"Penny for your thoughts?", Mishti turned at Abhay's voice who smiled at her before draping a shawl around her shoulders before nudging her forward, as they continued to walk around the garden. It was past midnight, but jet lag wasn't making it easy for any of them to fall asleep. While Nishant and Jo had busied themselves with a movie, Mishti had excused herself on the pretext of a walk and Abhay had followed her after a few minutes.

"I still can't wrap my head around this deal Abhay", Mishti sighed, admitting what was troubling her because she knew it was useless trying to hide it from this man.

"Why? Of all people, you should understand it the most", Abhay shrugged while Mishti shot him a look, raising a brow.

"Weren't you once the girl who was ready to leave her family behind, the man she loved behind just because you thought they would be finally stay happy, without caring how that decision was going to tear you apart? You do insane things for people you love Mishti, there is hardly any right and wrong about it. It's mostly instinctive", Abhay spoke, more of reminding her than questioning, "Or let's just say if you had to protect Abir, would you ever dwell on what cost would you pay for one second? You will bring heaven and earth together if you have to too".

Mishti smiled sheepishly at the exaggerated narrative but she got the point. Exhaling loudly, she turned her face to look at him while they continued to walk.

"Some selfish part of me is happy to know Abir did everything he could to make sure I wasn't hurt. Another part is guilty for feeling that way because I am seeing the consequences of that deal Abhay. The fear in his eyes, the desperation in his body language, the cry for help - I am scared. For him", Mishti confessed yet again, knowing it was better to let it all out than let it consume her.

"You are doing the same thing again, expand your tunnel vision", Abhay commented, rolling his eyes at her, "I genuinely don't understand why do you both behave like the entire weight of the world is on your shoulders? Anything goes wrong with you and Abir feels its his fault. Anything goes wrong with Abir and you sulk thinking it's because of you. How did you two even fell in love?", he chided throwing his hands in air, literally.

"Abir is a bad place, agreed. But it isn't because of that deal, or because of you. It's because of a whole lot of toxic situations that family lives through. In our language, we call it NARCISSISTIC ABUSE. Even if you weren't a part of Abir's life, someway or the other he would have landed up in a similar situation because his mother doesn't see beyond herself, haven't ever. It's like your own condition Mishti. Abir might be your trigger but he wasn't the root cause of your abandonment issues. They have been there for years - so many small incidents that cemented your personality into who you are today, in how you react. One circumstance can never be blamed. Whatever both of you are fighting against now - that fight was due all your lives. This breakup just pushed you to the edge and the aftermath is pushing him to the edge", Abhay gave Mishti a detailed context, wrapping an arm around her and tucking her to his side.

"Sulking or feeling guilty or overthinking this will take you nowhere. The only thing you need to do is to be present. Be there with your Ajeeb Boyfriend. Stand with him when he falters. Hold him when he can't. Don't try and be his therapist or a sponge, be his emotional support and get him the help you got. You know he needs it too", Abhay left, giving her space to understand the complexity of the situation but his words rang in Mishti's ear multiple times as she repeated it over and over again in her mind, trying to make sense of everything.

Still a little disturbed, she turned back to walk inside when her eyes fell on her balcony - a bunch of red heart shaped balloons tied to the parapet. Mishti had no idea when and how had Abir arranged them, but he had gifted them to her before he left, post dinner. A tiny smile made it to her face as she walked back inside, reached her balcony and untied a few balloons from the bunch, making a smaller bunch with them before coming back down near the exit gate of the mansion.

"Bhagwan Ji ye bahut silly hai, but please, please, please - in balloons ko Abir k paas pahuncha dena. Wo bahut pareshan hai, but inhe dekh k wo jarur smile karega, please!", she manifesting her wish into the universe, pleading with closed eyes before letting the bunch free in air, hoping for universe to do its magic.

-------

Abir exhaled before taking a deep breath yet again and closed his eyes for a tiny second simultaneously. His heart was beating too fast, and there was a cocktail of jumbled feelings bubbling inside him at the moment.

He was nervous.

But he knew this could wait no more. He had already delayed it by a day, and even though this was past midnight and he wasn't sure if Kunal was going to be on board with hogging on these noodles he had meticulously made as an attempt to manofy his baby brother so late in the night either, he just wanted to do something that was their normal at some point in life.

Or at least this feeling that something hadn't changed.

Him, Kunal and their gesture of apology - the noodles have stayed constant.

Hopefully.

He knocked the door before realizing it wasn't locked, so he pushed it open and his eyes met Kunal's surprised ones. Clearly, Kunal hadn't expected him.

"Uhh, noodles?", Abir raised the bowl, smiling as he took few steps inside the room.

Kunal was sitting on the bed, his back to the bed rest and his mind a chaos when the door opened and he saw his brother standing with a bowl of his favorite noodles. But even when Abir smiled at him, Kunal didn't.

He couldn't.

His heart was still heavy from a hundred undiscussed issues and guilt trips. He was angry, and he was hurt. More than that, he felt bitter. He was scared he would end up hurting Abir if he talked anything right now and given the past six months of their lives, that was also the only thing he absolutely didn't want to do.

"I don't want to talk right now Bhai. Please ", Kunal turned his face away, not realizing his voice had choked. Abir heard the unsaid and walked inside anyway, closing the door behind him.

Kunal only groaned in more frustration when Abir came and sat by his side on the bed, keeping the bowl on the stand by his bed.

"Nanko-"

"Bhai please, I don't want to talk", he repeated, agitated.

Abir forced Kunal to look at him, cupping his face, seeing the moisture lining the lower lid of his eyes. Kunal jerked his hand away, trying to hold onto whatever strength inside him was still left.

"Bhai", Kunal squeezed his eyes shut, "Please. You know I don't deal with emotions right. I don't want to hurt you again", Kunal resorted to requesting, desperately wanting him to leave and also desperately wanting him to not.

Abir pulled him into a hug, "Nanko", he sighed against his head holding him tighter but Kunal shook his head against his chest, struggling to break free.

Abir continued to resist Kunal's struggle and it was only after quite a few rigorous attempts that Kunal gave up, latching on to his brother and burst out crying instead.

"I am so angry, so mad at you", Kunal complained in tears, "I was worried sick and all you gave me was a text message. Everytime my phone rang I felt like it would be from a hospital. That I would have to see you like that again. How could you do this to me?", Kunal cried his heart out, breaking the hug and letting Abir see the hurt all over his face, "I don't have anyone else but you. I know I don't deserve you but -", Kunal's rant was cut off by Abir who held his face and shook his head firmly.

"You deserve the world. Never ever think otherwise", Abir's voice had no room for discussion, even if Kunal couldn't make himself believe in what he said.

"You know, I didn't exactly understand your pain when Mr. Kapadia hurt you. But now, I do. It's not the same thing I know. What he did to you and what you did to me are different things, but I almost felt like I am going to loose my father figure twice and just that thought unnerved me. I don't know how you dealt with it but I can't. I can't Bhai, don't do this to me again, please", Kunal choked, his tears still flowing down his cheeks and Abir could feel his heart break once again.

So much for trying to protect Kunal from the world of pain.

"Nanko", Abir's voice broke as he held onto Kunal tighter, letting his younger brother cry his heart out. For Kunal - this was once in a blue moon thing. He wasn't the one who would let himself feel - he lived in denial for most part. Keeping things inside was his coping mechanism. Only after he was filled upto the brim and could take no more that he allowed himself to accept how it was hurting.

Even then, he mostly expressed only anger. Or frustration. He didn't know how to express his pain, his guilt, his insecurities or his struggle. He had lived his life trying too hard to become the perfect son for the woman he thought of as his mother - to get her validation.

And to let Abir have his way.

He had never accepted it loud, but he had become What Meenakshi desperately and adamantly wanted and what Abir wouldn't give her at any cost - he was the middle ground between them in more ways than one.

Last few months had turned his life upside down completely. He had tried multiple times to coach himself into believing everything was fine, but Abir's scare had brought all his defenses down.

"You will not loose me, are you listening? You will not loose me. Not today, not ever", Abir rubbed Kunal's back in an attempt to comfort him, but it was also like a fog clearing in his own head.

He was important and needed in life to more than one person - the realization was overwhelming. His self worth that had taken a huge hit was beginning to heal in a slow pace too, especially after the way the past 24 hours.

"Promise?", Kunal raised his head and asked, sounding like the five year old who needed Abir to hold his hand to school every morning.

"I promise", Abir genuinely smiled, using his thumb to wipe Kunal's tears, "I hit a rough patch I guess. A new low. But we will rise back. You and me both. And we will always be each other's family, I promise", something about Abir's voice gave Kunal confidence. Abir was finally starting to sound a little like the brother he had known, the one he had lost in all the mess.

After Kunal was feeling a little better, Abir picked the bowl up and forwarded a spoon, "Truce?"

Kunal found the heart to grin back, "Truce".

Noodles hadn't lost its charm, after all.

---------

Abir made his way out of Kunal's bedroom only after making sure Kunal had fallen asleep. While he was glad to have this long due conversation with Kunal, it had also unnerved him at the same time - Kunal's tears were always like acid to his heart.

It was a few feet away from his bedroom that he spotted her - his mother - standing outside his room.

Meenakshi was already looking at him, her signature poker face in place but as soon as their eyes met, she breathed in deep and took a few steps towards Abir.

Abir took a few back, in reflex.

Meenakshi immediately halted, seeing his reaction.

Abir could feel the tears hitting the back of his eyes, and a little tremble in his hands when Meenakshi stretched a hand towards him - he didn't know what she expected of him, if she wanted him to hold her hand or hug her.

He did what his body could make of the situation without even his conscious command - he flinched.

Even though his mother stood a good few steps away, and her hand was in the air, not reaching him, he still flinched.

Meenakshi watched Abir's face pale when she stretched her hand and the tremble in his hands, as well as the way he staggered a few steps back. His features had crumbled, his expressive eyes filled with a fear so profound, her own heart had picked up speed.

Abir had been many things, but he had never been scared of her.

Rather he was the one who challenged her through every minute decision, fought with her, argued back and sometimes teased her too. Few rare moments when he would appreciate her, but majorly through everything she always could see the love he had for her in those very eyes.

Today, she couldn't.

Abir couldn't stand for more than two minutes in her vicinity, he turned around and walked down the stairs and out of the house in fast paced steps, leaving behind a mother who was now left stranded, possibly seeing the consequences of her actions.

"Abir Bhaiya", Jugnu called out enthusiastically when he saw a shaken Abir walk out, "We made tea. Adrak wali kadak", he smiled as he waved at him and Abir relaxed, the familiar situation helping him calm down. Before he knew he was sitting with all of them and sipping on tea.

Jugnu grinned noticing that Abir liked the tea and it suddenly reminded him of something else that would definitely make Abir happy. He quickly got up to retrieve his secret weapon.

"Abir Bhaiya, ye gubbare Prakash ko Bahar mile. Mujhe laga aapko Pasand hai toh mai le aaya", he did a happy dance as a shocked Abir stood up to take the bunch of nostalgic balloons from him, all his worries forgotten and one name escaping his lips in a teary whisper before a full blown smile greeted the others.

"Mishti".

Note : This chapter is specially dedicated to fnblaze and partholic_09 - the comments both of you left on the last chapter helped me break through the writer's block as well as motivated me to finish this chapter. Thank you ❤️