After the elevator doors closed, Jay stopped dragging Lokesh along and released his hold. Lokesh, catching his breath, looked at Jay with confusion.
"Why didn't you let me tell them about your martial arts skills?" Lokesh asked, still panting. "If they knew, maybe we wouldn't have to worry about Rohan anymore. Having someone like Udhay on our side could make all the difference."
Jay shook his head, his expression serious. "Udhay is too much of a wild card. Things could go wrong in so many ways. It's better to have one enemy than two, especially when the second is even more influential."
Jay kept his deeper suspicions to himself, thinking that their silence was a subtle agreement for everything that was happening. He mused silently, "I wouldn't be surprised if Udhay's father, the State's Chief Minister, is in on it too."
Lokesh, not aware of the precarious situation since he hadn't been conscious for most of the debacle with Rohan.
He hesitated at first but finally sighed in resignation, his shoulders slumping. "Fine, leave it." He glanced around and asked, "Besides, this isn't our floor. Why did we stop here?" his gaze darted around the unfamiliar surroundings.
Jay responded, "If Mom sees me this banged up and covered in blood, she'll freak out. The infirmary is on this floor. I'll get patched up before heading home. By tomorrow, I won't be fully healed, but the bruises on my face will fade. I can cover the rest with long sleeves. You know how freakishly fast I recover, right?"
Lokesh nodded, recalling that ever since childhood, Jay had an extraordinary recovery rate, healing several times faster than normal. The family always attributed it to his uncanny ability to master any complex physical movement with incredible speed.
Lokesh fell silent, his thoughts turning to memories that were far from pleasant. As they walked, Jay noticed the change in his demeanour. "What's on your mind?" he asked.
After a pause, Lokesh finally spoke. "Thinking about your recovery and your abilities brought back some memories." His eyes looked distant, as if he was seeing the past.
Jay's interest was piqued. "What kind of memories?"
Lokesh sighed, his voice filled with a hint of sadness. "There were times when the family would praise you for your abilities. You always seemed so perfect, and I... I felt overshadowed. It wasn't easy growing up next to someone who could do everything effortlessly."
Jay was taken aback by the revelation. "I had no idea you felt that way. I never meant to overshadow you or make you feel less important."
Lokesh gave a small shrug, looking away. "I know that now, but back then, it was tough. You were always the golden boy, and I was just... there. So, I carved out my own niche by being the one who always tells the truth."
Jay stopped walking and turned to face him, his expression intense and sincere. "You're not just there. You're my cousin, my family. When even my close friends and Sana abandoned me, you were the one who stood by me. I appreciate you more than you know."
Lokesh then asked, his brow furrowing with curiosity, "What happened with Sana, and what did your friends do? I didn't get it."
Jay didn't answer and instead diverted the topic, his eyes darting away. "You might not know this, but growing up, I often wished to be more like you than my siblings."
Jay's eyes softened as he spoke, his face reflecting a hint of nostalgia. "When I was younger, I found it really hard to grasp things that others my age could do easily. I couldn't learn basic math until I was 12. Understanding social cues and knowing how to talk to people was beyond me back then."
A small, rueful smile appeared on his lips. "I'm only now starting to get the hang of it. To escape my deficiencies, I threw myself into the only things I was good at: sports and martial arts."
"Kay and Qew are smarter, but they have their own demons to deal with—one with a weak body, the other with paralyzed legs. In my view, out of all of us, you were the perfect one. I bet they both thought the same thing at least once."
Lokesh was moved by Jay's words, tears welling up in his eyes. He looked at Jay in a new light, realizing he had misunderstood him all this time.
Lokesh wiped the tears from his face and abruptly hugged Jay. "Thanks, Jay. I needed to hear that. I'm sorry for keeping you three at a distance."
Jay hadn't expected the hug, but he didn't push Lokesh away. He smiled and patted his cousin's back.
After savouring the moment, Jay received a call from his mother. "Jay, where have you been? Have you found Lokesh? Your aunt is worried sick."
"I found him, Mom. He's on his way back now. I'm heading home to get medication for Kay and Qew. It's getting late for them. See you soon."
After ending the call, Jay looked at Lokesh, a playful smirk forming on his face. "See what you've done? Your shirt is stained with blood. What will you say when they see this on you? You're always Mr. Honesty and can't tell a lie."
Lokesh chuckled smugly, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Who said anything about lying? I'll tell the truth. I got something red stuck to me when I stopped by a freshly painted wall on the 7th floor." He pointed to the red wall with a 'do not approach' sign and wet paint.
Jay shook his head at Lokesh's craftiness. He remembered how Lokesh had done something similar before. When Rohan proposed to knock Jay unconscious in exchange for freedom, Lokesh hadn't outright accepted with words but had simply nodded.
A nod didn't necessarily mean agreement, but everyone assumed it did. Lokesh used those loopholes to get things done while staying true to his principles.
Lokesh added, "I've got to do what I have to if I don't want to be taken advantage of, even if it's a bit unorthodox."
Jay hoped Kay could adopt the same philosophy someday. He shook his head, setting aside the thought, and said to Lokesh, "Go on then. I'll get patched up and head home."
With that, the two cousins went their separate ways.
I'm thrilled to share that I'm taking a big leap forward! Alongside Earth's Alpha Prime, I've launched the first sub-book for EAP.
ALTER REALITY: Online
The book is now available, and I'll be releasing new chapters at a rate of 3 per week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday). Do check it out!
Chapter Release Rate: 3 Chs/Week.
<<<< Tue, Thu, Sun >>>>
The first ten to comment for new chapter releases will get '1 ADVANCED CHAPTER' for free on Earth Alpha Prime's Discord server.
In the discord server, I opened a private channel for those Top 10 candidates, where I posted the respective Advanced Chapter.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
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