Ishqbaaz FF: Consequences. Chapter 15 on Page 39 (02/08/17) - Page 11

Ranveer Singh Randhawa was often accused of having no sense of humour. This was not true.

Did you hear the one about the ACP who ended up following a murder suspect's younger sister to London in order to try to tease out the deep dark secrets of the Oberoi Family? Yeah. He ended up having to forcibly intervene to rescue her drunk ass from being taken advantage of by some particularly predatory individuals at the pub where she had decided to go straight from the airport.

That one was hilarious.

Fortunately he didn't have to listen to any drunken blathering or dithering from her as once he got her out of the pub, she proceeded to promptly pass out in his arms. He'd managed to get her into a taxi and back to his hotel.

He placed her on the sofa, a cushion beneath her head and the duvet draped over her. He himself took the bed.

He knew this was not what a gentleman would do. But he was no gentleman, and this woman was no lady. She was helping her brother cover up a murder and to a man like Ranveer, that made her just as guilty as Omkara. Anger threatening to bubble over, Ranveer considered taking back the duvet.

Priyanka rolled onto her side causing strands of her hair to fall across and tickle her face, making her whimper in her sleep. Ranveer reached out and tucked the strands behind her ear, watching as her face shifted back to a peaceful expression.

ACP Ranveer Singh Randhawa couldn't help thinking that no matter how good his own sense of humour might be, God's was better. Why else would He give such a singularly deceitful woman a face like an angel?

""""""""

"Hello Rudra."

"Hi O."

Omkara stepped back to allow Rudra to walk past him into the corridor. Rudra waited until Omkara closed the door and turned towards him before pulling back his fist and punching his older brother squarely in the jaw.

As Omkara reeled, Rudra reached forwarded grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close to his face and then, ignoring the blood Omkara clearly needed to spit out, Rudra pulled him into a hug.

-------------------

"Glad you got that out of your system." Omkara winced as he pressed the bag of frozen peas gently to his jaw.

Rudra gave a small smile, "Well, it's a start."

"Where's Soumya?"

"She thought it would be better if we talked alone. Where's Anika Didi... well, I guess she's Anika Bhabhi now."

"She felt the same as Soumya."

The ensuing silence was long and awkward.

"How is everyone? Back home?"

"You still think of it as home?" Rudra snapped.

Omkara didn't say anything.

Rudra took a deep breath and sighed. "Shit. Everyone back home is shit. Mum's shit, dad's shit, uncle and aunty are shit, Prinku's shit, dadi's shit, Tia's shit and Shivaay bhaiya is so shit I'm surprised he hasn't morphed into a toilet seat."

"... shit."

Rudra gave a splutter of laughter. Then another. And another. And another. He laughed until he was laughing so much that he was clutching his side with one hand, slapping the kitchen table with the other. This had the effect of setting off Omkara and soon the two brothers were laughing so hard they were crying.

And then they were hugging.

The laughter stopped.

The crying didn't.

Neither knew how much time passed until they both managed to finish crying, awkwardly releasing each other so they could blow their noses and rub their eyes, a silent pact passing between them to ignore how red each others; eyes and faces were.

"That was a bit senti, Rudra."

"Shut up, O."

"... I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

"So what now?"

"I don't know."

"Did you come here to take me back home?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think I can? What about Anika and Sahil?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think you can forgive me?"

"I don't know."

"Okay."

Omkara placed a cup of tea in front of Rudra. "Four sugars."

"Are you trying to give me diabetes?"

"Maybe."

Rudra took a sip, the sweet tea on his tongue lifting his spirits as it always did. As Om knew it would. "So you married Anika Didi?"

"I guess so."

"Are you happy?"

"Definitely."

"Is she?"

"I like to think so."

"What about Shivaay?"

Omkara sighed, putting his own teacup down on the table. "Sometimes I still feel like I stole her from him. Like I'm the consolation prize. Like she couldn't have him so she settled for me. I tell myself and I tell Anika that I can't bear the thought of Shivaay finding out because it'll destroy him, but really it's because I can't bear the thought of losing her to him."

"O-"

"And I can't say that to Anika because how much of a bas***d can I possibly be? She loves me. I know she does. And I love her. And I trust her. To question that? To fear that it's not enough? It feels like I'm betraying her just like I betrayed Shivaay by marrying her in the first place."

"O-"

"But Shivaay made his choice. He picked Tia. He married Tia. He could have married Anika but he didn't. So maybe things have worked out as they always should have. Anika and I understand each other, we love each other and we trust each other and I know that if I were to wake up and go to sleep every day for the rest of my life beside her, it still wouldn't be enough."

"O!"

Omkara seemed to come out of some kind of trance. "Yes?"

"That all sounds like great material for poetry."

"Shut up, Rudra!" Omkara took another sip of his tea.

And though Rudra's flippant comment with its inappropriate dismissal of every salient concern should have annoyed him, somehow... Omkara felt better.

The guilt which had been sitting like a lump of lead within Omkara for years didn't dissipate- Rudra was the wrong brother for that- it did feel lighter. As though there was suddenly someone else helping to bear the load.

That was what Rudra was and had always been: a beam both of light and support.

Omkara hadn't realised until this moment just how crippled he had been without him.

"I slept with Soumya last night."

Omkara instinctively reached out and slapped Rudra round the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"I don't know. Usually when you do that face you're admitting that you've done something that warrants it."

"I did it again this morning." He ducked before Omkara's hand could connect with his skull again. "Hey! She wanted to."

"Did she really?"

"Yes!"

"Don't hurt her, Rudra."

Rudra scowled. "What makes you think I'll hurt her? Maybe she'll be the one who hurts me. I have feelings too you know. And anyway, it's fine, we've agreed that it'll be a casual thing. We stay friends just like we've always been and if we both feel like it, we'll enjoy some... additional benefits."

"I think I'm more creeped out by the term 'additional benefits' than I would have been if you'd just said the word sex'."

"Do you think we'll be able to stay just friends?"

Omkara rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"

Rudra blew a raspberry, "Who asked you, anyway?"

"You literally just-"

They were interrupted by the doorbell.

Rudra looked a this watch. "Soumya said she'd come over after running a few errands. I didn't think she'd be done this quickly."

"I'll go see."

Rudra followed Omkara down the corridor. Something felt wrong. He knew it wasn't Soumya. Soumya knew better than to come so quickly. Him coming alone had been her idea and she had told him to call her if he needed her early. He had a bad feeling about this and he had no idea why. Call it instinct.

""""""""""

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"And a good morning to you too, Mr Oberoi."

"Bh-bh-bh-bh-bhaiya?"

Omkara and Rudra both stared at the figure half hidden behind the solid frame of ACP Ranveer Singh Randhawa. Then they stared at each other, eyebrows raised. Then back at the duo on the doorstep.

"Priyanka?"

That was Omkara.

"Oh great, we're all here! Where's dad? Hiding behind that lamppost?"

And that was Rudra.

Chapter 8- Ifs & Buts

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Thank you all so much for reading and commenting. I appreciate it all so much! Hope you're all enjoying the story. 😊 I replied to a few of your comments on page 14. Also, apologies for the lack of update yesterday, I sometimes write scenes and chapters out of order and yesterday I ended up writing the one where Shivaay and Anika finally meet again. But obviously I couldn't post it because it's out of order 😆

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please do let me know what you thought :)