Siddhant's POV

The lousy door bell broke my morning sleep. Stumbling out of bed, I slid in my sleepers and walked to the hall to open the door as I kept cursing the hound who dared to destroy the little sleep I get.

"Good morning."

"You?"

"Yes me!!"

With a tone of peace, he marched inside my house uninvited.

"Who the hell let you trespass the gate?" I asked following him to the living arena.

"Come on. Don't act so shallow." He sat on the couch like it was his own house."I am still your brother whether you like it or not."

He had his own reasons for paying me this unexpected visit. Whatever they were, I was sure he was not gonna leave my place until I kicked him out myself.

"Whatever speech you have rehearsed from your house, please make it quick." I mocked at him wearing my shirt.

"You know day after tomorrow is the verdict day, right?"

"Please tell me that you interested in joining your ally in the jail." I smirked.

"He is not an ally. I am actually relieved that he got arrested. I just came here to warn you." He slouched, this time with a dead serious look on his face.

"You always find a way to make me miserable. So, please."

"Bhai." He scoffed raising the pitch of his voice. "Why don't you understand? I am not your enemy. I just want you to know that you are messing up with the wrong person. Do you have any idea what Tanmoy Parasar can do to you?"

In what counted like a thousand years, I never saw my brother sounding so concerned for me. I wasn't sure whether his sudden brotherly concern for me was genuine or just another treachery. Moreover, I knew I was jumping into a well without an opening.

"To the extreme point, his goons can kill me. Nothing more than that."
I said calmly as if I experience death everyday.

"What is wrong with you Bhai? Don't you want to live your life?" He sneered in disbelief. "Just look what you have done to yourself!!! The last time I visited your place the fresh jasmine aroma of your house made me forget the devil in me, but now I can smell only alcohol and cigarettes."

"The problem is with your sense organ not with my life."

"Great." Jaaiz exclaimed raising his hands in the air."Just don't haunt me after you die because I did warn you!"

"I have better things to do than haunting an asshole like you." I said as a matter of factly. "Meanwhile, I would rather haunt you for what you did to Ruhanna."

He glared at me completely terrified.

"Don't be so surprised. I know everything. You should actually thank your stars that you are still walking free on the streets."

"What? You are gonna arrest me or something?" He laughed out.

"I wouldn't blink before doing that."
I spoke curtly looking into his eyes.

Taking a deep breathe, he raked his hand through his brown hair.
"Look, I know we rarely get a chance to sit and talk like this. But all I want you to know is that Ammi cares about you. She wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger.." He paused, "As far as Ruhanna is concerned, honestly, I fancy her a lot. That night I don't know what took over me but I am really ashamed of my behaviour. It has cost me a lot losing an employee like her."

"Your fake drama isn't gonna save your ass. So get lost before my security kicks you out." I uttered gritting my teeth.

"Well, no need for that." He stood upright grabbing the bottle of wine from my table.

"Hey hey...wait...Not the wine!!" I warned him as he strolled towards the door.

That wine cost me more than my monthly ration. He had this weird habit of picking up things from my house before he left. But c'mon not my precious bottle of wine!

He read the label and smirked,
"Ah! Imported French oak wine! Quiet expensive. Don't mind, but I am taking this. And the next time you get this, send a bottle at my place." He winked as he opened the door.

What an uncivilised moron my brother is!

I was about to close the door when he again opened his filthy mouth.
"Oh I forgot! Ammi had sent me to invited you for a family dinner tonight."

While I was thinking why my mother couldn't just call me up rather than sending this moron at my place, Jaaiz interjected,

"Don't stress. She saved your new number incorrectly so every time she calls you up, somebody more hopeless than you answers it."

"Just get the hell out of here." I shouted slamming the door at his face.

*
*

The night sky of Guwahati twinkled bright as I kept dazing at the refinery lights from my balcony. It was the only thing I still loved about my house. I mean the balcony part. After a long day, I reached my empty house to find everything the way I left in the morning. The sweaty T-shirt still lied on my bed, the half eaten toast was still spread on the table, the bed was still not made properly.

I quickly typed a message to Ruhanna.

To Ruhi :

Dinner at Ammi's place tonight.

Not less than two minutes, I received her reply.

From Ruhi :

No problem. Have a good time.

To Ruhi :

Should I really go?

After tapping the send option I realised I was behaving clingy. I don't need her permission, though I am confused about visiting her.

From Ruhi :

Of course idiot. She is your mother.

To Ruhi :

Okay. Take care.

*
*

My mother engulfed me in her arms as soon as she opened the door. Her arms were the safest place on earth for me.

The aroma of the Mughlai Chicken made my mouth water as I walked inside the house. I rarely visit my mother's place, but every time I step into this place, the good old memories bring back my positive vibes.

"Bhai...it is so great to see you." Jaaiz threw his arms around me, pulling me in an unwanted hug. He tried to behave like the good son in front of my mother and actually succeeded in winning her affection. No doubt, why he has always been her favourite despite all his malefactions.

"You are over acting." I whispered in his ears as we parted.

He narrowed his eyes at me warningly before turning to Ammi.

"May Allah never break this bond." My mother prayed, completely overwhelmed to see her two sons standing under one roof without punching the other.

I rolled my eyes and went to wash my hands before the dinner.

By the time I reached the dinning hall, the dinner was already set. My eyes widened at the sight of the numerous items which were placed on the table.

"Ammi, you cooked everything? You shouldn't have taken so much trouble." I said pulling the chair.

"Jaaiz helped me out with the chicken and desert." She proudly looked at him.

"Hope he didn't mix the rat killer." I murmured and thankfully nobody heard me as they were busy admiring the delicacies.

The food was devastatingly delicious. My mother's hand has magic in them. I remember the time when I was a big rebel against my mother's homemade food. And now, her food tastes the most delicious on this earth. Even taste buds change with time.

"How is your work going, beta?" Ammi asked offering me the sevai kheer. It was one of my favourite deserts.

I separated the cashew nuts which I always finish before eating the kheer. "A lot stressful. But I think I will get through it."

"I watched your interview on the TV yesterday. Corrupted people like Parasar should be punished. But son..." She paused looking at me with concern, "Just be careful okay? These are really bad people and you are a good person."

A smile crept across my face at my mother's innocence.
"Ammi...I always deal with bad people. That's my job."

"He has chosen that job for himself. Nobody knows how to handle it better than him." Jaaiz passed his incendiary comment.

For the first time, he made sense.

"Jaaiz is right. I will handle everything." I assured my worried mother as I embraced her in my arms.

Three of us were silent for a while until my mother spoke.

"I heard you met Ruhanna?"

I modestly shrugged at her unexpected question, "Yeah...well, I met her in our reunion party."

"Weren't you supposed to leave for Delhi that night? What happened?"

Alas! My mother's question spree started. I saw Jaaiz eerily smiling at me with the same delight which he enjoyed everytime I was stuck in one of my mother's introspection session.

"My flight got cancelled."

"Haven't seen that girl in a long time though. How is she doing?"

"Good." I tried to limit this awkward conversation. I was never comfortable discussing women with my mother.

My mother nodded and left the room, finally.

*
*

Parking my car, I took out my house key from the jeans pocket and began unlocking the door. I stepped into a piece of paper. Looking down I bended on my waist to pick up that paper. It wasn't merely a piece of paper but a letter sealed with a bubblegum. Who the hell uses bubblegum to seal a letter? I turned it and there was no address. All my postal letters are dropped in the letter box and the other ones are e-mailed. Nobody drops a letter like this especially at my door

I opened the letter as I walked inside the house. Switching on the light, I unsealed it impatiently.

"Everything is sculptured.
You shall discover soon.
Fearless beast you are.
But it's time to fear."

I crumpled the paper and shouted out to my watchman from the lobby.
He immediately marched forward asking if there was anything I needed.

"Girish, did you see anybody drop this letter here?"

"No dada."

"How on earth can somebody drop a letter at my door without your notice?" I yelled at him, losing my temper.

"Dada, I was guarding at the gate the whole time, I would have told you if I noticed somebody."

"Fvck." I cursed pressing my temples.

"Is there a problem, Dada?" He asked apologetically.

"No. You can go now."

It is not necessary that somebody should enter my campus opening the main gate. There are many ways to get into my campus. The backyard to be more specific.

I kept wondering who the hell dared to send me such threats. Nonetheless, I made many enemies in all these years. Some without a mask, and some behind the mask. What a treacherous I am living!! It wasn't like this was the first threatening letter I received. Every time I took over a high profile society case, such anonymous letters swarmed my e-mail inbox and letter box, but nobody ever dropped it at my door. Never in the past, these stupid letters or threats could stop me from doing what I am meant to do and neither will it stop me this time. Fox attacks from the back whereas the Lion attacks from the front line.

After a minute of mind arguments, I dialed my brother's number. My instincts told all his sudden goodly acts since the morning had to do something with this.

"How can you even think that Bhai?" He roared at me over the phone."Why the hell will I do something like that?"

"Give me one good reason I should believe you."

"Because we are still family. And I never intended any harm to you nor will I ever." The tone of his voice turned very subtle.

"Sorry for the inconvenience." I hung up the call.

I was having a hard time figuring out on what ground I should trust him. But he actually never was that great of a threat except for the part he had a weak point for Ruhanna. Who knows, maybe I should learn to trust my own blood?

*
*

This chapter is dedicated to Mini_Agarwal. On your demand I quickly wrote this.

There will be a turn of events in the next chapters. Get ready readers.