(Flashback continue...)

It has been an hour since Rajeev Thakur and Karan Chaudhary reached the factory of F4 Medicare. They could find neither Akash nor Prathap.

"Shall we check them in the laboratory?"
Rajeev asked Karan putting his hands inside his pocket. It was a cold night as well as dark.

Karan, who had a strong gut feeling that something wrong is happening around them, shook his head in confusion.
"I don't know why but it feels like... It feels like Akash is troubling us. He told us that he would be here but where is he?"

"I am tensed about him, Karan... What if Prathap harms him?"

A soft chuckle escaped from Karan thinking about the innocence of his best friend.
"Seriously? Akash is a tricky fox you know... And I am afraid that he has to do something more here..."

"Whatever..."
Rajeev murmured. He was already betrayed by one of his friends and wasn't strong enough to think that Akash would also do the same.

They stopped when they noticed the gloomy yellow light coming out through the half-closed door of the laboratory.

"I think we found them..."
Karan whispered and was about to enter in but Rajeev stopped him.

"We should be careful... Prathap is not a good person..."

"I know... But we have no other choice."
Answered Karan. "And nothing will happen to you... Promise..."

"I don't want anything to happen to you too..."
Said, Rajeev while stepping into the room following his friend.

Prathap was busy with the work he had so that he failed to notice them entering in and hiding behind the door. There was a gun lying near to his hand and that accelerated their hearts.

"What is he doing?"
Karan asked.

"Clearing the evidence, I guess..."
Rajeev said without taking his eyes from that scene. He felt pure hate towards Prathap for cheating him like this.
"I would never trust him..."

They both held their breath when they heard running footsteps outside.

"It's me..." Said Akash entering in and that made Prathap lower his gun.

"I am sorry, I thought it was Karan..." Exhaled Prathap.
"I had cleared all the chemicals so that no one can trap us now. Let the bastards do whatever they can... It's over."

Akash didn't say anything but smirked. According to him, it was just a beginning.

"Thank you for helping me with the information that Karan and Rajeev found our secret, Akash..."
Said Prathap. "I will give you a gift for this..."

"Of cause you will..." Replied Akash in a weird tone.

"You cheated us..."
Before Rajeev could stop, Karan rushed out of their hiding spot and punched Akash in his face making him fall to the ground along with the bag he had in his hand.

Both Prathap and Akash was shocked to the core by this unexpected turn of events so that they couldn't react at the moment.

"I expected this from you Akash... You are nothing but a rascal..."

"Prathap... Save me..." Akash cried in fear.

At that moment only Karan realised the foolishness he has done. Without any weapon, without any defence, he is in front of the Prathap Deshmukh... A professional shooter who never miss his aim. And still, Prathap doesn't know that Akash has played on both sides.

"He is fooling you too..." Karan screamed in anger.
"It's he who told us to be here today night. Everything was his plan..."

"No, I didn't..." Gulped Akash when he saw Prathap frowning.

"You bloody liar..."
Karan again slapped him.

Without wasting a second Prathap fired the gun.

"You... You are... gonna... regret for... this..."
Uttered Karan to Prathap along with his last breath.

Rajeev felt his heartbreaking down like anything. He collapsed on the floor crying silently. It was his best friend dying in front of him, and he couldn't do anything to save him.

Prathap's hands shivered for the first time. Karan's eyes weren't closed yet and that glare disturbed him. His last words alarmed in Prathap's mind.
"You are gonna regret for this..."

Suddenly a loud cry gained his attention. Prathap turned towards Akash who was standing there holding a baby in his hand.

He felt a shock passing through his spine. He could see the face of the baby, screaming and shivering, tears rolling down through his pink cheeks... It was his champ.

"My son..."
Prathap began to run towards him but Akash stepped back with a wicked grin.

"One more step..."
Akash warned him in a cold voice touching the baby's chest with the sharp end of a knife.
"I will stab him in his heart..."

"No..." Prathap screamed in terror. He gasped for breath. He felt utterly helpless and broken.
"Why are you hurting him? What do you want?"

"I want everything you have, Prathap Deshmukh. I want pride, status, power, success... And Money, of cause..."

"What?"

Akash didn't reply but threw a set of papers towards Prathap. It was a property transmission document.

"You want to save your little one, right?"

Prathap couldn't hold his tears. How could he let his baby suffer?
"I will do anything you want... Please don't harm him... I beg you..."

"Well..." Said Akash.
"As the first step, sign on the papers and make your properties mine..."

Without a second thought, Prathap did the same. He left his empire, which he made by his entire life for his children. For him, nothing in this world is more precious than his son.

At that time Prathap felt the meaninglessness of his life. In the end, he is neither a millionaire nor a champion... just a father who couldn't even save his son from a coward. He remembered his wife's words. That gave him another shock.

"Is she safe? Is my family and my children are safe?"

Akash nodded his head and raised his eyebrows.
"Honestly, I had no plan to kill your family initially... But your wife wasn't ready to give your son... She fought with me, and I should say that she was extremely brave. But she died for your baby... A few minutes later your family too... Died in a bomb blast..."

Prathap kneeled on the ground, crying his heart out. He wished to finish Akash with bare hands but his child was with him.

"It's miserable... I know... That's why I am trying to give you an early relief, my friend..."
Said Akash to Prathap.
"I don't want any person who knew my secret to live on this earth... So..."

"I will kill you..." Prathap groaned grabbing the gun from the floor and pointing it towards Akash.

With a nasty chuckle, Akash slowly pressed the sharp sword against the baby's chest.

The baby's voice was already tired and low but that pain made him wail. His thin one-day-old skin wasn't strong enough so that blood drops started to fall through the edge of the knife.

The gun skipped from Prathap's hands.
"I beg you... Please... Don't make my baby cry... I can't see this..."

"Then do what I said... Can't you give your life for your son?"

For the first time in his life, Prathap prayed to God.
'I know that I am not worthy enough to live anymore... I am happy to die, it is the only thing I could do for my son... Punish me for everything I had done, and save my son...'

The sound of a gunshot echoed in the room. Prathap fell down, blood oozing out from his head. He sacrificed his life for his son, regretting for every awful thing he had done.

Akash sighed in relief. He has to escape from there before someone noticed. And about the baby, he was not ready to leave him alive. He may be too small but still, was Prathap's son. To be frank, Akash was afraid of him too.

He could see a running figure approaching and that demanded him to hide somewhere. He pulled the icebox which was kept in the lab and put the unconscious baby init and closed it, leaving him to get frozen. Then he pushed it towards the corner where Rajeev, the only witness of these events was hiding.

Rajeev covered his mouth to suppress his sobs. He was on the edge of death. Akash won't spare him if he finds him.

"You?"
Akash shouted when he saw the person who was approaching him.

Geetha Malhotra, his wife didn't utter a word but slapped him right across his face.

Akash began to say something but she again slapped him.

"I know it's you who killed Prathap as well as his family..."

Akash rolled his eyes and smirked.
"So what? All of them are dead, what can you do?"

Geetha closed her eyes tightly. He was no more the person whom she once loved more than her life.

Akash moved close towards her and pressed her towards the wall while she stood there like a statue.

"Your slap was fantastic, dear... Your hands are still soft and..."

"Shut up..." Geetha roared trying to push him away.
"I was silent but that doesn't mean that I didn't notice..."

Akash laughed.
"You can't do anything... Our daughter still admires me, don't you know that?"

A single teardrop escaped from Geetha's eyes. No matter how much Akash avoided her, but Simran loved him more than anything. The little girl believed that her father is also a Superman, just like others. She always tried to impress him not knowing the fact that his father hates her for being a daughter, not a son. Sometimes Geetha tried to make Simran aware of the reality but she had limits. It wasn't easy to convince a 7-year-old child that her father is a criminal. Actually, it ended up Simran being furious with her mother for blaming her Dad and Geetha couldn't mend that damage.

She failed as a mother, she failed as a wife and she knows that she is gonna fail as a human being too...

"How could you be this heartless Akash?" She asked in a shaking voice but his smile didn't fade even a bit.

"When you finish the game, no one will remember how did you play it... The only thing that counts is how much you have gained."

"Go and check the icebox, Geetha... We have to leave this place soon..."
Said Akash while collecting the papers.

"What is in it?"

"Oh... It's a baby... Youngest son of Prathap Deshmukh..."

Gasping in shock, Geetha ran towards the icebox and pulled open its cap.

The scene in front of her eyes cracked her heart. He was lying on the ice, his little body has started to turn pale blue. She could see tiny smithereens of ice on his hair and eyelashes. He is frozen and dead, she thought.

"Is he alive?"
Akash asked loudly.

Geetha raised her face but another shock was waiting for her. She saw Rajeev behind the door, just 2 or 3 feet away from her.

Rajeev closed his eyes in dismay. His death was near. She is gonna inform Akash that he is here. He recalled his wife's and children's face and apologised to them.

"Is he alive?"
Akash repeated his question that made Geetha reveal the shock.

"Let me check..."
She replied with a jerk and slowly touched the baby.

A small smile appeared on Geetha's face when she placed her fingers on his heart. Tears of happiness started to roll down through her cheeks. His heart was beating... Yes, he was tired... He was weak... He was too small to fight... But still, his heart was beating...

"Is he alive?"
Akash again shouted being impatient.

Geetha turned towards her husband hiding the smile. He failed to notice the light in her eyes. She couldn't save anyone earlier but God gave her a second chance. And she knew what should be the answer to that question.

"NO..."
She said blocking her husband's path to the child and Rajeev.

"He is NOT alive..."

"Good then..." Nodded Akash.
"He is born to die..."

Geetha slowly turned back acting like she is closing the box. She caressed the baby's face once more and left the box half-open so that he could breathe properly.

Rajeev looked at her with thankful eyes while she smiled back in tears. She protected them from her husband by risking her own life.

"Save the baby... Please..."
She whispered to Rajeev before walking away.

"He is born to live..."

~~~~~~•~~~~~~

Rajeev stepped into his house through the backdoor silently. He was running all the way to the house, carrying the baby with him.

"Rajeev... What happened?"
Asked Maithili glaring at her husband's pale face and shivering hands. Bloodstains on his dress terrified her.

"Where are my children?"
He asked before breaking down with a loud cry.

Maithili immediately ran towards him and hugged him.
"They are sleeping... Relax..."

She felt a cold touch on her hands while hugging him.

"Oh my God..." Maithili stepped back when she saw the baby lying on his lap.
"Whose baby is this?"

Rajeev didn't reply but laid the baby on the floor. He didn't wish to break his wife's heart.

"Who is he?" She asked again.

"No one to us..."

Maithili glared at Rajeev for a moment before taking the shivering baby in her hands. She supported his head with her left arm slowly patted on his back but he wasn't responding. That frightened her.
"We have to take him to a doctor, Rajeev... He is not responding..."

"We can't..." Whispered Rajeev not looking at the baby. "His life is in danger, like mine..."

Maithili gasped in scare hearing his words. She could see the fear in his eyes as well as the pain.

She took a deep breath and hugged the baby close to her so that he could feel her warmth. She started to rub his back with a rhythm and very slowly pressed his chest without touching on the wound.

"Wake up, baby..."
She whispered to him and looked at Rajeev being tensed.

"He is frozen..." said Maithili continuing her try to save the child.
"Rajeev... Please take the baby swaddling cloth which we used for Aaryan when he was small... I kept it in the cupboard..."

The baby slowly blinked his eyes stretching his tiny legs. He felt safe and comfortable on her hold. He could feel the love of a mother, which he was missing the most. He inhaled the new air deeply to gain some strength. That made him feel the pain and he began to cry aloud.

"Oh... Oh... Don't cry, dear..."
Maithili cradled him.

The baby stared at her for a moment. He held her long silky smooth hair and started to play with it. It was helpful to change his mood.

She couldn't help but smile at him. He was too cute. She gently covered him with the cloth and kissed on his chubby hands making him giggle.

Then she turned towards Rajeev who was silently witnessing them.
"Tell me now... Who is he?"

Rajeev narrated all the incidents in a cracking voice. Be cried while talking about Karan's death as well as Geetha's bravery.

He expected her to be afraid but she composed herself.
"We can't change what happened... But I won't allow that Moron Malhotra to touch my children..."

Rajeev nodded.
"He doesn't know that I was there... But I can't hide the truth for a long time... The police and the media need answers... But it will be suicidal if I reveal the truth..."

"But Akash deserves punishment..."

"I know..." Murmured Rajeev.
"I know it's cowardliness to run away but... I can't risk your life... I don't want you to suffer for my mistake..."

"What do you mean?"

"He will hunt me, Maithili... He won't leave me easily... I don't want to put my sons in danger... It will be better if I stay away from you all for some time..."

Tears started to roll down through Maithili's face.
"I can understand the seriousness of the situation but... I want to be with you... Let's fight together..."

"I know you are brave... but why should we allow Ani and Aary to be a part of this... Don't ruin their childhood..."

"Don't we have any other choice?"

"No... I will move on to somewhere else... Forgive me for leaving you alone with our kids... My fault ruined your life too... I am the worst father..."

"Don't say like that, Rajeev..." She said looking into his eyes.
"I understand how hard it for you to decide this... They might hate you first but I am sure that one day they will realise everything..."

Rajeev sighed. He wished to meet his lifelines before leaving but he wasn't daring enough. He knows it will be impossible to move away after that.

"And about this baby..." He shook his head and took a deep breath.
"I will leave him in an orphanage... Let's hope that..."

But Maithili cut him in middle.
"What? Are you serious?"

"What can I do other than that?"

"You can't do that to this little soul... If Akash came to know about his real identity, then... Oh, God... I can't even imagine that..."

"I know I am being cruel but..."

"Take him with you, Rajeev... What is his fault to be treated as an orphan? Why should he suffer?"

Rajeev gasped in shock.
"But he is an orphan..."

"No, he isn't..."
She shouted curdling the baby closer to her heart.

"If you were ready to think twice before believing Akash blindly then this baby shouldn't have lost his mother... Now he is alone in this world... I feel that it is our responsibility to save him, to love him... I am a woman, Rajeev... I am a mother... What if it was Anirudh or Aary instead of him? Can we imagine that?"

Rajeev felt that she was correct but still he tried to convince her.
"I know you are correct but... I am not confident enough that I could protect him..."

Maithili kissed the baby and wiped her tears.
"If you are not confident enough then I am... I will raise him as my son along with my elder two. I am ready to face the consequences, but not ready to leave him alone..."

Rajeev side hugged his wife. It was the courage only a mother could have... He was nothing in front of that.

"I will take him with me..." He said.

"I want you to love him... Care him the way you did for our children... Shield him from the dangers..."
She smiled placing the baby in his arms.

The baby frowned and held her hair more tightly. It was clear that he wasn't ready to miss her warmth.

Maithili felt her eyes being wet and her heart is filled with pure love. She covered him with kisses and whispered in his ears.

"Don't worry dear... Mumma is always with you... Be safe and happy... You are not alone... You have me, your papa and two brothers... We will meet again..."

Rajeev also smiled at the baby who was glaring at them without blinking his eyes.

Maithili slowly the baby's fingers from her's.
"I love you, Agasthya..."
She said.

"Agasthya..."
Asked Rajeev in a surprised tone.
"Why Agasthya?"

"Because I love that name..." She replied with a naughty grin.
"You can call him August... Pretty, isn't it?"

"Adorable..." He smiled back.

She hugged him again.
"Let's wait for our children to grow up... Once they will be in a state to understand everything and then I will explain the reason for your absence in their life. I will tell them that they have a little brother who is not from their mother's womb but always been in their mother's heart."

"I will come back then..." Rajeev completed her words.
"I will come back with Agasthya..."

"I will miss you..."
She said before closing the door.

Rajeev wiped his tears and turned back once again.

"One day we could be together again..."

~~~~~~•~~~~~~

Little Anirudh stared at his father's running figure through the half-opened window. He was sleeping before that moment so that he didn't hear his parent's conversation.

He was wondering that what was wrong with his father. He could see him holding something close to his heart but Anirudh couldn't guess it out.

Anirudh heard Aaryan calling his name while searching him in bed. He walked back and lied beside him silently.

"What was in Papa's hand?" He asked himself.
"What was it?"

(Flashback ends...)

~~~~~~•~~~~~~

Anirudh looked at the three pairs of tear-filled eyes glaring at him. Aaryan's lips were shivering but Anirudh could hear his sound.

He was aware of the thousands of questions roaming in their mind. And he was ready to face them.

"When I was a child, I always wondered that what was Papa holding that much closer to himself. When I grew up, the confused teenager in myself confirmed that it was nothing but money... It took a long time for me to realise the truth..."
He sighed.

"It was more precious than anything in the world... It was our August..."

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

Longest update, more than 3.5 k words.

Hope it wasn't boring...

Please do some comments. At least say that was it good or bad... I have no idea that did I succeed in conveying the flashback to you guys properly...

Do Support... Follow me if you can...

Thank you for reading 💖

Target: 120 votes