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"N-n-no-o." Shivaay gritted out, he didn't care anymore. He was at the limits of his patience.

His voice sounded———rusty? He didn't know. He didn't care. For once he wanted to let it all out.

"What?" Rudra frowned. He turned to him. "What is Prinku saying? Bhaiya, say something. You spoke——that night——you have to now——bhaiya?" He stammered in his speech. His hands grabbing onto Shivaay's.

"I a-am-m n-n-o-ot" his voice stammered but he will not back down. He stepped up, his eyes narrowed down in cold rage as he snatched his arm away from Rudra's hold, which had gone slack the moment the words escaped Shivaay's mouth.

Shivaay ignored Priyanka's calls to stop. But it was too late now, the bullet was already out of the gun. He didn't care what was to happen now.

"I-I a-am-m n-n-o-ot y-y——" He closed his eyes as he was unable to utter the syllables. His fists clenched and he backed away, closing his eyes frustrated.

"Shivaay——" he raised his hand to stop whoever it was.

Om was looking at him wide eyed. This wasn't supposed to happen. What have I all missed? What happened to his voice? And why is Priyanka stopping him——

"I-i h-ha-have had e-nou-no-nough." He turned to face his brothers that he adored to the end of his life. His world, in a sense. But not anymore.

"Shivaay sir—" Shivaay silenced Khanna with a warning look.

"Stop him." Priyanka turned to Aradhya, who was looking around nervously. "I didn't bring any shots. They are all in Shivaay's cabin, I will fetch them." Aradhya said as she rushed out to bring her bag.

"H-how ca-ca-nn y——" Shivaay's fist clenched by his sides. He hated how helpless he sounded. It wasn't like him at all.

He gritted his teeth and forced out the syllables. "——yo-you" he coughed slightly. "—ssay t-tha-t" and the coughing didn't cease, Priyanka rushed to his sides as he broke down into vigorous coughing fits.

He retracted his hands, only to see his palm colored in red——and cursed silently—a warning———that he decided to pay no heed. And he turned back to his brothers.

"——aa-r-are my b-b-ro-t-t-ther-ss?" He chuckled and shook his head, he pried Priyanka's arms off his.

"—u-ss-ed t-to n-n-no-ot a-ny-m-more." Shivaay spoke shaking his head.

"Bhaiya, what the hell are you doing? Hurting yourself is not worth it." Priyanka tried to pull him off.

"I'm sorry." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them——

All heads turned towards Rudra's who was looking down at the ground, he looked up to meet Shivaay's eyes who just tried to control his anger at those words. Sorry? All these years and everything———will be passed in sorry? No, not in his watch——if the relationship was severed from both ends then how can one sorry mend the relationship that was broken by two conscious individuals.

Shivaay chuckled, turning to look at Priyanka. Sorry? He furrowed his eyebrows.

Priyanka was now worried, her eyes had strayed on his arms, she could see the blood on it. Aradhya where the fuck are you?

<>

Aradhya rummaged through all the papers and files and the laptops, wires that were scattered over the table. She searched through the table.

She had placed the medicine kit right here——where'd it go? She froze for a moment. Someone was——is here. The silhouette, she could see it in her periphery. She is not alone in the cabin. Aradhya, don't panic, continue whatever you are doing. Don't let them know-that——

She screamed when a hand grabbed onto hers.

"Silence!" The voice sounded familiar and the moment she turned around she felt something poke her arm and her she staggered forward——her vision spinning as she tried hard to focus on the person who was holding up the needle.

The face was masked and her eyes narrowed as she forced herself to remain conscious but before she knew her world darkened.

<>

"Is this what Priyanka was saying?" Om asked quietly and Shivaay's eyes turned to him with a frown, before he looked back at Priyanka who was standing there, rooted to her spot. "I know——"

"N-no y-you f-fucking don't." Shivaay sighed as he forced his voice to be steady. "Y-you h-av-ave n-no idea." Shivaay silenced him with the point of his finger.

"So st-stop pre...t-tending l-like y-you do!" His voice rose.

"I am going to get Aradhya." Priyanka spoke as she backed away, rushing towards Shivaay's cabin.

"Bro-t-thers." Shivaay's face contorted into one of disgust. "No. We a-are not." He snapped.

"I-I had h-held your fingers w-when you learning t-to w-walk" he turned to Rudra, "I h-held your hand w-when y-you first s-st-sta-star-t-ted sc—" he tried to speak the words but he failed.

"—when I first started the school. On the my first day and everyday from there onwards." Om finished his sentence quietly.

You remember? Shivaay looked surprised.

"A-and you threw me ou-t-t the very s-sh-same" Shivaay stammered. He grimaced from the pain in his throat.

Rudra flinched at that.

"Omkara." Gauri tried to stop him, she could see the tension rising.

"Circumstances—"

"——don't you dare blame it on them!" Shivaay bellowed.

"Om." Annika spoke at the same time. She had been watching the scene silently for too long now. "Shivaay." He turned to look at her, his gaze blank.

"Now is not the time..." Her voice trailed off when her eyes fell on Shivaay's hands which had been hidden from her view.

Blood?

"I think it's enough." She spoke firmly, the last thing that was needed here was the full blown up fight between the brothers.

He turned to look at her, "N-no, I-I want to h-hear what t-they" he coughed, "have to say." The coughing didn't cease but he was surprised when he found a hand rubbing his back, and he knew it wasn't Priyanka.

He turned to his side, Annika was looking at him worriedly.

His eyes turned to his hands. Oh no.

"Blood?" He heard Om whisper.

He closed his eyes.

He felt Rudra's hand on his sides. He shrugged it off.

"G-ge-t-tt ou-t-t." He spoke trying to control his emotions.

"Get out." He spoke, once again when he noticed that they hadn't moved from their places. He turned to Khanna, who nodded.

"Mr. Oberoi, I would escort you out." Khanna spoke, firmly.

"Omkara, please look at bade bhaiya, do you think he is in condition to answer your questions? After what all had happened today, I don't think it's wise. Let's just go." Gauri spoke, trying to reason, her eyes staring at the crimson colour of his hands.

Om sighed, he didn't——he wasn't even sure why he had pressed the matters further——

Rudra looked at his bhaiya——his hands———the blood on them. And he reluctantly let himself be pulled away by Om. Khanna escorted them out of the auditorium.

It was just him and Annika left in the hall. He let himself fall on the ground panting heavily. He couched down to let out the coughs that he was holding back.

"Shivaay!" She immediately went to his side.

"I-I" his eyes clenched as he tried to control his breathing, "g-give me a" he trailed off, and she understood, she rubbed his back as he tried to control the coughs.

"Better now?" She asked after a while when he had calmed down. He nodded tiredly, and wiped off the blood from his lips with the sleeves of his blazer.

"I will call Priy—" she spoke but halted, there was no one in the hall and she didn't think it's okay if she left him in the hall, alone, in this condition.

"S-she will c-come" Shivaay spoke up but ended up grimacing in pain.

"——stop speaking." Annika frowned.

He smiled wrily. The damage was already done. He thought as he tried to pull his fingers apart, he winced as the dried off blood stuck between his fingers.

"Does it always get this bad?" He heard her speak, she was crouching down beside him. He turned to look at her, "whenever you try to speak?" She asked the question quietly.

Worse. He nodded, scrapping the thought.

"Sir——"

"Shivaay——"

They both looked up to see Arjun and Khanna at the door with panicked look on their faces.

He stood up with a gasp.

"Priyanka——Aradhya——unconsious in your cabin——" and he heard no more. He rushed upstairs.

<>

Priyanka felt droplets being sprinkled on her face as she tried to open her eyes. She was met with worried face of her brother who immediately pulled her into a hug.

"W-what" she heard him speak and sighed. She held her head. It felt so heavy, she looked around, she was in Shivaay's cabin, how did she get here?

She frowned, right, she was here to get Aradhya——she turned to look around. Her eyes falling on Aradhya who was sitting on a couch opposite to hers, Annika helping her.

"What happened?" Aradhya spoke up after a while as she held the side of her head, her fingers weaving through her hair as she herself checked around for some bumps.

"From what I remember there was someone in this cabin when I had come to get Shivaay's meds. He——she——whoever it was——they injected something in my hand——possibly——and I lost consciousness—they were masked." She spoke, not properly coherent with her words as she tried to recall what had happened.

"The CCTVs were already down." Neeraj informed. "Whoever it was, must have left. There's nothing we can do."

"I don't remember anything." Priyanka spoke groaning.

"Like brother, like sister, doesn't remember what happened——" Arjun muttered causing several glares to be pinned in his direction. "My apologies!"

"B-bring t-the car." Shivaay spoke slowly, Aradhya looked up and winced. "Kh-" he closed his eyes, "Khanna g-get th-e-em home." He spoke.

"But sir—" he protested.

"Yes, Khanna you should accompany them home. Arjun and I are here with Shivaay." Neeraj spoke as he looked up from the computer.

"You might want to stop speaking, I don't want Dr. Rana chewing my ear off with his scoldings in the next session."

She caught the curious gaze of Annika and passed her a small smile, "I am his doctor." She spoke.

"I don't get paid enough for this." Aradhya muttered as she followed Priyanka out, holding her head. Shivaay sighed, he might have to increase her paycheck.

Shivaay's eyes turned to Annika.

"I should be going." She spoke.

"I-I will drop you." Shivaay spoke. "It's n-not safe."

She nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, Shivaay, you should go as well. Khanna will return soon." He spoke.

Shivaay rolled his eyes, "I-I can drive." He muttered.

"I know, but you look tired."

"It's fine." He turned to Annika who looked at him frowning, "I can go—"

"N-no, it's not w-wise." He spoke.

"It's no t-trou-b-ble." He assured her.

Arjun looked at them both a small smile forming on his lips, "Take my car, better that way." He spoke as he handed the keys to Shivaay.

Neeraj watched as they both left before he turned to face Arjun.

"Did you know about Aditya's bail?" He asked him seriously.

"You think it's him?" Arjun asked.

"Could be. Who else do have passcodes to Shivaay's cabins?"

And his eyes widened, that means if he could reach the office——then he might as well——

"Reach Shivaay's manor." Neeraj finished the unspoken sentence.

Alright, the more happy I am, the sadder the updates will be, the more sad I am, the happier will be the updates 💀💀

Also, weekly updates or the daily ones like now? I have my first professional exam coming up. I gotta study 😭