A dead silence lingered in the study after Vikram finished reading Sarah's letter.
Vikram's legs went weak and he collapsed on the floor on his knees. The letter slipped off his trembling hands and slowly landed on the floor, near the feet of Pratap who seemed to be frozen in his place.
With a sharp inhale, a sob escaped from Vikram's lips. The man who seldom crying, cried like a baby that day. His shoulders shook violently as he wept in misery, clutching his forehead with his hands.
"Sarah!" He cried out between his whimpers and kept mumbling his beloved younger sister's name between his sobs, "Sarah, Sarah... I am sorry... Brother is sorry to not arrive on time. Your brother failed to protect you... What a bad brother I am!"
As he cursed himself, he banged his chest with his fists.