Ajnabi, The Unknown

18- When Death Lures Life

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Life is like the hues of the orange. It is soothing, but not everyone likes orange, but it is the color that would always be present. Life is also akin to the hues of blue, you worship; but life is also the blackness we all adore in fictions but fear in real life and yet find ourselves submerged in love. 

Kabir looked at his children. They looked peaceful. Nikhil had his head on Manthan's chest, his feet on Hardik's lap, and the boys had drifted off to sleep like that. Manthan was holding Nikhil, his one arm under his neck, while the other one was gently holding Hardik's hand. Kabir laughed softly, removing his phone and clicked a picture. 

He would frame it. 

Kabir removed a blanket from the almirah and quietly covered his children before kissing their foreheads. Kabir's eyes zeroed on Hardik's arm, and regret filled in his eyes. When Kabir hit him with the ruler, just to make speak before, one hit came out a bit harsher than he had intended or noticed. The red mark on his left arm was speaking enough. 

Kabir grabbed a bottle of lotion and took a generous amount of lotion in his hand and started to rub it on his arm. Hardik moved in his sleep. His hand catching Kabir's hand as he used it as his pillow and went back to sleep, making Kabir sigh. 

"I am sorry, Hari." Kabir whispered, kissing his hair before removing his arm and switched the lights off before closing their door. 

"Can you stop getting on my nerves and get out of the bed and get ready, Hari?" Manthan asked, and Hardik glared at him. 

"Meri preparation leave chal rahi hai. Nikhil ka school hai use uthao." Hardik said, going back to sleep, and Manthan looked at him in disbelief. 

"Exactly, Hari! Preparation leave chal rhi hai, to prepare for your exams. Get up! Tu soyega toh Nikhil nahi uthega." Manthan said, and Hardik looked at him, annoyed and irritated. 

"Yeh kaisa logic hai, bhaiya? Main nahi uthunga toh Nikhil nahi uthega?" Hardik asked, and Manthan raised his eyebrows and moved to wake up Nikhil, who looked at Hardik's sleeping frame and nestled his face back inside the blanket, covering his head. 

"Uth jaa, Nikhil." 

"Nahi, abhi tak Hari bhai bhi nahi uthe hai. Toh main kyu uthu?" Nikhil asked, and Manthan stared at Hardik pointedly, and Hardik groaned in frustration and kicked the blanket off him, and sat down on the bed. 

"Uth jaa, Nikki. Dekh, abhi toh main bhi jaag gaya." Hardik said, but Nikhil had gone back to sleep. 

"Nikhil!" 

Manthan said, and Nikhil whined, and the moment Kabir came inside the room to wake up them, he saw Nikhil struggling to sleep, Hardik looking annoyed, sitting on the bed, and Manthan was.... looking at Nikhil with irritation. He could his kids were about to lose their calmness. Early in the morning. 

"Go, get ready. Breakfast almost ready hai. I'll wake him up." Kabir said, and Manthan glared at Nikhil's sleeping frame, and Kabir whacked him gently. 

"Stop glaring at the boy. Baccha hai vo. Tu bachpan main isse bhi jyada jiddi tha. You never saw me waking you up so impatiently, Manthan." Kabir said, and Manthan toned down his glare and smiled at Kabir.