The Vile.

Chapter : 31

The Scar

He is striving hard to open his eyes. Every part of his body and above all his head and his face is under this extreme pain that he feels like all he wants is the darkness to engulf him at this point. It's better to die then going through this anguish.

But he has to turn his face to his right, even if it means the piece of glass that's plunged above his eyebrow will tear his face into pieces. He needs to make sure the person on the driver's seat is doing better than him.

He forces himself to an otherworldly extent and turns his face. His grey eyes fall on the other person whose body he is unable to see due to how he can't move his whole body at all, but only his eyes. The man beside him is looking straight at him, his face bloody and damaged, not to mention, squeezed between the front glass and the heavy metals of the car. The car, that turned upside down. It has been hours since they have been stuck in here. Now, he can't even feel his lower body part anymore. He doesn't care about his wellbeing, all he wants is the other man to be alive.

"B-Baba.." His voice struggles to utter as  he sees him opening and closing his mouth like a fish for air.
"Stay with me..baba. It'll pass, we'll get out of here and go back to them." He utters as a shiver begins to creep down his spine.

"No!" His father utters eventhough he strives to breathe.
"Listen to me carefully beta. I.. I don't think I can survive this but you have to. You have to." His breathing becomes heavier.

"Please don't say anything baba. Breath, just keep breathing. I.. I need you." He cries. His father's eyes tear up as well.

"I know, I know you needed me. I am  sorry, I am so sorry that I would be leaving you like this." He cries.
"Listen carefully, you have to stay alive. It's time, it's time for you to know the truth. When you get out of it, go to Deshpande uncle. He is the only one who will help you." His breaths become sharp.

"Baba.." He cries.

"You won't cry. You've always been the strongest D'. Promise me, promise me you won't go to anyone but Deshpande. Promise me. Now." He asks desperately.

"I- I promise." D weeps.

"Now know, this, this was a plan. They planned it. They trapped us. They never loved you D', they never loved me. Never. They need to pay for what they did. Grow up, grow strong and take what's yours. And always know, I loved you, your father loved you with his life beta. With his.." His words stop, as well as his eyes, along with his heart.

The cold, lifeless eyes stare back at him for hours. The darkness, the coldness engulf his senses. He can't touch him, his whole body is pressed under the car. He sees, sees how his father isn't blinking for hours, he realizes how he will never blink again. The sharp pain over his face keeps on stinging, but he doesn't feel anything anymore. His fathers last words keep coming back to him, "They planned it. They trapped us. They never loved you D', they never loved me. Never." His tired eyes close without his permission.

Danuj jerks awake and sits up as his heart keeps pounding, sweat tickles down his forehead. His hand involuntarily moves towards the scar on his face. His throat feels dry. He picks up the bottle from the bedside table and gulps down the water hurriedly. As he finishes the bottle his hand moves towards the cigarette case.

¤¤¤¤¤

"Aaahhhh!" Ekansh's voice can be heard from outside his room. It has been hours since his return. He is acting like this crazy man for god knows how many hours. Raghu, the old caretaker, who is destined to follow him like that faithful dog, had to come with him to Kolkata as well. He doesn't know the whole matter but his experience with this family and particularly this man makes him assume that he failed. He failed to get what he wants the most.

Every now and then the sound of something breaking can be heard. But Raghu is smart enough, he knows at times like this keeping his poker face is what kept him alive till date. He hears him talk over phone.

"You bastard! How could you let this happen?!" His voice pauses, probably because he is listening to the other end.
"Doesn't matter. Find out where she is?  And also why? You have a week. If you fail this time, you'll fail to see the eighth sunrise." Ekansh's menacing voice utters.

Raghu's eyes tear up. It's hard to know everything and bear it as well. Specially when you're getting old.

¤¤¤¤¤

The door is closed but he knows it's not locked. The darker part in him wants to push the door open and see her sleeping on that bed peacefully but the other part that somehow wants her to see him differently pulled him back from doing the inevitable. The lights inside her room are turned on, which alerts him as he immediately takes the stairs towards the terrace. What he didn't expect is her to follow right behind him. As he opens the glass door towards the entrance of the terrace another slender figure joins him in the darkness as they both look at each other in utter surprise.

"S-sorry, I .. I was just...." Vasudha tries to explain. But she fails to see the relief that Danuj's face exudes after seeing her. She immediately turns around to leave, only to be stopped by the strong grip on her wrist.

Danuj stares at her from top to bottom and starts unzipping his hoodie.

"What.. are you doing?" Vasudha asks hesitantly. He doesn't answer as he takes off his hoodie and surprising her wraps it around her body.

"Wear it properly." He says looking at her. Shunning away the feeling of awkwardness she wears the hoodie properly. The moment she raises her head the two huge hands smoothly move behind her neck, pulling on the hoodie over her head.

"Th- thank you." She says looking everywhere but him.

The terrace is beautiful. She loves it from the very day she discovered it. It's not about how huge it is, but how much greenery it has to offer. Although this is the first time she decided to come so early in the morning when it's totally dark outside. Even now it has a unique beauty of it's own.

"Why didn't you sleep?" She asks Danuj, sitting against the wall and looking at the star filled night sky. Danuj sits right next to her.

"I could ask the same question." He responds.

"Yes you could. I can't sleep sometimes, you know. It's my brother. I am worried about him." She says, surprising Danuj, who gulps down an inexplicable emotion.
"He has a habit of disappearing. Disconnecting himself from the world totally. But he usually comes back within six to nine months. But this time it has been more than a year. He hasn't returned. He hasn't called me to say, "I am sorry that I disappeared once again, but see what I got, this new company is offering me a much better package, Sudha. We can help many more like Ashroy." He is always like this. Searching for a bigger, better source for helping others. I just hope he returns at the earliest. This prolonged disappearance is freaking me out every now and then." She completes as her eyes tear up. Danuj keeps looking at the ground. As if he doesn't know how to respond.

"You say, why are you awake?" Vasudha asks again startling him. He takes a deep breath and says,
"Nightmare."

"Seriously? I thought you're invincible, unbreakable, you know. So, even you have nightmares. Nobody is invincible, I guess." She says as he sighs.

"Hey, it's no big deal. You having nightmares is nothing to be ashamed of. It only proves that at some point even you're as human as I am or everybody else is. That's kinda good to hear. And about that nightmare, try listening to good music. They help sometimes." She suggests.

"Music? I don't do that?" He says awkwardly.

"What? You don't love music or you never tried?" She asks curiously.

"I never needed to." He answers.

"O my God! That's why you act like this ass.. sorry. I think you should consider listening to some of them. They help." She says looking at the sky again. As he looks at her.

They keep on sitting there in a comfortable silence for the first time, until she gives up and her sleepy head inclines towards his shoulder. His hand involuntarily palms the back of her head adjusting it to a comfortable position.

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Love, Puja. 💜