Realisation And Nurture (BOOK #2) ✔

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sanchi stared at her own devastating image in the mirror, droplets of water encircling her eyes. She was only a few feet away from confronting Vihaan while the latter was already trying to mend the broken pieces of his beautiful relationship with his dearest elder brother.

Strong relationships weren't supposed to be ruined so easily as were the cases for Sanchi-Vihaan and Vihaan-Dheeraj; But sometimes even the most trusted individuals could break it with only some bitter truths, truths that were meant to be hurting and heartbreaking, shattering one's beliefs into crumbs.

As soon as Sanchi wiped her moistened eyes and moved out of her room, certain loud voices interrupted her crowded thoughts once again. She stepped out into the corridor and gazed at the quarreling figures gathered together in the hall, facing and accusing one another in harsh tones.

Durga was standing adjacent to Dheeraj, her one hand resting on his wrist while the other carrying Dhairya. Vihaan had his raging eyes fixated on his father as he stood towering Virendra with a fierce look written all over his face.

"Vihaan, will you let me explain?" Virendra spoke in a lowered voice, his eyes swinging between Durga, Dheeraj and back to Vihaan again.

"I want to know the truth, dad. I've had enough of all lies from my own family. I now feel like I've been living in a house full of strangers for so many years." Vihaan had his words narrated with full force, his anger prominently visible on his face.

Virendra squared his shoulders. "Since the day we came across that myriad incident of my father getting attacked and Abhimanyu's father getting injured, I was scared of the fact that you would be put on juvenile trial. Abhimanyu was keenly bent on harming you and also to take revenge from my family. All I wanted was to save both my sons and my wife from his wicked eyes and vowed never to return to Omkareshwar where I was disowned by my own father."

Vihaan folded his arms in a fit of rage. "But you could have disclosed things to me once I grew up, in fact after I became an officer. How could you keep it behind a heap of unnarrated truths, dad?"

"I wanted to but then I was informed by a private messenger that Abhimanyu was plotting something devilish against you. You were already a renowned face in the city by then and in order to save you from his evil clutches, I got you transferred to different districts so many times. You weren't even supposed to work in Indore if the passport trafficking case hadn't arisen. I was always afraid that your booming anger would make things worse and I didn't want old family disputes to affect your rising career at that time."

Vihaan's eyes softened for a brief second before he strode towards his father, took Virendra's palms into his and gently uttered, "Dad, I am guilty for getting so infuriated against my own family. All these years I was always under the impression that you loved brother more than me but you were all this time trying to protect me from everything. I was so wrong, dad."

Durga inched forward and rubbed her palm against Vihaan's polka shirt. "Yes Vihaan, I have witnessed the anxiety of how your father used to long for uniting with his family at Omkareshwar, how he silently went to bed often crying over the sacrifices he was making to keep you safe from every danger and how he portrayed his strict behaviour towards you only to make you the strongest individual in the world so that no danger can ever harm you."

Vihaan held his arms surrounding his father, engulfing his life giver into a warm embrace. "I am really SORRY, dad."

"I know you don't utter that 'sorry' word too often and when you do, I know you mean it. Your anger was inevitable and much normal in such a situation, Vihaan." Virendra lightly patted his back. "Come on now, reconcile with Dheeraj because he is not to be blamed for this. It was I who had tied him into a promise of keeping things hidden from you."