#Fun Fact - It takes a sloth two to four weeks to digest food. They have the slowest metabolic system of any mammal.

"I'm extremely sorry Shivaay."

"How long?"

"The day you lied about the supermarket visit."

"Okay."

"It's not okay! I never wanted to trouble you guys with this one but the guilt of betraying my brother kills me. I feel like a sinner. I'm. I wanted just to open up my mind revealing the things, please don't spoil your relationship with Annika." Om pleaded with his eyes turned tearing up.

As soon as he heard Om's shuddering voice he turned aside wiping his dampened cheeks. His unpigmented skin turned into a light shade of rose-coloured.

"It's okay. Thanks for being frank. It wasn't in your hands. You did like her."

"Was it love?" Om asked watching his brother's back facing him.

"I feel smothering. Can I just speak later with you?"

••

The raindrops wept around him.

......the weather in Mississippi suddenly grew wet. It was unexpected. The darkness encompassed the sky with thick clouds swimming across the country. His surroundings held an uncanny resemblance to the conflict and disagreement between his family members. His brothers were absolutely nothing bit dull, as his lights in vanity. His Vahini had paled and her broken arm added more to her miseries.

He did nothing regardless stood grasping all, collecting bits and pieces of knowledge about what had happened. Lighting his cigarette with a small lighter he gave it to his lips, he pressed his lips brandishing the cigarette.

Inhaling deep puffs he acquitted the smoke.

"Rudra?"

He sensually wobbled his head holding the lean cigar between his index and mid fingers. As he turned his heels, he glanced at his brother, Om. He stood in his honour string on the door frame.

"What number is this? Second?" Om asked looking at his scorching cigarette.

"Fifth." He shortly answered before dropping in the flower pot aside from him, on the balcony. "Don't tell Vahini. It's just cold and I wanted some warmth."

Om nodded at him and settled on the bed and jacked his head up to watch his younger brother squirt some mouth spray into his mouth.

"Be honest with me. Please." Rudra mumbled as he dragged the bean bag to sit opposite his brother. When Om nodded he began. "What happened? What did you speak to bhaiya? Is that reason why he and Vahini are off? Something is wrong, and I can sense it. Don't lie!"

Om lapped his chapel lips.

"I- politely I told some secrets. I revealed the girl I loved. I would hold my guilt. I felt like betraying our brotherhood. I cheated him by thinking about what was his." Om completed as Rudra sat similar to that a stood with his eyes largely broadened.

"Don't tell me that I was right all this time!" Rudra snapped angrily shooting death glares at him. It didn't take long for him to connect the dots. "Are you insane? Do you know what has given rise to this?"

"It wasn't until I felt too culpable for obscuring. I want my son to understand what I did. Of course shortly in future. I don't want him to think of his father as a coward."

"This is nowhere related to Aaru! O, God! What have you done?" Rudra scratched his head mumbling a few curses along with prayers to the Goddess, his family prayed.

"I understand you O, but what you did isn't a good thing. Bhaiya was already concerned over your life and our little Aaru but now you added more into that. You added grief to him." Rudra crawled to bed and sat beside him caressing his clothed arm.

"I was just releasing my shame. I did sin, and now I struggling to wash it off." Om answered with a sorrowful tone.

"You didn't wash instead you railed up."

"He would forgive me, right?" Om asked him with his expecting eyes, which held more volume than his world. His eyes stunned less, his frown deepened, lips trembled.

"He would but-" Rudra halted pulling his lips between his teeth. "-he would never forgive himself, nor forget."

"Why is it?" As dumb enough, Om raised a question.

"How can you not understand him O? You covered up, lied to him for eight long years, wouldn't this misconduct him? Will it, not the impression of your almost failed life make him bleak. You shouldn't have told him now, not at least at this stage."

"What stage?"

"They are planning for a kid. With this in mind, he wouldn't step on that."

On silenced.

He didn't know this. He wasn't close enough to them so that they could reveal things.

Now his heart broke.

Earlier this year his guilt feasted on him.

Presently his wrong timing was wronged.

••

"You fucking asshole!" Shivaay dodged the thing that came in his direction and heaved a sigh of relaxation.

"I'm no coward. I will fucking face any situation be it my tricky husband or this pregnancy test." She slammed the little plastic gadget on the ground, which showed negative.

All four decided to show the same.

"Do you have any idea how I'm dealing with this anxiety? My arm is broken, and my periods are late. Fucking five days! And on top of that, you and your brother's drama is tossing me." Biting her lips she teared up.

Gulping at her infuriated self Shivaay stepped to embrace her only to be kicked on his shin.

"Ahhh!" He screamed.

"You thought I forgave you?" She asked wiping her tear strain. And as a response to this, her husband vaguely nodded.

"No! I haven't. You are yet to earn it." Squatting on the bedpost she pulled out the drawer and placed the other HPTs. "Go pack the bags." She authorised.

"Me?"

"No, my sasur Ji. You! My idiotic husband." She spoke louder with mockery.

"For you?"

"Yes. Now go."

Shivaay didn't even think why she was authorising him nor why she would ask to pack bags if she was leaving him.

"Please don't leave baby! I can't live without you. I love you. Om and you, both are my family. I just couldn't digest the revelations. Please, I'm sorry." He cried kneeling over his knees and head on her lap. Yet seeing his crying out self, Annika didn't bulge.

"We are going to my Aai, baba. Even you are included. If we go together with our family now ticket prices would be nil."

Annika was being Annika. He thought.

Bargaining, saving, and money all run in her blood.

"Huh!"

"Don't ever think that I leave. I'm not a coward. I will fucking face all. Be it straightening my husband's character or saving money. You must earn your forgiveness from me."

***
Solving the issues should be realistic, in my opinion. Distancing is also one of the most popular belief, however I don't follow it. Not at least watching my parents, they talk and the other things like fights. Do tell me your opinion.