Her Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

MISHTI'S POV

I sat looking at the full moon, that shined brightly amidst the blanket of darkness. I sneaked out of my home and reached our place earlier than usual tonight, since I couldn't sit in my room without thinking about everything. Even though I know that Abir wouldn't lie to all of us without a solid reason, I couldn't help but feel hurt at the fact that he didn't want to share whatever it was, with me.

Along with the gushing sound of the water, I heard a few footsteps and I immediately sat alert, awaiting his presence near me. After a few seconds, I felt him sit near me on our huge rock.

After a few minutes of silence, I decided to get straight to the point, "Tell me everything, Abir. No lies this time. I want to hear the entire truth."

He answered very softly, "It was my fifth birthday. My father passed away."

I sighed, because I knew that it was somehow connected to his father. I waited for him to continue, because I knew he was itching to tell me more.

His voice was very soft when he spoke, as if he was whispering, "Do you remember, when we were kids, you must have been around four years old... you had asked me where my father was. I didn't know what to tell you, so I told you what Parul Maasi kept telling me, that he went to meet God. When you asked me why, I told you that he went to complain about you to God, since you were refusing to eat food. Well, I lied."

I turned to face him to see him looking at the fast-flowing stream, as if deep in thought, "It was because of me.", he barely whispered.

I frowned. It did not make sense to me, "What do you mean?"

He replied as if in a trance, "I barely remember anything about my father anymore, but one thing I remember is ho- how happy we were. One of the few things that I remember about my father was that he was a chirpy man. Happy always. Even though we weren't well off back then, we were ha- happy with what we had. But I- I spoiled everything."

I could feel that it was very difficult for him to share whatever it was with me. So, I joined our hands together, interlaced our fingers and gently pressed his hand, as a form of reassurance.

He stared at our entwined fingers as he continued, "I- I had asked for a stupid car to play with, as my birthday gift. My mother warned. She freaking told me that we could buy it some other day. But no, I was adamant. I wanted to buy it on that freaking day. And- and when my dad was crossing the road after he bought it, a- a truck hit him. He- he didn't make it."

By now, fat tears were rolling down his eyes. My heart clenched hearing him and without a second thought, I reached for him, pulled him towards me and hugged him tightly. He clutched me tightly and I could hear his heart wrenching sobs break through the silent atmosphere.

He hugged me even tighter, if possible, "It- it was because of me, Mishti. Ha- had I not asked for it, h- he would have been with us now. He- he would be getting ready to wish m- my birthday now. My- my mother would have made sw- sweets for my bi- birthday. We would have been ha- happy. Everything happened because of me"

As soon as I heard what happened, my heart clenched at the pain he went through for all these years. What made me even sadder was the fact that he has kept all these emotions bottled up, without talking and expressing it to anyone else.

I rubbed his back and kept whispering sweet nothings, "Shh its okay, Abir. It wasn't because of you."

He replied with his muffled voice, "No Mishti. It was because of me. Everything happened because of me. Everything. I- I killed him, Mishtipie."