The Malhotras

Chapter 1

In a room a ninteen year boy was sleeping peacefully. His face was so calm and full of innocence, his sleep was broken by a loud scream.

He jolted off from his sleep and got down from the bed and left the room.

He started descending stairs quickly. The sound of a lady crying loudly could be heard in his ears, the sound became more clear with each step.

Finally he descended the stairs and saw his mother who was grabbing his father's collar in her hands and yelling at him while crying.

"I hate you angad... I hate you, you cheated on me." His mother was screaming in agony.

His father was just standing there looking ashamed and letting her do whatever she wanted.

"Mom what happened? and why are you crying?" He fearfully asked anticipating the answer.

His mother left his father's collar, pushed him and sat down on the ground crying loudly.

"Your father has cheated on me, Advait." His mother said as tears were continuously streaming down on her cheeks.

He quickly came forward and took his mother in his embrace.

"He cheated on me.." She whispered painfully "itne saalon se dhokha de rahe the ye hume ek aur pariwar hai inka humare alawa, ek aur biwi hai inki." She cried.

He looked at his father who was looking down with unshed tears in his eyes. He stood up and looked at him with rage and anger in his eyes.

"Mom kya kehri hain ye dad?" He gritted his teeth.

His father, Angad didn't replied and just looked down.

"Boliye!" Advait shouted on top of his lungs.

"Tumhari mom sach kehri hain." Angad whispered feeling ashamed of his actions.

Advait eyes slightly widened he looked at his father in shock and disbelief.

His mother stood up and said "bas mai aur mera beta ab yaha nahi rahenge, aap rahiye apne pariwar ke sath khush."

She grabbed Advait's hand and started walking towards the entrance when angad quickly came forward and blocked their way.

"Priya meri baat suno maine jo kiya majboori me kiya mai kabhi tumhe dhokha dena nahi chahta tha mujhe pata hai mujhse galti huyi hai par please mujhe chord kar mat jao mai mar jaunga tumhare bina." He begged her while joining his hands.

"Aur agar mai aapke sath rahi to mai mar jaungi Mr. Malhotra" She blankly said and again started walking.

"Meri baat to suno priya please, swati ki death ho gayi hai." He said and priya stopped in her track.

Swati was his second wife. With he cheated on priya. She was once a close friend to priya.

Priya turned and looked at him in shock.

"Haan priya she was suffering from cancer 2 din pehle uski death ho gayi, advait ke alawa mere 3 aur bete hai mai unhe akela nahi chord sakta islie yaha humare sath is ghar me rakhne ke liye lekar aaya hoon." He said.

Priya was broken she again fell down on the ground and looked at him with empty eyes.

"Bachhe Angad." She whispered in disbelief.

"Priya please samjho wo bohot chote hai maa ki jarurat hai unhe please unhe apna lo." He pleaded.

"Apna loon?" She sarcastically chuckled "kitne besharm hai aap mujhse kehte hai ki apki majboori thi to ye 3 bachhe kaise, apni hawas ko majburi ka naam mat dijiye." She bitterly said.

"Priya!" He shouted listening to her words.

"Kya Priya haa? kya priya? Aapne tod diya mujhe aaj jeete jee maar diya, iske liye mai apko kabhi maaf nahi karungi. " She ran to her room crying.

Advait looked at him in disbelief and hurt. Angad came forward and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Beta tum to samjho wo bachhe akele hain koi nahi hai unka mere alawa agar wo yaha nahi rahenge to kaha jayenge." Angad said trying to understand his son.

"Kahi bhi jaye, I don't care bas wo yaha nahi rahenge aur agar wo yaha rahe to mai aur mom ghar chord kar chale jayenge." He said and left for his room.

Angad came out of the mansion and looked at the three boys. They were silently standing there holding each other in their embrace.

One boy was of 11 year old, the second one was of 8 year old and the last a small kid merely was of 5 year old.

Angad went to them and picked up the small kid in his arms and started taking them in the mansion.

He took them in the room and told them not to come out until he asked them to.

He left the room and started going towards his room he was standing outside of his room he turned the doorknob to open the door but it was locked so he knocked at the door but didn't get any response so he again knocked, again no response.

He started knocking continuously and loudly but there was only silence from the other side.

"Priya...Priya please open the door." He knocked loudly but no response.

He quickly went from there to fetch the spare key of the room. He came with the spare key, unlocked the door and was blank seeing the scene in front.

Priya's body was hanging lifelessly on the fan with the support of her saree. Her hands were slumping down on her sides her face was pale.

"Priyaaaaaa!" Angad screamed in fear and disbelief.

Advait and all three kids came out of their rooms hearing the loud sound of his screaming.

Advait entered his parents'room and fell on the floor looking at his mother's body hanging on the fan.

Angad quickly hold her, freed the rope from her body and laid her down on the bed. He shooked her with force but she didn't respond because her soul already left her body.

"Priya wake up please.. Please wake up Priya mai mar jaunga mujhe itni badi saza mat do Priya mai mar jaunga tumhare bina." He patted her cheeks and begged her to open her eyes.

He took her in his embrace and started crying in pain and guilt.

Meanwhile the Advait was sitting on the floor and looking at his mother who was no longer with him.

His eyes were empty. There was not even a single tear in his eyes they were completely blank.

Three kids were standing at the door and looking with confusion and sadness.

The smaller one started crying listening to the noise around him. The elder one took him in his arms and tried to coax him but he was just crying.

"STOP CRYING SHUT UP...Just SHUT UP!!" Advait yelled loudly the younger one flinched and stopped crying because of fear.

Advait stood up and went to his mother "mom utho na please.. please utho na hum dono kahi dur chale jayenge hum yaha nahi rahenge aap utho na please mom." He started saying his face was streaked with tears.

"Mom please utho naa." He screamed in pain.

Advait and his father were standing in the crematorium with few mens.

Priest asked angad to do the last rites of his wife he slowly started walking towards the body when advait stopped him.

"You'll not do the last rites of my mother Mr. Malhotra" He gritted his teeth in anger, hurt was visible in his eyes.

Angad wanted to fight for it but he knew he deserved it so he took a step back and advait done the last rites of his mother.

It was 1 am at night advait was standing in his room looking at the sky through the window, he was blankly staring at the moon. He felt a small tug on his pant, he looked down and saw the 5 year old kid was standing there looking up at him with his doe small eyes.

He clenched his jaw looking at the kid. The little one got scared and stepped back.

"Kya chahiye?" He asked sharply.

The little one shook his head in fear, and turned to left.

"Yaha kya kar rahe ho itni raat me?" He again asked.

The little one hesitantly turned and meekly said "bhooki lagi hai." his voice was dripped with innocence.

Advait felt ache in his heart listening to the sweet voice of his brother...half brother.

"Ruko yahi" He said to him this time in gentle tone and left the room behind him.

After some time he entered the room with a tray in his hand. He placed the tray on the table in front of the couch. There were two sandwiches and a glass of milk in the tray.

"Eat it." He told him while sitting on the bed.

The little one sat on the couch but he was not eating. He was just staring at the food.

Advait noticed it and said.

"Khao ab, abhi to bhook lagi thi na."

"Mujhe khud khana nahi aata humesha mumma hi khilati hai." He looked down with tears in his eyes.

His words touched advait's heart. He felt a pang in his heart, he started thinking about his childhood when he was a child his mother was also used to feed him with her hands.

He stood up and sat on the couch beside the little one, took a sandwich in his hand and forwarded it towards the little one's mouth.

The kid quickly took a bite he started eating hurriedly like he was really hungry from days. After eating the sandwich advait forwarded the glass of the milk in his direction. The kid made a face but drank the milk because he was hungry.

Advait took the glass from his hand and put down on the tray when he felt small arms around him. He looked down to find the kid was hugging him with his small hands.

"Thank you bhaiya!" The kid squealed in happiness.

Advait was speechless. He knew that the kid didn't have any fault in everything that happened but he was still not ready to accept them as his brothers.

The little one broke the hug and looked at him with puppy eyes "mai apke paas so jau? abhi bhai aur adi bhai so gaye hain mujhe akele dal lgta hai." He requested cutely.

Advait was dumbfounded because he was not giving attention to the kid but the kid was trying to mend the gap between them.

He didn't answered him, got up from the couch and laid down on the bed. The kid followed him and laid down beside him, keeping his small arm around his stomach and snuggled to him.

Advait didn't say anything to this, he closed his eyes and started sleeping. He opened his eyes when he felt little voice in his ears.

"Mela naam alush hai." Arush looked up at him "sab mujhe aalu bulate hai aap bhi aalu bula sakte ho." He cutely explained him.

Advait lips curved into a small smile as he noticed the arush wasn't able to pronounce 'r' properly. He blinked at him in response and told him to sleep.

Advait woke up because of the sunlight coming directly on his face. He sat up and looked at his side to found aarush was sleeping with a cute small pout on his lips. He was looking very cute and innocent.

Advait got up from the bed and went to freshen up he remembered everything from yesterday and think that how his life had changed in just a one day.

He came out of the bathroom, dressed in his causal clothes and left the room.

The mansion was all empty, the home which was always filled with laughter and sweet voice of his mother, now filled with emptiness and silence.

He tried hard not to cry but a tear came out from his eye he quickly wiped it off and made his way towards the kitchen.

He saw that 11 year old boy, Abhishek was trying to find something maybe something to eat.

Abhishek sensed eyes on him and turned back to look at the Advait standing in front of him with a blank face.

He got nervous and started walking outside the kitchen.

"10 minute wait karo breakfast bana raha hu mai." Advait said blankly while taking out the breads from the refrigerator.

Abhishek stared at him for a few seconds and walked away to the living room.

After 15 minutes Advait entered in the living room where dining table was placed. He started arranging plates and food on the table, once he was done he went to Abhishek.

"Go, call your brothers." He instructed him.

Abhishek felt hurt when he said 'your brothers' but he shrugged it off and quickly went from there and returned with aditya and little Arush in his arms.

Abhishek felt awkward but hesitantly took a seat on the chair with Arush on his lap. Aditya was still standing near by the table.

"Tumhe kya invitation dena padega?" Advait irritatingly asked.

"De denge to acha rahega." Aditya replied in cool tone.

"Adi" Abhishek hissed at him and signed him to sit.

Advait was glaring at him but the boy was unfazed because he was not even glancing at him.

Advait served the food to them and left from there without eating.

Brothers ate their breakfast in silence and left for the room in which they were living. On the other side advait locked himself in the room and didn't come out for the whole day.

He thought that his father would made the lunch for the kids so he didn't bothered himself to check on them.

In the evening around 6:30 pm he came in the living room to find it empty. He thought of checked in the brothers room. The door of the room was slightly open he entered and looked at the brothers.

Abhishek was carrying a sleeping Arush in his lap and Aditya was roaming around the room rummaging through the drawers and cupboard.

He stopped looking at Advait and rudely asked him "kya chahiye?"

Advait just ignored him and looked at Abhishek "lunch kar liya tum logo ne?"

Abhishek shook his head responding him.

"Kyu nahi kiya?" Advait furrowed.

"Kyuki kisi ne khana banaya nahi aur hume banana aata nahi." Aditya intervened speaking rudely.

"Mujhe bataya kyu nahi tum logo ne?" Advait said in concern "Thodi der me niche aao mai dinner bana raha hu."

Abhishek nodded his head and Advait left from there not before giving a glare to Aditya.

"Aaye bade ache ban kar dikha rhe hain." Aditya mumbled but Abhishek heared it.

"Adi bade bhai hai wo humare tameez me baat karo." He scold him.

"Wo mante hai hume apna bhai? Dekha nahi tha kese chillaye the aru par." He said huffing.

After half and hour all the brothers came to the dining table and sat on their chairs. Advait served them food and started walking away.

"Aap nahi khayenge?" Abhishek asked gently in a nervous tone.

"Mujhe bhook nahi hai." He blankly replied and left from there.

Aditya scowled at him "dekha kese attitude me bol kar gye."

"Khana bhi to unhone hi banaya hai na, ab chup chap khalo." Abhishek said.

They had their dinner, Abhishek and Aditya went to their room but Arush went in Advait's room and entered without knocking.

Advait was sitting on the bed using his phone Arush jumped on the bed and suddenly hugged him.

Advait was again caught in the moment. He was overwhelmed by the gesture of the kid.

"Aapne khana kyu nahi khaya bhaiya?" He asked in his little voice.

"Mujhe bhook nahi hai." Advait gently freed himself from his grip.

"Kyu?" Aarush interrogated.

"Kuch chahiye tumhe?" Advait asked irritated by his questions.

Arush shook his head cutely side to side.

"To jao yaha se mujhe akele rehna hai." Advait said dismissively.

"Par mujhe apke paas rehna hai." Arush said showing his cute puppy eyes.

Advait sighed and again started scrolling in his phone and Arush settled himself beside him.

Advait was looking in the phone and arush was looking at him. He leaned on his shoulder and dozed off in sleep.

Advait looked down and saw he was sleeping peacefully leaning to him. He gently laid him down on the bed and covered him with the duvet.

After sometime he also put his phone down and settled beside him as soon as he laid down Arush snuggled to him. Advait stiffened at first but then gently wrapped his arm around his small figure.

Advait woke up and came in the living room after doing his morning business. He was feeling very weak because he didn't eat anything from past two days he made a sandwich for himself with a glass of juice.

Then he made breakfast for the boys. He started thinking of all the events that had happened in past two days. Then his thoughts hault for a moment. His father.

He hadn't seen him after the cremation of her mother he thought maybe he was in his room or busy in his work. He was very angry and hurt by his father but he wanted to check on him so he made his way towards his father's room.

The door was wide open so he entered the room, but the room was empty he checked the whole room, bathroom, balcony everywhere but his father was not there.

He thought maybe he was not at home so he turned to walked out of the room when a thing caught his attention, a paper placing under the jug of a water.

He pulled out the paper from under the jug and opened it.

I am sorry advait beta, I know maine tumhare or tumhari maa ke sath bhot galat kiya tumhari maa ki maut ka jimmedaar mai hu or mai iss guilt se kabhi bahar ni aa paunga islie mai tum sabse dur jaa raha hu kaha jara hu mujhe khud nahi pata par mujhme tumhe face krne ki himmat ni h

Maine apna sab kuch tumhare naam kar diya h please apna or apne bhaiyo ka dhyan rakhna beta wo tumhare apne bhai hai mujhe pata h tum unka mujhse bhi ache se dhyan rakhoge please beta mai apni ye jimmedaari tumhe deta hu please mere bachho ka dhyan rakhna or ho sake to apne pita ko maaf kar dena. I am sorry.

Your dad.

Advait was shocked and disheartened that his father ran away from his responsibilities. He ran away because he wasn't able to carried the weight of his own doings. He ran away putting all his responsibilities and the responsibility of three kids on a boy who was a teenager himself.