Marham Dard Par - A MishBir FF (Chp 18 - Page 12) - Page 10

Chapter Seventeen

Nishant Maheshwari was not having a good day. He'd been on the phone all morning, trying to get funding for Abir's app from some of his most trusted investors, but nothing seemed to work. Mishti had warned him that they'd face this problem, that the angrez would never understand the importance of family, and since Abir's app catered to families as a whole, getting them to agree to fund this project would be next to impossible.

But had he listened? No. He hadn't. He'd flounced in all his glory and laughed her concerns off, telling her that getting funding would be a piece of cake. He wished he'd listened to her now, so they wouldn't be in this situation at present.

Gods, he hated when she was right. The insufferable little know - it - all would rub it in his face till kingdom come now. And there would be Kunal. Oh, god! Kunal. He'd formed some sort of deep bond with Mishti overnight (Nishant suspected sorcery was involved.) and had vehemently agreed with her when they'd discussed finances a few meetings ago, but he'd assured Kunal that he knew his investors and funding wouldn't be a problem.

Well, who was the idiot now, Maheshwari? You, that's who! For once in life, you should've listened to Mishti, you idiot!

"You busy?" Abir asked, poking his head in.

"No!" He replied as cheerfully as he could.

"Good. Kisise milana tha," Abir said, pushing the door and stepping inside.

Ah, yes. Abir's sister was joining them today. Nishant wasn't completely on board with the whole idea because he was strictly against nepotism, and he believed every spot on his team was earned not given, but he let it slide this once because really, this project was Abir's baby and if he wanted to bring his sister in, he could bring his sister in. It wasn't like he was entering into a long term partnership with the Rajvanshes. It was just this once. He could deal with it. Plus, Mishti had said she was extremely bright and really hard-working, so how bad could it really be?

But the next second, all breath left him in a whoosh. There, standing in front of him, was probably the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. She was dressed in dark trousers and a white shirt (he absolutely loved that she was dressed so professionally) and looked small enough to fit in his pocket. He could keep her there forever. The thought made him still. That was kind of creepy.

"Ahhh! Tum sab yahaan ho? Main kabse dhoond rahi thi," Mishti said, entering the cabin and pulling Nishant's attention away.

"Bhabhi!" Ketki greeted enthusiastically. Abir cleared his throat just as Mishti blushed and Ketki quickly corrected herself. "Sorry! I mean Mishti."

Mishti chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "I missed you!" She announced.

"I missed you, too!" Ketki replied.

"Agar aap dono ka mel milaap ho gaya ho toh kaam ki baat kar lein?" Kunal, who'd entered the cabin with Mishti, asked.

"Ek lambi hug ki khushi… Tum kya jaano, Kunal Babu?" Mishti exclaimed dramatically as she pulled away from Ketki.

Kunal rolled his eyes. Mishti was keeping her promise well. A little too well for his liking. She was always ready with some funny little Bollywood quip whenever they interacted. And well, he would never admit it out loud to anyone, much less her, but he really liked it. Mishti had a really good sense of humour. He didn't know why he hadn't seen that earlier. Because you were too busy hating her, he answered his own question in his head.

"Whatever, Chinti," Kunal answered, rolling his eyes, though secretly he was enjoying it.

Ketki was surprised at the nickname, but it was old news for the others now. Kunal loved teasing Mishti about being short and used such silly nicknames often. Mishti would always roll her eyes at it, but everyone knew that she loved that Kunal felt comfortable enough to give her a nickname.

"Umm… Guys. Important kaam, remember?" Abir reminded them.

"Right," Ketki agreed. Turning to Nishant, she introduced herself. "Hi. I'm Ketki Rajvansh." She offered her hand for a handshake.

"Nish… Nishant Maheshwari," Nishant replied, taking her hand.

Her skin is so unbelievably soft was the first thought that entered his mind when his hand touched hers. The second was that it felt really good.

"Uhm," Mishti cleared her throat a few seconds later when Nishant didn't let go. Nishant immediately left Ketki's hand as if it was on fire.

"Welcome to… Uh… Welcome to Grey Elephant!" He said. "It's a pleasure to have you."

"Thank you!" Ketki replied, blushing. Nishant was a very handsome man and his smile was gorgeous. Ketki felt self conscious & nervous around him.

"Okay… now that aapka important kaam ho gaya hai… Can we go for lunch?" Kunal asked. "Bohot bhook lagi hai."

"Yes!" Abir agreed enthusiastically. "Chalo!"

"I was thinking…" Mishti murmured.

"Never a good thing," Kunal quipped.

"Shut up, Kunal!" Mishti replied. "Nobody finds your jokes funny here!"

"I find my jokes funny," Kunal shrugged. "Aur kisise kya farak padta hai?"

"Guys! Time out!" Abur cried out, stopping them. Their petty and pointless banters and fights could go on forever. Turning to Mishti, he added, "Tum keh rahi thi?"

"Right!" Mishti exclaimed. "Main keh rahi thi… aaj sibling lunch date!" She wound her arm around Nishant's as she spoke.

"Good idea!" Abir & Kunal said at the same time.

"Bad idea!" Nishant exclaimed, pulling away from Mishti.

"Nish…" Mishti whined. "Please!"

"Mish," Nishant warned. "Tu zyada smart ban'ne ki koshish mat kar."

"Maine kya kiya?" Mishti questioned innocently.

"Really? Mujhe pata hai ki tujhe pata hai ki mujhe pata hai ki yeh idea tere dimaag mein kyu aaya!" Nishant replied. "Zyada innocent mat bann."

"Wait… what?" Abir asked. "Kisko kya pata hai?"

Mishti laughed. "It's okay, Abir. Tum rehne do! Iss Nannu ki baatein sirf isse hi samajh aati hai."

"Ae, Miss TeaPot! Don't call me Nannu!" Nishant whined.

Mishti waved him off.

"You know what? Mujhe bohot bhook lagi hai… Aur mujhe Mishti ka idea achcha laga. Isliye main Bhai aur Ketu ko leke lunch pe jaa raha hoon. Tum dono phir decide kar lena ki tumhe khana kaise khana hai. Okay?" Kunal announced, dragging Abir & Ketki away, even as Abir told him to wait for a minute so that they could talk.

When the trio was out of sight, Mishti turned to Nishant with a huge smirk on her face. He threw his head back in exasperation and sat down on his chair, hiding his face in the table in front of him.

"Tujhe pata hai na main kahin nahi jaane wali jab tak tu kuch baat nahi karta?" Mishti asked, sitting on the chair opposite his. "Waise… Choice teri hai. Ya toh tu abhi baat karle… Ya main yeh topic ghar pe… Sabke saamne bhi utha sakti hoon."

Nishant looked up, alarmed. "You wouldn't!" Mishti just raised her eyebrows in challenge.

"Fine!" He sighed. “So, I think she’s pretty. What of it?”

"There!" Mishti exclaimed triumphantly. "Was that so hard?"

"Miss TeaPot…" He warned.

"Fine! Nahi kehti kuch. But… come on! This is so awesome! I'm so excited!!" She exclaimed.

"Hello!! Maine yeh nahi announce kiya ki main usse shaadi karne wala hoon jo tu itni excite ho rahi hai. I just find her attractive. Aur kya pata… maybe it's just a stupid crush. Uske saath kaam karunga toh chala jaayega," he replied.

"Nishant Maheshwari, you let me have my moment!" Mishti cried. "Do not interfere."

Nishant raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, boss!”

“You know… Ketu’s really awesome, Nish. She’s probably the best girl friend I have. Not that I have a lot of those… but if I made a list, she would be at the top for sure,” she told him. “She’s always been so welcoming and accepting and… just… loving… you know? She’s the one person who accepted me immediately without any qualms. One conversation. That’s all it took. One conversation and she was my friend forever.”

“Yeah?” He asked, mesmerized. “Tell me more.”

“She’s… gods. She’s probably the strongest person I know. She’s had such an orthodox upbringing in that household, but she’s widened her horizons so beautifully. You know… Badi Maa & Bade Papa… they always gave me the freedom to make my own decisions. They raised me to believe in myself, to stand up for what is right, to fight for myself. But Ketu… she never had that. She was always taught to bow down to her elders and let them make decisions for her no matter how much she hated that. She wasn’t given much freedom either. And yet, she’s flourished into this brilliant outgoing woman today and I’m just so proud of her,” Mishti gushed. “When she found out that her fiance had been cheating on her, and then when her alliance was called off… she handled it like such a pro. It must’ve broken her heart but she was so strong. I really admire her.”

“I can see that,” Nishant laughed. “She sounds awesome. But then, with an elder brother like Abir, I shouldn’t be surprised, should I?”

Mishti laughed. “Maybe not.”

“On a serious note,” she added. “You and Ketu… you’d be really good together. So, if it happens, let it happen, will you? Please!”

Nishant shrugged. He had literally met the girl 10 minutes ago. He was not in a position to make any promises but Mishti liked to build castles in the air. And who was he to stop her?

“Khana kha lein ab agar teri interrogation ho gayi ho toh?” Nishant asked. Mishti nodded enthusiastically and the topic was closed, at least for now.

“Bhai… yeh Nishant… who is he?” Ketki asked her elder brothers as they waited for their food to arrive. Kunal had brought them to Ketki’s favourite restaurant to celebrate her first day at work.

“Woh Jasmeet Aunty ka beta hai. London mein rehta hai,” Abir told her. “Mishti ka best friend hai, aur jitna mujhe pata hai, woh aur Kuhu bhi bohot close hai.”

“London?” She murmured. “Toh pichle kuch mahino se…”

“Mishti uske saath hi rehti thi,” Abir completed for her.

“Ohhh,” she pondered.

“Is he nice?” She probed further.

“Tu Nishant ke baare mein itna kyu pooch rahi hai?” Kunal asked suspiciously.

Ketki looked down to hide her blush. He was an attractive man and she may be developing a crush. But, of course she couldn’t tell them this. Kunal Bhai would immediately go into the typical big brother mode and Abir Bhai would never miss a chance to tease her about it. No. She wasn’t taking that risk just yet. So, she lied.

“Bhai, ab mujhe unke saath kaam karna hai toh thoda toh pata hona chahiye na,” she said. And okay, technically, it wasn’t a total lie. She was going to be working with Nishant for the foreseeable future and she did want to know what kind of man she would be spending time with, but it was not the sole reason for her curiosity.

Their food arrived then, and the topic was thankfully shut as the three of them enjoyed their lunch in companionable silence. After eating, they all piled into Kunal’s car and went back to work. The journey back was the most fun Ketki had had in a long time. Abir had turned the music system on and the three of them had listened to their favourite songs on full blast and sang along. Ketki remembered a time when the four of them - her and her three amazing elder brothers - used to do this often, before Kunal had started taking an interest in business and then had completely devoted himself to it, when things between Abir & Meenakshi weren’t so tense and Abir didn’t feel the need to leave the house so often and for so long. Ketki had barely been in high school then, her elder brothers in college, but she remembered those happy times very clearly. She wished that things could go back to being like that more. She understood that they’d all grown up and had responsibilities now, but sometimes letting loose was fun. She didn’t know how to thank Mishti for being the catalyst of this change.

Ever since she’d come back into Abir’s, and surprisingly Kunal’s, life, things had really changed for the better. For one, Abir was smiling more, and smiling from the heart. Ketki had never thought she’d see him smile like that after he’d broken up with Mishti, and she’d resigned herself to the fact that the last memory that she’d have of her brother’s happiness would be his gordhana. But now, she was back, and he was smiling. He was living. He’d started spending more time around the family as well. After Mishti, Abir had buried himself in work, and was hardly ever home. When he was, he preferred the solitude of his room rather than hanging out with his family like earlier. Everyone understood that he needed space after everything, and so they hadn’t bothered him, though everyone really missed having him around, and longed to hear his silly jokes and his contagious laugh. Now that Mishti was back, Abir had, little by little, started spending more time around the family as well, though he completely avoided his mother, and didn’t interact much with Masi either. Yet, Ketki was happy because he was slowly becoming the man he once was, and she was glad to have her brother back.

Even Kunal had changed after Mishti’s return, though those were more subtle changes and Ketki didn’t think Kunal even noticed it. But, he was definitely smiling more, too. Ketki had seen him on the phone a lot more, always having a happy, secret smile on his face as he texted someone. At first she’d thought that her brother was having an affair, but last night, she’d happened to glance at his phone screen and found out that he was actually talking to Mishti. Abir had told her that Kunal had been trying to get along better with Mishti after everything that had happened, but she was surprised with the texting. Kunal abhorred texting. He was more of a phone call guy because he didn’t feel like he needed to interact with anyone unless absolutely necessary, and phone calls were better for relaying information than text messages, or so he claimed anyway. But, here he was. Texting the woman he once claimed to hate, and smiling while doing it too. He’d definitely changed. There was this calm, almost serene, aura surrounding him now, as if he was finally at peace with himself. He’d grown a lot in this little time, especially emotionally. Kunal had always loved his family, but he’d never been able to connect with them on a deeper emotional level, which was fine. Kunal was a very practical man, and he didn’t do emotions well. Everyone understood that, and they never held it against him when he said something hurtful without thinking of how it might affect the other person, or when he didn’t really understand when someone needed a hug, or just someone to listen. Kunal protected his family from harm, and he provided for them in any way he could. That was his way of loving them, and everyone had made their peace with that. But now, he had started taking an active interest in the lives of everyone around the house. He talked more, he laughed more, he understood more.

These past few months had changed everyone in little or big ways, but she knew that Abir & Kunal had been affected the most. With Mishti back, she had, knowingly or unknowingly, started pushing both of them to become better versions of themselves and for that, Ketki would always be grateful. She owed Mishti everything.

“We’re here!” Kunal announced, once he’d put the car in park. “Aaj bohot kaam hai! Let’s get to it.” Ketki laughed. Yes, her brother’s emotional intelligence had improved a lot, but he was still a businessman at heart.

“Tu chal, Nanko,” Abir replied. “Main aur Ketu 2 minute mein aa rahe hain.”

“Bhai…” Kunal cribbed.

“I know! Bas 2 minute. Pakka!” Abir promised.

“Fine,” Kunal agreed, leaving the two to it.

Once Kunal was out of sight, Ketki turned to ask Abir what he wanted to talk to her about and saw him smirking at her. He threw an arm around her, knowing she’d try to escape once he started talking.

“So… Nishant, haan?” He asked teasingly.

“Bhai!” Ketki whined. “Aisa kuch nahi hai.”

“Okay,” Abir replied, rolling his eyes.

“Seriously… aisa kuch nahi hai,” she insisted. “Main unhe jaanti bhi nahi hoon!”

“Haan… but jaan’na chaahti haina?” he asked. Ketki shrugged, blushing badly. She was never good at lying to Abir. He always just knew.

Abir laughed and pulled her into a hug. “I think it’s awesome, Ketu,” he commented. “Nish is amazing. Woh Mishti ka best friend hai, and itne mahine jab main aur Mishti saath nahi the, usne Mishti ka bohot achche se khayal rakha tha. Aur… maine uske saath jitna time spend kiya hai… let me tell you, woh ek bohot achcha insaan hai. And I’m sure ki jab tu usse jaan’ne lagegi toh tujhe bhi aisa hi lagega!”

“You know what, Bhai?” Ketki asked. “Aap duniya ke pehle bade bhai hoge jo apni choti behen ko boyfriend banane ke liye encourage kar rahe hain.”

Abir chuckled. “Of course kar raha hoon! I want you to have all the experiences in life, Ketu. Especially yeh. Pyaar bohot khoobsurat hota hai. I really wish ki tujhe koi aisa mile jo tujhe zindagi bhar bohot pyaar kare, utna… jitna Mishti mujhse karti hai. Aur… woh insaan koi bhi ho… main bohot khush hounga. Lekin… I’ll not deny that I really like Nishant. Aur… ek baat batau tujhe?” He asked. “Promise kar kisiko nahi batayegi.”

Ketki nodded. “I promise, Bhai.”

“Jabse Mishti ne mujhe yeh suggestion diya ki main tujhe bhi project mein involve karun,” he told her, “main tabse yeh soch raha hoon. Nishant duniya ka shayad woh ek ladka hai who I think is worthy of my sister. Aur… ho sakta hai shayad… tujhe iss project pe laane mein mera motive thodi matchmaking karne ka bhi tha.”

“Bhai!” Ketki exclaimed. Abir just shrugged.

“Maine tujhse kaha na, Ketu,” he said. “Main chaahta hoon ki tujhe koi mile jo tujhe bohot pyaar kare. Main chaahta hoon ki tu woh khushi experience kare jo maine ki hai.”

“You’re the best, Bhai,” she replied, hugging him tightly. She never knew her brother dreamt of watching her fall in love. Of course, whenever they talked about her having a boyfriend, he always supported her and encouraged her to go for it if she liked someone, but this was… it was so much more profound. He wanted her to have love in her life.

Being who she was, and knowing her family, Ketki had resigned herself to the fact that she’d have an arranged marriage with a guy her parents, and her Bua, thought was good. She never even thought about the possibility of love. Ever. She didn’t think it was on the cards for her. But now, Abir was telling her that he thought that Nishant was someone who could fall for her, and she for him, and that was one of the reasons why he’d brought her onboard. It warmed her heart to know that he cared so much, that he wanted her to have this.

Of course, she was a little miffed because he didn’t tell her about this matchmaking scheme he was running, but his heart was in the right place. She suspected she could forgive him for it. What mattered most was that he loved her enough to do this for her. And nothing else. She really did have the best big brother around. She would be eternally grateful for that.

__________

KeNish shippers in the house, make some noise! In case you hadn't worked it out, yes, there will be KeNish in this one. So, yay! I really think they'd make a cute couple, so you get to sit through this even if you're not interested. #SorryNotSorry

I hope quarantine is going good for y'all and everyone is staying home! :)

Love,

Prags

Chapter Eighteen

Meenakshi Rajvansh hadn't gotten where she was today by just ignoring things. She prided herself in her observation skills. They'd never strayed her astray before. So, when her elder son started smiling more, started behaving a little more like the man he once was, before he'd broken up with that girl, she knew something was up.

She'd hated breaking her son's heart, but she knew it was better for him in the long run. Mishti was not a good match for him, or for the rest of the family. She'd only break them apart. What else could you expect from a girl who's father tried to murder his own brother? Mishti would never be able to keep the family together. She just didn't know how. She knew that, was aware of how her own "sister" and aunt didn't like her either. And Jasmeet was her mother's best friend. Yet, the woman disliked Mishti and never shied away from the fact. So, Meenakshi was very aware of how Mishti was not meant to be a Rajvansh.

Which is why she'd been forced to play that dirty game to break them up. Abir knew the importance of family, unlike that girl. And he loved his family. She knew that if given the choice, he'd always chose the family over her. And he had. He'd chosen to let her go for his younger brother, just like she'd expected.

What had followed was probably the darkest time of her son's life, and while she sympathized with the boy, he was her son, after all, she did not regret it. She knew it would take time but Abir would move on from the girl and marry someone who she would chose, someone who would be good for the family, unlike Mishti. But she didn't think it would be so soon, or so sudden. She remembered how distraught Abir had been on his supposed wedding day and then had come home after spending the entire day outside the house in decidedly higher spirits. Since that day, he'd seemed lighter, as if the weight of the world was finally lifted from his shoulders. And while she was happy about it, she wasn't stupid enough to ignore it. Something had definitely happened.

Which is why she'd ordered Laxman to trail Abir. For the first 3 days, nothing had turned up. Abir seemed to be spending all his time at work, or with Kunal and Ketki. She'd seen a few photographs of him with another man who she assumed to be the reclusive Nishant M who was spearheading the launch of Abir's app. It was all work, work, work, until, it wasn't. There was no photo of Abir, but Laxman had seen Nishant with Mishti.

And just like that, all of Meenakshi's doubts were cleared. Abir had met Mishti again. She didn't know how, but he had. That was the reason for the change in his behaviour. Not wanting to let it drag like she'd let it happen the first time Abir and Mishti had met, she decided to confront him the same day. So, she stood, a lioness in waiting, ready for her prey.

When Abir came home later that day, laughing at something along with Kunal and Ketki, he immediately knew something was amiss. His mother was sitting in the living room, as if waiting for them to come home.

"Maa, sab theek haina?" Kunal asked, clearly worried.

"Of course, beta. Kya galat hoga? Mere dono bete yahaan hai. Everything is awesome," she replied. "But... mujhe Abir se kuch baat karni hai. Akele mein."

Abir looked at her, resigned. He had a very good inkling of what this was about. He couldn't have hidden it from his mother forever, he knew that. But still, he wasn't ready yet. He'd only just gotten Mishti back, Badi Maa & Bade Papa back. He was not going to lose them again. Not now, not ever.

"Kya hua, Maa? All okay?" Kunal asked again, worried. Why did she want to talk to Bhai alone? He was scared of what she would do if she found out that Bhai was with Mishti again. He couldn't let his mother hurt his brother, or Mishti, like that. In this small span of time Mishti had come to mean a lot to him. In many ways, she was his best friend. She understood him so well, and she was always there when he needed a sounding board. She had a wicked sense of humour, and she was the kindest person he knew apart from his brother. She was so much like his Bhai, and he was an idiot for not having seen it sooner.

"Kunal, beta, maine kaha na, Abir se baat karni hai. Don't worry. Koi darne ki baat nahi hai," Meenakshi tried to reassure him, but Kunal was not convinced. However, when Abir gestured for him to leave, he did.

Meenakshi stood up and made her way to her room, with Abir following her wordlessly. Once inside, she shut the door and locked it. Abir looked at her expectantly, but refused to be the one to start conversation. He'd had enough conversations with his mother to last a lifetime. One on his deathbed would be too soon.

Meenakshi stared at him for a moment, but when she realized he wouldn't say anything, she turned to her bedside drawer and removed the incriminating photo - Nishant and Mishti hanging out at an ice-cream parlour.

A shiver ran down Abir's spine as he looked at the photo. His mother was having Mishti followed? How low would she stoop? This was too much, even for her. He'd never expected her to do something like this.

"You keep her out of it," he told her, his eyes spitting fire.

"She's always there, Abir," Meenakshi sighed. "Maine tumhe kaha tha na... uss Mishti se apna rishta tod do!"

"Aur maine aapke saamne tod diya tha!" Abir cried back.

"Really?" She asked, showing him the other photo - one of him and Nishant outside his office. He thanked god that Mishti wasn't there. She hadn't come to work that day because she was spending the day with Bade Papa.

"Iska kya matlab hai, Maa? Aap mujhe aur Mishti ko follow karwa rahin hain? Itna zyada gir gayin hain aap ab?" He asked.

"ABIR!" She reprimanded. "Iss tarah se baat karoge apni maa se?"

"Maa se kaise baat karni hai woh mujhe pata hai. Lekin, maa apne bachchon ke saath aisa karti hai... yeh nahi pata tha," he replied.

"Abir, main seedhe seedhe pooch rahi hoon. Kya hai yeh sab? Maine tumse kaha tha na usse door rehne? Kya kar rahe ho tum?" She questioned.

"Maa... Yeh Nishant hai. Mera business partner. Usse toh milunga na," he said coolly.

"Aur iska kya matlab hai?" She asked him, showing her Nish & Mishti's picture.

Abir shrugged. "Maa, business partner. Apni personal life mein woh kya karta hai mujhe nahi pata," he lied smoothly. "Na mujhe usse farak padta hai."

"Farak na hi pade toh achcha hoga," Meenakshi said. "Warna..."

"Haan, haan," Abir cut her off. "Jaanta hoon aap kya karengi. Nanko ko sach bata dengi. Yaad hai mujhe."

Disgusted with her threat and unable to breathe in her presence any longer, Abir stormed out. Kunal had been waiting for him, just in case he was needed, but Abir didn't even notice him standing there and just walked past him into his room. He shut the door behind him and drew the drapes.

He didn't even have the energy to make it to his bed and collapsed on the floor. There was no stopping the tears after that. He knew his mother was malicious, but he'd never expected she'd be so malicious. Did she not give even one damn about him? About his happiness? What sort of mother even was she? How could she blackmail him into doing that to Mishti? To himself? Did she have no conscience? How did she sleep every night, knowing she'd broken her son's heart the way she had? Did she not regret anything?

And, if doing it back then wasn't enough, she was doing it again? And so casually at that... as if it was just another check across her to do list. Meet so and so clients. Check. Make dinner. Check. Blackmail and threaten Abir. Double freaking check.

But, be as it may, he was scared. Oh so scared. Losing Mishti once had broken him. He'd only started to heal again. He couldn't go through that again, ever. He couldn't let Mishti go through it either. They'd both died a million deaths being apart, they couldn't do it. Not again. Never again. 

The thought of not having Mishti in his life again undid Abir. He didn't even want to imagine it. Not even in his worst nightmares. A life without Mishti was no life at all. Just an eternal tunnel of darkness and solitude with no way out. He refused to live that way again.

But what was the alternative? Telling Nanko the truth? Telling him that his entire life was a lie? That nothing he'd believed in was real? How could he destroy his little brother's, his child's, life for his own happiness? Would that make him any different than Mehul Kapadia? It wouldn't. He couldn't use Nanko as bait to build the bridge to his own happiness. He wasn't that person. He wasn't that father. He'd never be able to be truly happy, even with Mishti, if he hurt Nanko. His happiness could not come at the cost of Nanko's. Never.

He didn't even realize when his breathing became laboured. He was finding it difficult to breathe, the air leaving his lungs in breathless pants. His hands had started shaking a little. It took him a while to realize he was having a panic attack. He didn't remember ever having one before, but if something called for one, it was this situation.

He crawled across the room, still having difficulty breathing, and somehow managed to sit on his bed. He removed his drawer keys from his pockets after trying for 5 minutes and finally managed to open it after several unsuccessful attempts. He pulled out the other cell phone he had and quickly dialed Mishti, desperate to hear her voice.

Thankfully, Mishti picked up on the first ring, as if she'd been waiting for him to call.

"Ajeeb Rajvansh!" She greeted. He could hear the smile in her voice. It calmed his heart a little.

"Abir... kya hua?" She asked when he didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Is everything okay?"

"Cha --- Chand!" He managed to gasp out, clutching his phone as if it were a lifeline, which, in this moment, it was.

Mishti instantly knew something was very wrong. Abir only called her Chand when he desperately needed her or when he was overwhelmed. She remembered how she'd joked about him calling her chand in so many of his shayaris but never for real. And then one day, at MishBir House, he'd called her that after she'd arranged for them to spend some time together, coming armed with food cooked by Badi Maa and his favourite movies. He said that she was his one source of light in the darkness, so she was his chand for real, and not just because it made for pretty poetry.

"Abir!" She cried. "Kya hua? Batao mujhe!" She was frantic. Something was so wrong. She needed him to tell her what it was so that she could make it right.

"Tum... Tum mujhe kabhi chodke nahi jaogi na?" He asked her.

"Abir... Kya hua?! Tum itne tensed kyu sound kar rahe ho?" She asked him.

"Tum woh sab chodo. Mujhe yeh batao... Mujhe kabhi nahi chodogi na?" He persisted.

"Abir, I love you. Main tume kabhi nahi chodungi," she reassured him.

"Main chod du tab bhi nahi?" He questioned.

"Tum chod doge, tab nahi, kabhi nahi," she promised.

"I love you, Chand," he murmured. He was finally able to breathe again.

"Abir... kya hua?" She asked yet again.

"Maa," he muttered, not bothering to elaborate. He didn't want to lie to her again, but how was he supposed to tell her the truth?

"Abir," she sighed. "I love you. Your mother will never be able to separate us again, okay? I promise."

Abir nodded, though he had his doubts.

"Sab kuch achcha hoga, Abir. Tum itni tension mat lo," she tried to pacify him. "Jab hum dono saath hain, toh aur kya chahiye, right? It'll be fine. You'll see."

"Hmmmm," he muttered unconvincingly.

"Abir... Badi Maa bula rahi hai. Main thode time mein call karti hoon, okay?" She asked.

Abir let her go with another I love you.

As soon as she was off the phone with him, she dialed Kunal.

"Mishti?" Kunal answered, surprised. "Kya hua?"

"Yehi toh main jaan'na chaahti hoon. Kya hua, Kunal? Abir bohot tensed hai," she told him.

Kunal sighed. "I know! But kyu mujhe bhi nahi pata. Woh apne room mein hain. Kisise kuch nahi kaha."

"Tumhe koi bhi idea hai ki kya hua hai?" She asked him.

"I think unki Maa se phir se ladaayi hui hai," he told her. "Aaj hum ghar aaye uske baad Maa ne kaha ki woh Bhai se akele mein baat karna chaahti hain. Bas... Uske baad se Bhai bohot upset hain. Pata nahi kya hua hai."

Mishti rubbed her forehead. This was what she was afraid of. Something big must've happened for Abir to react the way he had. She had to find out what. She had to be there for him now. He needed her.

"Kunal... usse aadhe ghante mein ghar le aaoge please?" She requested. "Main abhi nikal rahi hoon. I think he really needs us."

Kunal readily agreed and promised to bring Abir to the MishBir House in half an hour.

Mishti got changed quickly, and rushed to meet Badi Maa. He explained the entire situation to her parents, who were, as always, very understanding, and immediately understood her need to be there for Abir. They let her go with the promise of coming home as soon as she was able to.

She rushed out of the house, intent on getting to Abir as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, Kunal was incessantly knocking on his brother's door, making the man give up and finally open the door.

"Bhai! Main kabse knock kar raha hoon! Darwaza kyu nahi khola?" He asked. Abir shrugged. Kunal just let himself in.

Once inside, he shut the door and turned to actually look at Abir. He could see beads of Sweat all over his brother's face. His pupils were dilated, his hair a mess. His eyes were rid rimmed and sore. His shirt was completely unkempt and his face seemed to have lost all it's colour. Things were far worse than he'd imagined.

"Bhai, are you okay?" He asked, worried.

Abir wordlessly took him into a tight hug. Kunal wrapped his arms around his brother immediately, trying to comfort him in any way he could.

"Nanko... tujhe pata haina ki main tujhse bohot pyaar karta hoon? Iss duniya mein sabse zyada?" Abir asked.

"I think iss duniya mein sabse zyada pyaar aap Mishti se karte ho," Kunal replied teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Abir pulled back, his expression taut. "Nahi, Nanko," he said. "Main iss duniya mein sabse zyada pyaar tujhse karta hoon," he declared seriously.

How could he love Mishti more than Nanko when he'd chosen to break her heart in such a brutal way just so that Nanko wouldn't find the truth? When he'd chosen Nanko over Mishti everytime?

He'd chosen to let Mishti get into a relationship he knew was wrong for her because he thought Nanko liked Mishti. It hadn't been until the last moment that he'd realized that he was making a mistake and tried to rectify it. He'd prioritized his Nanko's happiness over Mishti's that day at the lakeside. Even now, everyday he chose to keep quiet, to see Mishti in secret so that his mother wouldn't know, he was silently choosing Nanko over Mishti.

Mishti deserved better. So much better. But, she'd chosen him, and yet, here he was, unable to give her even the littlest of things.

"Bhai, I know you love me," Kunal finally replied, bringing Abir out of his thoughts. "I love you, too. Sabse zyada. Aap jaante hona? Main aapki khushi ke liye kuch bhi kar sakta hoon."

Abir nodded.

"Good!" Kunal cried. Seeing an opening, he jumped in, full throttle. "I think you're very suffocated here, Bhai. Aapko taazi hawa ki zaroorat hain. Hum bahar chalein?"

"Nanko, raat bohot ho gayi hai," Abir answered. "Rehne de."

"Bhai, hum koi school ke bachche hain?" Kunal asked. Abir shook his head.

"Suraj hain?" Kunal probed. Abir shook his head again.

"New moon hain?" Kunal questioned. Abir shook his head the third time.

"Toh kya fark padta hai ki kitni raat ho gayi hai?" Kunal asked rhetorically.

It actually got a chuckle out of Abir. "Aajkal Mishti ke saath bohot zyada time spend karne laga hai. Uski tarah bolna bhi seekh gaya hai!"

Kunal blushed and looked away. He kinda liked that his brother didn't know just how tight him and Mishti were now. He didn't want Abir to think that they were doing it for his benefit, and he definitely didn't want Abir to think that they were putting on a show. His friendship with Mishti was one of the best things in Kunal's life, and it wasn't because of anyone else. It was because him and Mishti loved spending time together, because they liked talking to each other, because they liked each other's presence. Nobody but the two of them were responsible for what their relationship was.

Now, Mishti wasn't just his brother's girlfriend who he was nice to for said brother's sake. She was his friend too, and he liked her for who she was, not who she was to his brother, though that was certainly an added benefit.

"Bhai... Please chalte haina," he whined.

"Fine!" Abir gave in. "Chalte hain." He needed the distraction anyway. His mother's words were still ringing in his ears, and maybe going out for a while would help him calm down.

"Great!" Kunal cheered, steering Abir outside. He'd take Abir to Mishti, and she'd know just exactly what to do to bring his smile back. She always knew how to make his brother happy, and Kunal had never been more thankful for that skill of hers more than he was in this moment. Mishti would make everything right. She always did. 

____________

Dragon Saas is finally here. I hope y'all liked this chapter!!

The next one will have clingy Abir and we love to see it. Let's just hope I write it soon. :p

Please vote and comment to let me know your thoughts on it! :)

Love, Prags

Nicely written dragon saa is here again to make trouble for everyone piece of mind, I hope some way the true comes out about Kunal because that is one secret that can put a stop to Mishbir.

dragon saa needs to feel her own medicine maybe Abir needs to move out of the house?

He needs to take a stand some how

Waiting patiently for the next chapter my Hindi is not that good but getting the jest of the story👍🏼