23. His Broken Fate

Happy Reading!!! :D

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

~Author's POV~

Two years later

Kirti Mansion

"But if the prince loved the princess so much then why did he break her heart?" asked a seven years old boy sitting in the lap of his elder brother listening to his bedtime story.

"Batao na big bro" He asked again.
(Tell me big bro)

"Aaaaaayush come it's time to sleep. Stop disturbing him." A lady in her thirties said standing at the entrance of the room. She enters and holds his hand to take him with her.

"No mumma I want to hear more" he whined and turned towards his big bro showing his puppy face.

"You have pampered him a lot. He doesn't listen to anyone. Just look at the time and he is still awake." She said pointing towards the antique clock hanging on the front wall.

She again looked at them and hit Ayush's head playfully. "Aaaa big bro bolo na"
(Big bro tell her, no?)

The man sitting on the bed resting his back on the headboard and carrying his little brother moved his face to the other side hiding his tears filled eyes. He gently pressed his fingers on his eyes to wipe off the tear drops and then looked at the lady faking a smiling face.

"Vedant, now please send him with me. He will only listen to you." He gently uplifted Ayush and made him stand near the edge of the bed. The latter made a pout.

"No not at all. I am not getting blackmailed by these cute expressions. Now go sleep. You have to go to school tomorrow, right?" He said and patted his cheek.

"But" "No ifs and buts. Now go. Otherwise I won't tell you the further story." He murmured leaning towards him a bit.

"Ho gaya tum dono ka?"
"Hn chachi but you won't scold him okay?" He said raising his eyebrows to his aunt.
"Arey thik hai baba nahi daatungi. Now let us go and you also sleep." She said with a gentle smile, a hint of care and sympathy flowing through it.
(Are you both done?)
(Yes aunt)
(Okay fine I won't scold him)

He nodded at her and passed high fives to Ayush. "Good night" Kriya and Ayush sang together.

"Bhaiiiiiiiiii" a girl in her early twenties cried entering into the room just after they both left. "Bhai look, he is not taking me to his competition. I have already promised all my friends. Now what will I tell them? What will they think of me?" She said in one go sobbing softly. Vedant shook his head smiling at her play and walked to her.

"Who told her to commit it to her friends without asking me?" a guy also in his early twenties entered the room with a grumpy face. His one hand pointing towards her, other in pocket and his eyes passing a death glare to the girl.

Vedant cleared his throat to draw their attention towards him and crossed his arms around his chest. They passed each other side eyes and turned towards him.

"You have a competition tomorrow?" He asked Atharva, his cousin who nodded his head at the question. "So what's the problem in inviting her?"

"Bhai last time when she came, she jumped out of the audience area into the players' field to hug me when I won. I am not taking this packet of embarrassment with me again."

"Hawww he is lying. I didn't do this." Vaani, Vedant's sister exclaimed and shook her head giving an innocent look to Vedant.

"I have the CCTV footages beta. Don't pass me those looks. I can watch them and confirm." He replied with a mischievous smile.

At this she formed a pout and turned to other side crossing her arms.

"Okay I won't talk to you both. Do bade bhai hai mere fir bhi koi kadar nahi hai" she said in a hurtful tone.
(I have two elder brothers but still there is no value of me)

The brothers sighed and held her hands, one each. "Who said we don't care about you? Stop with this drama of yours. Now go pick yourself a wonderful outfit. I will arrange a car and driver for you. Go quick."

"Yeah and bring your friends too. I have no problem." Vedant and Atharva said respectively with a gentle smile, care and parental love dropping from it.

Her face shined. "Thankyou thankyou thankyou so much bhai" She said excitedly and ran out of the room. The brothers smiled adoring the cute actions of their little sister.

"Bhai you have spoiled us all. You know that, right?" "Kuch bhi" Vedant said and picked a file from his desk. "Sacchi and please no work at this time." Atharva took the file and kept it back. "Arey but"
(Anything!!!)
(Really)

"No arey and all. How careless bhai!!! You take care of everyone but don't know how to do it for yourself. This will not work. Now take your medicines and-"

He stopped in the middle hearing the footsteps coming from the corridor.

"Ved- ohh you are also here? Why are you not asleep yet?" A lady in her forties entered the room with a tray.

Atharva went to her and took the tray in his hands. "Badi maa now you only handle him. He was going to work at this time." Hearing this, the lady raised her eyebrows and passed a glare to Vedant.

"No Maa I was just looking at the file, nothing else." Vedant shook his head. A sense of fear in his tone. Atharva winked at him playfully and left.

"Whatever it was. No need to continue. Now come here quietly." Kirti, Vedant's mother said. They sat on the edge of the bed. "Maa I told you I will do all this myself. Why do you make yourself suffer? It's almost eleven. You should sleep."

She caressed his cheek and said "I know you will not sleep. And knowing this, how can I sleep?" She said with teary eyes holding pain and despair.

He instantly took her in a side hug. "Maa please, I know you love me but please don't take this much stress. It's all good. I will sleep today, okay." He asserted in a low tone trying to hide his jittery voice.

She detached herself and hit his shoulder lightly. "I will stop taking stress when you stop lying to me about your health. Stop all this drama and take your medicines, quickly." She handed him some tablets and a glass of water.

After sometime, she left and Vedant lay on his bed trying to sleep. But as usual, he was not able to sleep.

He went out to the terrace attached to his room and stood at the edge resting his hands on the balustrade.

It was a whole moon night and the sky was filled with stars. His eyes were stuck at the moon, his face showing no emotions.

"But if the prince loved the princess so much then why did he break her heart?" Ayush's question ran over his mind. His eyes yearned for an answer but as usual the moon was silent giving no hope to the ill-fated man continuously staring at it.

He closed his eyes and felt the cool breeze on his body. Each wave throwing a dagger into his soul.

"Vedant ple-" a voice entered his ears and he opened his eyes with a shock. He felt a shiver running down his body. His head felt heavy and he fell on his knees unable to bear the weight on his chest. His breathe got deepened and he closed his eyes. After few minutes, he revived.

He gathered himself and went out of his room. Right turn, then left, quick steps to the straight and on the right, stop. A wooden antique door, locked from outside was in front of him.

Beautiful patterns of Indian heritage were carved in it. "I really liked it." Another sound entering his ears making his heartbeat rate rise. He looked at the door for some time trying to avoid his dilemma and finally opened it.

"Vedant" a sweet voice continuously echoing in his ears and he entered the room. Like, every night, today also, his eyes went all around looking at the portraits, letters and dried flowers sticking on the walls of the room.

Numerous canvas boards, colors, brushes, diaries, pages, journals, photos, pens were scattered on the desk and some on the floor. A huge canvas stand holding a huge portrait was kept in the middle of the room.

He went near the largest portrait. His steps jittery, brown eyes filled with pearl coded tears, lips curled into a subtle smile reminiscing the past.

The hazel orbs in the portrait digging into his soul through their intense stare accusing him of his misdeeds, the sarcastic smile indicating the game of destiny and the hands holding the hair strands behind the ears laughing on his parody.

Eternal charishma flowing through the seraphic face while the red tint on the cheek pointing out his incomplete desires.

The cherry lips melting down his heart while the bangles announcing his disgrace.

The earrings representing his broken promises and the kajal reminding him of his fate. His broken fate.