"What is the matter?"

Meghna narrowed her eyes at Anirudh when she saw him entering her room closing the door behind.

"I hope you are not busy..."
He replied in a guilty voice.

"Yes, I am... But not as much you are..."

Anirudh sighed.
"I am sorry, don't be mad at me... I didn't avoid you intentionally but..."

"Excuse me..." Meghna cut his words in the middle. "Do you think that I am a typical girlfriend who complains because you couldn't spend time with me..."

"Then?" Anirudh raised his eyebrows being confused. Meghna seemed very angry at him when he came back.

"I know you better Anirudh... You are not that much innocent... You know about whom I am talking..."

"Did Agasthya complain anything?"
Asked Anirudh. He didn't get enough time for a proper conversation with his brother for the last three or four days. He usually goes out before Agasthya wakes up and come back very late.

"No... But I think you should spend more time with him..."

"Hmmm..." Anirudh nodded his head in agreement.
"Meghna... Did any of you speak harshly to him, I mean..."

"What is wrong with you..." Meghna screamed. "Why should we?"

"Nothing... But he was... He sounded a bit different. I don't know why, but I felt sad for him. Actually, I had never seen him like that... Never..."

"That's why I am telling you to be with him... He is not familiar with your absence in his life..."

"He is... I wasn't with him for almost 18 years..."

Meghna smiled.
"That makes the difference Anirudh... You weren't with him earlier. He was alone... But now he has everyone in his life... That's what bothering him..."

"I am sorry, I didn't get that..."

"In simple words, both you and Aaryan are his life, his parents, his happiness, his friends, everything... So it will hurt him when you both couldn't find time to spend with him... Fear of being alone is always with him. It's our misunderstanding that we believed it was over."

"But he has all of you guys around him and me also..."

"When was your last brotherly moment? I mean you, Aaryan and Agasthya together..."

Anirudh bowed his head, he had no answer for that question. They couldn't be together for a week. He didn't even have a proper conversation with Aaryan for a few days. It was like, Aaryan avoiding such situations but Anirudh felt it as a blessing. At least it helped him to escape from Aaryan's questioning sections.

"I know you are stressed and I don't want you to share anything with anyone if you didn't wish... But, don't lose the bonds you keep with them... Everything is better when you three are together... Trust me..."

He smiled back. He knew that.

"Ask Agasthya what he wants... Try to spend some quality time with him. Try something like movies, games etc... Or at least eat together as you used to do... It's his birthday after three days, so plan something..."

"I will try my best." Said Anirudh.
"After this all, in my entire life, I wish to be with him... I will fulfil all of his dreams, no matter how big they are... not only this little thing..."

"Good..." Meghna smiled but not from her heart.

"But little things are always not little, Anirudh..."

***************

"Are you serious?"

Agasthya asked Anirudh biting his nails. First, he thought that his brother was kidding, when he asked him to be ready for shopping. But couldn't believe it when he understood that Anirudh really meant that.

"Yes, of course..." Replied Anirudh ruffling Agasthya's hair.
"I think it will be better for you to have a change... You never stepped out of the house for a very long time..."

"Ok..." Agasthya couldn't mask his excitement. "Let me inform Aary bhaiya and bhabhi too..."

Anirudh sighed and hugged him, blocking his way.

"I had told them both... Already..."

"Well... but aren't they coming?"

"No August... It is just you and me..."

Agasthya's smile faded a little.
"Ok then..."

****************

It was Anirudh's first experience having shopping with his youngest brother. Usually Aaryan does that, even though he wasn't much happy to waste his time that way. Anirudh thought that it was Aaryan's introverted behaviour makes him say that shopping with Agasthya is a wired experience but now he understood why.

First, Agasthya seemed very confused and had the worst colour sense. Each time he comes back from the trial room, his choices made Anirudh laugh out of his lungs. He had an obsession with bright-coloured dresses, especially blue ones, his favourite.

"You should leave these spider-man, Pokemon things and grow up..."
Said Anirudh suppressing his laugh while selecting some single coloured shirts for him.

"Try this... You will look handsome..."

"I am more handsome than you..." Whispered Agasthya and got a slight smack from his brother.

Secondly, Agasthya was attracted like a magnet towards the footwear section and purchased four pair of shoes. He already has a huge collection of shoes, but that never bothered him.

"Over?" Asked Anirudh putting the bags in the car.

"Yes bhaiya..." Agasthya replied with a wide smile. "Let's go..."

"Wait..." Said Anirudh holding his hand. "One more thing..."

**************

"Bhabi will kill you if she ever comes to know this all..."
Chuckled Agasthya finishing his pizza making Anirudh roll his eyes.

"Don't worry bhaiya, I won't tell her..."
Said Agasthya to console his brother.

"I know, August..."

Anirudh moved closer to Agasthya side hugging him.

"I want you to keep everything as a secret..."

Agasthya glared at Anirudh being confused. His brother was hell serious which means there is something more to come.

"I know you are confused, but believe me nothing wrong will happen..."

"What do you mean bhaiya?"

Anirudh was about to answer but a phone call disturbed their conversation.

"I will be back within a minute..." He said walking towards the door leaving Agasthya alone in the room.

Agasthya was shocked and a bit afraid, even though he could see his brother standing outside through the window.
That's why he failed to notice when she stood in front of him.

"Can I have a seat?"

"Hmm... Pardon me..." Agasthya replied with a jerk.

"Can I have a seat, Agasthya?" She repeated with a small smile.

Agasthya stared at the middle-aged woman.
"I am sorry mam, but it's my brother's seat..."

"It's ok... I have Anirudh's permission to speak with you, Agasthya..." She said sitting next to him.

Agasthya looked at his brother who gave him an ensuring node through the glass window.

"But..." At that moment only Agasthya realised that she addressed him by his name.
"How do you know me? I never met you before..."

"Yes, you didn't... But we know each other..."

"Who are you?"

"You may not know me by my name boy...
I am Geetha Malhotra, mother of Simran..."

Agasthya startled and stood up from the chair. She was the wife of their enemy, he knew that.

"Don't worry... I am not here to harm you..."

The first thing that came to Agasthya's mind was to run away from her but he saw Anirudh standing there with the same smile making him stronger.

He is safe whenever his brother is with him. Nothing else matters.

"I hope my daughter is safe and happy..." Said Geetha in a cracking voice recalling Agasthya from his thoughts.

"Of course... She told me that she is happier than ever..."

Geetha continuously blinked her eyes to control her tears. She neither cried for anything nor gonna cry for anyone in her life.

"You are a bad mother..." Agasthya couldn't control himself from saying that. He hated her for making Simran suffer a lot.

"I know... but I raised my daughter as a good woman..."

"Simran didi is the strongest woman I have ever seen..." Murmured Agasthya with twinkling eyes. Actually, he started to admire her like an idol... She was brave, intelligent, caring and more than it she stood up for the good.

"She is strong..." said Geetha slowly passing her fingers through Agasthya's hair. "But not the strongest..."

"What do you mean?"
Asked Agasthya gently pulling back her hands.

"The strongest one is her... Your mother..."

"What?" Agasthya gasped in shock. "Do you know her?"

"I am speaking about Maithili Thakur..."

A single whimper escaped from Agasthya's throat. She wasn't his mother, no matter how hard he wishes... She wasn't...
"She didn't give birth to me... I am not worthy to be her son..."

Geetha glowed at his innocence.
"A woman carries a baby in her womb for ten months but a mother carries her baby in her heart, forever..."

"But I was a mistake... I am not worthy to..."

"You worth it Agasthya... That's why God blessed you to be with your brothers... That's why they love you more than their life..."

Agasthya closed his eyes tightly, letting all his tears flow without any break. Not just he was happy but he was satisfied.
It made him believe that his existence wasn't a curse.

Agasthya wiped his tears and smiled when he felt his brother's warm touch on his shoulder. He raised his head, only to watch Anirudh's anger-filled face glaring at someone who standing behind Geetha.

"Who is this?" That man asked Geetha, pointing towards Agasthya.

"None of your business, Akash..." She replied in a hate filled voice.

But Anirudh held Agasthya's hand tightly and stepped forward.
"He is Agasthya Thakur."

"Oh..." Laughed Akash Malhotra. "So my dear friend Rajeev truly have an illegitimate son... Agasthya exists..."

"Yes..." Hissed Anirudh. "Not as my father's illegitimate son, but as my brother..."

"Well said, my boy..." Smirked Akash. "You are too good by heart, just like your father..."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr Malhotra..."

"You felt it as a compliment! It's really hard to survive in this cruel world with a good heart, Anirudh..."

"Let's see..."

Akash smiled sarcastically.
"Don't try to over cross my path... You are not worthy to be my enemy..."

"You are wrong..." said Anirudh and started to walk towards the door with Agasthya.
"Because... Now I know what exactly happened to F4 MEDICARE..."

Geetha witnessed Akash's face being pale and his breathes being heavy.

"You are lying..." He screamed.

Anirudh didn't turn back.

"Wait for the worst, Mr Akash Malhotra..."

***************

Before an hour, At Aaryan's room.

Simran was confused when she got a call from one of her friends who still works under Malhotra industries, but Aaryan told her to pick it.

"What did he say?"

Simran gulped in fear. She wasn't sure about anything.

"Anirudh has spotted with my parents... Agasthya is with him..."

She gave him her phone, she got some visuals as proof.

Simran felt a cold shiver passing through her spine. She had never seen Aaryan this much angry before...

He whispered glaring at the phone.

"He is a cheater... Just like his father..."

"I don't think so... Anirudh won't do anything wrong, Aaryan..."

Aaryan immediately dialed Anirudh and asked him that where he was.

"I repeat, He is a cheater... Just like his father... He lied to me..."

Simran shook her head in disbelief.
"Don't judge anything now."

Aaryan glared her and opened the file which he got from Anirudh's room.

"I am not a fool, Simran..."

"What are you saying?"

"He knows far better than us... He is playing a double game..."