Chapter 7

[7. Wound]

" If the professors ask you whether you have siblings studying here, just tell No. Understood?" Aroon asked parking his Rolls-Royce in CU's spacious parking lot. Dae nodded unbuckling his seat belt. "Come to the main auditorium after everything. I will be there."

" P'Aroon..my card.." Dae asked. His debit card was with Aroon. He is the one who keeps and use the money in Dae's card. He had snatched the card from him, soon after his Dad gave it to him when he entered high school.

" Here.." Aroon took his wallet from his back pocket and took the card out of it. "Go now "

" P'Aroon..where's admission procedures taking place ?" Dae asked taking the card.

" Go to the science faculty and ask someone."

" Where is science faculty."

" Ahh hell ! Get out now. Go find yourself."

Dae nodded scared and quickly hopped out of the car. Then he walked to somewhere not knowing where he was going. He didn't know where to find the science faculty in the campus spread in 600 acres. Gladly he had his phone with him. He entered into the college website and took the campus map. And luckily he was able to figure out the location.

Aroon also hopped out and walked in direction of their main auditorium after locking his car. He didn't want to let anyone in his college know, Dae is his stepbrother. Almost all the students and professors in his college know him, since he is last year's college football captain and sports club secretary. So if any of the professor's happens to see him here, they will surely come to talk to him and ask him the reason for coming to college during vacation. So auditorium is the best place. There won't be anyone there at this time.

Aroon waited for about one hour in the auditorium. He sat and played some games on his phone during the time. And then he saw the younger tiredly walking to him. He stood up, placing his phone back in his pocket and hurriedly walked in direction of the parking lot, not to let anyone see him with Dae.

The parking lot was across the road. The older had already crossed the road and reached his car. Dae ran to reach with Aroon. The older was about to open the door of the car when he heard a loud horn and a screeching sound followed by a scream. Aroon turned to see the younger lying on the road with a black Mercedes in front of him.

" DAE.." He screamed from sudden instinct in terror. He ran to the younger holding his breathe in his chest. Then he saw the younger trying to sit up. Aroon realized nothing had happened and left a sigh.

A boy looking 17 or 18, came out of the car followed by a man, who seemed to be his driver. Fortunately the car didn't hit him. The driver pulled on the break and the car just touched him. But Dae was shaking from the sudden shock. The man was checking on Dae for some kind of injuries. The boy had a shocked look on his face.

"Are you okay?", the boy asked helping Dae to stand up.

"Where the hell are you looking while crossing road? Are you blind?" Aroon yelled as he reached near them.

"I..I am sorry." Dae said whilst wincing in pain."

"It's okay. Don't worry." The boy said patting on Dae's shoulder. "And who are you? Don't you know how to behave in such a situation?" He asked looking at Aroon and received a death glare from him.

"He is my b..brother. " Dae whispered in fear.

"Oh..Really? he is your brother..?" The boy asked unbelievably. " oh my God ! Your foot is bleeding. Let's take him to hospital." He said to the elderly man beside him.

"No need..It's a small cut." Aroon said grabbing the younger's wrist and started walking, dragging him along.

"Ahhh..Aroon..it hurts." Dae sobbed in pain.

"Hey..stop! what are you doing? he is hurt, he can't walk. What a brother are you?" The boy yelled from behind. Aroon turned his head and looked at the boy. "You better shut your mouth, little boy." He shouted at him before dragging the younger to their car. Dae was groaning in pain. He pushed him into the passenger seat and hopped into the drivers seat. He could see the other boy yelling something from outside the window but couldn't hear anything as the windows were closed. He looked at the boy in anger as their car passed him.

Dae's eyes were red and swollen and his cheeks were covered with dry tears stains as they reached home. He was crying and whimpering in pain all the while they drove back home. Aroon didn't ask him to shut up. The older was stealing glances at his bleeding foot while driving. When they reached home, Dae thought, Aroon will again drag him all the way upstairs to his room but what Aroon did actually surprised him. He hopped out first and opened the passenger seat door. Then he easily took him into his arms while he looked at him in awe.

"Don't look at me like that. I just don't want our servants to see you limping up the stairs." Aroon said and shut the door with his back. He then started walking inside, carrying him in his arms. The younger was really surprised even though the older gave him an explanation. Aroon likes to see him in pain so he was actually flabbergasted.

Aroon put the younger on his bed and went to his room. Dae looked at his left foot which was still bleeding. He didn't know what to do. The pain was unbearable. He hissed in pain as he tried to gently dab the wound with the end of a duvet that was on his bed.

"What are you doing?"

Dae looked up on hearing Aroon's voice. The older was standing near the door with a white box in his hands. He then walked to him and dragged him to the edge of the bed. Opening the box, he took out a piece of cotton from it. He pulled Dae's legs and started gently dabbing the wound. Dae was really scared as he thought the older would hurt him. He was already feeling a lot of pain even though Aroon was wiping very gently. Tears were leaving his eyes and Aroon tried to feel satisfied seeing the younger in pain.

Aroon finished wiping the wound and took out another piece of cotton, pouring medicine on it. The younger felt relieved and wiped his tears. Aroon was focused on his task but out of nowhere a thought popped into his head. 'How would it feel to give him some more pain? shall I press this cotton harshly on his wound? Would it be so much pain? should I do that?..Oh..WTF Aroon! what to think this much? Just do it. It's pleasure to see him in pain.'

Aroon's war with his thoughts ended as he heard the younger boy howling in pain. Yes..he did it already. Dae was shaking his leg vigorously in pain. Aroon quickly took his hands away. Dae lowered his head and his long eyelashes curved downward as pearl like tears slipped down his cheeks and fell on the older's hands. What hurt him most was that he understood Aroon did it on purpose.

Aroon started feeling something like guilt in his heart. But he was quick to ignore it. He pulled the younger's legs to him as Dae struggled to pull away which caused him a lot of pain.

"Just stop pulling. It will cause only more pain." Aroon shouted.

"please stop. It h..hurts a lot. please don't do that..I beg you.. please leave me." Dae said in between sobs. Aroon left the boy's legs free. "okay listen, I won't hurt you. Just let me bandage it." Aroon said in a gentle tone.

"I can do that. Please..please leave." Dae said as more tears gathered in his eyes.

"Shut up ! Sit still if you don't want me to hurt you." Aroon said and pulled the younger's legs into his lap, taking out the bandage from the box. He gently placed the cotton gauze on his wound and started bandaging it. This time, he didn't hurt him. He bandaged the wound carefully without hurting the younger.

Dae looked at Aroon with his bambi eyes and their eyes met as Aroon was already staring down at him after finishing his task. After exchanging a second's gaze, the older walked out of the room leaving the younger alone. The unshed tears that had gathered in the younger's eyes now started flowing down like waterfall as he hugged Ron, which was lying on the bed.

*********

Aroon thought about Dae as he passed the younger's room while he was on his way downstairs to go have lunch. ' He won't possibly come downstairs to have lunch. But he maybe feeling hungry. It's almost 2 pm.' Aroon though in mind. He don't know why he is always thinking about the person he hates the most. He ruffled his hair in frustration and walked down some more steps. But then he turned back and walked to the younger's room.

Aroon opened the door to see, Dae sleeping peacefully, hugging his teddy bear. He walked to him and bend a little, staring at his face. There were dried tear stains on his cheeks. Aroon gently wiped the younger's cheeks with his thumb. " Why you cry a lot ? I didn't do anything to you yet, did I ?" He asked barely audible. Dae slowly flicked his eyelashes at the feeling of fingers on his cheeks and Aroon quickly removed his hands.

" Do you want lunch ?" Aroon asked as Dae opened his eyes after rubbing it with his hands.

" Ahmm...yes." Dae replied sitting up, feeling his stomach growl at the sound of lunch.

" Okay.. I will ask to bring you lunch here. Lie down." Aroon said and turned. But then Dae grabbed his wrist.

" Aru...thanks."

Aroon yanked the younger's hands away and turned to look at him. " Don't touch me. And don't think I care for you. I just hate you."

" Then why you told me to lie down now. Why you act sometimes like you care ? P'Aroon..I can't really understand you. You still love me, right ? At least a bit ?" He asked looking into the older's brown orbs.

" NO ! What absolute rot ? I just hate you."

" P'Aroon, It's all a misunderstanding. Let's talk and solve this. I have never tried to snatch anything from you. I will explain, what happened with 'Beam' that day. She was the one who came to me and tried to forcefully... "

" Okay..stop ! I know. I don't care about that anymore. She is just a cheater. It's not why I hate you. Just that I started hating you more after that."

" okay..about the cheque incident..I don't know how it..." Dae started but was cut by a really angry Aroon.

" I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR LIES, TANAWAT. AND YOU ARE NOT EATING LUNCH TODAY." The older shouted and briskly walked out. Dae flinched at the sound of door being slam shut. Then he lied back and rubbed his growling stomach.