(Chapter - 20)

  [Asroy Onil Newaz (2)]

  “Asroy used to live in a joint family, in a neighborhood of Batashnogor town. He had 2 younger brothers and strict, principled parents. His paternal aunt had died young about a year before, when Asroy was 5 years old. Anyways, he was the eldest son and everyone looked up to him. They had high hopes for him and he was loved by every elder in the family.”

  6-year-old Asroy gets candies and treats from the elders, neighbours and his mother. His cousins of similar age — Nishi, Akash, Shumira, Safir, Afia, Farin run around, playing with Asroy.

  Asroy : Hey! Don't run so fast!

  Nishi : Wow, you're so slow! Hahaha!

  Asroy : I'm as fast as the wind!

  Akash : You're not the only one with wind powers, kiddo.

  Safir : Asroy, if you beat me in the race then I'll give you my share of candies.

  Asroy : Alright, let's see!

  They are immersed in joy and laughter.

  “But in the midst of all that, Asroy was envied by one of his very own — his immediate younger brother, who couldn’t stand him being praised or favored.”

  A 5-year-old boy with glowing red eyes stares at Asroy from a little distance. The fiery eyes glaring at him, seem as if they alone can burn down the whole house.

  “His younger brother had fire powers. Whenever he played dangerously with fire, Asroy would always put the fire out with his wind powers before it could spread and cause harm to others—He’s always getting in the way of his brother's malicious acts with a power that directly opposed fire — wind.power which could turn against the fire; the wind power. His younger brother's hatred for him only grew with time. More evil plans started taking root in his head.”

  Asroy, unaware of all the malice his brother harboured, tries to bring him into their game one day but he smacks Asroy's hand.

  Asroy : What's wrong? Don't you wanna play?

  Brother : Not with a loser like you.

  Asroy : Hey! Watch your mouth!

  Brother : You watch yours.

  Asroy : I didn’t call you a loser. You did.

  Brother : I didn’t call you. You actually are one.

  Asroy : Respect your elders! Didn’t mom tell you?

  Brother : She did. But I’m not bound to respect a person who’s acting good and is hungry for attention. You're so pathetic, I just can't stand you. LOSER.

  Asroy : You!!

  In response to the provocation, Asroy charges at him and he uses his fire powers to attack Asroy. This turns into a serious fight and elder cousins come running to stop them. All fingers are pointing at Asroy, since the brother is playing victim by fake crying.

  “That behaviour had turned into a regular strategy of his brother — always starting the fight, playing the victim and framing Asroy successfully. Because of his convincingly realistic acting, people in the family would always believe him over Asroy. It appeared to them as if Asroy was envious of his younger brother and trying to humiliate him. But in reality it was actually the other way around.”

  Asroy is standing in front of his parents, trying to explain the situation. His father shouts at him thinking he’s making excuses for his wrongdoings. His younger brother, who's the real culprit, peeks at them from behind the wall, with a quiet grin. Asroy lowers his head with teary eyes.

  “Like I said, Asroy's parents were highly principled and his father was very strict. So every time he was found guilty, he'd receive a harsh punishment. And if it was lying or deception, the punishment would be overly strict. No excuses would be accepted.”

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  “And not only that. He’d also aim for things Asroy treasured or wanted the most, always. He'd start crying to get the thing Asroy wanted first and take it from him somehow. As if, slowly claiming Asroy's place for himself.”

  Asroy's mother, Mrs. Aloka gives Asroy and his brother 2 scarves. Asroy's one is pastel peach, his brother's one is lemon yellow.

  Mrs. Aloka : Here, these are scarves for the upcoming winter. Do you like it?

  Asroy : I love it mom!

  Mrs. Aloka : Good then. The color suits you too.

  Asroy's brother stares at the peach scarf, with a cold gaze. Internally irritated by the fact that Asroy is smiling, holding the scarf carefully in his hands. Suddenly his brother abruptly points at the scarf.

  Brother : I want that scarf!

  Asroy : Huh? But it's mine!

  Brother : I don’t like my scarf. I want that one!

  Asroy : No way!

  Brother : I want that one! That one! AAH!

  Mrs. Aloka : Okay, Okay. Fine, you can have it.

  Mrs. Aloka hands the scarf over from Asroy to his brother. Confused, Asroy's restless eyes hover over their mother.

  Asroy : Mom? That's my scarf!

  Mrs. Aloka : He seems to like it more, so you can just exchange it.

  Asroy : Why?? You gave it to me! I had it before him and I loved it too! I liked that color.

  Mrs. Aloka : Stop acting so silly. He's your little brother. You’re his elder brother, so act like one. Okay? We need to be considerate with him so he'll learn. It's not like having that color would increase the quality of the scarf. Both are warm and soft.

  Asroy : But you bought it for me first! So why should I give it away to him just like that? He doesn't even behave well with me! He's always so disrespect—

  Mrs. Aloka : Asroy! You've now learned how to talk back? And what's with your tone? Did we teach you to be that impudent? You're always after your little brother, always being selfish! You don’t even know how to behave and you dare talk about your little brother? Learn first yourself! You need a lesson.

  Asroy is left speechless, feeling like something cracked from inside. He only stares at his mother and brother with tearful eyes. To think his own mom would prefer the sly culprit hidden behind an innocent mask over him, he just feels so upset.

  “Things like that kept happening and Asroy began to be looked down on. The reason for this reaction was… Asroy's deceased aunt. She had fire powers, but struggled greatly to use and control them. Her emotional sensitivity would affect her powers and things would turn into a disaster, even if she didn’t want to.”

  “She was the youngest sister of Asroy's father and adored by all. And she had the best bonding with Asroy’s little brother, because they had the same power. Ever since his aunt's early death, everyone became concerned and felt extra sympathy for him. That was what he took advantage of and continuously tried to break Asroy little by little.”

  His little brother is playing near their mom's favourite vase. Creating fire balls and dissolving them over and over. Asroy comes and gets shocked to see him playing with fire near the vase.

  Asroy : Hey! Move away from there! Can't you see mom's favourite vase? Or do you wanna break it?

  Brother : Shut your ugly mouth. Don’t come lecturing me.

  Asroy : Mom always tells us to stay away from the vase! Why don't you listen!?

  Brother : None of your business, get lost.

  Asroy : Don't talk like that, ok? I'm your elder brother!

  Brother : I hate to call you that. And I hate your powers more. I hate you as a person. Also the fact that you’re the first son.

  Asroy : Ha! So what? You can't do anything about it. What's real is real.

  Brother : …

  Giving a cold stare to Asroy, he knocks the vase with his fire power. It falls down on the floor and shatters into pieces. Asroy's eyes widen with fear.

  Asroy : *Gasp* What have you done!? I told you—

  Brother : Ah! Brother Asroy! Why did you break the vase? I said I don’t wanna play with it!

  Asroy : What…?

  His brother starts fake crying and playing the victim. Asroy, panicking in confusion, grabs him by the collar.

  Asroy : Hey! Who broke the vase!? You did! Why are you saying I did?

  Brother : *Cry* Whoaa! Brother, I'm sorry! Ahh! I won’t tell anyone that you broke the vase! Hwaa!

  Asroy : Shut up! You're the one who broke it!

  Right then, their mother comes in and sees them like that. She also hears part of the conversation.

  Mrs. Aloka : Asroy!!! Let go of him! I'll slap you hard if you don’t!

  Asroy : Mom! He… He-

  Asroy lets go of his brother. But before he says anything more, his brother runs to their mother, crying like a tormented child.

  Brother : Mom! Brother Asroy broke the vase and wanted to blame it on me.

  Asroy : No!

  Brother : And he hit me when I didn’t want to agree with him. Hwaaaa!

  Asroy : No! The opposite happened! You're trying to frame me!

  Mrs. Aloka : Enough! Quiet! I've told you a hundred times to stay away from the vase! You irresponsible boy! And now you blame the little ones?

  Asroy : No mom! I didn’t—

  Mrs. Aloka : No more words from you, Asroy.

  Asroy's dejected eyes try their best to hold back tears. His lips tremble and he clenches his fists, lowering his head. As punishment, he gets locked up in his room, away from his friends and cousins. He hears his mother talking behind the door with his other aunt.

  Mrs. Aloka : I can't with Asroy anymore. He's just spoiled. Always after his little brother. He behaves rudely and arrogantly, then expects his brother to respect him! As if he would!

  Aunt : Maybe you should look after him more. He needs more love, since he's growing up. He'll understand if you consult with him.

  Mrs. Aloka : Nothing is wrong with him. Trust me. He doesn’t need anything. We treat the 3 brothers with the same care. But he wants everything alone.

  Aunt : But he never fights with Shomoy though. They get along really well.

  Mrs. Aloka : Yes, because we don’t have that extra concern for either Shomoy or Asroy. Don't you know who we're extra concerned for and why? Asroy should understand that, right? He's the eldest child! I've told him so many times. He's just so selfish. Can't even stand his younger brother getting love or care. I don’t know why Asroy envies him so much!

  Aunt : Asroy wasn’t like that before, why is he like this now? He never behaved rudely to him before, right? He treats his cousins well though.

  Mrs. Aloka : Asroy? He was always rude to him like this. The only difference is we didn’t see it then, and we see it now. He was always an arrogant brat, but it didn’t show until he got this much older.

  Hearing all that wrong impression about himself from his own mother breaks Asroy's heart into pieces. He hugs his knees tight and his tears fall like droplets of rain.

  Asroy : *I was… Always like this…? How am I supposed to be nice to him when he doesn’t even respect me as a person? My behavior turned like this because I couldn’t stand his trash treatment anymore. And mom says I was always like this? I envy him? It's him who envies me! When will they ever see what I see…?*

  “Asroy's life slowly turned into a living hell where not a single person understood him or believed him. Everyone saw him as the eldest child who became spoiled, arrogant and impudent from too much love. And just like that, the once lively boy slowly became dull, reclusive and distant. Then one day, his younger brother's actions exceeded the limits of extreme.”

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