Destiny's Play!!

Chapter - 52

Uday was sure he was going to die today and all by his brother's hand. The look Karan wore as he studied him was so cold he actually gulped. He had messed up. And because of him poor Avni had to endure so much. He recalled his conversation with Riddhima from last night. Though there was nothing much to remember but he had seen firsthand what his stupid plan had brought out in the girl. She had stayed quiet through the whole journey and despite that he had sensed her anger. She had been angry at the dinner table too. It was only before getting out of his car she had asked him outright if he liked Avni enough to want to propose to her. He had denied it and she had laughed calling him a liar and a flirt and how she could never stand men like him. Uday hadn't known what to say to her. There was so much distress and so much anger in her voice he had just taken it sitting there and then she had left. He had driven through the valley after that for a long time wondering about the results of his little experiment when he had gotten the text from Karan. It was clipped like a telegram. All it said was Avni was ill and staying at his place and he wanted to see him first thing in the morning. So here he was.

"You look awful," Karan said coldly.

Uday looked at his older brother. He must be. He hadn't slept a wink even after his return from the long drive he had taken.

"I am sorry bhai," Uday said and looked away.

"Save your apologies for someone who cares," Karan said angrily though keeping his voice low. Avni was still sleeping.

He had seen Uday approaching the house fifteen minutes back and he had decided to meet him outside on the porch. He hadn't even changed from the clothes he had worn last night. They were crumpled and it seemed he hadn't slept at all. There were red rims around his eyes. Any other day he would have sympathized with Uday but not today. This time Uday's carelessness had gone too far.

"Bhai, I mean it," Uday said earnestly.

Karan scoffed.

"Seriously," Karan said sarcastically, "you know I had always thought you to be the most sensitive out of the three of us but you made me revise my opinion. What were you thinking?" Karan asked tersely.

"Avni told you everything," Uday said.

"She didn't have to genius," Karan said caustically, "one look at the two of you at the table last night and an idiot could tell you don't know each other that well, forget about going around," he told him, "Riddhima is currently too jealous to see through the charade but she will eventually see it too. Did you even for a second consider that this is the girl you love? So maybe you shouldn't put her through something like this. Maybe just talking to her one day honestly about how you feel would probably do the trick than the rotten thing you are making her go through," he said coldly.

"I was out of options," Uday argued and quickly took a step back as Karan took a step forward. Uday knew one thing about his brother he would fight to keep both his siblings safe but if either of them crossed the line he wouldn't hesitate to punish them enough to bring them back to their senses. And Karan's bite was worst than his bark.

Karan didn't know if he should slap Uday to make him come to his senses or should he hang him upside down the tree for a few hours. As he took a step forward Uday took a step back.

"Is that the only excuse you could come up with?" Karan said threateningly. "Coward," he spat at the word, "come up with anything to justify your actions isn't it. Do you even realize how you have jeopardized Avni because of this? You have any idea what mom and dad would think if they found out? That girl doesn't have it in her to say no to people when they coax her or pressure her for something she doesn't want to do and so she ends up saying yes. Call it her weakness or gentle nature or her soft heartedness you choose but you took advantage of that. Now Riddhima distrusts her, almost hates her for no fault of hers and all because of you. The stress she underwent she has been out like a light for the past eight hours or so. Do you have any kind of idea how much pain she had because of that migraine she suffered last night? I am glad I took the decision to bring her back home else God knows how she would have fared with an incompetent fool in the house for company," he blasted Uday.

"I didn't want her to suffer," Uday said quietly, "I didn't want Riddhima to become hostile towards Avni either. I just wanted to know if Riddhima liked me enough to be jealous of another if I transferred my attentions," he said.

"Why couldn't you ask her straight out calling her bluff rather than involving others?" Karan asked angrily.

"Bhai...I..." Before Uday could utter another word something hit his head. And he winced at the pain. He looked at the thing it was a pine cone. Karan couldn't have hit him as he still stood before him and the pine cone had come from somewhere behind him besides Karan looked surprised too. As Uday turned he watched a mad Manya approaching him at a speed. And she had another pine cone in her hand aimed for him. She was a good shot if anything. She had practiced shooting targets with little things since she was three.

Damn. He was going to be sandwiched between his older brother and younger sister today. In other words he was going to die. This was a classic example of being trapped between a devil and a hard rock. But why was Manya this mad at him? Was it because of Avni or was it on behalf of Riddhima?

What was he going to do?

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