Qurbat, Near You

8- The Principal's Office

Hello, welcome back to Qurbat, Hehe. If you like the chapter, please kindly vote and comment 

God, I am feeling shy publishing here after sooooo long!

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"Hari, call the principal. And Adhir, call Baba." 

Manthan's words made Nikhil's eyes widen in alarm and panic. He immediately pulled himself out of Manthan's embrace and shook his head vehemently. That was the last thing he wanted, getting his father and their principal involved. 

If Kabir came here, and he got to know that his youngest child was getting bullied, he would make sure Pratham suffered the consequences of his actions. And this wasn't something Nikhil was planning on. 

"No!" Nikhil immediately shook his head. "You won't call Baba or report him to the principal either. I will deal with it myself." 

Nikhil's words made Adhir scoff in anger and disbelief. Adhir hated everyone around him, except his family. And Nikhil..... the boy was his everything. The little boy in front of him was the same person who saved him that day. He was the first person who put so much effort into saving him. Someone to cradle him to sleep after his parents died. He could take everything, literally everything, but not someone hurting his little brother. His savior. 

"Deal with it yourself?" Adhir's voice was low, almost a whisper but the amount of rage his voice held, the anger that he made itself known so easily, was making Nikhil guilty. He looked down. Unable to look at the hurt, disappointment and anger in his brother's eyes, Nikhil looked down. 

And that somehow made Adhir angrier. Taking a step forward, he grasped his chin, gently lifting his face to look into his eyes. When Nikhil's timid eyes met Adhir's ferocious ones, the older one felt like his anger was melting into a puddle, but the ice wasn't entirely melted. 

"Deal with it yourself?" Adhir repeated. "From what I saw, Nikhil, you were asking him to hit you until he feels better! Is this how you fucking deal with bullies and bullying?" 

"Adhir!" Manthan's sharp voice made him look up. When Nikhil flinched back, Manthan couldn't help his protective side.

When Manthan tried cradling the little boy to his chest, Adhir gripped Nikhil's wrist, stopping him. 

"No! I am not done yet." Adhir announced, pulling Nikhil closer to him once again. "I really don't wish to do this conversation right here. But I guess, you and your little friend there need to get this thing through your thick skulls!" 

"Friendship is friendship when it gives you happiness, Nikhil. When it starts tormenting you, belittling your existence, it's no longer a friendship! And this guy," Adhir gritted out, grabbing Pratham by his collar, pulling him close roughly, making Manthan close his eyes in frustration. "— this guy was bullying you. I don't care how deep your friendship was in the past, it doesn't warrant him a free pass after treating you like shit!" 

Pratham shivered when Adhir's dark gaze pierced down his eyes, making him shudder. Nikhil, on the other hand, looks down, unable to look into burning gaze of his brother. Adhir was always..... so chill, always goofy around his family that when he got angry, Nikhil just didn't know how to react. And his eyes lowered on its own accord. For him, Adhir, Manthan and Hardik stood on the same line. 

"Adhir, dara mat yaar use." Hardik chided him slowly, pulling Nikhil closer to him, pushing his head to his chest. Nikhil's eyes burned with tears when he felt a soft kiss being pressed on his forehead. Everything out of love.