Kunal OS : Starting Now
~the last of the Janmashtami series. I am going to need some time to think whether I want to write a story featuring all the characters or only Mishti/Kuhu as the central ones.
The earliest memory Kunal has of himself and Abir was when he was too young to speak and had sneaked into Abir's room. He looked upto Abir, he was brave enough to sleep all along while Kunal was still scared of whatever the night held.
Abir was busy drawing something and when Kunal had come, he insisted on drawing him. So, Kunal sat there for hours, trying to model for his brother. When the drawing was completed, Kunal was thrilled. His brother was so talented! With all the excitement that the picture brought him, Abir got the drawing framed and hung in the room that would one day be Kunal's.
Over the years, Kunal and Abir had both forgotten about the picture. When the room was finally opened again, the picture had collected dust but the memory hadn't. As he grew older, the drawing resembled more and more a potato but Kunal couldn't care less. While Abir is, till date, embarrassed of that drawing, Kunal isn't. He does tease Abir from time to time but he loves the drawing. It reminds him that Kunal would do anything that would make his brother happy and his brother would so the same. Even sit for hours, unmoving and let him draw a potato.
While his brother and mom kept arguing every few days, Kunal tried his best to keep the peace. He could not afford to upset either of them. They both meant the world to them and slowly Kunal took it upon himself to keep them together. It was necessary. There was no reason, except that this was how he liked them. Together.
What little Kunal failed to realise, they had these arguments because of their difference of opinions. Every time they let go of an argument just so they could keep him happy, they let a little bit of remorse and unspoken anger silently tread in the shadows, waiting for the day they turned strangers to how the other felt.
Now, sitting in the hospital room, Kunal let himself think. It was because Abir didn't want to fight with his Mom, to keep her and Kunal happy, he left them time and again. Just so they wouldn't fight. Unspoken words and resentments are like poison. Every time Abir left them without any clue as to where he was headed to, his mother grew a little more paranoid.
Maybe if he had just let them fight, their relationship would have been healthier. His mother wouldn't have nurtured this fear of losing Abir. It wouldn't have let her convince him that Mishti was wrong in every possible way. Wouldn't have let him play with Kuhu's feelings, marry her and then abandon her so heartlessly.
Now, he realised. He had no one to blame but himself. He should have been helping his Mom see reason. Convincing her that Bhai loved them enough to not leave them forever. Instead, he played right into the hands of this stupid plan his Mom wanted to execute.
When Mishti did the one thing Kunal had been avoiding all his life, Kunal felt like his worst fears came true. He had successfully kept Meenakshi and Abir from fighting but that day, for the first time, not only did Abir and Meenakshi fight, even Kunal fought Abir. How was he supposed to think rationally?
As he looked at Kuhu, he regretted not doing that. Mishti's fall hadn't affected him directly but it did shake the wall he had chosen to build in front of his eyes. In this 'mission' of separating and eradicating Mishti from his brother's life, Kunal had lost himself. Ever since Shweta, he was nothing but a shell of himself. Each time Abir pointed it out, Kunal would roll his eyes. How could he not? How could he accept that being rejected had so terribly affected him?
Kunal was not unaware of his fragile ego. He knew how the little-est of things affected him. There was no way he could possibly justify his hatred for Mishti and his actions that were guided by this hatred. When Mishti had rejected him and everyone had witnessed it, Kunal felt the rejection harder this time. Shweta's rejection was just a note. There was no audience to it.
Don't get him wrong. He didn't love Mishti. But the fact that someone had yet again decided that he was not worth it broke Kunal. Of course he had two ways then. He could have accepted it and moved on or he could have done what he did. He had lashed out, behaved like a kid and now that he thought of it, he had been exactly the kid his brother and mother protected from their arguments. It all came down to him.
He heard Kuhu, he realised how wrong he was. He hated seeing his family fight but in the last 15 days, he had not even once thought of how terrible the Maheshwaris felt every time the peace of their home was compromised. He had wanted to not let Mishti come between him and Abir but he had himself widened the already wide gap between Kuhu and Mishti. The worst of it was, he had gone so far that Kuhu had hoped Mishti left them forever.
Kunal had wished it too but it was only meant for her to leave him and his brother alone. He couldn't see her face and not think back to the day he felt himself failing once again. His brother had such high regards of love but Kunal kept failing. He hated it.
Now that Mishti had fallen and injured herself, Kunal realised how each and every action of his could hold him responsible for the situation Mishti was in. Mere minutes before all this happened, Kunal had bumped into Mishti. She had looked at him worriedly. "Kunal, that day, during the vidaai, what did you mean?"
"Exactly what you heard Mishti. You are going to be responsible for everything that happens to your sister."
With all the hate, all the ill-thoughts, Kunal knew one thing. He wouldn't want Mishti to die. Even if you call him selfish, he refused to live with that crime on his conscience. Ever since the Gordhana, he had left no stone unturned to try and ruin whatever life she had but he didn't want her to stop living completely. At least, he didn't realise it.
When Kuhu suggested they go sit with the family, Kunal spotted his brother. Hurrying to him, Kunal kept a hand on his shoulder.
"Mishti is now okay Nanko." Abir looked relieved. "The doctor said it is nothing. She'll be okay. She won't leave me."
Kunal managed to smile.
-
When Vishambhar came back, Kunal smiled a little brighter at his brother this time. Abir smiled back before hurrying into Mishti's room. As Kunal saw his brother disappear behind the doors, he sighed.
"Kunal." It was his Mom, standing a little farther away. She walked to him.
"I know you've had your time to think. I don't know what you have come to conclude but I think we should give Mishti a chance."
"No Mom." Kunal looked at her with a sad smile. "We are nobody to give her a chance. She has her place in Bhai's life. There is nothing we could possibly do."
Meenakshi nodded.
"In fact, I think it's time we began correcting everything that we have done wrong." Meenakshi looked at him curiously.
The doors opened and Kuhu walked out, looking slightly better now that Mishti was okay. She walked to Ketki who hugged her. Kunal looked at Kuhu who turned to look at him. Kunal smiled a little and she did the same.
Things had gone horribly wrong these last few days. Kunal knew he had a lot to do. It was not going to be easy. When he told everyone the truth, there was a lot he would have to face. He would have to do it anyway. There was no way his family was going to go easy on him this time. He didn't want them to.
And of course there was Mishti. She would be the first one he would make upto, he decided. This is where all this mess started and this is where he was going to clear it up.
---
I guess you can call it Day 3 since it's almost 12 am here. So, Day 3 of Krishi wondering whether she should write or studyš Thank you so much for all the lovely and encouraging comments. They really mean a lot to meš
Since it is Kunal, I personally think him changing all of a sudden would be pretty out of character but still... A girl can dream. It was also short because if I began any further, I would never end it until he is redeemed the best he can be, lol.
That potato bit was very random but I LOVE writing about kids and their stupid adorable ideas. Plus, imagining tiny Abir and Kunal is way too entertaining. As of now, the 'Janmashtami' series ends here. I will probably begin a series for Mishti's recovery period soon. Let's hope I do it quick before the CVs ruin my mood for it :P
Cricket
