{ CHAPTER - 19 } A PROMISE TO KEEP

"Did you keep any secrets from us, Karma? Is that why you're depressed?"

His speech is stuttering.

"Y–Yeah... S–Sorry... I-I should have told you earlier... I— I thought."

Aryan asked, pointing to the 'THING' standing behind him.

"Does it have anything to do with that 'THING' behind you?"

Karma was taken aback and turned to face him. He then turned to face his father and said, looking down.

"Yes"

Aryan became aware of his dissatisfaction.

"It's all right... I'm sure you kept it hidden for our benefit... I know the type of person you are... After all, I am your father."

Karma lowered his head, embarrassed by his actions, and exclaimed quietly.

"I'm sorry... dad."

Aryan gripped Ava's head once more and said.

"I'm not sure what else you've kept hidden from us... But, based on what I saw in you today and the 'THING' behind you... Karma... Your future life will be difficult..."

He had known since the beginning, ever since he met Agastha.

"I know"

Strangely. Instead of crying about his misery, Aryan, who was near death, smiled, a smile of ease and relief.

"Karma... When you were born, both I and your mother were overjoyed... and when you smiled for the first time, both of us were overjoyed with your smile."

He was truly happy, and it was obvious on his face at the time. But, as he said, the smile faded into a solemn expression.

"Karma... Remember, there will always be difficult times in your life, and you may even find yourself alone at times, but that doesn't mean you should give up... Continue pursuing your goal until it's death that stops you."

He was feeling numb in his hands and his body was going chilly from the blood loss, but he had one final thing to say, so Aryan put out his hand once more and gently tapped Karma's head.

"Never lose your smile, Karma... Not for the sake of others... But not yours... Because as long as you smile... your mother and I will be content... Regardless of where we are"

Aryan held his hand straight, as people do when they ask for something.

"Can you promise me that, son?"

Karma said as he placed his shaking hand on top of Aryan's.

"Yes, dad... I promise you, I will never lose my smile... No matter how difficult things become for me or how lonely I become... as long as I live... I will never lose it..."

Aryan laughed as he watched Karma make promises like children do when they are chastised for doing something wrong.

!Thud!

Karma's hand was left dangling in the middle of the air while the hand that was meant to be below it plummeted, followed by an abrupt quiet and the sound of a thud.

Strangely, his hand had stopped trembling. He was that shocked.

Karma called his father while grabbing his hand from the ground.

"Dad?"

There is just quiet in answer.

"D–Dad?"

He attempted to move his father, but what was the need in doing so now?

The emotions of disappointment, annoyance, hate, fury, despair, and grief steadily surrounded him.

He spoke quietly to himself as he slowly struck the solid ground.

"Fuck"

His body is currently a mess; he is bleeding profusely, and the flesh on his hand is burned and inflamed.

"Fuck!!"

He struck the ground once again, gradually increasing the force of each blow.

"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! WHY!!! WHY!!!!"

Did he even care that his hands were already broken? NO!. Did he worry that his flesh was tearing as a result? NO!. As he struck the ground, the tiny sand and debris fragments were tearing into the worn flesh of his palms, BUT DID HE CARE? NO!!.

The worst kind of pain is losing someone, but he lost everyone. What should he do at this point? Who should he go to for help? Friends? Relatives? He is alone and has no one to turn to for support or assistance.

He is all by himself, and the loneliness is consuming him.

His tears are becoming larger than the rains themselves.

!Sniffle!! Sniffle!! Sniffle!

He let out the scream that he had been suppressing.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!"

It was fortunate that the location was away from a densely populated region because anybody might have heard his agonizing screams, which reverberated across the whole neighborhood.

"WHAT DO I DO? FUCK!!! WHY? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? Someone, help me!!"

Karma had several wounds during his life, but none compared to this. His parents were always there to help him when he fell, but what should he do now?

!Sniffle!! Sniffle!! Sniffle!

He started rough-scratching his face since it was itching all over and questioned himself while he did so.

"Mom and Dad, why? Why? WHY? WHY?"

Karma sobbed nonstop for a long time. He scratched himself so vigorously that his nail was visible all over his face.

He resorted to Agastha after losing himself in the agony.

"Hey Agastha, Can you do something about this? You are a king, right? The king of hell? You can do something about this, right? TELL ME, YOU CAN, RIGHT?"

(I cannot bring back the dead, sorry)

As he became increasingly enraged by everything, Karma was obliged to get up and try to lash out at Agastha, but the toll overcame him.

"WHAT THE HELL, YOU SHOULD–"

He felt a weight pressing him down as his eyes suddenly became heavier and it became harder for him to keep them open.

"HUH?"

After experiencing so much exhaustion and muscular deterioration, he eventually passed out.

!Thud!

He fell to the ground on the rock-hard surface with a loud thud. The blow was going to hurt.

CHAPTER - 19 - TO BE CONTINUED