|| Carefree For The Moment. ||

|| Part Twelve. ||

As soon as Mishti had called the doctor, everyone gathered around, outside the room & waited as the doctor went in to do some observations. Mishti breathed a sigh of relief as she hugged her mother. Thankful that he was finally out of danger.

"Maa!" Kunal rushed down the corridor, towards them all. "Is Bhai awake? Is he up?"
"Yes Kunal. He is."
"I need to see him" Kunal said & he was about to rush into the hospital room when his feet stopped him in his tracks, right outside the door.

"Kunal, beta?" Mehul asked, placing his hand on Kunal's shoulder, causing Meenakshi to sigh as Kunal turned towards everyone else who was looking at him.
"Kunal" Meenakshi stepped forward towards her son. "why aren't you going inside?"
"Maa-" He began, lost for words but everyone knew what the matter was, without even saying anything.
"It'll be okay. Just go inside"
"Wha-"
"Nothing will happen." She assured him softly. "Go & see your brother"
"Yes Kunal, he's waiting for you" Vishamber told him.
"I'll go & check on Naanu" Mishti told everyone & Kunal watched her walk off down the opposite side of the corridor, where Yashpal was sat with Kaushal.
"Why don't we all go & sit down?" Vishamber told everyone & they all agreed, giving Kunal some space.

Kunal took a deep breath, looking up at the room's door, just as the door opened, the doctor walking out, smiling. "You can go inside" He said, holding the door open & Kunal nodded, before slowly walking inside.

Abeer was sat up on the bed, using his phone when he looked up to see Kunal stood there. He sighed, putting the phone down. "I'm fine"
"Bh-"
"If you're going to complain about Mishti, then I suggest you leave it, I really don't want to argue with you right now Nanko" He said, not realising the slip of the tongue he caused by calling Kunal by his nickname after days.
"Bhai, please" He said, slowly making his way over to the bed. "I want to talk to you"
"Fine." He sighed, nodding at the chair beside him.

Kunal did as he was told & sat down, looking down at his hands, biding his time as Abeer waited for him to speak. "What is it Nanko?" He asked worriedly, this time it being on purpose.
"Bhai" he began "When Shweta left me..."
"Nanko..." Abeer was confused. Why was he bringing this up now?
"Please, Bhai. Let me speak" He said & Abeer reluctantly nodded at him to continue. "When she left me, I felt such a hard case of rejection, that maa thought keeping me busy in work would be the best distraction" He said & Abeer listened. "She thinks I don't know what she was trying to do, but I'm not stupid. I knew she was trying to divert my mind with work so that I wouldn't break down. But deep down, I was" He said softly. "The woman I loved had just left me at the crossroads. Standing there, no explanation & not even a goodbye" He shrugged. "Then you stepped in & planned with Naanu to make me meet Kuhu" He said, feeling guilty for even uttering his name on his lips. He looked down at his hands, for shame. "She was everything that Shweta wasn't. That day at the Holi party, I finally felt able to let loose, for once. Courtesy of you & Naanu's antics" He chuckled & Abeer smiled recalling Kunal's state as Abeer tried to hide him from Meenakshi's view.

"So you talked me into giving life a second chance. & I think that was the right time" He agreed. "But then, when we went over to Maheshwari house. & when mum-" He sighed. "When she did what she did, I felt like I was being pulled from pillar to post, Bhai! I felt so guilty when I saw Kuhu's face fall like that." He closed his eyes, envisioning that look Kuhu had on her face when she was stood there, in front of everyone, humilated. & Abeer put his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Nanko, that wasn't your fault" Abeer assured him & Kunal opened his eyes.
"But Bhai, it happened in my name, didn't it? Kuhu didn't know that I had nothing to do with it. At that moment, she probably thought that Maa & I had planned all that to happen! & I wouldn't blame her!" He sighed. "Anyway, then you talked me into giving things a go with Mishti." He said & it was Abeer's turn to look down at his hands. "I didn't even realise that you were doing that with a stone on your heart."
"Nanko..."

"No Bhai, what kind of brother am I if I didn't see that you weren't happy with it!" He exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me that you loved Mishti!?" he complained
"Because I didn't know, Nanko!" he told his brother, truthfully. "I didn't realise that I was in love with her until later on. I just-" he paused. "I just knew that I felt something for her. I didn't know what"
"But you didn't even mention that to me. Why, Bhai?" he pleaded
"I don't know" he sighed
"You're to blame here too, you know?" He sulked
"I know" he agreed. "You're right"

"Then the whole courtship phase, so many things happened. So many mistakes I made, I can't even begin to count-" He sighed. "Then the day of the Gordhana."
"Forget all that" Abeer told him. "All that happened was because Big Ben conditioned your mind"
"It's not all her fault Bhai" He said
"Meaning?"
"Something Mishti said earlier"
"What?"
"Any decision I make, any action that I take because of a decision I make; that's my responsibility." He said & Abeer nodded, impressed with the brevity of the words & the fact that Kunal had kept it in mind. Recalling what she said to Abeer that night in her room, after she had slapped Kunal.

She was right. Kunal was an adult. He was responsible for his actions. Abeer couldn't blame Meenakshi for the rest of their lives. Kunal had to take responsibility himself. & it looked like it was finally happening.

"I've spent so long trying to become the son maa wanted you to be, that I lost all perspective. I've become like her" He scoffed.
"You're not like her Nanko, you just lost your way, deep down, you're nothing like her. The Nanko I know, deep down" he said pointing to his brother's heart. "He's got a heart of gold"
"A heart of gold that turned to stone" he sighed
"Nanko" Abeer sighed. "Forget all that. It's in the past"
"It's not though, is it?" He asked. "Kuhu loathes me, rightfully so. Mishti despises me, & you hate me"
"I don't hate you, Nanko. I could never hate you. I was just-" he sighed. "I was upset because of how you were behaving, that's all. Because I know you." He explained.
"Mishti does" He shrugged but Abeer didn't reply. He didn't have an answer for that. After everything that had happened between them, he couldn't answer for her.
"She's upset. She's been through a lot-"
"Because of me" He said & Abeer sighed. "Bhai, you should have seen her." he began & Abeer watched the look in Kuna's eyes change, to admiration. For Mishti. "I said some horrible things to her the other day" He said. "Not the first time, I know" he sighed. "But she said something that made me think"

"What?"
"She said that you were a part of her, like she was a part of you" He said & immediately a smile appeared on Abeer's lips.
"She's right." He said confidently. "We're incomplete without one another"
"She feels guilty though" He told Abeer, who looked at him in confusion. "She blames herself for everything you've been through" He said & Abeer sighed.
"Angry Chorni" he muttered to himself. "Of course she does" He told Kunal.

"Bhai!" Kunal complained. "Why did you always have to give into my every demand when we were kids!?" He asked & a smile came to Abeer's lips as he touched his brother's cheek.
"Because you're my baby brother. & if I don't, who will?"
"But look's what's happened because of it!" He sighed.
"You can still fix things, nothing's lost"
"How?"
"You'll think of something, you're smart like that" He said "After all, you're my brother" He sat back, proudly, making Kunal smile. "Tell me, first" He said & Kunal nodded to ask him to speak. "Do you love Kuhu?" He asked & a smile appeared on Kunal's lips.
"I suppose I do"
"Suppose!?" Abeer exclaimed. "Nanko, if you're not sure now, how are you meant to win her back!?"
"Who says she'll want to come back?" He asked & Abeer grinned, there was hope yet. "What?"

"Nothing" he shook his head. "If I know Kuhu, she'll come back."
"Really?" He asked. "You think so?" He asked & Abeer nodded.
"You need to speak to her." He advised him & Kunal sighed.
"Yeah, I will"
"Good." He smiled & opened his arms for his little brother to give him a hug. Kunal grinned before getting up to hug his brother tightly. Fixing all the broken pieces back together as he rested his head on his brother's shoulder, just like he did when they were kids.