Silent Downfall

Chapter Thirty-Four

For a moment, Aanvik could only stare at his friend. "Wait, your uncle isn't his real father?"

"He isn't his biological father."

"Does he know? Lucian, I mean."

Waseef shook his head. "We never told him. Sajid did, of course, but given his meanness, it wasn't hard to convince Fayzan that he was lying. Remember the time when Shranav asked me why Fayzan and I don't share the same surname? It was like applying the wrong formula but getting the answer right anyway.

"My mother's visits to her place became more frequent so that she could help Auntie in every possible way. Auntie knew I loved her little boy, and I was always welcome to come and play with him. By then, I could swear my uncle liked her. I often teased him about it, but deep down, I wanted them to end up together. Auntie was a sweet, motherly figure, and I wanted the baby in my family. My mother was also aware of his feelings. It was she who helped them talk about it at last.

"Auntie was perfectly capable of raising Fayzan on her own, but she decided to trust a man for the third time in her life. This time, she didn't have to regret her choice. The wedding took place when Fayzan was around a year and a half old."

"And you got a brother."

Waseef smiled. "Yes. A brother whom I couldn't love more. Fayzan, too, has always been fond of me."

"I can tell."

"Sometimes I wish we were really poor, like the ones who can barely manage to bring food to the table. Then I would have, at times, starved myself to save money, so that I could buy my chipmunk what he would have wished for. It's hard to express love in its true, profound form when you are rich."

"I love my chipmunk," he added. "Losing him is my worst nightmare. Do you forgive me?"

Aanvik sighed. "I don't know."

"Auntie passed away when he was six. Uncle died two years after that. Sajid kicked Fayzan out of the house, and I took him in. He has been living with me permanently ever since. Uncle wanted me to tell you two everything after his death, but I didn't. I produced the fake death certificate to get you guys off his tail. Fayzan's biological father, who was apparently being tormented by remorse every second by then, was to be informed as well. He already knew all about me through his sister, who continued to be in occasional contact with Auntie even after the incident. To my chagrin, Auntie and Uncle themselves met him once when Fayzan was still a baby. Your mamma somehow forgave him, I suppose. This guy was a problem I couldn't ignore. So, I threatened to reveal what he tried to do with his wife if he dared to open his mouth. That worked. The coward continued to suffer in silence, and I could have my chipmunk to myself."

"Who is this father?"

Waseef suppressed a smirk. "Oh, don't ask. Ignorance is bliss."

"Alright. Let him go to hell. But if you loved me so much, how could you do this, Waseef? To me. To Mayank."

Waseef spoke in a faint voice. "I am sorry for what you all have gone through, but I am not sorry for what I have done."

"Really? Not even a little?"

"You two have each other. Fayzan is the only one I have," he said. "You would have tried to take him away, and he would have ended up with his biological father. I don't trust that man."

"When Mayank disappeared with him," Waseef continued, "I thought you guys somehow figured out the truth. That is why I was so convinced at first that you knew where they were. I was, in fact, ready to offer some cash, trying to get information out of an official in charge of the case, as I suspected they knew something about it. I came back to my senses shortly after that.