A Broken Soul

Chapter 10

Arjun Kapoor as Aditya Malhotra

Akira's POV

     I sat down and pulled my knees to my body. If I just hadn't forgotten to take my injection then all of this would never have happened. "We know that you've kept secrets. It's time they all came out. Every single one Akira. We mean it. " Vikram said very seriously. "Ok, fine. I'll tell you everything." I said. I slowly drew in a deep breath and let it out. After a few moments, I started telling my tale. 

     "When I was in 10th grade, I was very nerdy and I always used to have my nose stuck in a book. I used to have glasses too. All that gained me a lot of teasing. I was being bullied a lot. Especially in the lunch hour. I also had a elder brother, Aditya, who was in 12th grade at the time. At the start, The bullying wasn't that bad. It was just hurtful words, pushes and shoves. So I never told anyone. I didn't have any friends to tell and I didn't want to worry my family because I wasn't even getting physically hurt. But one day when they came, they had brought slightly pointed stones. They threw those at me. Aditya saw the wounds and immediately told me to tell him everything that had been going on. I told him about the bullies and since he was very strong, popular and elder to them too, he said that he'll stay with me everyday at lunch hour and before and after school to make sure that they don't bother me anymore. It worked for a few weeks but then at around the middle of the year, the bullies came back and this time with better weapons. Baseball bats with razor sharp rocks covering them. Those bullies may have been younger than Aditya but they were no less in strength. Aditya could tell that these were the people who were bullying me. He tried to make them go away and stop bothering us but that just made them angrier. I don't know what I had done to make them so angry at me but they were and they wanted to hurt me for some reason. When they had had enough of my brother's talking they started to fight him. Aditya put up a really good fight but they had sharp bats and Aditya had a good right hook. They had held him by his arms so that he was on his knees. One of the bullies was holding a bat ready to hit Aditya's head anytime. He offered them a deal that they hurt Aditya but don't touch me. I finally retaliated and said that they can do whatever they want with me but they can't even lay a finger on him because he is my lifeline. They agreed and said that I should hand myself over first and then they would let Aditya go. I didn't want to risk his life so I willingly let them grasp my arms and put me on my knees as well. I was facing Aditya. But as soon as they had me looking at my brother they whacked him in the head with their spiky bats and kept doing so until there was a pool of blood oozing out of Aditya's head. I kept on screaming in agony as I was forced to watch the life leave my own brother's eyes and that too just because he was trying to protect me. That was when I realized that I was the cause of my brother's death. Those people then targeted me and hit me repeatedly. I had passes out in the first 3 hits due to the pain in my body and the pain in my heart. Someone must have seen them and called help because there was no other way I would've survived. I woke up in a hospital 2 months later and found out that I had gone into a coma due to mental stress and blood loss. I had literally gone crazy. Seeing my brother being killed really took a toll on me. I was kept in the psychiatric ward for 6 months after my recovery. After I was somewhat stable they let me go home but since I was having horrible nightmares and sometimes even hallucinations, they gave me an injection that I have to take twice during a day. I later researched that medication and found that it was an anti-depressant medication. I am in depression. Yup, that's me! Crazy Akira! The ugly scarred wonder! I actually moved to Mumbai because I couldn't stand to see Aditya's things anymore. I never want to forget him but I desperately want to forget those memories. You don't know how traumatizing it is. No one knows about this so please don't spread it."

     After I was done with the whole story, I was a crying mess. I recomposed myself and took deep breaths. "What a sob story huh!" I said trying to joke around a lift the mood as I saw that everyone had silent tears gliding down their cheeks. They all hugged me saying soothing words as I decided to let go and finally let all my emotions loose for once. I needed to get all of this out. After our group hug we split up into smaller groups doing different things. I think they understood that I wanted to be left alone for a while and I really appreciate that. I wanted some fresh air so I decided to go sit by the river. As I approached I saw that Sameera, Akshay and Abhi were already there talking about something really seriously. I figured that if they wouldn't mind the rest of us knowing then they wouldn't be whispering outside. So I hid behind the nearest tree where I could hear them. "Look if you don't betray her trust I'll make sure the entire University knows about her brother and those bullies and I will make sure that the blame goes on you. So, it's your choice. But Akira will be hurt either way." I heard Sameera say. I had heard enough. "And what now. This plan won't work now that I know about this. I know that the boys would never betray me. Also, since they are really popular at University I can make sure that they spread rumors so bad about you that no one will even want to go near you. Just because of my past don't think that I'm not tough. That experience made me tough. So I will not think twice to make your life a living hell." I said in an eerily calm voice so that she gets scared. I succeeded. The look on her face said it all. She went to pack up her stuff and after she was done she left the hangout and our group for good. I was feeling very betrayed but I had no more tears left in me to shed. Our friend circle may have made me feel that I'm not alone anymore but they can't erase the past and how people continue to treat me. I can't take this anymore. That was the last thought I had before I drifted off to sleep.