Love is a bond
that death cannot part.
Gone from my arms,
but still held in my heart.

- John Mark Green.

Author's Note

hey everyone, the chapters from twenty to thirty aren't edited and you might come across mistakes. I realized it is better to edit them in my free time than deprive of you the end. happy reading ❤️

It has been a week since everything happened. Something that I can't still register in my mind. I was greeted by deathly silence when I entered Bansal mansion. It looked empty and like a void. I took a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair.

I have seen deaths before. I know how much it can affect the loved ones. When my grandfather died I was there and I had seen it all. That would be the first time I cried like a little child but I had my family, brothers to comfort me and in an unknown way, we all gave strength to each other. What I did to escape from it was to work more and be away from home. I joined the gym class in school, engaged myself in long dreadful hours of studies until the security came and told me that school is going to be closed. My life moved on that way and somewhere I also moved on from his death.

The memory of that day still pained me. I was wrapping my meeting when my phone ringed. It was Anika and when I attended it the only thing I could hear was her shaky breathing.

"Anika, what happened?" I asked with concern filled voice and I was worried.

Silence

Silence

Silence

"Dad...not...moving...come..." She sobbed and I quickly hung the phone assuring her I will be there and everything is alright.

In the next hour, I was there and they all were in the City hospital. I drove there as quickly as possible imagining the worse.

"Excuse me, can I know if a patient named Madhav Bansal is here. He may have reached here an hour ago. Please?" I asked the lady at the reception desk and she went through the register.

She lowered her head and said "Sorry sir, the man is no more and his body-"

This has to be some sort of joke playing in Anika's life. My hands were shaking as I ran towards Anika, stopping the lady and the word ringed on ears reminding me again "no more." All I wanted to do was take Anika in my arms.

I saw a few familiar pale faces. A few of them nodded at me acknowledging my presence while my eyes wandered in search of Anika and Sahil. At least I had my family there but for Anika and Sahil they don't have anyone else in this world apart from his assistant.

There she was curled up in the corner. The color on her face drained out and her eyes red shot and with no more tears on the cheek. She sat there numb with no more expression on her face. I wanted to run to her but my feet couldn't move and I stood there frozen and realizing it is the bitter reality.

A crying Sahil was in her lap and he looked scared to face the truth that his adopted father doesn't exist in this world. His puffy eyes lifted and they met mine. He walked slowly to me and wrapped his little arms around my waist, sobbing. Anika didn't move and was still staring into the darkness. I wished I had a superpower to make the dead ones come back to life.

"He...he went away. He...didn't take...us...with..him...I...want..him..bac.. back!" The poor boy cried and I kneeled into his level and he sobbed into my chest.

"Sssh, Sahil..." I didn't know what I was supposed to say and I stayed there for a minute and then I patted his back.

The loudness of his cry increased and from the corner of my eyes, a tear escaped when I saw his body come into the hall in a stretcher wrapped in white clothes. It was only two or three times I saw him and yet it pained me. I couldn't myself face it and I just wished my brothers would come and throw a bucket of water on me telling it was just a dream.

Sahil left me and ran to his father. The father who brought and loved him as his own. Everyone shed a tear on the scene but Anika didn't do anything and if anything I wanted her to scream, cry or yell. She didn't even flinch but after a long time she slowly stood up and she walked towards it. My heart ached for her.

She stared at him for a long time until tears brimmed in her eyes. They raced towards her cheeks one by one and then she did it. She cried and kissed his forehead before taking back her old place.

Sahil was being taken care of by Raj. I slowly went to Anika and sat beside her. She turned her head to me and whispered: "Why me?"

I shook my head and cupped her face with my hands but she shoved it away and stood up. I followed the same and stood next to her. Her face expression turned from pain to sorrow to scared then to anger.

"Anika, listen to me," I said turning her head to face me.

She jerked my hand away and held my collar. "Why me? Why me, Shivaye? What did I do to deserve all this? I never thought bad for anyone and if anything I only wished that everything should be nice. Forget about me, what about dad? He never hurt anyone and not to mention he won't even hurt animals. Then why him? See, there is Sahil," she pointed to Sahil and continued with choked words yet trying to be held back herself. "Sahil didn't do anything too and why us? My mom went away from us then now my dad..." She cried and her head fell to my chest and then slowly she slipped to the floor breaking down completely.

Slowly her eyes closed and it became completely dark for her. She was exhausted from everything. I scooped in my arms and laid her down on one of ward bed letting sleep take her.

I walked out after a minute to find my family standing outside. Mom came and wrapped her arms around me and I kept my head on her shoulder. Nodding my head reassuring her that I'm okay I left from there with Om and Rudra following me behind.

"Shivaye, go home with Anika and Sahil. We will take care of things back home." Om offered, patting my back and I shook my head.

"No, the least I can do is this. I have never thought this would happen so soon." I said and I found my voice breaking and I choked the words out.

"Bhaiya, how is Anika Didi?" Rudra asked and he was on the verge of crying. He hadn't met Mr.Bansal but the little good heart in him cried thinking the pain of his favorite Anika didi.

"I don't know. I seriously don't know what I'm supposed to do. She is not even reacting much and well, I am not good at comforting." I blamed myself and pulled my hair in frustration.

"Be there for her Shivaye. That's all you need to do," Om said and gave a small smile. My eyes pricked with tears and I closed them tightly trying to forget the situation for a moment. Two pair of hands wrapped around my shoulder and I sank in the comfort of my brothers. We stayed there like that for some time and all I needed was my brothers, my lifeline.

"Thank you." I sadly smiled before leaving them and I know I don't need to say it but I still did. I don't know what am I supposed to do without them in my life.
                             

Anika has completely shut every one of her life and stayed alone in her room or Mr. Bansal's study room the whole day. It was heartbreaking to see her like that every day. Sometimes she screamed at night and I have to put her back to sleep. Sahil was trying his level best but the poor boy was also affected so much. Rudra and Om had stuck with me for everything and was there the whole time during the funeral. Rudra cheered up Sahil by convincing him to play video games and all. Thanks to them or else I don't know if I will ever survive out of this.

I went to the kitchen and filled a glass of water. Gulping it down and looked around I realized how much of a great man Mr. Bansal was and it hurt every time when I use the past tense for him.

A silent tear escaped from eyes as I realized that no one can fill the void he left behind.

Saying goodbye to one of my favorite characters was hard. Thank you so much for reading and showing your love ❤️