ODYSSEY-The Journey Ahead

Shadows Unveiled

MISHRA BROTHERS (FROM A FEW HOURS AGO)

The loud thump of fist against the glass pane brought Aniruddh out of his shocked state. All eyes in the cafe were fixated upon the angry boy and the surprised boy outside.

The manager of the cafe was quick to move in action.

"Aye! Kaun hai yeh bacche, security se bolo bahar hatwao unhe vahan se, right now." Aniruddh heard his manager growl at another staff.

He threw the apron off and sprinted to the manager. "Sir, voh..voh dono mere bhai hai, please..voh"

"Get them off there right this moment, or you won't like it, out!" The manager gritted. 

The manager had a particular dislike towards the boy since the beginning and them, being his brothers, who were causing the chaos, anything but decreased his resentment.

Aniruddh rushed out of the door and went to his brothers. His mind ran in thousand dimensions imagining the worst as he found his brothers at his workplace at such an odd hour.

"Adu, Aashu, kya hua beta? Tum dono yahan kya kar rahe ho?" He looked at his brothers, in concern and worry, unaware of the worry and wrath growing within them.

And Aditansh was in way going to hide his feelings today.

"Isliye aaj aap ghar se jaldi nikle the?"

Aditansh whisphered as he walked closer to his elder brother. 

"You lied, College jaane wali baat, voh bhi jhooth kaha aapne, clearly." He gritted.

His eyes had not once waivered from his brother's.

Such was his determination to extract every ounce of truth today from him today.

"Evening shift thi na aapki cafe mein? Lekin aap yahan subah 8 baje? Kyun?"

There wasn't any mockery or sarcasm in his words but pure fury.

And everything struck to Aniruddh like lightening. In his concern, he hadn't imagined another reason for his brother's coming here, most certainly, not of them finding him at work.

"Adu" His heart raced at the idea of giving an explanation to the situation which he himself wasn't sure of.

"Ghar chal kar mai sab ba.."

"NAHI." Aditansh was having none of it today as he yelled at his brother. for the first time ever.

"Hum ghar nahi ja rahe hai bhaiya. Aur jakar bhi kya hi hoga? Vahan bhi aap humse jhooth hi bol denge. Toh isliye Aapko jo kehna hai, aap abhi kahiye, aur yahin kahiye."

His loud uproar shook an already scared Aniruddh. The worst scenarios played infront of his eyes and he only felt helpless.

In the moment, his eyes travelled to meet those of his Manager glaring at him from inside the cafe, and Aniruddh was quick to recognise the look of madness and disgust in them.

The situation was impaired already. His mind kept ordering him do a thousand different actions, but not one seemed to come into play.

Holding control of his emotions, ignoring all stares he could see from the corner of his eye, he gripped Aditansh's hand and pulled him and Aashay along and walked into the woods roadside.

"Haath chodiye bhaiya" Aditansh gritted as he kept wiggling his hand out of his grip but Aniruddh was lost to himself. Each second, he paced faster than before.

Nothing was going his way. Nothing made sense to him. Where did his brother's find out? What was he going to tell them now? And worst of all, what will they make of the explanation if he gives them one? He had these questions fuelling him to run faster and unknowingly tighten his grip around his brother's hands.