Chapter 1

So ever since the spoiler of the chopper crash was out, lovers of ObBros have been expectantly waiting for more bromance and bro moments between the trio but yesterday those hopes were brutally dashed for many of us, resulting into a frustration of epic proportions. 

I've been struggling with a writer's block since the past two months and ever since I started watching Ishqbaaaz, I've been craving to write something on at least one, if not many, of the characters but my muse would just not cooperate with me. Apparently, something good did come out of all the frustration and I managed to get myself to write again and here goes the result...

I have no idea whether you guys will like it or not, love it or hate it, but I would love to know your thoughts if you do read this piece.

So to my entire frustrated gang from the ATs, hope this helps bring down the frustration levels. 

P.S: For want of a better name, the one-shot is titled so.  And I'm not good at humour so don't expect much there.

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 "As per the latest news coming in from our correspondent, Sukanya Mitra, a blast has been reported in a chopper, in the vicinity of the Oberoi Industries. Our sources tell us that the chopper was supposed to land at the private airstrip owned by the Oberois, and had the eldest son of the Oberois, Shivaay Singh Oberoi, on board when the blast occurred..."

A wave of despair swept over the Oberoi Mansion and everyone stood rooted in shock as the news presenter rattled away about the breaking story of the hour. Priyanka, the youngest of the Oberoi siblings burst into tears and clung to Dadi while the old lady tried to fathom the truth of the news and what it meant.

Her Billu was...

With a sob, she collapsed on the couch beyond her while her granddaughter Priyanka also slumped beside her.

A visibly-shaken Jhanvi tried to hold in her tears and put on a brave face, as she went to Pinky to comfort the woman who had just been delivered the tragic news of her son's apparent demise via the news. Tej was barking orders into his phone as he spoke to his security team, ordering them to trace the location of his nephew, while Shakti, Shivaay's father, was too shocked to react and stood there in a stupor. 

In all the frenzy, no one noticed the person who seemed to be affected the most; the one that had drawn everyone's attention to the news. Rudr, the youngest of the Oberoi sons, stood still as stone, the only sign of life evident in his otherwise immobile body was the shortness of breath as he tried to breathe.

As soon as the news presenter's words hit him, Omkara felt a gnawing constriction around his heart. As if someone was squeezing the very life out of him. He clutched his chest and rubbed his hand on it in an attempt to soothe the clawing. His eyes immediately moved to his brother who was gasping for air. Not a single soul had noticed him. Omkara walked up to him in swift strides and putting his arms around his brother, shepherded him away from the living room. As soon as they were out of earshot, Omkara asked him to relax and breathe, all the while rubbing his arm in soothing motions.

He escorted Rudr to Shivaay's room and sat him on the bed.

Taking a hand in his own, he rubbed his palms, "Rudr, listen to me."

But Rudr continued to sit numb, lost in a faraway world.

"The bullet should have hit closer left," he mumbled. 

"Rudr, what are you talking about?"

"The bullet should have hit closer left," he repeated looking dazedly at Omkara.

"Rudr, no! Shivaay will be fine. Do you hear me?" Omkara said, taking Rudr's face between both his hands and forcing his brother to look at him.

His frantically beating heart doubled up its speed as the implications of Rudr's words set in, bringing with it the image of an unconscious Rudr lying on the floor, shot. Omkara had barely been able to push the what ifs' after Rudr's lucky escape in the shooting incident out of his mind, and now his words were bringing back the haunting questions, vivid in nature. Shivaay and he had spent the past two nights without any sleep as each took turns to sit by Rudr's side at night, to ensure he was fine. To convince themselves that he was alive.

Omkara couldn't think of either of his brothers and death at the same time. The thought of losing either of them sent a pain so fierce though his heart that he wished he'd die before he had to see them dead. Pushing all morbid thoughts aside and focusing on Rudr, he continued to talk to his brother to bring him out of his stupor, "Nothing can happen to Shivaay. He will be back. For you and me, he has to return."

He continued to repeat the words like a chant to comfort his baby brother, heeding the tiny voice in the back of his head that coupled with the voice in his heart and vehemently said, Nothing can happen to Shivaay.

"How can she say that?" Asked Rudr, his voice a broken whisper.

"Rudr, relax, take a deep breath. Nothing can happen to Shivaay," Omkara tried to soothe his brother while his own heart was screaming the same question at him.

"How can she say that?" He repeated, his voice louder than before, not paying heed to Omkara's words.

"How, bhaiyya?" He screamed, the anguish in his voice tearing at Omkara's heart. Rudr's eyes glistened with unshed tears, ready to spill any moment.

"Rudr! Rudr, listen to me. We know Shivaay, right? He will come back," Om tried to reason but Rudr would not listen.

 

 "How can she say that Shivaay bhaiyya di-..."

He choked on the word and couldn't bring himself to complete the sentence. Omkara gathered his brother in a protective embrace as sobs wracked his body. His kissed him on the head and caressed his hair in soothing motions as Rudr's tears continued to fall.

"He's our Superman. Nothing can happen to him. How can anything ever happen to him, O?" He continued to mutter against Omkara's neck while Omkara tried to fight his own tears and comfort his brother at the same time.

Omkara knew Rudr was right, how could anything happen to Shivaay? Hadn't he promised him just two days ago that it wasn't so easy to take Shivaay Singh Oberoi's life? He had always promised to be by their side. He was the one who insisted that they were allowed to do anything and everything except leave each other. They had promised to be there for each other at every step in life. Then how could he die on them?

Against his efforts, his tears spilled, flowing unbidden as the image of the explosion played before his eyes.

As he felt Rudr's sobs subside, he eased himself out of the embrace and swiped at the wetness on his cheeks. Getting up, he went to the nightstand and poured a glass of water for Rudr. Rudr accepted the glass but as he was about to take a sip, he shook his head and pushed the glass away and instead, offered it to his brother first. Omkara smiled and took a couple of sips before offering it back to Rudr who gulped down the remaining water. 

Placing the empty glass back on the nightstand, Rudr drew in a long shuddering breath but didn't speak. Omkara sat beside him on the bed, the oppressive silence enveloping them. Finally, Rudr broke the quiet, "Why is fate so cruel to us, O?"

Rudr's words ripped Omkara's heart. He was a baby, too young to be faced with the harsh realities of the world. Shivaay and he had always shielded Rudr from the mess that was their family, protected him from the ugly truth of the relationships between their parents and cocooned him in all the love the two could offer. They didn't want to break his heart like theirs had been broken. He knew how attached Rudr was to Shivaay and if anything ever happened to him, Rudr would not be able to hold himself together. Heck, he would barely be able to control himself. He was hardly able to stop himself from breaking down this moment but he was holding himself together for Rudr.

Praying to the entity that was God to let his words be true, he said, "Why do you worry, Rudr? Didn't you say that Shivaay is our Superman? Nothing will happen to him. They don't know whether Shivaay was in the chopper during the blast. They just assumed it."

"Shivaay bhaiyya cannot die! He just cannot. Not when we are alive. When I was four years old, and would cry every time mom and dad got into an argument, bhaiyya would pick me up in his arms and carry me to his room. He would tell me stories to distract me and give me his best games to play just so I forget them. He swore to get me all my favourite toys if I promised not to cry." 

"I know," said Omkara as he remembered the memory vividly.  He recollected countless incidents where Shivaay had pulled Om out of such situations. He would drag Om to his own room along with Om's art paraphernalia and supplies and challenge him to a painting contest, even though he hated the paint and the mess it made in his room, just so Om could divert his mind from his parents' fights. He would make Rudr and Omkara sleep with him in his room, to ensure they couldn't hear their parents fight in the adjoining room at night. Shivaay had always given preference to Omkara and Rudr and their wishes over his own. Be it his exams when they were kids or work as they grew up - Omkara and Rudr were always his first priority.

"I never asked for anything except for Shivaay bhaiyya to always be with us. Not even mom and dad," Rudr whispered hoarsely. "How can that be too much to ask for?" 

When he met his brother's eye, Omkara shook his head, "It isn't too much. And Shivaay will be back. We just have to keep the faith."

Rudr swallowed thickly and looked away but didn't say a word.

"He promised me!"

At the fervent whisper, Rudr spun to face Omkara.

He nodded and explained, "After the shooting incident..."

When he paused at the memory, Rudr placed a comforting hand on his arm and Omkara continued.

"After the shooting incident, he said that he wouldn't let anything ever happen to you or me till he was alive. And it wasn't easy to kill Shivaay Singh Oberoi," he met Rudr's eyes and they shared a smile. How strange was it that despite not being there, Shivaay bhaiyya had the ability to make them smile with his words.

 

***

 

He had to see his brothers. 

He didn't want to meet the family first. Omkara and Rudr would not be in the living room, he was certain of the fact. So he entered the mansion through the doors that lead in from the gardens at the back and headed straight to his room. He stood at the door, as he saw his brothers restlessly pacing. Rudr had a desperate look in his eye as he looked at Omkara, while Om replied with an assuring look, trying to put on a brave face. But Shivaay didn't miss the lines of worry that etched his features.

He cleared his throat and they both froze in their tracks. They spun towards the source of the sound and the moment they saw Shivaay, Rudr and Omkara felt weak-kneed with relief. 

"Shivaay!"

"Bhaiyya!"

They exclaimed in unison and the next instant, they had thrown themselves at him. Shivaay held his brothers in a fierce embrace. Though they stood still and no words were uttered, their racing hearts told a story of their own. He could feel the wetness of Rudr's tears seeping into his shirt and caressed his hair in a soothing gesture,

 

"Rudr, I'm perfectly fine."

 

Rudr nodded but refused to budge from where he held tightly on to Shivaay. Omkara also continued to hold him.

 

To lighten the mood, he said, "Guys, the moment is gone..."

 

"It is emotional!"

 

"It isn't awkward!"

 

"Whoa, whoa!" he laughed.

 

Rudr pulled back and pouted while Omkara smiled at them both.

 

"You broke your phone again!" Rudr accused.

 

"Shivaay, you need to carry multiple phones if you wish to continue breaking your phones every time something happens that you do not have a control over," added Omkara, though his tone wasn't accusatory but held a tinge of concern. "This habit of yours will be the death of someone."

 

"As a matter of fact, this time I didn't," stated Shivaay proudly.

 

Two pairs of eyebrows shot up and Rudr and Omkara exchanged a look that said, "Oh, yeah?"

 

"When I learnt that the news of my chopper blast had hit the media, I knew you'll would be worried to death. I kept trying to call but, no reception," he shrugged.

 

"We were," whispered Rudr.

 

Shivaay sensed the strains of panic in Rudr's voice and knew what was going through his baby brother's head. He hugged him close and said, "Didn't I promise you both that I will never leave you?"

 

Rudr nodded and Omkara patted his head.

 

"But we - "

 

"So you doubt the word of Shivaay Singh Oberoi?" asked Shivaay, his voice oozing arrogance.

 

Rudr raised a brow and countered, "You think I'd dare?"

 

Omkara laughed while Shivaay grinned and ruffled Rudr's hair.

 

"I'm starving. Let's go eat?" he asked.

 

Rudr jumped up and exclaimed, "I have prepared something special for you today!"

 

"Oh, boy! You don't want to eat that," muttered Omkara, causing Shivaay to raise a brow.

 

"O! Don't be mean. Shivaay bhaiyya is not like you. I know he will relish my dish," said Rudr pouting, as the trio walked towards the kitchen.

 

"On Earth, or would he have to go to heaven for that?" retorted Omkara, suppressing his laughter.

 

Rudr glared and Shivaay said, "Okay, okay. Let's give it a shot. Though what have you made?"

 

"Bhindi a la carte with cream sauce and scallops!" he replied proudly as he presented the platter before Shivaay.

 

Shivaay looked at the dish, then to Omkara who was containing his laughter with great difficulty, then to Rudr who looked at him expectantly.

 

Bracing himself, he picked up the fork and said, "Bon Appetite!" before digging in.

 

As he took in the first bite, he chewed it with a pleasant smile before quickly gulping it down.

 

Omkara burst out laughing while Rudr narrowed his eyes, trying to assess Shivaay's expressions to judge whether he liked the dish or not.

 

"It isn't good," Rudr said, his words more of a statement than a question.

 

"It's good," Shivaay lied, trying his best not to throw up, because he didn't want to break his baby brother's heart after all that they had gone through today.

 

Rudr pulled the platter out of his hands and said, "I know you love me but you don't need to eat that."

 

Shivaay gave him a surprised look as he put the fork down on the kitchen counter and said, "Really?"

 

"Yes. But only because eating this dish would be too simple a punishment for what you did to us today," Rudr replied wiggling his brows mischievously.

 

"So what is the difficult punishment?" asked Shivaay smiling.

 

Rudr reached out and touched his forehead and then checked his throat. "Temperature's normal," he muttered.

 

Shivaay frowned while Omkara queried, "What?"

 

"O, this isn't bhaiyya!" he said theatrically, his voice a horrified pitch. "Bhaiyya is the king of witty comebacks and he would never listen to anything I say with such ease."

 

"What did you do to our bhaiyya?" he asked, holding Shivaay by his shirt collar and pulling him close to look into his eyes.

 

Shivaay rolled his eyes as he released himself from Rudr's grip and said, "Omkara, does Sara know that Rudr is a cry baby?"

 

Rudr narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean? And oh, by the way, Sara was yesterday. It's Neha today." He smirked.

 

"Om, isn't it Saniya who's coming to your exhibition with Rudr?" asked Shivaay nonchalantly.

 

"Yes, and she had also called up earlier asking for Rudr when he was out with Neha," replied Omkara from where he was leaning against the refrigerator, amused at the turn of the conversation.

 

"Now imagine if Neha and Saniya both learn of this, how pretty will Rudr look tomorrow," Shivaay drawled, as he perched himself on the kitchen counter. "The show stealer of your exhibition!"

 

"Aaand, he's back!" exclaimed Rudr as he and Omkara high-fived each other and he broke into a happy little jig.

 

Shivaay smiled warmly as his brother's contagious enthusiasm filled the air.

 

"So, how are we celebrating the Superman's return?" teased Omkara.

 

"With Pasta Arrabiatta and Lemon Butter Roast Chicken followed by Cookies and Cream Parfait for dessert," said Rudr with relish.

 

"And who, pray tell, is the chef extraordinaire?" asked Shivaay.

 

"Why, the Superman himself!" tossed Rudr as he and Omkara broke into peals of laughter leaving Shivaay to roll his eyes and sigh at the antics of his brothers.

 

***

 

Later that night after he had met the whole family and enjoyed dinner with his brothers, as he lay in bed thinking of the events of the day, Shivaay realized how thankful he was for having escaped the chopper blast. The pain that he had seen in Rudr's eyes, the anguish in Omkara's silence, when he returned had clawed at his heart, leaving it raw. Despite the years that had passed, they were all still emotionally interdependent. If anything happened to even one of them, it left all three of them shaken and had the potential to shatter them. It was time to talk to his security team and find out who was responsible for the consistent attacks and what was it that was causing the lapse on part of his security team.

 

The sound of light footsteps treading on the carpet outside alerted him to the presence of his brothers. They were back, probably to check on him. He smiled and closed his eyes, feigning sleep.

 

Omkara and Rudr tiptoed inside, talking in whispers to ensure they did not disturb Shivaay and alert him of their presence.

 

"Bhaiyya's asleep," Rudr whispered to Omkara as he scampered to Shivaay's bed.

 

"Shh... Quiet! You will wake him up," replied Omkara, his voice barely a whisper.

 

They got into bed on either side of Shivaay and settled beside him. Rudr gently ran his hand through Shivaay's hair, a look of contentment settling on his face.

 

"I still can't believe he's back," he whispered in awe.

 

"Didn't I tell you that he had promised me he would never leave us?" said Om, as he gazed at the sleeping form of his brother. The weariness of the day had caught up with him and to their surprise, Shivaay had already fallen asleep, or so they thought, oblivious to the fact that their brother was very much awake, taking in every single word they spoke.

 

Rudr nodded and they sat in silence for a few minutes, watching Shivaay sleep.

 

"O?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"I'm not going anywhere tonight. I'm sleeping with bhaiyya," said Rudr in a determined voice.

 

"Rudr, he needs to rest," Omkara reasoned. "And we're not kids anymore."

 

"So?" he argued. "Don't you remember, Shivaay bhaiyya's doors are always open for us."

 

"Rudr!" Omkara sighed, exasperated. He realized it was futile to argue with Rudr because as he had already made up his mind, there was no going back now. If they continued, they would only end up waking Shivaay.

 

He sighed and nodded his consent.

 

Rudr slipped beside Shivaay, encircling his hand around Shivaay's arm and snuggling closer.

 

Omkara smiled at the look of serenity on Rudr's face as he closed his eyes and lay there. He turned off the lights and slipped in on the opposite side. Soon they had both dozed off into a peaceful sleep. Shivaay opened his eyes and sat up. His heart filled with an inexplicable sense of contentment as his saw his brothers sleeping peacefully beside him. Somehow, Omkara had also managed to weave his hand around Shivaay's in his sleep. Shivaay gently eased his hands out and pulled the comforter over them.  Placing a kiss on each of their foreheads, he settled in for the night, with an arm around each brother.

 

He would always continue to cherish and protect them, was his final thought before he succumbed to the embrace of sleep.