aru..." Akshara started and Abhimanyu stiffened. He took hold of her wrists and pulled her away from him. He looked up, straight into her eyes and shook his head "Don't Akshara. Don't take his case. I don't want to snap at you." His voice sharp and firm. He didn't want anyone to talk to him about this. That tone dared Akshara to defy him.
Akshara wanted to confront him but she held herself back. She opened the table drawer and took his headache medicine. "Dawai leke sojayiye"
He gulped down the medicine and laid back on the bed. Akshara put off the lights and joined him snuggling closer to him, who draped an arm around her shoulder spooning her.
That night, if not for the medicine, he wouldn't have been able to catch a wink.
Ajay walked into the boy's room, who was laying back on the bed staring at the ceiling. Ajay slowly slipped into the bed and waited. As he expected, Arav snuggled into him in few seconds. Ajay smiled and pulled him closer "Upset ho?" He asked gently.
Arav shook his head "Hurt hu." He slowly whispered, keeping his head on Ajay's chest.
Ajay caressed his hair "Bhaiyya ne mana kiya isliye?"
"Bina vajah bataye mana kiya aur ye soch liya ki mai unke permission ke bina jaunga, isliye! Vo soch bhi kaise sakte hai aise bhaiyyu? Maine aisa kabhi kiya kya?" He vented out choking back on his tears. He didn't want to cry. He also added "Aur gussa bhi hu mai unse, us baat ke liye!"
Ajay found that very cute and warmth spread in his chest at Arav's reasons for being upset. The boy is not upset because he didn't get what he wanted. He is upset at how his bhaiyya didn't understand him.
Ajay kissed his hair affectionately "Tho ab kya karne ka plan hai?" He asked. He didn't want to involve in the matter and he is very neutral about it. He knew his bhaiyya would come around and he had nothing to take care of Arav when the boy's reasons for being hurt are so right.
"Aapko kuch nahi kehna hai?" Arav asked him.
"Kya expect kar raha hai mujhse?" Ajay asked him back.
Arav got up and looked at his bhaiyyu "Kya matlab kya expect kar raha hu? Ye batao ki aap kya soch rahe ho? Aap kya chahte ho? Ki mai jau, na jau?"
Ajay sighed "Bacha, It's your life. Your future. You are trying to challenge yourself and explore things. I get it. Lekin bhaiyya nahi maanenge Aru. There are so many reasons for it. A - You don't have to challenge yourself in the first place. B - Aisa kuch nahi hai Udaipur mein, jo Mumbai mein nahi hai tujhe explore karne ke liye. And last but the major factor, C - Bhaiyya nahi reh payenge itne din tere bina. Kabhi raha hai vo tere bina? Did he ever stay away from you for more than 2 days? Aisa koi din guzra hai ki unhone tujhe hug na kiya ho? He won't be able to send you far away, Aru. Chahe vo place kitna bhi safe ho aur chahe unhe Aryan pe kitna bhi bharosa ho."
Arav looked at him stunned. He didn't think about it. Not at all. All he could see until now was him trying to explore more and wanting to know whether he can do it or not, away from the family. He didn't let himself think about his family. Put it like that, he didn't find his bhaiyya's behavior unreasonable. All the ignorance made sense. The man was too scared that he would get convinced if he heard the reasons. The whole reason why he was not even willing to hear the reasons. Everything made sense and he felt like an idiot for making his bhaiyya go through all this. Going to Udaipur is not his lifelong dream, it was just a challenge, a stupid quench to prove himself, not only to his family but also to himself. But it isn't worth his bhaiyya's pain. Never. He can find an easy alternative.
But all that doesn't mean he is not hurt or angry now. If anything, he is even more angry now. He looked at his bhaiyyu waiting for his reaction "Ye baat vo bata nahi sakte the kya? 2 Din se aise karne ki kya zarurat thi? Mai dundhleta koi aur alternative. Aisa thodi hai.. ki mai bachpan se sapne dekhte aaraha hu Udaipur mein internship karne ke liye! Mai bahut gussa hu unse. Mujhe bolte rehte hai humesha, ki baat karna chahiye, share karna chahiye. Jab ki mai koi baat chupata bhi nahi hu.... Matlab aise important baate chupata nahi hu na mai. Aise kya dekh rahe ho aap?"
"Acha teek hai Angry young man. Ab so jaa. Kal batadena ye baat unhe. Ab sojaa."
Arav shook his head "Nahi! Mai unhe batake aata hu ki mujhe jaana nahi hai. Varna soyenge nahi vo." Arav was ready to get up but Ajay stopped him "Vo sogaye honge Aru. Bhabhi unhe headache ki medicine de chuki hogi. He might slept."
"Headache bhi hai unhe?" Arav felt too guilty. "Mai dekh ke aata hu."
Ajay stopped him once again "Aru, wife and husband ko privacy chahiye hoti hai."
Arav frowned "Agar aisa hai tho vo lock karlenge door ko. Agar locked hai, tho vaapas aajaunga." Arav told and made his way to his bhaiyya's room. Arav told and made his way to his bhaiyya's room. Ajay sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes.
Arav softly knocked on the door as he didn't want to invade any private moments. When he didn't get response, he opened the door, which was not locked. As he entered, he found his bhaiyya and bhabhi asleep, snuggling into each other. His heart softened at the sight infront of him.
He walked to his bhaiyya's side. When he noticed faint lines of worry on his forehead, even in sleep, he tenderly brushed his hand over his bhaiyya's forehead, smoothing the lines. Though there was no smile, the visible calmness on his bhaiyya's face brought peace to him. He kissed his bhaiyya's forehead before moving to his bhabhi's side. He adjusted the room temperature and carefully draped a blanket over them both. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as he did with his bhaiyya. He walked out and closed the door with utmost care, not wanting to disrupt their sleep.
Arav walked into his room and slept not before snuggling into his bhaiyyu who pulled him closer.
The next morning when Abhimanyu woke up, his head felt a lot better. But when the moments of previous night reeled, his heart didn't feel any better. He didn't want to go through his daily motions and he wanted the time to stop right there. He looked at the clock and sighed. He disentangled himself from his wife gently and walked into the washroom not before kissing her forehead. As usual, she looked so serene and cute in sleep.
As Abhimanyu walked out of his room, he made his way to Arav's room. He wanted to check on his child. He felt like an idiot for not checking on him the previous night. The boy looked heart broken. He was so into his own pain that he couldn't get himself to go to Arav and for that he will always be guilty. He collided into Ajay on his way who looked ready to go to hospital. Before Abhimanyu could question, Ajay gave him a quick hug "Emergency hai bhaiyya. Take care." Ajay rushed away before Abhimanyu could reciprocate anything. He sighed. Must have to be some real emergency, he thought to himself and stepped into Arav's room.
Arav, in sleep, was annoyed with the loss of warmth. He tried to reach for the human being who slept with him last night, and hugged him like a Koala bear when he found him.
Abhimanyu joined Arav in the bed, when he saw the boy restless. Before he could pull the boy closer or do something, Arav already had his grip on him. Abhimanyu's heart felt at ease. He made himself comfortable and kissed the boy's forehead before drifting off into sleep with Arav in his embrace.
Akshara who woke up leisurely, got ready, all set to get ready to meet her husband in the park and also put some sense into him. As much as he found his protectiveness cute and adorable, she can't encourage him. Their boy is now 21 and he has every right to explore and live the life, he wishes to. The thought of her own bhaiyya stopping her, from following her passion, sent chills down her spine. He let her do everything she wished for, even when he knew that she might or might not come back home. It was her who decided not to go back into the Force after the recovery. The whole point being, She was given a CHOICE, which Arav deserves. With these thoughts in mind, she made her way to Arav to check if he is doing fine before going to her husband.
What she saw warmed her heart like anything. With a soft smile, she walked to the duo who were sleeping. Arav, at that point, looked like a child, snuggling into his father, which he is. She stared at them to her heart's content for sometime, before moving away. She closed the door softly before she thought of checking on Anya.
The soft click of door woke up Abhimanyu, who stirred which annoyed Arav, that his sleep was being disturbed. He loosened his grip on Abhimanyu and slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the soft glow of sunlight coming through the windows. He turned aside only to find his bhaiyya instead of his bhaiyyu who was already looking at him. He immediately hugged his bhaiyya, almost getting on to him.
Abhimanyu chuckled at that and hugged his child back. That made his day. How was he supposed to send Arav away? He decided to talk to Arav and try to convince him. But he stilled when Arav spoke "Mujhe nahi jaana hai Udaipur"
What do you think will happen next??
How do you think will Akshara react to this?
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LOTS OF LOVE!!
SATHVIKA!!