The blazing midday sun shone relentlessly, bathing the atmosphere in its warm light. The day was like any other day, a normal one. People were busy with their day’s schedule, while some went on a jaunt; the others were wandering around the resort.
“Yes Maa, take care. Bye.” Meera sighs before pulling the device back into her palms and cutting the call. She saw the wallpaper which appeared shortly after the call ended; it was her parents that she took on their wedding anniversary.
Her father was sitting on a wheelchair while her mother kneeled beside him, reaching his level. They were smiling. A genuine one that they always have pasted on their face, despite all the worries they have.
They came together with an arranged marriage, erasing their differences and leading a life filled with love, conviction and admiration.
While she had a broken life, broken relationship and broken confidence.
Maybe that was her destiny, love might not be written in her life or may be the person whom she loves, who will not be in her life.
She closes her eyes leaning onto the table that she was sitting on in the café that was located at the entrance of the resort, all alone.
It was afternoon and she was waiting for him, her boss, who had not been seen by anyone since yesterday. She was slightly worried about his sudden disappearance. She saw him the day before yesterday; he was slightly tense about something and was totally lost in his world.
It’s so contrasting of him to just vanish without any intimation. It vaguely caused some fright in her.
Is he okay?
She was waiting for him since long because she wanted to inform him about the deal that they had cracked with the company that they had visited a few days ago, she was happy for him for the success he got.
It’s true when they say; when you truly love someone, their smile soothes you while their tears hurt you.
How memories would give you some pain while some relieve you from pain.
She still loves him, she wouldn’t deny it. Maybe she also wants him back but she is scared, scared thinking that all the emotions that scarred her when he left, would return back with him. She doesn’t want the same, she doesn’t want those memories come back and haunt her, not after when she took years in subduing all those into the bottom of her heart.
She wants closure from him, about why he had left years ago and also about why he still loves her after everything happened. She wants to tell him about their lost baby, her lost happiness, her lost life. She wants to know about everything that happened to him in these past years.
Did he miss her like she did in all these years?
Did he want her back?
Does he still remember all the memories they created together, the love they shared, the feelings they had?
She blinks trying to get out of those thoughts; the more she thought of them the more they hurt her. She lifts her head slowly, looking at the entrance and the people who were entering.
She gasps, when she finds Sampath walking in hastily. His steps were long and fast. She immediately gets up from her seat, picking up her phone before walking towards him.
As she slowly walked towards him, she looked at him who was dressed in burgundy while his appearance was disheveled. His breathes were short and uneven, his eyes were bloodshot. Her steps halter slightly, when she looks at his face which holds a dangerous look, she gulps before opening her mouth to speak.
“Sampath- She stops speaking when he walks past her, without paying a glance at her. She frowned looking at his retreating figure before walking behind him.
What’s wrong with him?
She literally runs behind him to catch up with his pace, he was precariously fast.
“Sampath” She calls him but he doesn’t answer. It was as if she was invisible over there and he didn’t hear her speaking.
“Sampath.” She increases her tone, hoping to get a response but the attempt was futile. She breathes heavily before gathering her courage and finally walking past him and standing before him so he could notice her.
“Sampath” She yells, when he dodges her and walks past her.
Why is he avoiding me?
She couldn’t take it and walked along with him, thinking about his rage.
She stops, leaning over her knees taking ragged breaths, as she literally had to run behind him. He finally stops in front of one room; she knows it was Vansh and Ridhima.
She waits for him to react, but he just looks at the door with his jagged breathes and dangerous aura around him. If only looks could burn, the door would turn into ashes already.
He knocks the door roughly; the sound breaks the silence lingering in the floor while she looks at him intently.
The door opens after a few seconds revealing Ridhima, who was smiling brightly and faltering as soon as she looked at Sampath.
“Where is Vansh?” Meera could hear his calm yet dangerous voice and saw how Ridhima flinched at his tone.
A few moments later, she hears a few muffled voices from the room and gasps stridently when she sees Sampath pushing Ridhima aside and striding into the room.
The door was left ajar, anyone passing by could see what was happening inside, even if she wanted to know what happened to him suddenly but she stood on her spot not wanting to enter into their personal matters.
****
“Why did you lie to me?” Sampath roars, shuddering them both in trepidation.
His eyes were dangerously enlarged while his voice was laced with rage, perfidy and menace.
Vansh blinks at him trying to decipher what happened suddenly which made him this enraged. He tries to compose his rising heartbeat and speaks lowly.
“Bhai, what happened suddenly? What did I lie to you about? Please let’s talk peacefully.”
Sampath lets out a loud hollow titter, before walking further into him, looking into his eyes making Vansh squirm at the intensity of rage in his eyes.
“Why did you lie to me?” Sampath mutters dangerously low, if not for their distance, Vansh could never hear his voice.
“Bhai… W— What are.. you talking ab..about?” He stutters afraid about the sudden change in his brother, a sight he never saw before.
“Huh.” Sampath clamors loudly before leaving his collar, while Vansh stumbles back a little before balancing himself.
“Bhai-” Sampath scoffs looking at him again “Who are you addressing as Bhai?” He asks, raising his arms as if getting surprised at his words. “Me?” He adds pointing his finger towards him.
“Bhai.” Vansh grits out slightly annoyed at his attitude.
What happened to him?
“Yes Bhai…Who is your Bhai here? If it’s me then why are you addressing me as Bhai. You know I am nothing to you or maybe I am just an employee in your office.” He speaks every word bitterly while looking at him.
“What nonsense? What happened to you? Why are you blo*dy behaving like this? Are you out of your mind? You are my brother and that’s the truth.” Vansh shouts loudly, Ridhima gets traumatized at his tone while Sampath stands rooted.
Vansh walks towards him, taking his hands into his before looking into his eyes smiling shakily.
“Bhai, what happened? Please tell me. You are scaring me with your behavior. Did I do something wrong?” Vansh had tears glistening in his eyes. It’s hurting him to see his brother looking devastated.
Sampath’s eyes alleviate slightly, looking at his brother staring at him petrified and holding guilt in his eyes. He closes his eyes unable to look at the tears forming in his eyes.
He retraces his hands back from Vansh’s hold, making him gasp. He lowers his gaze, tightening his jaw muscles, as the words he heard yesterday were flooding back into his mind.
‘Your sister is affected with a brain tumor and is suffering from stage two of it. Your brother knows about her condition long back.”
That moment he felt his heart crumbling down into untold pieces, he was afraid if he could ever compose himself. What was he supposed to do? His hands and legs suddenly felt weak and he collapsed on the floor. His eyes were feeling too grave filled with tears, his heart felt too intense with sudden thoughts flooding his mind.
She is suffering with a tumor and he didn’t know about it?
He fists his palm, unable to bear the devastating twinge he was getting. His head was throbbing heavily while his body gave up finally making him fall back with a thud.
His sister was suffering from such danger and he failed to discern about it. He was feeling hollow and void of any emotions.
Should he feel sad? Should he feel helpless? Should he feel depressed? Should he feel betrayed?
Amongst all the thoughts, one thought made him feel shaken.
Vansh knows he lied.
Vasnsh looks at the backside of his brother, who held his head low and lost in his thoughts. He didn’t understand what mistake he made. Did he really make a mistake that made his brother so devastated?
His gaze moves towards Ridhima, who was equally traumatized as him. She didn’t know how to react or what to say.
Vansh sighs heavily before taking his steps towards Sampath, trying to know what was wrong.
“Sia”
Vansh stops in his face, a blank emotion filling his mind and reflecting on his face.
He knows.
“Why did you lie about her?” Sampath’s voice was broken as if his heart was shattered to the core. Vansh’s eyes widen listening to him and he steps back dazed. Ridhima gasps while listening to him and turns to Vansh who was already shocked.
“Bhai” Vansh whispers lightly, not knowing how to start and what to say.
Sampath nods slightly before turning back to see Vansh. His eyes were depicting how wrecked he was feeling right now. He never thought that his brother, whom he loves so much, would lie and hide about the health condition of his sister, who was his life.
“Why?” He sighs softly trying to compose himself. Vansh could see how devastated his brother was feeling.
“Bhai-
“Stop it, don’t call me like that. I am not your brother.” Sampath’s voice turned octave pitch making Vansh shudder.
“If.. If I was really your Bhai, you wouldn’t do the same. You wouldn’t have lied to me, you wouldn’t have k—kept me in the dark, you….you wouldn’t have betrayed me by hiding the truth. If I was really your Bhai, you wouldn’t have…. hid the truth from me, the truth that my sister was suffering, her health was hugely affected and she is on her medications. Hell, she is not m—-my sister either, even….even though she hid the truth from me, I am no one to you all. I am no one. I am not important to any one of you. You all are liars, you all betrayed me, you all-
He bursts out crying, falling on his eyes as his eyes too betrayed him from stopping his tears. Vansh is heartbroken seeing how scattered his brother was, he is crying because of him.
Ridhima blinks back her tears, unable to process her thoughts. She couldn’t see how broken Sampath was and how it scattered Vansh, who was witnessing his break.
Sampath waggles his head, smearing his tears away before gathering his strength and standing up. His arms were feeling so weak that he stumbled on his arms and fell in front. Vansh moves towards him trying to support him to stand up but Sampath shoves his hands away not bothering to look at the tears falling from Vansh and stands on his foot.
Vansh fists his arms in defeat, he knew he was wrong and that broke his brother badly.
“You-” Vansh looks up to meet his brother’s fierce gaze. “- I will never forgive you for this.” He says manifesting any emotion.
“Bhai, please try to understand. Vansh didn’t want to- Sampath cuts her off.
“Understand what, Ridhima? He was trying to protect his family by hiding the truth about Sia? He wanted to solve all the problems without letting anyone know? Hell, I don’t even know what he must have thought before subduing everything. Even his silence about that matter would be acceptable but he lied to me. Not for a day but for months, he continued lying to me. He didn’t find me important enough to tell me about her condition, not on the day he got to know about her, on the day she fainted, on the day I came back from my business tour and also the day before yesterday when I asked him about it. Huh..Vansh! What should I understand about your situation? That you lied to me afraid that it would break me. Ah! But I am broken even now after knowing that you lied to me. But this time I am broken tenfold than I would be if you said the truth instead of hiding. You know…I—I am feeling so…so forlorn and empty right now.” He stops breathing heavily trying to control his tears which were flowing.
“I am feeling as if I am abandoned, I am feeling so exhausted but incapable to sleep. It is as if in the end, I am all alone and left out. There is a constant panic niggling me, what if something had happened to her? What if she di…..
His voice wavers heavily as he stops, unable to say anything.
Vansh looks on as he pours his heart out, his heart which was bleeding heavily. He knows that his brother’s pain was justified, knowing how close he was to Sia. He never let anything happen to her and now after he learns about her life’s biggest trauma from someone other than his family broke him. More than that, his lies broke him.
He looks at Ridhima, who was already weeping unable to see how scattered they all looked. She looks at Vansh and finds him already looking at her. She stops weeping and calms herself, she doesn’t want Vansh to feel more guilty after looking at her tears. She smiles sadly at him before rushing out of the room making him laugh dumbly.
She was still trying to reduce the pain he was having right now. But he didn’t want that to happen, he deserves all the hatred and disapproval. He was wrong, it was all his fault.
Ridhima walks out hastily before closing the door behind her. She turns to her left and finds Meera standing stationary with her back plastered to the wall. His palms were covering her mouth as if trying to calm her sobs.
She heard.
Ridhima sighs heavily before walking towards her and placing her hand on Meera’s shoulder. Meera squirms, turning towards her and stumbles back. She could see how disbanded Ridhima looked.
Meera breathes heavily before composing herself and swabbing her tears away.
“Ridhima…I—-I was just. I—I didn’t –
She stops when Ridhima leans forward and engulfs her into a hug. She gets taken aback but balances herself from falling. Ridhima holds her tightly and starts sobbing. Meera sighs before wrapping her arms around her, she doesn’t know how but her cheeks were wet as well.
She never saw Sampath this broken that he was right now. She wanted to reach out for him and inundate him in her arms, taking him away from his distress. She knew how emotional he was when he deals with lie and betrayal.
A silent prayer left her mouth asking for some strength for him.
“They both are broken. I fear what will happen now. I—I can’t see him falling in the pit of guilt. Bhai, he is unable to collect himself.” Ridhima’s muffled voice makes Meera miserable.
She snaps out of her thoughts when she finds the door open and Sampath emerges from it. Their eyes met for a second and she went into despair looking at the hollowness of his eyes. She immediately moves back from Ridhima’s arms, looking at him.
He bits his lips, unable to control himself and runs away from them.
“Sampath.” Meera shouts stunned, she doesn’t want him to take any wrong step right now. She immediately turns on her heels and rushes behind him. Vansh too runs out of the room and follows Sampath along with Ridhima.
****
Sampath stops behind the door, breathing heavily and trying to compile himself down.
He practices smiling and plasters a smile on his face. He should really learn how to mask up his emotions.
He knocks the door slowly and hears some shuffling noise from inside; he looks up at the door when he hears it opening and Sia coming into the picture.
His smile falters slightly before he again masks up his emotions.
Sia smiled at him weekly, her eyes were deep with dark circles under her. She was looking pale and weak. He shakes his head mentally and looks at her, refusing the emotions coming back again.
“Come Bhai.” Sia holds the door and moves aside, suggesting that he come inside. When he finally walks into the room, she tries to close the door but stops when she finds Vansh, Meera and Ridhima pacing towards the room or practically running.
She frowns looking at them but then swipes the thoughts away.
“What happened?” She asks Vansh, when he reaches the door. Sia’s gaze then moves to Meera and Ridhima, who stopped behind Vansh.
“No…I was ju—just. Bhai…Bhai came?” Vansh tries to sound resolute and sighs when Sia buys his tone.
“Yeah, he came. You all come inside.” She nods her head before walking back into the room. Vansh nods, moving into the room followed by others.
“What were you doing?” Sampath, who was standing at the corner of the room near the wall size window asked, Sia smiled at him before answering.
“No, I was just taking some rest.”
“Rest, Is everything alright?” Sia gulps at his tone, he wasn’t talking in his own self. His voice held no emotions.
“Yah! I—I am just feeling some headache. I am fine.”
“I didn’t know that people use these medicines for headaches.” Sia’s eyes narrowed, as he turned back holding something in his hands.
“Carmustine, If I am not wrong it is not used for headaches.” He murmured casually but his eyes were sharp and pristine. Sia gulps immediately looking at Vansh, who was already looking at her and his eyes held panic, fear and guilt?
Sia turns back, breathing heavily before walking towards Sampath. She was trying to decipher what was happening around her.
“Bhai..What happened?”
“Tell me what happened to you? He asks strongly, making her squirm slightly.
Now she finally understood, he knows about her health. He is broken beyond repair.
Tears start filling in her eyes as he walks towards him but he conveys void emotions. She finally tries to touch his hand but he stops her, showing his palm towards her, gesturing her to stop.
“I loved you, I truly loved you. You were one of those precious jewels that shined in my life. One scratch on you hurts me more than death. You were this small when I held you, I fed you, I dressed you up. I looked after you, I brought you up. I thought I was important in your life too, that you would always think of me before or after Vansh if you had any problem in your life. I thought I was important…. I really thought. Only if I had known that I wasn’t.” He sputtered at her, his words held his emotions, the first time she felt the ground slipping away under her feet.
She bobs her head negatively and tries to speak but he stops her again.
“One word about your condition, I would have tried my best to save you from everything you were facing. But you chose to hide it from me. Did you even, for once, thought about how hurt I will be after knowing about everything? How dead I would be after knowing the lies you both spoke? For once, if you had thought about it. For once…
He stops finally, bursting into tears. He hated to cry that too in front of others, but he was broken worse than he would ever think that he would be. He turns towards the window finally, wiping his tears away while new tears are falling down.
Crying is how your heart feels, when your lips can’t express the pain you feel.
Sia sobs heavily burying her face in her palms. This was the darkest nightmare she wouldn’t even think about, Her Sampath Bhai crying because of her.
Vansh stands on his roots, unable to move any step. He feared even one step he took would fall more deep with the guilt he was having.
Sia couldn’t take it anymore and rushed towards him, wrapping her arms around his torso and leaning into his warmth, warmth that always soothed her when she was in any problem.
Her brother was always her solace, who held her protectively from the entire world.
Sampath doesn’t react to her touch which he had always done in the past, he was feeling if he had reacted more heavily than he should be.
Her sobs turned loud as she fisted his shirt more, not bothering if he was getting hurt or not. She wanted him to react, she wanted him to scold her or even curse her but not be silent.
Unable to control his emotions, he turns back and wraps his arms around her making her heave heavily. She leans more into his warmth and basks in his strength.
“Please Bhai, I love you. It’s breaking me to see you so disheveled.” She reasons her pain while looking at him while he just kisses on her head trying to ease her pain.
“Don’t cry, your health.” He states and she stops suddenly, nodding her head at him.
“I can’t be angry at you nor scold you from anything. I love you and it broke me to see how important I am in your life to not be aware of anything about your health.
“Bhai.” Vansh slowly mutters, trying to finally reason his side of the situation, hoping Sampath would at least forgive him and not hate him.
He halts at his words when his phone rings, he curses incoherently before fishing out his phone and frowns when he finds the caller who was calling him.
He immediately attends the call and freezes when he hears what was being said from the other end. He gasps dreadfully, while his phone falls from his grip making everyone panic at his reaction.
“What happened?” Ridhima says, trying to sound normal but somewhere she knew she was anything but normal.
“Maa…M-Maa…S— She had a panic…attack.” He breathes out heavily before hearing the audible gasps of people around him.
Hello Munchkins, hope you all are healthy and safe. Take care of yourselves properly.
Is Sampath’s reaction justified? Was Vansh’s decision correct?
I tried my best to evolve the emotions through my words in this chapter. I really want you people to share your thoughts on this chapter and I will be more than welcoming to read them.
I pray to my god to keep every innocent civilian of Afghanistan safe and healthy.
I will be publishing the next episode early this time.