Just You | √

Chapter Eleven : Burning Jealousy And Unforgettable Scars

Karthikeya along with his younger sister, Samira Reddy down the lane; it was five in the evening and they were returning from school after their extra classes. It was the last day of school as they had summer vacations for almost a month-and-a-half. Karthikeya and Samira had an age difference of four years but they had always been each other's best friend.

As they entered their colony, he saw some boys of his age looking hungrily at Samira as a boy started cat-calling at her. A vein popped up near his neck and below his left ear as he started at the boys, angrily. He held his sister's hand in his protectively as Samira looked down, ignoring them. She trusted her big brother more than anything and he was her guard.

As they continued walking, they heard hushed whispers of a few neighbourhood aunties as the middle-aged women stared at the kids with disgust and anger in their eyes. "Look look, they are kids of the man who had killed so many lives. Christ, I really hope they get punished for what their father has done." One of the woman spoke as Samira looked at her elder brother with a questioning look on her face.

"I know. Their father is such a big fraud. He's a money-hungry, pathetic excuse of a man." Another lady spoke deliberately loud so that Karthikeya and Samira could hear her. His blood boiled as he heard those disgusting words against his father. No matter what the society said, what the courts and lawyers claimed or what the reporters faked, Karthikeya knew that his father, Keshav Nanda wasn't a cheat; he trusted his father with all of his life.

"Brother, what are they saying? Why are they calling our father names? Why are you silent? Go, tell them that our dad is a pure soul. Tell them he's innocent. They're lying, right?" Samira asked, with tears brimming in her eyes as she looked hopefully at him who now had a straight face but if one looked deep into his eyes, they could see the burning agony inside him.

"Samira, walk faster." He ordered as he dragged his sister away from those angry eyes which managed to break her internally; though she was a thirteen-year-old, she was very innocent and pious and as a big brother, he wasn't going to let her get tainted at any cost. As they reached their house without anymore obstacles, Karthikeya heaved a sigh of relief. He looked down to see his sister with a dull face as the tear stains dried on her cheeks. Something burned inside him as he took a deep breath, dragging her inside.

They stood on the threshold of their house as they heard the loud voice of their mom and weak voice of their dad. "Keshav, enough is enough! I can't live with you anymore. You're such an idiot, such a big fraud. It's so embarrassing for me when people look at me and whisper in hushed voices. They keep mocking me and glaring at me. It's getting annoying day-by-day. I can't stay in this hell anymore." Their mother, Amira Nanda shouted as she ran a hand through her brown locks.