Silent Downfall

Chapter Thirteen

"It's not fair! It's not fair!" The shrill groans were popping out of Fayzan, who was lying flat on his chest and relentlessly assaulting the bed surface with his fists and toes. "It's not fair! I want to fight with Nayif."

Mayank's grip tightened around the pen as a mark of the soaring annoyance in him. He raised his eyes from the diary and flung a death glare at the kid.

Fayzan turned to face the ceiling. "I am stuck here. How's that fair?"

"Do you ever keep your lips pressed together, parasite? I am trying to get some work done here."

"And I haven't had chicken or an omelet in forever. These thieves only eat grass."

The all-rounder rolled his eyes. "They are vegetarians. Many people in India are."

A scarlet hue of fury took over Fayzan's cheeks as he looked at Mayank. "What's next? You guys have chlorophyll in your body, and you produce your own food through photosynthesis?"

Mayank's vision continued to penetrate the boy. He was clearly at a loss for words.

"Well, at least I don't have to go to school."

"Eh?"

"That's the only good thing about being here. No school. No homework."

Mayank smirked. "So you would rather be a dead worm than a learned worm."

A frown took over the child's face as he got up to sit. "Maybe. I hate going to school. My friends say I belong to a kindergarten."

The last thing Mayank wanted was for his attention to be elicited by the kid's drivel. As he tried to put his focus back into work, it was slapped down by yet another moan from Fayzan. 

"Who makes his baby brother watch class recordings on a tour? And laptops aren't meant for doing homework. They are for other important stuff... like playing games. Waseef Bhaiya is such a fool!" Fayzan let out a sigh. "But I still miss him. I miss everyone."

"Do you ever shut up about the worms?"

"But I love them."

"For how long have you been with these creatures exactly?"

"Waseef Bhaiya has been on the team since I was a baby."

A familiar squeeze tormented Mayank's stomach for a moment. He nevertheless held himself back from putting any expression on display.

"Hey, what's in that diary?" asked Fayzan, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Murder plans."

"Whom are you going to kill?"

"Everyone. Including you and your worms."

"And your friends?"

Mayank cast a baleful stare at the child, struggling to dissemble the traces of puzzlement on his face. "What?"

Fayzan narrowed his eyes. "You said you were going to kill everyone," he said with his finger pointed toward the diary.

The all-rounder looked away. "None of a worm's concerns."

"You love them, right?"

Mayank's cheeks stung. He detested being startled. Not wanting to murder someone—is that love? He wondered.

"C'mon," Fayzan carried on. "You miss them, don't you?"

Mayank glowered at the boy as he got a harsh grip on the pillow beside him. The odor of danger hit Fayzan's nostril; he let out a short yelp and hopped off the bed with the stuffed tiger's tail in his grasp. "Run, Toby, run!" he cried before bolting toward the door.