Forsaken - Chapter 24

Chapter 24
As he walked into the living room, dreadful of what is coming, he saw an unexpected sight. His father was sitting on the couch. Raju was sitting opposite to him. There was tension in the air.

No one spoke as he entered the room.

“Ah, Mr. Kapil Dev has come” Kurien scorned as he came to view.

Nobody spoke. He saw Susan Aunty was standing at the door to the kitchen, Nisha right behind her. Their eyes met for a brief second. He could not decipher the look. Was it angry or pity? Or just plain fear?

He stood there, frozen in his tracks. He did not know what to do.

“Where were you?” Kurien asked in a harsh voice.

Ajit tried to answer, but nothing came out.

“Can’t you hear me? You bastard!” Kurien snapped.

Ajit jerked. His legs weakened. He looked pleadingly at Raju who just averted his gaze.

“I went to play cricket.” Ajit stuttered.

“I did warn you not to waste time on things that is of no use, did I not?” Kurien stood up.

“But I was playing for my college. My professor is here.” Somehow he managed.

Ajit did not know what happened. He saw Kurien standing up and before he could finish his sentence, there was a sound. His left ear suddenly went quit. He got a taste of blood in his mouth. It was then he realized that his father has hit him across his face.

He heard someone gasping. And a sob. His head was spinning. There was only a buzz in his head. He heard voices, but that was from a long distance. Something was yanked off his shoulder. He realized it was his kit. He heard Raju shouting from far, far away.

“Kurien, this is my house. You are not going to do it here.”

“Shut the hell up. Who you are? His father?” He heard his father’s raspy voice yelling at Raju.
He saw a figure moving in front of him. He stood there paralyzed. He got hold of a chair nearby to steady himself. He wet his lips with his tongue and he felt the taste of blood. Something was running down his chin, some thick fluid. He wiped it with his hand.

Somebody held his hand. From the touch he sensed it was Nisha. He thought he was going to buckle.

He could see the face of Nisha, but it was faded. It was faded at the edges and gave him a feeling that the contours of her face was changing every second. As if smoke changing shape in a breeze. He shook his head to clear the vision. She stretched her hands to wipe the blood from his chin. That was the last visual he had about Nisha. He was yanked away from her, by his father and being thrown into the back seat. As he was being dragged into the car, he saw his kit burning in the porch.

As Kurien started the car, Ajit heard the voice of Raju Uncle pleading with him.

“Kurien, Please. He has a brilliant future in cricket. Don’t spoil it”

“Raju, stay out of this. I am sending him to college to study. Not to waste my money like this.
The little bastard is having a good time when I am sweating it out in the desert,” he spat.

“You will repent for this Kurien. You will repent.” He heard Raju’s voice.

“Okay. I won’t come to your door asking for help.” Kurien spoke with disgust.

“I once thought you are my friend. Never again. You are sick man. You are sick” Raju said with contempt.

Kurien started the car and drove away. In the back seat Ajit turned to see a disheveled Raju looking on unbelievingly.