Autumn is a second spring

64. Mediate

"Now that you two are here, sit down!" Ohm glanced at Boun and Prem. "I am so done with you two!"

Usually, it would have been Fluke who mediated between the couple. But due to his absence, things had blown between them to the extent that Ohm had no option but to step in as the negotiator.

Ohm sat at the head of the rectangular table. Boun sat to his right while Prem sat to his left. Under normal circumstances, Prem would have sat beside Boun. The fact that he didn't was a striking example of how mad he was at Boun.

"How are you, Prem?" Ohm was really concerned about Prem as the latter didn't look like he was doing good. Prem looked worn out and tired. 

"I am good, Phi," Prem gave him a small smile. But that smile didn't reach his eyes.

Ohm sighed. "Prem, I have no idea what this asshole cousin of mine did or what he said. But I can give a hundred percent guarantee that he had no intention of ever hurting you. He doesn't have the patience to stop for a second and think of what he is going to do or say. Please don't take it to heart na."

"Khrab," Prem answered in a very soft voice. His gaze was on his clamped hands placed on top of the table.

"Prem, I am going to tell you something you already know. My cousin here is a fool when it comes to comprehending other's emotions. He doesn't know how to read a room or act accordingly. He is very impulsive. You know this better than anyone, right?"

Seeing that Prem was still quiet, Ohm continued. "Prem, are you worried about Boun wanting to take Bew to meet P' Merlin?"

Prem shook his head.

"So, you have nothing to say about this matter?" Ohm asked.

"No, Khrab."

Both Ohm and Boun could feel that Prem was behaving oddly.

"Prem, we are gathered here so that we can discuss everything and make a decision. You know this can be really a detrimental phase and both of you need to stay together in this. So, please speak up, alright? If you don't how will we know what is in your mind?" Ohm spoke softly.

"P' Ohm, I don't think that what is in my mind matters here. I think everything should be according to what Hia wants to do." Prem too replied with composure.

Ohm glanced at Boun who was staring at Prem. He knew that Boun was mad that Prem was acting like this but he couldn't blame Prem either. "Prem, how can it not matter? You are Bew's Dami na. Your opinion matters a lot."

Prem let out a low chuckle. "Just because Bew calls me Dami, it doesn't make me his guardian, does it? I am not related to him in the real sense at all. I am more like a nanny, right? The one who raises the kid. The only difference is that nannies need to be paid and I did it for free."

"Prem, what are you even talking about? What nanny? You are his Dami, na. You are his favorite."

Prem pressed his lips together trying his best not to let the turbulent emotions with his show on the surface. "I know, phi. He is my favorite too. But if Hia wants to send him away to his mom, I don't think that I am in any position to oppose that."

"Why on earth will I ever send my child away, Pao? Are you out of your mind???" Boun yelled, banging his fist on the table as he lost his cool.

"BOUN!" Ohm glared at his cousin, making the latter shut his mouth and sit back down in his seat. He turned to Prem and saw that he was already crying. "Prem, he~"

"You don't have to say anything, phi. All these years, I have tried my best to be a good parent for Bew. I swear I did my best. But I don't think neither Bew nor Hia feels that way. For them, I have never been a good parent." Prem said in a shaky voice.

"That's not true!" Boun raised his voice again. "Neither of us had thought that you are not a good parent!"

"Really? Then why didn't Bew tell me about what happened in his school? If he really felt that I am such a good parent, he should be willing to come to me when he felt pressured and sad, right?" Prem retorted.

"He is just a kid, Pao!"

"What about you, Hia? You also didn't tell me everything, did you? You only gave a small part of the story to me. If not for Earth slipping up things in front of me by mistake, I wouldn't have known everything." Prem was pretty upset that Boun hadn't told him everything.

The other day, he had gone to Kao and Earth's place. During a conversation, Earth, who had no idea that Boun hadn't mentioned everything to Prem, spoke openly of the topic of the children as he felt that both of them were in the same position. Earth felt that Prem could resonate his thoughts. It was only when Prem asked for details that Earth realized what was going on.

However, that didn't stop him from giving all the details Prem wanted to know. He felt that his friend deserved to know everything and that there was no need for them to hide things from Prem.

"You want to know why I didn't tell you everything? You really want to know? Then, let me tell you why." Boun was mad at Earth for telling the details to Prem. "When Earth told you everything, the first thought that crossed your mind was that it was all your fault, right?"

Prem turned silent all of a sudden.

"You must have blamed yourself, right? That's exactly why I didn't tell you." Boun huffed as he sat back down. 

Ohm gave Boun a look of approval. 

"You didn't tell me that either," Prem mumbled. 

"Not everything needs to be said out loud, Prem." Ohm replied as Boun was still mad at Prem.

Prem sniffled the snot that was about to flow down his nostrils.

Ohm sighed seeing the two of them. He turned to Prem. "Prem, do you know what the biggest problem between you two?"

Prem shook his head while Boun acted as if he was not at all interested in the conversation but was paying full attention to what his cousin was saying.

"The biggest problem in between you is your habit of undermining yourselves. I don't really understand why you two keep doing that."

"What do you mean, Phi?"

"Why do you two have to think that you are not a match for each other, huh? Prem, you think that you are not good enough for him and he thinks that he is not good enough for you. What on earth makes you think like that?" Ohm looked alternatively between the couple. "Do you two think that being in love is like a competition or something? A competition in which the winner is determined by the number of sacrifices that one did for the other?"