RUINS

PROLOGUE

Agastya was so into, seeking some peace from his brothers, that he didn't notice the beep sound of his watch. But once it registered, his eyes widened, and he pulled back from his brothers abruptly. 

Akshat and Advitya looked at Agastya shocked and also confused when they saw him looking at his wrist watch with widened eyes. Advitya wiped away his tears and held Agastya's arms gently "Bhaiyya?!" 

Agastya looked at him "Phone de apna!" He ordered and Advitya gave it to him without any question when he saw the urgency in his bhaiyya's body language. He looked at Akshat who looked as clueless as him. They were fine a moment ago and now they aren't understanding their bhaiyya's behavior. His changed attitude they saw with the villagers already unsettled them but when he embraced them without any thought, they didn't dwell much on it. 

Agastya took the phone from Advitya but when he saw no signal, he started running, shocking his brothers. He ran like its the end of his life and his boys, recovered from the shock and followed, as their life depended on it, because it did. 

They tried to negotiate Agastya into sitting in their car but Agastya didn't pay any heed to them. It hurt the boys but nonetheless they followed him on foot. 

After 15 minutes of sprint, they reached a place which looked like an Ashram!

Advitya and Akshat are rooted to their spots, stunned. They could hear nothing and they definitely didn't understand anything. 

They were sure this is all a dream but then they heard. 

They heard their bhaiyya's cries making it all real. 

Agastya Gautam, their bhaiyya, was crying, clutching their Bhabs tightly in his arms, their Bhabhs whom they had believed to be dead. The revelation hit them like a bolt from the blue, shattering everything they believed to be true. Unable to comprehend anything, they stood frozen as their bhaiyya was busy crying, holding the love of his life.

For Nine agonizing months, Agastya lived with the fact that she might not even wake up. But the sight of her now, showing slight signs of life, after 9 months of prolonged silence, felt nothing but miraculous. He looked up at the Guru of Ashram, who softly smiled at him "She is in the path of recovery. Anytime from now, she will wake up." 

"She will wake up"... That was all Agastya heard and that was all he wanted to hear. He waited for someone to tell him those words, for 9 months now. He looked at the woman in his arms and showered her face with kisses. Waves of emotions surged through him like a raging storm. 

He held her close, feeling her warmth against his chest, as he listened intently to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, just like he did for the n number of times in the last 9 months. The same heartbeat which gave him some courage every time he faltered. 

With tears still streaming down his cheeks, Agastya gently brushed a lock of hair away from her face, caressing her face and whispered "Please, Love! Don't make me wait anymore. I need you. Aur nahi ho raha hai mujhse, Amrita. Please, wake up..." His words trailed off into a choked sob, his body shaking with the grief. Helplessness is not something Agastya is used to but that is all he felt for the last 9 months. 

He wept out his heart and once he had his fill, he gently laid her down on the bed. He kissed her forehead and got up with a final look of her serene face.

Not until he turned around did he realise his brothers' presence. He knew he had a lot of answers to give. He could already see the accusation in their eyes. Though it hurt him, he didn't expect anything else from them. He owed them the explanation for hiding such truth. He was just about to that, but Advitya beat him to it.