Chapitre 52: Life without Eshan (2)

|Innaya|

By the time I managed to gain control over my emotions and get dressed the night had only turned darker. The rain finally stopped, leaving behind the imprints in its wake. I wanted nothing but to curl under the sheets so that I could avoid meeting Arjun's gaze. However, I knew I couldn't be a coward.

Sighing to myself, I clutched the tie that I'd wrapped around my wrist. Adjusting the full sleeve, I hid the tie within it. Somehow, having tied his tie around my wrist where my pulse was beating made me feel closer to Eshan.

Arjun seemed to know everything better. He just came once when I was in the washroom, calling me for dinner. It wasn't his duty to look after me, at least not what after I did to his best friend. I failed to understand why was sticking around me, taking care of me when it should be exactly the opposite. He should hate me, curse me, accuse me but he did no such thing.

If he had at least expressed his anger, it wouldn't have hurt much. Right now his eyes filled with disappointment were far more hurting.

I closed the bedroom door behind me as I unwillingly made my way towards the stairway leading to the ground floor. Arjun must be waiting either in the living room or dining room for me. I had made him wait for longer than two hours since he pulled my drenched figure from the rain and pushed into the washroom.

"Arjun, where's Eshan?" I heard Ayush's voice and it was lacking its usual maturity. Instead, I felt the anger and worry in it.

My heart skipped the beat. They all must be aware of Eshan's disappearance. Last week I had visualized several possibilities of people confronting me but none of them circled having all of his friends at the same time.

"I don't know." Arjun's calm voice sounded from the living room.

I had two options. The first one was easy. For it, I just had to turn around and bolt for my room, locking myself inside till they left on their own. The second option was the most difficult one for that I would have to keep my fears at bay and face their anger.

Despite knowing that the confrontation wouldn't be nice, to begin with, I slowly climbed down the stairs. With each step the voices from them were getting clear, so did their faces. My heart began to hammer loudly in my chest. I wiped my clammy palms against my pajama bottoms.

For the first time, I saw what it meant to have brothers at each other's throat.

"What the hell you mean by that?" Barun almost leaped out of the chair he was seating on.

I could easily feel the tension in the room. Each of them was on their last thread of patience. A sudden tremor of cold went through my body and I shuddered involuntarily.

Maybe, it had something to do with standing for too long in the rain. I rubbed my arms, hoping to warm my suddenly cold body.

I looked down, taking some time to observe them. Arjun kept his nonchalant attitude, treating them as insignificant beings. In the middle of the living room, seating on the big brown couch Arjun looked aloof, detach from everything and everyone. His blue eyes emotionlessly accessed someone who stood silent at the corner.

"You were with him before he went missing and now you are claiming that you don't know. Do you expect us to believe your ridiculous lie?" Sameer scoffed, glaring at Arjun.

This new piece of information shocked me. I was the last person with Eshan before he went missing. Then, what was Sameer saying? Was it possible for Arjun to know about Eshan? The tiny flicker of hope ignited in my heart. Maybe, Eshan was just angry and needed some time to cool down. He would come back once he thought things through, wouldn't he?

"I don't know where you got that information from but it's wrong. I wasn't with him and I don't know where he is. He isn't a child. He's a grown-up man, who knows and understands his responsibility." Arjun shrugged his shoulders in response.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw a figure moving towards Arjun, almost calmly, too calmly honestly. That type of calm before the storm or tragedy hits.

With misty eyes, Sahil questioned and I could feel the tremor in his voice. "How could you be so calm in this situation? Don't you care for Eshan's well being?"

A strange glint shone in Arjun's eyes but it vanished too soon as if it wasn't there. He stood up and walked near Sahil, coming to stop face to face with him. "Do you?"

"Huh?" A look of pure confusion clouded Sahil's features. Sameer, Barun, and Ayush had the same looks on their faces as well. Three of them chose to observe the situation first and as if sharing the same understanding they stayed out of the discussion, giving Arjun and Sahil space to sort out whatever the matter was.

I realized where this conversation was heading. Instead of blaming me, Arjun was blaming Sahil. How on the earth did he find out about Sahil's involvement with it? There was no fault of Sahil. He just acted in the best interest of his friend, any good friend would do the same.

"Do you care about him? Because I don't think you do?" Arjun crossed his arms across his chest. Though Arjun said it plainly and it had no sarcasm or taunt, yet, it hurt. That hurt was so easily painted across Sahil's face.

"What the hell are you talking about? Of course, I care about Eshan and you damn well know that. Stop spouting nonsense, will you?" Sahil's loud voice echoed in the room that fell silent after his outburst.

"Please, stop this." I interrupted the conversation for I knew where it was heading to. I was already responsible for hurting their best friend. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I became the reason for the rift between these two.

I hurriedly climbed down the stairs, nearly tripping because of my hastiness.

"Finally, you show up your highness. Thank you for gracing us with your valuable presence." Sahil's sarcastic remark greeted me and I felt as if someone had slapped me across my face.

"Sahil." Ayush, Sameer and Barun warned at the same time. Arjun stayed silent but his firm warning gaze was locked on Sahil.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Ask her. She is responsible for everything."

L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS
Mukta

Thank you for all your power stones last week, we managed to hit #614 because of it. That's the highest this story has achieved and all because of you beautiful people out there.

Keep those power stones, comments, reviews coming. :-)

If you have enjoyed reading my work then you will surely love my sister's. She have joined the WN recently and is writing her novel. Do support her in her new journey.

Title of her novel:: Begin Again- Start all over differently.

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