BROKEN THINGS

28

Sourav stared at his house from a distance. He had made the driver pull over a little before the curve of the lane. From where he was sitting inside his car, the house was mostly visible as a red structure hidden by the trees. For the very first time, it was not a comforting sight. For the first time he did not want to enter it. He did not want to meet the people waiting for him inside.

"Maharaj?" the driver interrupted his blank staring with tangible hesitation. It was some new man, and looked the part of someone afraid to lose their job. Sourav looked at him. The man bit his lips nervously, "Bade Sahb is calling,".

Sourav sighed deeply. There was no way to avoid this. But he did not know what he was going to do or say. What will he tell his parents, that he had lost his brother? That he had let their injured son disappear god knows where after being the reason why the entire family hasn't been complete in these last two years?

"Maharaj?" the driver prompted again, getting even more nervous.

Sourav nodded gruffly, giving him the go ahead.

The man instantly picked the call and informed that they were just pulling up. The engine started again and Sourav stared blankly as his home came fully into view, the black gates he and Rahul used to hoist each other over looming threateningly as they pulled inside. They clanged shut just as the car stopped infront of the porch. His parents who were waiting on the porch ran down the few steps towards the car.

Sourav took a deep breath and got out. His father was the first to reach him, pulling him into a brief tight hug before letting his mother do the same.

"You took too much time coming! Was there a delay? Did you have any problem in the journey? And Rahul! Rahul, just come out already, don't test my patience," predictably, his father, the more impatient one of his parents did not waste a second and began firing off at once.

Sourav couldn't help the little grimace that he could feel pulling at his face. His mother, ever the observant, met his eyes with a sudden fear apparent in hers. She made to step around him towards the car herself but Sourav caught her arm gently.

"Ma," he began than stopped, not knowing what to say, what to tell her. But their mother had always been more perceptive than all of them barring perhaps Rahul. Sourav was his father's son entirely, closer too to his father. But Rahul and Snehashish dada had always been their mother's sons. Rahul was very precious to her, the last of her dear friend and the softest of her children. She knew instantly.

"He didn't come,".

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Quiet and defeated.

Their father wasn't so quiet, "W-what do you mean he didn't come? Sourav, where is he? How could you let your-"

"Baba," Sourav interrupted softly but firmly with a meaningful eye towards the servants suddenly just loitering around right there for some meaningless task, "We should talk. But inside,".

He looked at both his parents' faces. Baba looked stressed, rubbing his forehead as he nodded and called for someone to grab the luggage. Ma just stared at the car, some indecipherable emotion rolling of her in waves. They both looked distressed. He swallowed and stepped around them both to lead the way inside not looking forward to the conversation that they were going to have. If their heart had broken now, it was going to shatter a lot more when they would learn that Rahul had walked out of the hotel in the middle of the night of his own chord. Hopefully of his own chord. Either way, he was the one who had to break the news and watch their faces fall.

When they find his stupid brother, Sourav was going to kill him for doing this to him. Right after hugging the life out of him.