The book of snippets

Nihil Inherit (II)

This was supposed to be a one shot.

But I was persuaded and obviously I am gonna cross post this.

As it was foretold, here it is...

Abir is 18, untamed angst and unbridled fury, he wakes up in cold sweat it's 3:28 in the night. Eyes wide and panting because that's only way he can get any air. He throws his blankets away and marches out of his room.

Kunal's room is right across his, facing his, but even if it was a whole town away, he would have still gone, never mind the inhibitions.

His hand stills in some form of restraint when he holds Kunal's door, he doesn't want to wake Nanko up. No he just....

He opens the door softly and tries to keep his steps light. He doesn't have to do much because Nanko is a heavy sleeper.

His face softens into a small smile as he looks at his little brother, 13 years old, curled in bed, cuddled in blanket, all with a small drool mark on his pillow.

Abir kneels on Kunal's bed side, his outstretched hand hovering over his face, afraid to touch.

He had a bad dream. A nightmare. Kunal was.... He was hurt and he wasn't opening his eyes. He wasn't.... It felt so real. Abir had screamed so much in his dream, silently, yet his throat still hurt.

Abir gives in and cards through Kunal's hair. Making sure that he is fine, here, all and whole. He didn't know where it came from, Kunal was fine, he was safe.

Maybe because.... Well it had been a bad week. Immediately guilt surges through Abir, then a gnawing worry, fear. Abir was a sentimental person. What if...

'No,' Abir whispers, more vehement than he has been about anything in his entire life, 'I will protect you, from anything, I will keep you safe.'

Abir doesn't remember that he broke his promise (the one that mattered the most,) he doesn't remember that his worst nightmare is now real, he doesn't remember that Kunal had eventually woken up and wiped his residue tears with pudgy hands.

Abir doesn't remember anything, maybe he will later, as the horror show stretches long. But not now, because Nanko stopped moving and Abir's world stopped turning.

~

Rajashree was never one to scare easy, she was always worried and tried to be gentle but that did not mean she was weak. Of course that had changed after losing akshara and dealing with naman. But she tried not to make the same mistakes again.

So when the nagging feeling came with her to the Chowki near Rajvansh Sadan. She pushed it deep down. After all that had become their norm. She couldn't let fear rule her. She gathered courage in small beads throughout the evening.

Of course all of that was wont when she heard the faint sound of a gunshot and the immediate thundering chaos. She was not the only one who screamed, she'd lunged for mishti and saw shaurya doing the same with kuhu who was right beside her.