T H E   S I L E N T   W A T E R S

T H E   S I S T E R   A N D   H E R   B R O T H E R

He froze.

"Bhaiya?" The voice continued again, and this time it was more hesitant.

"I believe it's Mr. Oberoi to you." Priyanka interrupted, her voice cool and unbothered. Rudra frowned.

Shivaay was relieved that Priyanka was here, or else he didn't know how else he would have——

He turned to look at them and his expression turned neutral, his brothers, were looking at him——or rather at his hands——probably because he was talking through them a few moments ago. His gaze turned cold as he challenged his brother's.

Om's lips parted in shock, and he looked like he wanted to say something but he couldn't. And to tell the truth, Shivaay wasn't eager to listen.

It was Rudra however who voiced out his shock——or confusion.

And it bothered Shivaay that he couldn't bring himself to care about this anymore. That troubled him——for some reasons, because for the longer period of his life he had lived for them———he feels like he had lost a part of himself while behaving indifferent to them.

Priyanka must have sensed his inner turmoil because the very next moment she stepped up to back him away.

"Kindly excuse us, Mr. Oberoi. We have private matters to deal with." Priyanka tugged on her brother's arm making him face away from them. Rudra looked affronted at that, Priyanka had never talked to him like that.

"Shivaay——" Arjun turned around to gesture towards the police and Shivaay sighed in exasperation, of course the high profile party and mishaps like these. He is responsible.

Shivaay nodded and followed Arjun out of the auditorium. Priyanka and Aradhya were about to follow when Rudra stopped her.

"Prinku—"

"Priyanka." She gave a curt reply without looking at him.

Aradhya shuffled around nervously, she strangely felt out of place. Her eyes fell on her, the girl who was standing at the end of the catering table. She too looked nervous.

She had noticed how Shivaay tried to assure her with his eyes because he could not voice out his thoughts. Aradhya walked over to her. "Hey." She said quietly as she looked around to see Priyanka conversing with her brothers. Good lord, she needed that for a long time, Aradhya thought as she observed the interaction.

Annika looked up at her surprised. "Hey." She spoke quietly.

"You know he doesn't suspect you." Aradhya spoke. For some reasons she knew she should convey the message, from what she had gathered, how much Shivaay had distanced his family, he always had a longing look whenever he caressed the wedding ring in his hands——Priyanka had told her who she was.

"I know——even if he can't say I could see it in his eyes." Annika admitted quietly. She couldn't figure out why this girl approached her, she had seen her accompanying Shivaay and Priyanka quite a lot. She had always wondered who she was.

Her words made Aradhya frown, "How'd you know that?" She asked, her voice getting tense.

Annika looked away, Aradhya could see the looming sadness in her eyes. "I had my observations." She admitted quietly, Aradhya's eyes softened.

"Where are my manners, I hadn't even introduced myself——I'm Aradhya." She said extending her hand for a shake.

"Annika."

Annika looked at the woman, she roughly looked the same age as hers. Probably a few years older. But she looked kinder.

"You mustn't feel guilty." Aradhya said, "Unless you have done something that you should be guilty of." Her tone remained condensed.

Annika looked at her at that, what did she mean by that?

Aradhya's eyes turned to Priyanka whose eyes were spitting fire while she talked with her dear brothers after such a long time. It was needed.

She looked at her phone to see Arjun's message to go to Shivaay's cabin along with Priyanka but that might take a while.

<>

Shivaay's eyes narrowed as he looked at the footage. Khanna was looking down at the floor guilty.

He frowned when he saw Khanna bringing in the cloaked figure. His and Arjun's eyes widened.

"S-sir, it's really not what you think." He spoke and he looked back at the ground when he received the glare. Shivaay looked at the screen.

Who is the man that he brought in? He turned to Khanna with narrowed eyes. Khanna who is it? He looked at the man he trusted with his life.

Neeraj looked at Shivaay and he knew he was going to lose his temper. "You jeopardized Shivaay's safety Khanna. By dropping those CCTV footage. Tell us the truth, who was the cloaked figure?" He asked him, he couldn't believe the man Shivaay had said that no matter what happened Khanna would never break his loyalty.

"Dekh lo. The problem was done by your man only, Mr. Oberoi." The inspector's chuckle was mocking and Shivaay's head lowered.

He could see guilt in his eyes and his breathing went shallow. Khanna you too? Hasn't he had enough betrayals from the people that he had entrusted, Khanna of all people?

"S-sir just please give me a moment to explain, I can bring the cloaked figure here." Shivaay blinked at that. Bring him. He ordered without saying anything.

Khanna nodded and Neeraj went with him, while Arjun went to Shivaay's side and his hand grabbed onto Shivaay's arm that was trembling. He dug his fingers in his arm, anchoring Shivaay back, he needs to take him out of there soon or they are going to stress him beyond his limits and he knows what happens afterwards.

A few minutes later they brought in the figure and Shivaay's eyes widened when the cops grew alert and fastened their guns even more so when Neeraj was holding one as well. What the fuck is going on here?

He turned to the cloaked figure.

"Remove the hood." Inspector Pandey asked.

And he did. And Shivaay's eyes widened when he looked at the man.

Mishra!?

Mishra looked down at the ground, "Trust me Shivaay sir, Khanna hadn't done anything wrong. It was my wish to meet you but he didn't know that this all would happen——"

"Whatever the statement is you both will give in the police station." The man hollered as he gestured the constable to arrest them.

But Shivaay gestured them to stop. He looked at Arjun, who nodded. "Inspector Pandey, let them go. Shivaay will look through the formalities later on." Arjun spoke.

"Are you sure, Mr. Oberoi? They are the ones who put life at risk and you are willing to let them go?" Shivaay nodded with a tired smile. The inspector sighed.

"Well, alright. If you need anything else. We are always ready to assist you. The paperwork will be handled, just my constable will be here for your signature tomorrow." Shivaay nodded at the words.

He turned to the two arching an eyebrow. What's going on? With you two? Shivaay pointed between to of them.

Neeraj carefully pocketed the phone that Mishra had given him. He might find all the clues through Shivaay's old phone.

"It's good to see you again, sir. I just hoped that circumstances would have been better." Mishra spoke.

Why did you come here like this? With the hood and all? Shivaay pointed at the cloak like material that Mishra was holding, he looked at him carefully, he was wearing worn out clothes and looked extremely exhausted. Are you alright?

When Shivaay saw that the man can't understand the gestures Shivaay was doing. He looked over his shoulder, towards Arjun hoping that he could help him out by translating.

"He is asking why did" he looked at Shivaay's hands "you come here like this? You could have come like any normal person, he would have appreciated it more." And he chuckled at the last part. "and the chuckle was from Shivaay's side as well."

Shivaay glared at Arjun.

"I thought you would not want to see me—" Mishra caught Neeraj's eyes who shook his head prompting him to stay mum about the past, the last thing that Shivaay needs is the pressure over his brain, he knew the moment Mishra will open up Shivaay will go back to grovel the secrets that had been buried in the time, until he tired himself to the oblivion.

Shivaay looked at Mishra expectantly. Why did he think so? He was so happy to see him.

"——I wasn't there by your side sir." Mishra added quickly and Shivaay rolled his eyes. When his own family wasn't, what he could expect from them? He thought to himself, his lips curved up in a wry smile.

"I just wanted to see you sir. Khanna was just helping me, he wanted to surprise you but the sudden turn of events——" Shivaay's eyes narrowed when he looked at Khanna who clearly got the message.

Where do you work now? Shivaay asked. Mishra didn't say anything for a while after Arjun voiced out Shivaay's thoughts.

"Daily wages? At some companies" He added meekly. Shivaay frowned. He couldn't understand why Mishra would work somewhere like that when he had been at such great post under Oberoi Industries, in his work history.

"And right now, VOID." Arjun spoke and he turned to look at Shivaay, asking him if he was sure about this. He nodded.

And Mishra's eyes welled up gratitude and guilt. I will tell you everything in the right time sir. He looked at Neeraj who nodded in his direction.

<>

Priyanka looked at her brothers, her biological brothers. Who had promised he that they would protect her from any harm then how come they never asked if she was doing alright? If she is holding up? Or heck if she is even alive? Did they ever bother to check on her? No!

To herself, she felt like she stopped being the member of the family the moment she went to live with her husband, well now ex-husband.

"Prinku...? Shivaay bhaiya?" And her blood boiled when Rudra again mentioned the name that she didn't want to hear from him.

"What happened to him?" Om asked as he looked into the direction where Shivaay had disappeared into.

"You have no right to call me Prinku, the only one that holds this right is him. And don't you dare call him bhaiya, he stopped being the brother to you——the moment you turned your face away from him." She snapped.

"He is not your bhaiya." She shook her head grimacing at the word that Rudra had used.

"Prinku———Priyanka w-what are you saying?" Rudra asked meekly. He didn't expect Priyanka to lash out.

"The truth. He is not your bhaiya." She shook her head, pinning them under her glare. "Where were you, when your bhaiya was asking you——no my bad, BEGGING you on when he was thrown out to the streets. Huh? Where were you?" She asked scathingly.

"Your sister nearly died———your brother——he literally returned back from the grazing the death." She cried to herself. "But——you guys? You. Weren't. There." She placed an extra emphasis on each word.

Their eyes widened, and so did Annika's, Aradhya went to stop her before she said anything that she is going to regret later on.

Priyanka whirled to face Om, "And you have no rights to ask what happened to him. You had made your intentions clear on that call all those years ago. You made yourself clear that you had nothing to do with him, you didn't hear your sister's cries or anything, you just simply cut the call." At this all the eyes turned to her.

"Priyanka." She heard a warning tone in Aradhya's voice and she looked around to see Shivaay standing at the door looking at her confused. What call? She shook her head. She hadn't told him about the call, she knew his heart would break if he knew what Om had said on the call.

"Shivaay—bhaiya——what happened——why were y-you——just say something." Rudra turned to him, he was searching for answers but as he stepped towards him Shivaay backed away shaking his head, proving Priyanka's words.

"You said at the party, then why aren't you saying anything now?"

Shivaay looked at the brother who he considered he had considered his own child and shook his head. Why are you doing this Rudra? Suddenly you care? Don't you think it's too late?

"Shivaay." He closed his eyes to hold back. "Why aren't you using your voice?" Isn't the reason already obvious? Or are you planning to humiliate me more?

Let's go. He gestured to Priyanka and Aradhya, who was standing holding Priyanka's shoulder. He looked at Annika who was looking at him in shock which made him frown, he had just come in time to hear Priyanka mention the call. Speaking of which he will ask her about that once they reach home.

But his hand was grabbed by Rudra's. Do not force me Rudra. He thought as he tried to pull away. But his grip was tight.

"Bhaiya..."

And Shivaay's patience was gone.

"N-n-no-o"