HeartStrings Entwined:A Tale of BrotherHood✅

Chapter Three: Fractured Hearts

Vivaan stood at the hospital window, the rain beating against the glass like an erratic pulse. He couldn’t shake the conversation with Karthik from his mind. The thought of Aarav’s health deteriorating weighed on him like an anvil, threatening to crush him. Aarav had always been the stronger one, the one who pushed ahead despite every obstacle. But this—this was a battle Aarav couldn’t fight with sheer willpower alone.

As the rain poured outside, Vivaan’s phone buzzed on his desk. He picked it up to see a message from Meera: 
**"Vivaan, can we talk? It’s about Aarav."**

Vivaan frowned. Meera rarely contacted him directly, knowing how fiercely independent Aarav was when it came to his personal life, especially his health. Something had shifted.

Without replying, Vivaan grabbed his coat and made his way out into the damp evening. He headed to the small café where Meera had asked to meet. As he entered, the warm scent of coffee greeted him, contrasting with the storm outside.

Meera sat in a corner booth, her hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. She looked up as he approached, her eyes betraying the concern she had tried to hide behind a smile.

“Vivaan, thanks for coming,” she said softly as he slid into the seat across from her.

“I figured if you’re asking to meet me like this, it must be serious,” Vivaan replied, his tone light but his expression serious. “What’s going on?”

Meera sighed, glancing down at her cup. “It’s Aarav. He’s… he’s not himself, Vivaan. I mean, he tries to act like everything’s fine, but I can see through him.” She looked up, her eyes pleading for answers. “He’s in pain. Not just physically—though I know he’s hiding that, too—but something deeper. It’s like he’s at war with himself.”

Vivaan felt a tightness in his chest. “I know. I’ve tried talking to him, but you know how stubborn he is. He won’t listen.”

Meera nodded, her fingers tightening around her cup. “He’s been pushing himself too hard. I see it every day—the late nights, the endless meetings. But what worries me most is how he brushes off the pain. I’ve noticed him wincing, clutching his chest when he thinks I’m not looking. He’s not just overworked, Vivaan. He’s running out of time, isn’t he?”

The bluntness of her words cut through Vivaan like a knife. “He is,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “He needs surgery, Meera. And soon. If he doesn’t… I don’t know how much longer his heart can take it.”

Meera closed her eyes for a moment, as if trying to steady herself. When she opened them again, they were filled with a quiet determination. “We have to make him understand, Vivaan. I can’t just sit by and watch him destroy himself.”

Vivaan leaned forward, his mind racing. “I’ve been thinking about this nonstop. What if we get Dr. Sinha from Delhi to talk to him? Aarav respects him. Maybe he’ll listen to a second opinion.”

Meera’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. “That could work. If anyone can convince Aarav to slow down, it’s someone he respects.”

“I’ll call Dr. Sinha tonight,” Vivaan said, his resolve hardening. “We’ll set up a meeting as soon as possible.”

Meera reached across the table, placing her hand on his. “Thank you, Vivaan. I know it’s hard for you to see him like this.”

Vivaan looked down at their hands, feeling a pang of guilt. Meera cared for Aarav deeply, but the weight of what he was about to do filled him with dread. There was something else he needed to talk to her about—something that had been brewing between the twins for a while.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Meera… there’s something else I need to tell you.”

Meera tilted her head, a question forming in her eyes. “What is it?”

Vivaan took a deep breath. “Aarav and I… we’ve been growing apart lately. Not just because of business, but… there’s something else. And it involves you.”

Meera blinked, confused. “Me? What do you mean?”

Vivaan swallowed, his heart pounding. “I’ve always admired you, Meera. I’ve always cared about you. But somewhere along the way… those feelings deepened.”

The silence that followed was thick, suffocating. Meera stared at him, her expression unreadable.

“I didn’t want it to happen,” Vivaan continued, his voice strained. “But it did. And I know how complicated this is. I know you love Aarav. But I had to be honest with you. Especially now, when everything feels so uncertain.”

Meera pulled her hand back, her gaze dropping to the table. She was quiet for a long moment before she spoke again.

“Vivaan,” she began softly, “I care about you, too. You’ve always been there for me, and I value our friendship more than anything. But Aarav… he’s the one I love. I can’t change that.”

Vivaan nodded, his chest tightening. He had known her answer before he even asked, but hearing it still stung.

“I’m sorry,” Meera whispered, her voice filled with regret. “I never meant to hurt you.”

Vivaan forced a small smile. “You didn’t, Meera. I just needed to say it. I didn’t want to carry it with me any longer.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the weight of Vivaan’s confession hanging in the air. Finally, Meera broke the quiet.

“What do we do now?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Vivaan exhaled slowly. “We help Aarav. That’s all that matters right now.”

Meera nodded, her resolve returning. “You’re right. We’ll get through to him, Vivaan. We have to.”

***

Later that night, Vivaan sat in his apartment, staring at the phone in his hand. He had already dialed Dr. Sinha’s number once but had hung up before the call connected. His emotions were a tangled mess—guilt, regret, fear—all swirling around in his chest. Confessing his feelings to Meera had lifted a burden, but it had also left him feeling raw, exposed.

A knock on his door jolted him from his thoughts. Vivaan stood up, crossing the room to open the door. To his surprise, Aarav stood on the other side, his expression unreadable.

“Hey,” Vivaan said cautiously, stepping aside to let his brother in. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

Aarav walked into the room, his eyes scanning the space before landing on Vivaan. “I needed to talk to you.”

Vivaan closed the door behind him, his heart pounding. “What’s going on?”

Aarav sat down on the couch, his shoulders tense. “Meera told me you two met earlier.”

Vivaan froze, the blood draining from his face. “She… she did?”

Aarav’s hazel eyes darkened, and for a moment, Vivaan saw the flicker of something unfamiliar in his brother’s gaze—something like betrayal. “She told me everything, Vivaan.”

Vivaan’s heart sank as the truth hit him. This wasn’t just about Aarav’s health anymore. The fracture between them had deepened, and he had no idea how to fix it.

“What are we going to do about it?”