THE ROYS' - Where Royalty meets Power

CHAPTER - 12.5 HELPLESSS!!

The next Dinner was nothing different. Except for Devansh's hope which started diminishing slightly. He tried to talk to his Bhaiyya but the man didn't even look at him during breakfast and then directly came home just before dinner. 

Devansh woke up in the morning, joined everyone for breakfast, went to college, taking a driver, followed everything like a good boy. Though no one talked to him officially, His Bhabhs came to him, treated his already fading bruise, before she helped hide it. She gave him a tight hug, before she walked away. His bigB came to him in the evening, spent a decent amount of time with him, giving him the courage. His Bhabhi didn't talk to him, but she cooked his favorite food, hoping he would find comfort in food at least. His Bhaiyyu didn't spare him a glance. 

Currently, Devansh is pacing in front of the study, after their silent dinner. He paced for five minutes, gathering the courage, and stepped in. His heart raced when his bhaiyya glanced at him and kept staring for good 5 seconds before he raised his eyebrows, "Kyu Aaye ho?" 

Devansh hated that tone with everything he got! It felt like his bhaiyya is talking to a stranger, not to him, but unlike last time, he didn't zone out, he stepped closer, and softly apologized, "I am sorry bhaiyya."

Abhimanyu looked back into his laptop, "Kyu?" He asked, his tone still indifferent and distant.

Devansh gulped, tears threatened to fill his eyes, but he forced them back. Tears aren't going to help you, he reminded himself, before he spoke, "I shouldn't have raced."

Abhimanyu shook his head, "Tumhari life hain. You'll be 20 soon. An adult. An adult takes his/her own decisions. He/she isn't accountable to anyone. Least of all, to their elder brother." He shut the laptop, removing his glasses and neatly placed them on the table, before he looked back at Devansh, getting up, "Don't be sorry. Good Night." He said, to walk out, but paused and opened the drawer before he took out the keys and placed them on the table, saying, "These are your car keys. Vicky gave me today. Yours to use as you please." 

Tears rushed into Devansh's eyes as he looked at the keys, but he blinked them back with great difficulty and walked away without a word. 

Abhimanyu's eyes welled up, as he slumped back on the chair, thinking about how his child blinked back his tears. His child never did that. He never had to. No one ever let him do it. That was the first time his precious, innocent child had to compose himself, all on his own. Abhimanyu's heart broke as he kept thinking about it, but a slight corner of his heart was happy. 

Happy that his Dev is definitely realising the gravity which is why he didn't lap on to the opportunity of having his car and freedom back. If Dev took those car keys, Abhimanyu didn't know how he would have reacted. His child is definitely not beyond help. If Devansh had come to him, with his new found love for speed, maybe Abhimanyu would have let him have it, making it as safe as possible. Speed and Thrill aren't achieved only with car races! They slowly would have reached a point, where either Devansh isn't anymore interested in speed, or Devansh had it in control. 

But his child, chose to risk his life. The life which didn't belong only to him. How could he not have thought about his family? Either he thought, he is above death, or he simply didn't care for his family. In both the cases, his boy needs to be humbled. Abhimanyu is patient enough to see, if Devansh's realization and apology came with a time frame, or are they here to stay forever. Taking a deep breathe, he reminded himself, he is not too late to help his child rectify his mistakes and behavior. Situation is still under control. 

With those thoughts, he started walking to his room, only to find Ruchika coming out of Devansh's room. She stumbled into him, and her eyes widened so comically, that Abhimanyu almost felt like laughing. Almost. He raised his eyebrows, as he folded his hands against his chest.