Tere Liye | ✔

Chapter Seventeen - Devastation

"Akash.."

Anjali's tone was hopeful as she stood up from the couch and reached for her brother who was just was entering the house.

"A-any news about Chotte?"

Sitting on the sofa with her hands around an exhausted Devyani, Manorama also looked up, anticipating at least one positive news, but the worn out expression that her son wore, broke her hope right there and then.

Akash shook his head and racked his hand once again through his already disheveled hair - his tired eyes having precursor of tears. 

"I looked. I looked everywhere. But he's nowhere to be seen." His voice wavered and one drop of tear at last spilled down his face, traveling through his unshaven cheek.

Anjali took a sharp intake of breath, then exhaled slowly, trying her hardest to calm herself. But no matter how much she tried, her panic-stricken mind reeled in every direction, creating the most unpleasant images of what might have happened to her Chotte and Sister-in-law - two people that were currently missing, making them all lose their peace.

"It's been two days."

Her lips as well as her body trembled violently as she slowly sat herself on the sofa, feeling darkness creeping up on her knackered self. 

"He went to look for her and, and he never came back.." Her shoulders shook as she started splintering into sobs. Akash exhaled, dragging himself to console her but having no words left to say, no colors left to paint a positive picture against the odds, he simply cradled her head against his shoulder.

"She is missing too.." Anjali continued to choke, her heart weeping along with her eyes at the utmost grief that has broken over her family. 

"No one knows where she is.. how she's doing.. Akash, I.. I can't Akash..I want them back.. I want them back.." 

"Di.." Akash started, then slouched in distress himself, unable to do anything except cry along with her. 

"Khoo-khoon bhari tang.."

He opened his drooping eyes at the strangulated voice of his mother and gasped to see his wife staring at him, her demeanor slumped. 

He sighed. Leaving Manorama to handle Anjali, he stood up and started moving towards Payal, his heart heavy with every step he took until he took her in his embrace. He closed his eyes helplessly as her tears started escaping soon after, soaking his shirt.

She and Anjali probably have been the most ransacked ones of them all and how could they not be like this? After all, the people who were currently missing were none other than their first kids - their motherly hearts were just bound to shatter like this.

He composed himself a while later and willed himself to put on a firm face before he tried to ask her to stop crying, lest she ends up worsening her already deteriorating health, when he suddenly noticed that her cries had halted, reducing into one big gasp. 

He frowned and broke the hug, only to see her astonished eyes darting towards the door. Following her line of vision, he turned around and stood in incredulity as he stared at the person walking, or to be precise, staggering inside the house.

Dressed in the black trouser and shirt they had last saw him in, Arnav entered the house, in no way recognizable. 

The first three buttons of his shirt were opened, which itself was messily tucked in the pant. As they watched him with surprised eyes, he racked his hand through his already messy hair before gripping the back of his head with a pained expression, giving them a view of his scruffy face. Their mouths hung low in sorrow as his half-opened eyes flashed the color red, making them aware of their struggles with the thousands streams of tears he must have shed as well as of their deprivation from a proper sleep.