A Sew Through Time [Bandbudh And Budbak]

23: Badbu

Rushing into the right tower, the duo collapsed on the floor, whining in pain. Unknown people awakened from the belly of a mysterious portal, encompassing the dark that once left them stranded alone.

An array of white coats shot around the basement, picking up injured survivors and carefully taking them back into the portal. Among them, a boy in red jumper narrated an old, bearded man whom everyone addressed as Mr. Vellama. Hearing everything, he gathered the children and helped them back to the real world. Vibrant, slanting shadows fell over the duo's faces, as they watched them disappear into the light. The whole place was filled with light, contesting with the tired, warm yellow light.

Crawling near Budh, Badri held his face up, whispering his name. He combed back his bangs, revealing the dried injury on his forehead, his droopy eyes fluttering open, seeing gashes on his shoulder- a broken, rigid echo.

Badri leaned on the wall, his head falling sideways as he closed his eyes. The dust rooted him to the ground.

Falling back on his limbs, Budh cried out,

"It was me! I was the one who went to steal and ruin everyone! I AM the culprit!"

Badri hissed from pain, the room growing half-empty.

"Do you know why I'm doing this?! Why I'm telling you now?!" Miserable tears shot down Budh's glowing face, "I'm doing this because I care about you Badri! You're the only one who's special to me! You're the only one who understands me! The only one who's... who's fun to be with anymore! I care about you more than anybody else I've met my entire life!" He reached out to him with a trembling hand, "I don't want you to leave! I don't want to say goodbye to someone like you again! I'm sorry for not trusting you! Not being there when you... ran off! Slap me! Hit my head! Kick my knees! But please... don't become a distant memory I'll regret having my entire life... stay with me.... please..."

He crouched below and cried, words trembling off his lips.

Holding his bleeding cheeks, Badri smiled with his canine and whispered,

"How could I... ever think of leaving you...?"

Budh's wide eyes darted up. Yellow beams of sunrays caressed Badri's face, his gashes glinting sunburnt red with glittering, celestial tears.

Wiping his tears off with his thumbs, he pulled him into his chest, whispering,

"The forces of the world may tear us apart... but I'll never stop loving you, mera pyara Budhhu"

Budh shook his head and caressed his back. They fell back on the ground, clinging onto each other till the white-clad people left. Till everybody left.

The door burst open. Colliding into their embrace like a ball of bustling energy, a pair of arms wrapped around their necks and snuggled tight.

"CHUHA!" Badri held her shoulders as she stepped back, asking, "Hume miss ki?"

Tears streamed down her reddening, shiny cheeks as she nodded again and again, then collided back into his embrace, breaking into a trembling wail. Budh held the siblings in his big arms and kissed their foreheads, making Badri gag and her giggle.

Someone landed on the ground behind. Turning back, they discovered Jeeva limping and squeezing his pouring chest. The triplets tried to cure his injury in desperation, till the scientists flew in and said he needed special attention.

Jeeva continued watching them, the light of the portal gleaming on his eyes like moonlight falling on still waters. Removing, his brightly coloured hand, he stared below, at his blood.

The portal in the left tower began dimming, bright light seeping outside from the underground. As Ajay clocked back his coat to turn, he felt his colleague running out of the tunnel.

"LAXMI!"

The gateway began sealing shut as he followed her up the tunnels and the stairs.

Pushing off the wooden lif and scrambling over, Laxmi saw bright white light seeping through the door creak. Walking towards it, she squeezed the handle and threw it open.