How Not to Kidnap a Guy

12. 𝙒𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙨

Previously...

Jacky reveals their motive for revenge, recalling the trauma of their parents' deaths. He admits Naga doesn't have critical information and that Sharav's task was merely to satisfy his demand for an opportunity to prove himself. Hurt by the truth, Sharav storms off, and Harsh follows. After Sharav fixes his broken phone, Harsh has an emotional call with his aunt and cats. Sharav comforts him, wiping off his tears.  Harsh gives the phone to Sharav to talk to the cats. After a while, Harsh falls asleep on his lap as Sharav absentmindedly plays with his hair.

➽───────────────❥

SHARAV

"Same here, Angel. I would've never guessed the Earth was round. But that's the truth. Surprising, right?" I say to Harsh's cat.

To be frank, I don't understand any of the shit this cat is meowing. But if I don't keep talking, my brain will spiral back to Jacky's story. So I yap nonsense, hoping the cats won't notice how hollow I sound.

Aishu meows and I say, "I know, right? Tax rates are way too high these days. And girl, you won't believe it when I say this—"

"Aye, Harsh! What are you still talking to your daughters? Your uncle's gonna come back soon and I gotta sleep!" his aunt chirps on the other side of the car.

"Um... Auntie? Harsh has slept already. I'm his... friend?" I mumble into the phone, contemplating the word 'friend'.

"Oh. You're Harsh's friend and you're alive after all the yapping? You must be a God-chosen child, kid. Lucky you." No, I've been cursed by Satan to bear with this bastard. "Oh, and listen, Harsh mentioned about an ass-wipe who kidnapped him." I sneeze. Ass-wipe. Out of all insults, ass-wipe. "Apparently, they became friends. You must be that fucking ass-wipe's friend too, right? Make sure that my idiot nephew is safe from that filthy thug and ask him not to mingle with that fucker, 'kay?" She mumbles, "Friends with a gangster, my ass. My sister-in-law gave birth to an absolute idiot instead of a child."

"Um, he's safe and he's sleeping soundly, Auntie. And... I'll tell him not to mingle with that person—"

"SHIT," she interrupts me. "My husband has come! Bye, nighty night, young man!"

And the call ends, leaving behind only a trail of beep sounds. I sigh, putting the brick of a phone near Harsh.

And then, reality hits. For the past hour, I've been running away from being left alone with my thoughts. Now, it's just this sleeping ugly man and me, left all alone with my thoughts.

How could this brat sleep so peacefully? I've replayed Jacky's story a thousand times, each one hammering my skull harder than the last. I even yapped about it to Aishu. Pathetic.

I peer out the window to see Saritha almost pulling her hair out while explaining something to Jacky. I want to go outside to see what's happening, but I can't move when an ugly, ugly, ugly, rat is sleeping on my lap.

I smile, thinking about life. The smile becomes wider and wider until it becomes a laugh. In the middle of the night, I'm laughing to myself maniacally. What a marvelous experience. It doesn't take long before my stifled laughter leads to tears spilling out from my eyes. My voice cracks, the laughter slowly descending into sobs. Yes, I've become insane enough to laugh while crying. I laugh until I cry, and then I cry until I laugh. I feel like a madman in some tragic comedy. Maybe I am.

The truth. The truth I've been waiting my entire life for. The truth for which I've tried so hard so that someday, somebody will tell me about it. The truth I've yearned to know.