Moonflower

CHAPTER 32

Picture: Trisha

A Few Days Later.

Trisha fidgeted in her seat as she glanced sideways at Ayaan who sat on the floor, leaning against the couch at Armaan's house. She pitied his disheveled look from his growing dark circles to his sunken face. His eyes had turned soulless and his body was barely carrying its own weight. He seemed to be breathing just for the sake of it because his body had become nothing but a mindless biological machine.

Trisha had thought earlier to leave and give the brothers some time of their own but she decided to stay back when she saw Armaan busy with his own work, completely ignoring the state of his elder brother. Armaan pulled a drawer open from the cabinet, took out his pocket knife, dropped it in his backpack, and finished packing. He zipped up, picked up his sunglasses, and pocketed his mobile phone. Trisha saw him about to head out and stood upright to stop him when Ayaan interrupted her.

"Surrender yourself."

There were a few seconds of silence before Armaan turned around and held his sunglasses over his forehead sassily, "What?!"

"Surrender yourself to police," Ayaan repeated, more sternly this time.

"PUHAHAHAHAHA," Armaan laughed so loud that Trisha shook in startlement who was already surprised over Ayaan's statement.

Armaan walked up to his brother and sat down cockily beside him while Ayaan just stared ahead of him without blinking his eyes. Armaan folded his legs, "Bhai, I think the incident has shaken you pretty hard because you are spouting nonsense. You need some rest and after that, find yourself a place, will you?"

Trisha was at a loss of words but it has always been hard for her to speak up to Armaan.

"Scarface is looking for you and will murder you on sight. So, before that happens, surrender yourself and accept the punishment that you deserve."

Armaan found himself in another fit of laughter, "Oh, so that was the reason. Haven't I already assured you bhai, that no one can even dare to touch as much as my single strand of hair?"

"SURRENDER YOURSELF DAAMIT AND PLEAD YOURSELF GUILTY FOR SHOOTING MEHEK!" Ayaan was loud enough to vibrate the window panes, even Armaan was slightly taken aback by the extreme outburst.

Ayaan was now staring directly into Armaan's eyes.

"I would have killed you myself. I should have killed you but why is that I am not able to bring myself to do it?" Ayaan hung his head in despair, "If Scarface wants to kill you, I should let him but why is that something that I can't overlook, I don't understand."

"I don't feel sorry for you nor do I want to protect you so just...just surrender yourself and get what you deserve."

Armaan scoffed as he dropped his sunglasses back to their place, "Wow, like I was the one who saved your sorry ass that day and this is what I get in return. If it hadn't been for me, you would have been long dead by the hands of Pirate". Armaan paused and scoffed again in disgust, "and you know, Pirate could have killed you and it wouldn't even matter but I decided to save you for the sake of times when you took care of me since the time at the orphanage."

"Now that I think about it since I have saved your life, I have returned all your favors and now I owe you nothing, you get that-"

SLAP!

The sunglasses flew right across the tiled floor and the wind turned silent as if it was in shock itself. The red fingerprints on Armaan's cheek were darkening by the passing minute and he was yet to recover from the resounding slap that came in like high voltage. He put his shaky hand over his bruised cheek that felt nothing more than a numb piece of flesh that had lost all the blood circulation. He hesitantly turned to meet the eyes. Trisha stood in front of him, fuming furiously with her head on fire. Her right palm was stinging in pain and her fingers twitched frustratedly. Ayaan remained silent, visibly surprised too.