023

The diwali vacation ended with schools and colleges opening on the Monday. The chill crisp morning air bringing the chaos along of mother's yelling at their children to not miss the bus or take their packed lunch along.

The scenerio at the Chaudharys on the other was a whole different story.

Gayatri watches from the Bannister the scene unfolding infront of her, Mithilesh yelling on top of his head as the poor men standing infront of him cowered in the fear.

"Saala...not again. Not this again- I'm fucking tired cleaning his mess.." Mithilesh roared pacing left to right. Badi Amma was sitting on the swing, Rukmani Devi looking at him worriedly.

"Poor Mithilesh. I wonder what is gonna happen now-"

"What happened Choti Amma? Why bhaisahab is in rudraroop?" Gayatri inquires coming down the stairs. It is the good thing that both Abhay and Laxu were not present here with Abhay being at school and Laxu gone with Nupur bhabhi to the temple.

Shaking her head, Rukmani replied "One of Sundar's friend called saying he- he is sleeping at the brothel after harrassing the owner. The owner called Mithilesh and he is- you can see now."

Ahh..makes sense now. Vijay bhaisahab is prone in getting into trouble and it is always other who has to do the clean up after him.

"Badi Amma..I'm gonna cut that bastard into small pieces and feed him to the dogs. " He sit down on the sofa fuming in anger. Sundar not only is sleeping in the brothel but also in the brothel locating in the place that comes under their opponent's area.

The Chaudharys rule the Begusarai but since code of the conduct is still in the motion, they cannot openly attack those vermins since Phoolan Chaudhary has clearly told them not to. But the same doesn't apply to those vermins who could attack them without any consequences.

"What you gonna do now?" Durga Devi inquired from the swing.

"Wait here and collect his dead body later."

"Mithilesh. Be serious-"

"I am serious badi Amma. Who told him to go to that side even after knowing well that area is currently occupied by our opponents." Snapped Mithilesh "Who even does that? That bastard is really a pain in the ass."

Sighing, she get up from the swing and went near her eldest grandson. "Mithilesh..calm down. This is not the time for this. We must find ways to bring Sundar out of their safe and sound. "

"Where is Achintya?" Rukmani asked from the sideline. "He should be here..where is he?"

"I called him before, he is on his way to here."

"Where does this boy go to every morning this early? Does anyone know?" Rukmani looked expectedly at the people but find the same blank expression on every other person's face. She has been noticing this for some times, Achintya has made it his routine of going out of the house getting all ready in the early hours of the morning.

She has thought that it would be related to the work but still it doesn't fit well with that.

Mithilesh looked down, thinking on the same line as Rukmani. It is indeed a thoughtful thing, where does Achintya go to every morning? And it might not be obvious but still he has noticed the pattern that, even on his most busiest day his brother do not break his routine.

Does he go out to meet anybody?

It is possible. But the question arises after that was who he meet then? His infatuation is currently getting married and so she is out of the frame now. Could it be some other girl? Someone he do not know about?

Another headache pierced his head making him shut his eyes. If it is true Achintya is going to bring the even bigger issue to him than all of the chaos created by Sundar alone.

The sound of steps bring him out of the trance and their stood his brother looking mildly irritated. "What is the emergency?"

Before Mithilesh could speak, Gayatri run her mouth filling her brother from the latest gossip. The mild irritation turning to the full blown rage as the story continued and as Gayatri shut up, Achintya looked at Mithilesh with a deadpan look on his face.

"I'm out of this."

The rage mirrored on the Mithilesh's face hearing his words, "good. Let's inform Papa than we both will be free."

"Fine. Because there is a limit to things..I'm not his personal servant who clean up his mess. He is a fucking grown up, what part of not entering the enemy territory he didn't understand. "

"Achintya calm down-" badi Amma interrupted in the middle as Achintya's tone rises .

"No badi Amma. You can't told us to calm down, with the election on top of our head we can not attract negative attention to us. I did so much to turn every news, every headlines in our favour only for that bastard to ruin it. First he stabbed Bihari's son under the influence and now this- "

Someone cleared their throat from the door as everyone's eyes turned to the door where stood Phoolan and Lokesh along with a crying and angered Meena.

It was evident from her face that she has heard every single things from Achintya's mouth as she came inside like the livid bull,

"Oh why you stopped? Speak up, don't fear us. You have free rein to say anything against my son since no one gonna object -"

Meena looked at the Durga Devi and then at the Rukmani Devi who both were silent all the time Achintya was abusing her son. Really what kind of the family they are, to not come in aids of their grandson, does they hate Sundar so much that they think that insulting him has become a joke now. And who knows, how many time they all would have done this behind their back.

Taking a deep breathe Achintya made his way towards his room only to stop by Meena's sharp nails digging in his forearm, "stop. Where are you running now? Why don't you continue what you were saying before? Afraid that now bhaisahab is here."

The boy didn't even flinched when she jerks her arms away and mini drops of blood pointed on the white tiles. "I'm not afraid of anyone Meena kaki..since what I said is true."

Livid in her anger she didn't realises but soon her hand was in the air -

"Enough." Only coming to her senses hearing Phoolan Chaudhary's thundering tone from behind. Turning Meena saw his face sat in the thin line looking calm but clenched. Her hand hovered in the mid air as her eyes roamed she found none of the face here belongs to anyone who is in the support of her.

Durga Devi along with Gayatri and Rukmani Devi looked furious while Mithilesh has already crosses the space standing beside Achintya, a clear disgusting look on his face.

But it was expected. What wasn't expected was the open lividity on her husband's face who looked angered as well as embarassed on her behalf.

"I didn't give you the right to hurt my son, badi dulhan. " Phoolan Chaudhary said at once.

"I'm- I'm sorry bhaisahab..I'm - he just said so much about my Sundar and I didn't...but how come you are not saying anything to him." She pointed her finger at the Achintya whose face was blank as the canvas, there was no single expression on his face and it was frightening.

He looked the mirrored copy of the Phoolan Chaudhary with both of their rage burning so hot that it now runs cold.

"No one ever said anything in the favour of my Sundar.. Achintya was openly shaming him and no one who was presented here objected on that-"

"Meena quiet down. For god sake just shut up-" her husband groan but she ignored him. It will be too much to expect something from that spineless man.

"I won't. I won't quiet down when my son is at the enemy territory and instead of saving him, Achintya is bashing him-"

"I am bashing him?" Came the voice from the behind and Durga Devi's lulled in her hands. Achintya's tone was blank, livid, cold full of detachment. He has suffered Meena's hate all these time in silence but her raising her hand on him was his last straw.

"How you come to that conclusion kaki?"

"You weren't?" Meena ask. Achintya surpassed the hand on his chest taking a step closer.

"I wasn't " he said assuring her.  "I was merely stating facts. Is your son not an alcoholic who drink away his sense mixing it with cheap drinks? Or does he never did anything that brought the same to us? Have I not cleaned his mess multiple time in the past? Have you forgot that? Because I didn't. And I can clearly list them down for you."

Not a single word coming from his mouth was wrong. Meena had no answers for his question, it was not that she was not aware of her son's faults but that she refuses to see them by tieing the cloth on her eyes.

And so turning her tactic, she said next "still he is your brother. It is given you do the bare minimum for him, it is not like you did something great. Tomorrow if you would be in danger, Sundar will return the favor. "

"The same way.. he returned the favour back when we were both in the school bullying me along with his friends. Or how he deliberately ruined my notes back in the tenth standard so I won't pass the exams. Or when he hide my joining letter of the college because he himself failed the exam. There are many other favours yet to add in the list, should I remind you that?"

No one in the house knew that time, that all those petty fights and tussles between the brothers would take turn like this, with Meena constantly instigating Sundar against Achintya, hiding his wrong doings.

"It is not my fault that your son is an idiot who can't differentiate between the wrong and right, so don't go blaming me." He hit the iron when it's hot as Meena take a step back seeing the raw rage in his eyes.

"You-.." fumbling she pointed her finger to him "you- does no one gonna object to him?" She turned wide eyes to everyone.

Giving a loud maniac like laugh she pointed to everyone "this is exactly why I forced Amma to seprate us from this family earlier. I knew even then, that my son will never be treated same as Mala jiji's children. That he will never get the same treatment as Phoolan bhaisahab's children. "

"Badi dulhan..now you are taking it too far."Rukmani interrupted. "This is between Achintya and Vijay..there is no need to drag Mala in all this."

"Why? Did I offend you? Why is it that whenever it comes to her and her children that you are ready to defend but when it is about me or my son that your mouth shut up."

"Meena..watch your tongue. I won't take your disrespect -"

"I'm not disrespecting you choti Amma I'm merely showing you the mirror-"

"Which you need to see first. Don't make me bring out the dead corpse above the soil. Do you forget about your doing? How you were with Mala bahu-"

"I was with her how she was with me-"

"ENOUGH. " Shutting both of their mouths. Phoolan Chaudhary shouted aloud, the servants peeked out of their hiding place, the guards running inside. The silence was heavy and suffocating everyone staring silently at him, when a piercing cry came from the behind bringing attentions of everyone -

There stood a horrified Nupur with a bawling Laxu in her arms.

Nupur's eyes seeked her husband's silently asking what leads to this, the thali in her wobbled as Laxu's sobs rises, Mithilesh take steps forward taking Laxu from Nupur's freezed hands.

The baby recognising her father's scent buried her face in his neck, cooing to herself as Mithilesh calmed her down as Gayatri took the thali from Nupur's hand . "What's going on here?" She mumbled .

"Meena kaki raises her hand on Achintya Bhai"

The gasp left her lips hearing Gayatri's words. No wonder Achintya looked so cold and distant now, as if he really is detached from everything happening around him.

"Choti Dulhan..take Laxu in the room," Commanded Phoolan Chaudhary "Mithlesh come here. "

With now sturdy hands Nupur take Laxu from Mithilesh's hands who give a soft cry for being separated from her father. "Shh..listen to you mother." Mithilesh kisses her cheeks as his daughter cooed and Nupur left the hall along with Gayatri.

The silence stretched again broken by Phoolan Chaudhary's words "Mithilesh, Achintya go to the Kaveri bazar and bring Sundar here. Do everything necessary, I want Sundar here before the night."

His words left no room for arguments. As Achintya and Mithilesh both left for their room to bring their guns.

_

The scene turned bloodied the moment Chaudharys put their feet in the Kaveri bazar. It was as if the enemy expected them their, as soon as their cars stopped gunshots rained from every side.

Hiding behind the places they fired back, some aims finding their right place some bouncing back and going to wastage.

"Go and bring Sundar..I'll handle here.." yelled Mithilesh emptying his gun and taking another from the guard hiding at the side. "The sooner we left..the lesser mess we will have to clean up-"

All the brothel of the Kaveri bazar shared the same terrace that it was possible to jump from one to another easily.

Achintya took some guards with him jumping from one roof to another, he made his way to the brothel were his dearest brother was sleeping in. The moment his feet touched the land, a man came running to his side with a sharp knife and Achintya shoot him in the middle of the forehead.

There was red before his eyes a second later when someone covered his face with a cloth making him choke "ah...seems like the Chaudhary prince is indeed good for nothi-" the next second the man screamed when the hard kick landed on his kneecap shattering it. Achintya free himself from his grip twisting his shoulder back and breaking it.

"Go on.. underestimate me..I will love to prove you all otherwise." He slide down trying to catch the gun but the next man kicked it away.

It was the wonderful opportunity for him, to take out his rage in the form of breaking few bones, kicking and hearing the screams of others it replaced the trumpet blowing in his ears.

The guards took care of the other men as Achintya run to find Sundar. The owner said he is in the room of the second floor and so he approached the place kicking the door open as the weak plastic door flew away from its hinges.

A punch landed square on his nose making him bleed, dizzying his vision, the kick came a second later which Achintya dodges easily . "Wrong move buddy.." and with a swift turn he tackle the man on the floor punching him hard and fast continuosly.

Something hard hit his back as the man pushed him on the side "bastard... I'm gonna wipe out the bloody Chaudharys-" he punches Achintya on the side of his face as the man laughed showing him the crooked grin.

"Not afraid of the death? You might not fear the death for yourself but once we finish you and your brothers we will pound on your sister and -...ahhhh... "

The palm fastened around his neck, punching him their injuring his vocal cord as the man vomitted blood on the floor. Achintya spit on the side wiping the blood in the full sleeves of his black t-shirt. He find the hard object -the man's gun- from which he attacked his back and empty the magzines in his stomach.

"Shouldn't have bring my sister in this." Spitting on the bloodied body he made his way.

_

The third room he kicked open, he found Sundar there.

Lying there on his stomach, clothes scattered around, drooling and sleeping without a care in the world.

He was sleeping so peacefully that one could easily mistake this dingy room as his home.

Achintya looked here and there, finding the clay pot filled of water he hold it in one hand and poured the whole pot on Vijay.

"Ahhh...fuck..who dare...fuck fuck..I'm sleeping -" the words of his were mixup of the slurring, hard to understand. He sit up at once looking here and there and his face changed seeing Achintya infront of him.

"What you- fuck off" he shouted at him just as Achintya slapped him tight across the cheeks ringing his ears.

"Wake up Snow white. This isn't your castle but the brothel where we came to save your ass again." Achintya dragged him by the back of his neck, "dress up before I drag you like this."

Not only Vijay's tongue was slurring but his steps were uneven too. He tried to sit up and threw up almost everything of his stomach. His vision was blurred and everything around him was spinning, the head feeling like it will split in half.

Achintya was loosing his patience seeing his condition he jerk him to stand up on his feet forcefully, he threw the pants on his face buttoning his shirt "the princess is all ready-"

_

Taking Vijay from the brothel was the task.

He wasn't in the condition to even walk on his own with Achintya supporting most of his weight so taking the route he previously came from was out of the option.

Shooting another two men he made his way towards downstairs praying that Mithilesh has handled the situation and find his prayer answered with Mithilesh standing outside guarding the building.

His mustard coloured shirt has a large amount of blood that doesn't belongs him and beside the wound on his elbow he looked unscathed. Achintya on the other hand has half his face covered in the blood and a hungover Vijay to support. Mithilesh immediately holded the man from the other side and together they dragged him to the jeep.

_

"Wipe it off." He hands him the handkerchief which Achintya accepted. "It doesn't look broken, that's a relief."

"It isn't." He assures. Vijay was asleeped in the back with Achintya driving and Mithilesh sitting beside him. "But that bastard's bones surely gonna be."

"Achintya.."

"No bhaisahab. This is the last time I helped him and that is only because Papa ordered. The next time I'll  considered him dead for me."

"You can. I won't force you. "

"No one can. And after what Meena kaki did today no one better expect anything from me ever."

What Meena kaki did was simply unacceptable. Mithilesh do not remember the time when anyone even raised their voice on Achintya and she tried to slap him.

"I understand. And I promise to you that from now on no matter what happens she isn't coming to our home. I will talk to Papa about that."

The ride remain silent after that. No one said anything, when suddenly Mithilesh remember the thing Rukmani had said this morning.

"When you are gonna introduce your special person to me?"

Achintya's lips curved in a sarcastic smile "do you really wanna meet? Or is it just a simple formality? "

"I do. " Mithilesh said at once. He wanted to know how much more shock he should get himself ready for. "I really do. Both me and Nupur wants to meet her."

"Then soon you will. But first let this bastard's wedding drama end. "

Her sister's wedding will also be completed till then. And with that out of the way, the road will be smoother to walk upon.

"But please remember bhaisahab.." Achintya turns his brown eyes to the Mithilesh as the jeep halt infront of the gates of the Chaudharys "..if I didn't have her then I won't have anyone else. So you better support me because I'm ready to move heaven and earth together to have her in my life."

The car door slammed loudly as Achintya left, worsening Mithilesh's headache. His brother has never had asked him anything before, and this time he is blunt with his request -threat-  if his intelligence isn't betraying him Achintya is gonna drop the biggest bomb on him soon and still he will have to accept that.

_

Will Mithilesh support Achintya after knowing the truth,what you guys think? Let me know soon.

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Is Meena right in her stance? Or was Achintya really out of the line? Poor Sundar..this is the second time Achintya slapped him.

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