Better Together

10 | intricacies

Haven't proofread, please feel free to point out typos or errors if any.

♤

Chapter 10 : intricacies 

"Are you on earth Bhai? Are you in a semi sleep state or lucid dreaming or something like that? Wait, have you been just drinking or something else too?" Abhi asked seeing his brother in a dazed state.

"Hold your horses man, I was just cherishing a moment of peace that is now gone." Aadarsh sighed, picking up the glass and downing the remaining contents.

His brother patted his thigh. Aadarsh narrowed his eyes at him. "What?" Was it too much to ask for a moment of peace? 

"Move over, I want to sit." Abhi ordered.

"Sit on the other chair." Aadarsh said pointedly.

"Nope. I want to sit next to you, right here." Abhi said starting to push his brother.

"When will you grow up?" Aadarsh sighed, shifting to the edge of the lounger so that Abhi could sit beside him. It had been this way since the childhood. Abhi would demand and he would have no option but to submit.

"I should be the one asking you that." Abhi muttered, stretching his legs. His shoulder bumped into his brother's, the side of their hips were pressed against the other's.

"This is uncomfortable," Aadarsh spoke, turning to get up.

"No, don't go away!" Abhi remarked and looped his arm around his brother's and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Are you for real?" Aadarsh muttered irked. "What's got into you?" Aadarsh hated it when his brother got all touchy-feely.

"What we did this as kids! Now, you don't even hug me. Remember you used to carry me around the house when we were kids."

"When you were a baby." Aadarsh corrected. "You were half my size back them, now you're as tall as me and as a matter of fact heavier than me." Aadarsh replied.

"Shut up and let me bask in some brotherly love." Abhi said looking up at the sky.

"Why aren't you wearing a sweater? You'll catch a cold." Aadarsh spoke noticing that his brother just had a full sleeve t-shirt on. 

"I didn't expect to find you here. I wasn't prepared to come outdoors."  Abhi answered.

Aadarsh turned to his brother. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it should be right, you're the one in-charge, everything has to be okay." Abhi said.

Aadarsh sat wordlessly. He might not be as good as his mother was at figuring out people's feelings but he was good enough to know that his brother was not entirely okay.

"You remember, when we were kids, you used to treat me like a prized possession. Your baby brother."

"Yep, I was a four year old, who hadn't realized I had to share my parents with you." Aadarsh dead-panned. 

Abhi gave a light punch on his brother's arm. "They are my parents too."

"Maybe. You know, I don't really remember Maa carrying you. So for all you know, you might have been..."

Another smack landed on Aadarsh's arm. He had said it so many times before that Abhi was adopted and just because he knew it irritated Abhi every damn time, he said it again. It still got him the same reaction from him, and Aadarsh used it every damn time, just to get satisfaction from his brother's reaction.