Ruhanna's POV :

The drowsy atmosphere of the hospital always makes me feel sick. It reminds me of everything bad that has ever happened in my life, including every person I have lost.
What if I lose Siddhant this time?

I gasped a breath at the very thought as my eyes welled up again staring at his lifeless body through the window. I felt helpless. As if a part of me was snatched away from me.
When I asked in the reception, they said some guy admitted Siddhant in the the emergency ward and left without a word. Whoever, he was I thanked him in my prayers again.

"Hey, you should go home now."

I turned back to find Anuraag.

Pulling my hair back, I spoke weakly,
"No. I want to stay."

It has been four days and he was still in a coma. How could I go home without seeing his smile?

"Let's have some coffee. You will get sick like this Ruhanna. C'mon." He said, with concern.

I simply nodded and walked to the canteen in with Anuraag. Siddhant's mother suffered from a trauma attack when she heard about her son. Poor lady! She was advised to take bed rest for a day. Meanwhile, Jaaiz visited early in the morning and for the first time in my life, I saw tears in his eyes when he held his brother's hand. It happens once in a blue moon that you find Jaaiz pray to God for somebody's life, and I don't want to admit this but today I realised how partially wrong I was about him. He looked pained. He did care though he never showed.

The coffee felt tasteless or perhaps I was not in the mood to cherish its rich taste. Anuraag and I sat there drinking our coffee, when he nudged me pointing towards the TV. I kept my cup and stared blankly at the false news some local news channel had put up as headline.

"IPS officer sets the worst example for youth by drinking and driving."

My hand curled into a fist. Here, a man was fighting between his life and death, all they care about is drinking and driving instead of praying for the guy who has done such tremendous things for the society.

The news swiped to show Tanmoy Parasar's face on the screen who was happily out of the bars. His million watt smile made me roll my eyes immediately.

"Sir what will you like to comment on Siddhant Qureshi's accusations against you? Were they true?" A reporter screeched as the MLA was moving towards his car.

"Ruhanna...we should go now." Anuraag interrupted knowing my state of mind.

I raised a hand gesturing him to stop as my eyes were intently glued on the TV screen.

"My lawyer has already proved his accusations false. Besides we cannot rely on the statements of a man who cannot even stay sober enough to drive the car."

Anuraag glanced at me equally baffled.

"I'm gonna kill this bastard...I know Siddhant. He wasn't even so drunk.." I gritted my teeth looking at the TV.

Anuraag passed a glass of water to me and leaned across the table.
"Ruhi...are you sure? I mean, I have watched Sid getting drunk...he loses his balance very easily."

I narrowed my eyes at him exasperatingly, "Don't you trust your own friend Anuraag? I know him better than myself!! Otherwise why would I have allowed him to drive back alone? I am telling you, he wasn't so drunk to hit his car."

He composed his posture, a rare to be seen serious look on his face,
"Alright." He sighed, "Let me believe you for a second, I swear some hideous game is being played behind our back and I am very much sure it has to do something with Parasar. I repeatedly told Sid not to mess with this MLA. But he always does what he wants."

Anuraag was right. Siddhant never listens to anybody, except his own instincts. I gave a thought on what Anuraag's said. Maybe, he had a point. Siddhant was very much confident that there was no chance for Parasar to defend himself this time. And the night before the accident, Siddhant told me about an anonymous file in his study table. I needed to know what was in it. That file.

While Anuraag was paying the bill, I rushed to the ICU ward to see if I could find any clue. Puffing out of breath,I slammed the door open to discover a ward boy messing with the Ventilator. The tray dropped down from his trembling hand. His face was covered in an operation mask but his eyes told me he wasn't any ward boy from the hospital. Catching me stare at him, he tried to run out of the room. He dashed to the door to escape, when unconsciously, I grabbed his wrist.

"Who is that dog who has send you?" I asked angrily trying hard not to slid him from my grip, struggling to take off his mask at the same time shouting out to the staff members of the hospital for help.

"Jaaiz Qureshi." He squirmed slitting my arm with the scissor he was holding and ran outside.

Without paying any attention to my injured arm, I ran after that guy but to no avail. I bumped onto a concrete pillar. Wait, not a pillar! But a tall man with broad chest. My eyes glared up irritatingly.

"Why the hell are you running?"
His blue eyes mocked at me angrily.

I couldn't calm my nerves at his very sight. I slapped him therein not even giving a thought that all the eyes will be staring at us after my action. Jaaiz stood there dazing at me completely baffled. He slightly turned his head holding his cheek to find the people looking at us like wild beasts. The colour of his eyes changed to an embarrassing blue. He then glared at me as if this was going to be my last day on Earth. Grabbing my arm tight, he dragged me across the stairs to the parking lot outside the hospital.

I kept looking at him straight in the eye without a sorry look on my face. Letting go off me, he rubbed his face and started yelling at me,

"What the fvck do you think of yourself? Huh?"

I stayed silent for a couple of seconds.

"How could you do something like this to your own brother? For the first time in a long time I thought you to be a good person but you proved yourself worse than I ever imagined." I shouted as I pushed him pressing my hand against his chest.

"What are you talking about?"He pulled me closer grabbing my arm.
"Tell me Ruhanna"

My eyes welled up as he kept looking me straight without a blink. Every time he stares at me like this I feel a deep inevitable rebel thriving from within me.

"Tell me Ruhanna." He again repeated.

I took a deep breath as I controlled my anger which meticulously transforms into tears in front of him.

"You conspire to kill your brother and you are asking me an explanation? All his life, Siddhant never meant any harm to you no matter how much you tormented him! I should have known you were teamed up with the MLA. You are a hypocritic bastard Jaaiz."

I knew my words hit their mark, but instead of getting angry, he relaxed himself and asked crossing his arms. "What made you think this? I suppose its time to fix your appointment with a psychiatrist."

My brows frowned at his self directed mockery. "Because that guy whom I almost caught for trying to mess with Siddhant's ventilator took your name. What more do you think I need to know?"

His eyes widened at me as he held his head in distress. I was about to say something but he raised his hand and called up somebody on the phone. When he hung the call, I still kept my ears alert.

"I have called in Bhai's security. This place is not safe for him." He pursed his lips together and glanced up at me, "And Ruhanna, I don't know who that guy was but I need you to trust me for once in your life. There is no way I can stoop so low. He is my brother damn it and it pains to see him like that..."

I stayed silent wondering why every time he throws me up in a dilemma. There is a part of me which wants to believe in his every word while there is the other part which is doubtful about his intentions.

"Did you see his face?" Asked Jaaiz.

"No."

"Fvck" He stamped his fist against the car and continued, "This is all my fault...excuse me, I have some undone deals to settle."

He turned back to leave but was halted when I held him by his arm, asking for my unanswered questions.

"Wait, i need to know whatever you are up to."

"Do you trust me?" He sighed.

"No, I don't."

"That's exactly why you aren't invited.."
He said and left.

*
*

Jaaiz's POV:

"Jaaiz...what a splendid surprise!!!"
Parasar exclaimed, his eyes widening in excitement.

Since I was already a victim of short temper and distress, I couldn't play it the cool way like my brother does. Taking long strides to his king sized furniture I grabbed him by his collar and pulled him upright. His face was close enough for me to wreck his bones with a punch.

"I warned you to stay away from my brother. Didn't I?" I fiercely questioned him.

"Leave me." He pushed me hard and adjusted his clothes. I was vacillating in my anger and guilt as I kept my eyes on Parasar.

"Stop behaving like an animal and please take a seat." He offered as he sat back in his previous position. "I guess your brother is still alive."

Pointing my finger at him I warned,
"Stay the hell away from him!!!!"

"Oh look!!" He burst into a maniacal laughter. "Weren't you the one who told me that you wanted Siddhant Qureshi dead?"

Alright, I hate this thing called 'flashback of your own misdeeds'. He was right. I wanted my brother dead until I saw him miserably lying in that hospital bed making me realise how heartless of a slayer I had turned.

"Look...that was a terrible mistake. I regret everything I did. And I told you not to mess up more with him. Come on, he is fighting for his life, have some pity on him. You are out of the jail, he is unfortunately in a coma. Isn't your part of revenge over?" I grunted over, "Your job was to threat him with his life not to send him to a coma or send your guy to switch off the ventilator."

"Right. And your job was to be the badass brother. Not a purring cat crying for his brother." He mocked at me arrogantly.

"My swing of mood can make you rot back in jail, again. I dare you."

"I dont need your dare." He faked a laughter and said, "Trust me even you will not want Siddhant to wake up from the coma specially when he already knows...." Parasar paused passing an evil smirk.

"He knows what?" I shrieked desperately. After this incident I knew what terrible things this person was capable of doing.

"He read the file. And who knows, maybe he was mentally drifted because of that."

The land literally slipped beneath my feet. The only thing I didn't want my brother to reach was that file. And now he knows everything that he shouldn't.

I could see Parasar smiling through the corner of his lips. I became a prey to my own vengeance. This wasn't me. This was never me. How could I turn against my brother? I was so much blinded by my anger and hatred that I forgot that without his encouragement I would not be where I am today. Honestly, I never hated Siddhant. But now, I don't know which way the wind will blow once he wakes up. It is going to be hard to handle his rage but more than that I am perplexed with how to answer all his anticipated questions.