𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉 [ON HOLD]

𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔶 𝔢𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱

"So," Rudra cleared his throat, forcing a smile onto his face as he looked at Aastha. "How do you know my Bhaiya and Bhabhi?"

"Well, I heard that we had neighbours moving in recently, and thus, I decided to pay them a visit, one afternoon," Aastha chuckled.

"I've never known you to trust strangers so easily, Bhaiya," Rudra arched an eyebrow at Shivaay.

"Technically speaking," Shivaay replied, "It had been your Bhabhi."

Annika grinned, "Arjun Bhai helped us in our time of need," she homages at Shivaay who glanced down at his empty plate with an uncomfortable smile. Placing her hand on his, she squeezed softly, before looking at Rudra with a chuckle, "And Aastha showed up with chaat the following day. And you know me," she shrugged.

"You love chaat," Rudra nodded. "I know."

"Annika and I got to talking," Aastha continued, prompting Rudra to shift in his seat. "And we found out we had a lot in common," she stated with a bright smile.

For some reason—— which Rudra himself deemed to be due to paranoia and for it to be utterly ridiculous—— he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

But as it stood, Aastha Singhal was their guest—— his Bhaiya and his Bhabhi's guest—— and he had no right to ask the woman to leave.

As his sisters-in-law and brothers—— Omkara eventually warming up to Aastha—— engaged in animated conversations, Rudra felt his heart pinching.

Looking at Shivaay holding Annika's hand, and Omkara leaning towards his wife, alongside Aastha recounting tales of the early days of her marriage—— he felt lost.

He'd lost Saumya. 

And he'd lost Bhavya.

The smile on his face was forced, as he chewed his food monotonously before swallowing it down.

The taste was as non-existent as his love life!—— his subconscious chuckled mockingly.

Rudra rolled his eyes internally.

He caught Shivaay's eyes, and shook his head when his older brother's eyebrows furrowing questioningly.

Shivaay already had a lot on his plate. He wouldn't burden him with his troubles.

꧁꧂

Shivaay unclasped the watch from around his wrist, rubbing his thumb over the leather strap absentmindedly, as he stared at the near-empty bottle of perfume on the vanity.

Mr. Oberoi burnt them all, Shivaay.

All remnants of our childhood memories are gone, Bhaiya!

Pictures, toys and souvenirs—— everything!

He revelled in it, Shivaay. The destruction; the ashes which coated our fingers—— when we failed to save everything.

He breathed out slowly between his teeth, feeling his heart breaking.

At the back of his mind, rage planted a tiny little seed as he ran his tongue over his teeth.

He knew the extents to which Tej Singh Oberoi could go to, but to have the man he'd looked up to once, burn every single physical remnant of him in the house he'd grown up in—— Shivaay ran his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes. He breathed out slowly, fisting his hands which trembled by his sides.