My Safe Haven

Chapter : 14: The Day of The Meeting

Warning:- Emotional distress/trauma, mental health struggles (nervous breakdown, anxiety), past abuse (implied, not explicitly described), mature themes (romantic relationships, intimacy), potential triggers for survivors of abuse or trauma. Readers discretion is advised.⚠

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Thoughts are in italic...

Saras's POV

To say Saras was nervous was an understatement. The poor boy was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His father had kept his promise, arranging a gathering with everyone they considered family: Bhavneet's family and Rajat's family; his father's closest friends.

And today was the day they would gather at their house. It was hard to believe it had been only yesterday that he'd asked his father, and yet, here they were.

He was scared; he wouldn't lie. But he wasn't going to back out. He had to do it. He wanted to do it. He needed to do it. He wanted that monster behind bars as soon as possible. He never considered himself someone who held grudges or loathed others, but everyone had a limit.

The thought of regretting his silence later, of not speaking up sooner due to fear, haunted him. Holding back from his loved ones, thinking that his cowardice might let the monster escape, was suffocating. He took a deep breath. No, he wouldn't back out. He couldn't afford to, never.

Lost in thought, Saras sat in his room when a knock on the door broke the silence. He opened it to find his brother, Saatvik Bhaiya, smiling softly at him – a comforting smile unique to elder brothers.

Saras couldn't help but smile back.

"They're here, Suru," Saatvik said. The small resolve Saras had mustered began to waver, and his brother quickly noticed. Saatvik lifted his hand, hesitating for a moment before gently taking Saras's hand in his. Their eyes met, and Saatvik's silent question hung in the air: Was it okay?

When he didn't pull away, Saatvik gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "Everything will be fine, Saras. Trust me." He lifted his gaze to meet his brother's reassuring smile. "Do you trust your Bhaiya?" Saatvik asked. With a shuddering breath, Saras slowly, cautiously, wrapped his arms around Saatvik. His brain screamed warnings, but his heart sang a different tune. He chose to trust his heart, hoping it wasn't misguided.

As soon as he hugged his brother, Saatvik enveloped him in strong, comforting arms.

He buried his face in his brother's shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent. Gentle fingers caressed his hair, occasionally massaging his scalp. "Are you sure about this, Saras? We can still cancel it and have a normal get-together," Saatvik offered, his voice reassuring.

Saras relaxed into the support, but his mind was made up. He gently pulled back from the hug and met his brother's gaze with newfound confidence.

"No, Bhaiya, I want to do it. I need to do it."

Saatvik studied him for a moment before sighing, as if accepting defeat. "Okay, then. Let's tackle this together."

A glint sparked in Saatvik's eyes, and Saras nodded resolutely. Together, they headed to the living room and Saras's thoughts suddenly shifted. "Where's Ri, Bhaiya? I haven't seen her since dinner yesterday?"

Saatvik's smile hinted at amusement. "She's getting ready for school. And I see you've slipped back into calling her Ri." Saras's fingers drummed nervously against his thumb. "I... I've remembered a lot, Bhaiya. Sorry I didn't tell you, but the memories are returning in dreams. Yesterday, I fell asleep and recalled My Ri and Ashu... I remembered us." His voice trembled.

Saatvik's reassuring grip on his hand steadied him.

"Then it's a good thing, Saras," Saatvik said. "They'll be overjoyed." Saras's wide eyes locked onto Saatvik's. "They love me that much?" The words spilled out as a heartfelt question, rather than a statement.