And Then He Came (ATHC)

15. Our August

"Rajeev Thakur masked his youngest son's existence. Not only from us but from the entire world... Why?"

"I think... May be he was ashamed. Agasthya is his illegitimate son, so..."
Aaryan replied. He felt a pain when he uttered the word 'illegitimate'.

"May be Aaryan... But..."

"Ani... Once Agasthya told me that he never went to school. Father arranged special tutors for him... "

Anirudh sighed.
"This seems really weird..."

Aaryan sat near to Anirudh.

"Anirudh... Tell me each and everything Agasthya told you... "

Anirudh glared Aaryan. He was very serious.

"Umm... He was narrating the murder actually... I mean..."

But Aaryan cut his brother in middle.

"Not about the murder Ani... Did he give you any hind about his relationship with his papa?"

Anirudh scratched his forehead while recalling Agasthya's words.

"I think he was his papa's, I mean our father's pet... His nickname was August"

"August... Nice..." Smiled Aaryan. "Then?"

"Then... Oh yes, he told me that father visited him on weekends... It was the only chance for him to see the outer world. "

"Visit? " Aaryan frowned.

"Aary... Agasthya wasn't living with him for last 10 years. Rajeev Thakur shifted to another house and refused to take Agasthya with him..."

"Oh my God..." Aaryan gasped. "You mean he was living alone?"

"Yes..."

Aaryan's eyes became wet with tears.
"Poor Agasthya..."

Anirudh smiled sadly.

Suddenly Aaryan turned his head to face Anirudh's eyes.

"Ani... I think Papa was familiar with this danger... He was sure that one day he has to face it... That is why he distant him self from Agasthya."

Anirudh closed his eyes. He was shocked.
"That makes sense Aary..."

"He wished to keep Agasthya safe... So he hid his son from others... And he tried to call you before his death to make you aware about Agasthya..."

Anirudh clunched his arms.

The picture is more clear now...

"Simran Malhotra came to know about Agasthya's existence by meeting him at the airport and now he became her target..." Aaryan concluded.

"I agree with you Aary... But..."

"What is the need of that word 'but' Ani? I am sure... She is the one behind this all... She tried to kill Agasthya and also killed Prakash uncle."

Anirudh side hugged his angry brother.

"Don't jump into conclusions... I feel there is something more..."

Aaryan narrowed his eyes. Anirudh's calmness and doubting behavior irritated him.

"Anyway... Once she succeeded in troubling Agasthya, but I won't let her do it again..." Aaryan murmured.

Anirudh held his brother's hands with an ensuring nod.

"Not I Aaryan but we... We will be there for him..."

*******************

"Is he sleeping?"

Asked Anirudh in his mind after entering in Agasthya's room.