Shadows Of The Stumps

You & Me

Kabir found Arjun standing at the end of the corridor near the old bookshelf, his shoulders braced against the wall, his head bowed. The faint hum of the ceiling fan and the Colonel's muffled coughs down the hall were the only sounds. Kabir approached quietly, arms folded.

"Zyada nahi chila diya uspe?" he asked after a beat, his voice low. "You've never shouted on her like this before."

Arjun didn't lift his head right away. His jaw worked, teeth grinding as he swallowed whatever was sitting in his throat. Finally, he exhaled, the sound heavy. "I know," he said. "But she needed it this time." He dragged a palm over his face, eyes shutting. "Uspe chilata hoon... bura mujhe lagta hai."

Before Kabir could reply, Arjun's hand shot out and slammed his wrist into the wall with a dull thud. The sound cracked through the corridor. Pain flared in his eyes but he didn't even wince properly.

Kabir swore under his breath and caught his arm. "Bas!" he snapped, swatting at him like an older brother. "You people are the most psychotic I have ever met." He pulled Arjun's wrist toward the light, checking the red mark blooming on the skin. "You think hurting yourself is going to make her feel better?"

Arjun gave a crooked, guilty smile as Kabir rummaged for a small first-aid pouch from the table drawer and began dressing the scrape. "Acha," Arjun muttered, voice dipped in dry humor, "aur tu bohot mature tha na? Asking sarcastic questions?"

Kabir shot him a glare, but couldn't help the corner of his mouth twitching. "At least I don't break my own wrist in the process," he said, wrapping the bandage tighter than necessary just to make his point.

Arjun let out a short laugh, the sound cracked but real, and shook his head. "We're all a mess, Kabir," he said softly, watching his friend's fingers work.

Kabir taped the last bit of gauze and looked up at him. "Yeah," he admitted, voice dropping. "But you two are the worst of all. Scaring the hell out of everyone who loves you."

Arjun didn't answer that—just stared at the wall, jaw still tense, while Kabir's hand stayed on his wrist a moment longer, as if holding him still might steady him.

Kabir leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, his expression softer now as he watched Arjun's face twist with all the things he usually didn't say. "Waise," he murmured, voice edged with a hint of teasing to lighten the air, "about that hitting her... you know if Colonel wakes up, he's going to kill you for that."

Arjun gave a half-laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know when he knows the entire thing, he'll kill me for scolding her first... then scold her for doing this... and then manofy her." His eyes flickered with a faint glimmer of mischief.

Kabir snorted, the corner of his mouth curling. "Exactly."

They both chuckled for a moment, the tension loosening just enough for Arjun's shoulders to drop. He ran a hand over his face again and then spoke, his voice low but steady now.

"She's not nobody, Kabir," he said. "I know she's not blood related to me but jab woh bhag ke hamare paas aayi thi na, in her teens... I've raised her since then. It feels like I'm a failure every time she runs from herself. Every time she leaves without a word I feel like... like I'm answerable to Rahul, kyunki har baar woh apne bhai ko chhod ke aise bhag aati hai. But she has to understand—it's her home. We are her family, yes, we'll always be, but she can't keep running away from the home she always looked forward to."

His fingers tightened around the bandaged wrist Kabir had just tended to. His voice cracked slightly as he added, "And in sab mein she's also ignoring her relationship. You know how hurt she was when Ayan disappeared... right now she's doing the same to Hardik and not even realising it. She's so busy running away..."