A Race For Two

Chapter 2.5: Akari

Dedicated to @dancinginthedark37. . . I hope for my sake your marketing strategy works:-)

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Dear Father,

I did not see bhaiyya throughout the day.

I mean it was the first day of school! Regardless of the fact that he didn't come with me in the morning, I did have a hope, buried somewhere in the depths of my mind, that he would turn up, no matter how late. But school's ended and I'm home now and he isn't here yet.

I have heard rumours of my brother's wanderings, and sometimes witnessed him too. What mother said would have confirmed my suspicions, if it weren't for the fact that I had stopped trusting anything she said related to bhaiyya after that incident. But no matter what she says or what she doesn't, its true.

Mayank hangs out with the wrong crowd.

He started going out only a little while after your demise, affiliating with the worst of scum, the roadside gangs who thought themselves part of some glorified 'underworld'. At first I was confounded as to what he could possibly have to gain from them, but now I can see direction, and I cannot convey in words how wrong I hope I might be.

I gave up trying to pry my way into his mind a long time ago, and all I do now is cover up for him. Tend to his swollen eyes and bruised cheek when he gets back from a scuffle, make excuses when his teachers corner me in the school hallways, and keep mother as far away from this business as I possibly can. Of course I haven't given up my role of a sister towards him, and try to talk sense into his head occasionally, but most of my efforts are towards stealthily digging into his illicit doings.

But you were a good teacher papa, you taught him well.

His activities during the day are unknown to me, although I fear they are no better than what he does at night. I saw him going to a club last night . . . and he still hasn't returned! For mother it might be a perfectly normal occurrence, mother might not even care about what happens to him or what he does, but I do.

I cannot let go of him.

I fear of what he might be doing, or what he plans to do with himself, with his life. Your departure struck him like a fully loaded truck on an isolated highway, and he still hasn't healed from the crash. Its as if his life went downhill after that fateful day . . . when we learned of the terrible news.

The first few weeks were the worst. He had a haunted look in his eyes, as if he were possessed. He would listen to no one, letting their words bounce of his ears as raindrops on a windshield. It was only when the conversation came round to something related to you that his ears perked up, and he gave the speaker such a sharp look that no one had the courage to continue what they were saying, regardless.

It was only around me that he let his guard down, that too occasionally. The first time seeing him rack with muted sobs was agonizing. It was as if a piece of my heart ripped whenever a tear fell down his cheeks. But it all ended the same way.

With rage flaming in his eyes.

The scene of his pale, splotched face with red eyes was a terrible sight to see, as it wrenched my heart out, but the silent fury in them was worse. It was like cursed fire, that rages on and stops for nothing, no one.

I fear before he can bring it in control it might consume him.

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Author's note: So that was a little insight into what Akari thinks of her brother. Its important as you will see 1)how wrong her opinion of him is, 2)how it slowly changes.

Please vote if you liked this chapter, comment to let me know if you want more stuff like this—glimpses into character's thoughts—and share it with more and more people!

P.S.: You might have noticed this chapter is kind of int he blue in the middle. That's because I've shuffled the order of the chapters for a bit. Just look for the particular point of views and you'll get an accurate idea of what happens when.