Kairav released a sigh, one that seemed to pollute the air around them with unease. Years back, this was never a story he thought he'd have to tell, wasn't even one he thought he'd have to live, but he had, survived it somehow to tell the tale so no one else would make the same mistake, yet as he glanced down at his younger sister, with eyes full of dreams and a voice as melodic as a hymn, he knew if he didn't set things straight, history would quickly repeat itself in the worst possible way.

"Parth was the oldest Birla brother, he was set to take up the Devil's throne when Harshvardhan stepped down".

"Parth?" Her brows furrowed. "I've never heard of him, did he leave town?"

"He wanted to, he hated it here, the war, the bloodshed, he wanted to end it" taking a seat beside his sister, he reached for her hand, as if holding it close to his could guard her from the words he'd next say. "Do you remember those classes you used to attend?"

"At school?"

"No" he shook his head, smile polite yet careful. "The ones I'd drop you at when you still could wrap your hand around my pinky" he wiggled it as he spoke, his chest tight as her fingers did the same as they used to, gripped onto it like her life depended on it---and it did, without him, she wouldn't survive.

"The singing lessons? Yes, with uh" Akshara smacked her thigh, eyes scrunched in an effort to recall, "Oh, I've got it, Tarzan! He was the one who taught me the song" her grin was gleeful, but she suspected it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"His name was actually Parth" he ruffled her hair, "You just told him he looked like Tarzan and it stuck, you always used to say that when you were older, you'd change your name to Jane and marry him" Kairav chuckled sadly, raising to his feet so he could look anywhere but at her as he continued the story. "Parth wanted to raise the children of the community differently, he had an idea that if all the kids could get along, then half the battle was already won, none of you would grow up to hate eachother because you'd already be the best of friends, I don't know" he shrugged, "Maybe it was stupid, but" his head shook, "It was enough for so many of us to put faith in, it was the only shot we had".

"I don't think it's stupid, Bhaiya" she so badly wanted to comfort him, hold his hand or hold him to her, but it was clear that now wasn't the time, this story, it'd been eating him up for years, he needed to release it, she needed to take the burden from him.

"Parth was set to take the reigns, but his ideals, his values, they were so different from his Father's, he wanted the war to end, he wanted a truce, he even set one up".

"He did? What happened to it?"

"Harshvardhan happened to it" he spat in distaste, even the name on his tongue felt like swallowing acid. "Parth, he was attached to you, always told me that you had the same kind of purity his Mother once did, you always saw the best in someone, when he was around you, he said it was easy to forget the war within" blowing his cheeks out, he turned, resting his hips against the wall with his arms across his chest as if to shield himself from her reaction. "You wanted to go to this school, a few towns away, a music school, wanted to become a singer, I was against it at first, but he convinced me to let you go, said I couldn't keep you here if here wasn't where you belonged".

"What happened to him, Bhaiya?" Though she didn't really want to know, she knew she had to, a man so kind, so willing to do good, at one time, he'd been her hero and the more she heard, it was easy to see why in some ways, he still was.

"It was the day before you were meant to leave, Parth was going to drop you, see if he could find a job near, maybe work on his career too, he wanted to own the stage one day, he thought he could get out and take you with, I didn't understand, I thought the war was over, but it was like he felt something brewing, something that told him he had to leave, that you had to leave too".

"We didn't get to, did we?" Akshara whispered, tears already filling her eyes at the realisation of what was next to come.

"His Father caught on, came in guns blazing and killed far too many innocent people, the families without gang affiliation and then, and then our parents, it all happened so quickly, they were gone before I could even reach them, Parth appeared, begged him to stop, said he'd do anything, so Harshvardhan asked him to prove his loyalty to the Devils, asked him to cut out your voice box, I tried so hard to get to you, but they were holding me back, he knew it would take away your dream, he knew it would take away Parth's, but he didn't care" swiping a tear from his cheek, he knelt before her, hands over hers as they shook in his hold. "Parth couldn't do it, said that the only thing left to heal this town was your voice, that if he took that, we'd never end this and he wanted to end this, even with his Father's gun to his head, he smiled, like he was okay if that was his fate, he held you to him, asked you to sing your song to him and not to stop for anything, even if you got scared, it was a message that resounded to us all, some things were worth dying for, but that it didn't have to be anymore".

"You mean" she swallowed harshly, shoving him away as she stood to get some air near the open window, her face flushed and her stomach churning, "You mean, the man I bumped into when I dropped off those cakes is the reason our parents are dead, the reason why the man I looked upto is dead, the reason why everyone is still in this place of war with absolutely no salvation?" Turning on her heel, her eyes glazed over, a fury catapulting from her irises, "And you never had the decency to tell me? To tell me that people are dead just so I can SING ANOTHER SONG?!"

"Akshu" he reached for her only to flinch as she shrugged him away. "What would telling you achieve? So I could fill your heart with the same hate that's in mine? You evened me out, reminded me of when things went too far, you were the good that wasn't in me anymore, you are humanity, Akshu, we don't have a lot of that around anymore" Kairav huffed, hands running down his face as if they could wipe away the many years of exhaustion. "You were never meant to be a part of this, so I never let you, you lived your life, was happy, innocent, I wish I could have kept you in that bubble, but I COULDN'T, you needed to know now, what we're dealing with, why I HAVE to finish this, but more than anything, why you need to remain good, why you have to be the change, it's too late for me, not you, you have to be what none of us ever could, only you can end this, I don't know how, all I know is that if Parth saw something in you, then he had to be right!"

~~~

"So, you just stormed out?" Hailey placed the cup in front of her best friend and took a seat opposite. "That's" she blew out air from her teeth, "A lot, Akshara, jheeze, so much for one person to carry on their shoulders, it's not fair to put all of that on you, what are you meant to do, sing sense into people? Surely he knows it doesn't work that way?"

Wrapping her hands around the cup, she lifted it to her lips. "Honestly, I don't even think he knows, I think he's just hoping I do" looking up at her friend, she grinned, "Thank you for letting me stay here tonight, I really couldn't be around my Brother and act like everything's normal when it's not, it never will be".

"I guess, just imagine the weight he's been carrying, keeping this to himself all these years, don't get me wrong" she threw her hands up in defence, "He was wrong for hiding it, wrong for expecting you to be Miss Fix It, but he did it all because he wanted you to have a sense of normalcy that he never had, he's been alone in his pain, he just wants a way out of this, one that doesn't end up in you or him being dead, is that so bad?"

"You know, I didn't come here for you to speak sense and make valid points, I came here for you to have my back even if I'm being silly" a small smile began to slide over her lips.

"That's what friends are for, babes" her smile dropped as soon as the words left her mouth.

"You okay?" Akshara squeezed her hand, an expression of concern now shading her face.

"When Abhi came back, you were singing to the kids, that song from Tarzan, he asked who was singing, he looked, shaken, terrified, I guess it makes sense now, but that means he was there, you know, when his Father killed his Brother".

Realisation drew out over her features then her eyes shut as if to hide from it, "God, throughout all of this, I forgot about him, to have to live in the same house as a murderer, and not just any murderer, the murderer who killed his own Brother then sent him to an orphanage, I can't even imagine how difficult that must be for him" Akshara's eyes shot open, "Hey, do you think if he knows I sung that song, that he knows who I am?"

"No, I think he just think it's a coincidence, but he IS looking for you" she sipped her hot chocolate, gazing over it to eye her carefully as she spoke the next words, "Well, looking for Tarazan's Jane, he has a tattoo of Jane on his upper left shoulder, had it for years, he never lost faith of his Brother's vision".

"You never lost faith either, did you? You've always known who I am, that's why you hired me, isn't it?"

"No, I hired you because you're funny and good with the kids, but yes, I've always known, my parents died in that war too you know, of course I was going to try and keep you on the right path, you are, afterall, our only shot, but becoming your friend had nothing to do with that, it's your light that brought me to you".

"Oh, God, Hailey, I'm sorry" she frowned, "I've been so caught up in me that I didn't even think of that".

"It's okay" she waved it off. "You didn't kill them, plus, I've had years to deal with this news, you've only just found out about the circumstances, but now you know, what are you going to do about it?"

"I" she sighed, "I have no idea".

"Well, first things first, are you going to tell him?"

"Should I?"

"Let's put it this way, either you do, or someone else will, which one do you think will be most favourable?"

"Neither?" She squeaked.

Hiiii! I'm so sorry for the delay on this chapter! It's horrific, I know, but life got ahead of me! Unfortunately, I can't upload this FF on IF anymore because the post is locked!