THE CURSED BEAUTY

C-14

Anirudh was hurting from side. His soul burning from all the bitter sweet memories.

 Life had certainly not been easy on him in anyway. He fought everyone. He fought his bullies, his father's ignorant nature, his loneliness. 

He fought the pain of separation with his one and only friend . And now he was fighting the grief of his mother's death. He felt as if the comfort and warmth of motherly blanket being swept away from his life.

he was sad. DEVASTATED even.

He didn't allow a single drop of tear to escape his eyes. He need to be strong for his siblings. He needed to be strong for himself. 

His thoughts were disturbed by a hand on his shoulder. He turned his neck to look, his eyes displaying vulnerability.

"You are grieving Anirudh. You can cry." His uncle sighed. 

Truth be told, ram dev Roy Chaudhary could not see his nephew in pain. He could very well understand the feeling, the young man in front of him was experiencing.  Anirudh did not deserve such a grave pain after all the things he endured in his early childhood age.

"I'm okay, kaka (uncle)" Anirudh said emotionlessly.

His uncle's heart churned at the sight. Anirudh's tough façade got him thinking about the things that happened in the past and how all these things have affected him.

"My heart shakes for you, son. Your brothers have been sobbing silently in their rooms. They haven't even had their dinner. Your father is inconsolable and now you too."

"It seems like shubhra behen's death have sucked life out of everyone." His uncle poured his thoughts out. He wanted to converse with him. Maybe initiating a conversation would help him convey his thoughts.

"Okay! I'll make Somnath and batuknath have their dinner. Tell koyeli to set up the dinner table. I'll call them both downstairs." Anirudh said and got up to meet his brothers who were in their rooms on the second floor of the Thakur haveli.

" Baat karo hamse Anirudh! Jo dil mein jo hai, ham se bolo" his uncle cried. His eyes held tears of pain and frustration. He could not see Anirudh like that.

"Mere baat karne se yeh badal nahi jayegia ki meri ma ki maut ho chuki hai." Anirudh said with his voice hard and cool as ice. His words were piercing yet they hid emotion behind them.

" mai dono ko khane ke liye bula kar laata hu." And left the living room.

Ram dev dropped his body on the spot of the sofa where Anirudh previously sat. He felt dejected. His family was breaking and he could do nothing about it. His brother was like a living corpse. Just breathing. His younger two nephews crying and trying to remain strong. The youngest nephew of his , who was just baby did not even understand what was happening. He did not even know what he had lost in his life. 

While his eldest nephew Anirudh was turning into a stone. He was shielding his emotions from everyone.

"Why durga ma? Why would you do this to our family?" he asked to his god.

"My family is breaking apart. Everyone is sad." "This is not I expected how my family would look like, after Anirudh finally returned from vilyat." He rested his walking stick on the other side of the sofa and lied down.

He felt exhausted after all the things that happened.

He was tired.

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