Sometimes Hate is Enough

Chapter 11

Arnav

I knocked on the door twice in a row, then waited for it to open.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I said so as soon as it opened before looking at Akash. Why is he looking like this? Is he sick?

He stared at me for so long that I thought he might decline. But with a furrowed brow, he opened the door wider and stepped back for me to enter.

I entered his room and looked around awkwardly since I've never actually been to his room while he closed the door. He motioned for me to sit on a jade green cushioned chair by the floor-to-ceiling window while he did the same.

H

e waited patiently as he stared at me through his glasses, looking so calm that I would have completely believed it if I hadn't noticed his clenched jaws and tightly clasped hands resting on his thighs. But his gaze was somewhat heavy. With anger, I think. Which he didn't try to hide. At least he's bothered by my presence. That's a start... I guess.

"Bhai, I have to leave for a meeting in 20 minutes." He said this after taking a look at his watch.

"You do?" I don't remember having a meeting with the board or anyone at 2 p.m.

"With the contractors." He explained it stiffly as he unclasped his hands and rested his elbows on the armrest.

I nodded in return as I took a minute for myself to gather my thoughts, then started saying everything I had decided needed to be told or heard.

"I never meant for it to happen. I was just trying to protect the family and avoid unsolicited losses." I paused for a moment, giving him an opportunity to speak, but he didn't. "I admit that it was a big misunderstanding on my part, which I assure you, will never happen again. And I would like to take full responsibility for my actions. If you'd let me, of course."

He just stared at me with furrowed brows and his hands clasped together while he sat leaning against the backrest.

"Unsolicited losses.. Misunderstanding.. Full responsibility..." He quoted my words in a much more clipped voice than mine with raised brows before twisting his mouth a little to the left and leaning forward before pressing his clasped hands over his lips and balancing his elbows on his knees. "And why did you do whatever you did?"

I caught the little mock on his words as he finished while looking at me with curiosity. How dare he mock me? I'm his older brother. I might have made a mistake, but no one gave him the right to talk to me like that. No one has the right to talk to me in such a manner.

I calmed myself before answering his questions, but my words came out a little more angry than I had truly intended.

"Because I was under the impression that Khushi was having an extramarital affair with Shyam." His brows knitted as he straightened up in his seat and listened quietly. "On your wedding night, she had asked him to divorce Di, and he had agreed. I had confronted him, and he had said that he loved Khushi and would divorce Di."

"And then you blackmailed Khushi to marry you." He stated this as he slowly nodded his head.

I confidently nodded in answer as he stared at me with some kind of emotion I couldn't understand. For a moment, I thought he understood me. But soon it all vanished when he opened his mouth.

"You... tried to blackmail that girl into marrying you, threatened to break her sister's wedding, took decisions for Di and I all by yourself, then you have the audacity to come here and defend your doings instead of apologizing or showing your regret." I swallowed dryly as I noticed his already narrowed eyes and felt his anger... and disgust in his words and features.

I found myself looking down. Since then, I have had nothing to say. I had come here with the intention of explaining my actions and why I was right. But it all washed away as he put it like that. And now, I feel wrong. I... feel like maybe it really wasn't the right way to handle the situation.

"I... I just can't talk to you right now. At least not when you have already made up your mind that you're right and we are all wrong." He said this as he stood up and grabbed the file from the table, looking clearly done with this conversation.

I also followed his suit, stood up before looking at him, and nodded while saying, "I don't expect you to understand. I just..." My voice sounded small. When did I ever talk like that?

"Bhai!" He sighed as he spoke, and he looked both devastated and helpless. "You can't blame me for not understanding you when it's you who needs to accept that you can't always be right. Stop defending and hiding your mistakes."

I can't hide my mistakes when I haven't even done any. But I kept my mouth shut since he was too adamant about me not being right. I agree that I was at fault, but I'm not hiding anything when it was me who came to take responsibility for my wrongdoings.

"I have already told you that I would take full responsibility." I spoke while he neared the door to leave as I breathed heavily through my nose in frustration.

He huffed out a laugh before turning to face me and shaking his head while looking at me.

"You don't take responsibility when you're at fault. This is not business, Bhai... This is family." He looked at me with slumped shoulders as I noticed his eyes softened with... Pity? He dares to pity me?

"Then what do you want me to do?" I barked out as I lost my temper and took a step forward toward him. "Should I beg?... or leave this house?"

He stared at me for a moment, completely unbothered by my rage and tone, before softly saying, "Just... apologize." And with that, he left.