The Next Morning..
Rahul was quite surprised and a bit amused how his youngest brother, the one who had the habit of sleeping late to the extent that Sunita had to drag him off the bed to wake him up, was up and early ready to meet their father that too on a Sunday.
After a delicious breakfast of toast and fluffy omelette made by their mum, Neerav was pulling on to Rahul's arm for he didn't want them to be late.
Finishing the last drop of coffee in his mug, Rahul got up wiping his face and bid his byes to Tia with a kiss on her hair, to his dadu with a warm side hug and to his brother by ruffling his hair to which Arjun just replied in a disinterested monotone.
Sunita came to the door to see them off as Rahul came up to bid bye to her too.
"Rahul.." She caressed his forehead.
"Main bohot khush hoon ki tum Neerav ko support kar rahe ho apne papa se milne mein. I know ki tum aur Arjun iss baat ko support nahi karte, but I can't be that heartless to not let him meet his father." She continued, smiling.
"Maa, all these you have struggled a lot. Ghar chalane ke liye, dadu ki health ke liye, Neerav ki education aur uske sapne ke liye. But ab main yahaan hoon, you just rest and focus on your business." Rahul kissed her mother's palm lovingly as she smiled at him affectionately.
Driving through the steep mountain roads, Rahul and Neerav made their way to Anu's house where Harsh had been living for past so many years. As his hands turned on the steering wheel, Rahul found himself going back into the mist of his memories, those memories which he didn't want to recall ever. Taking him back to that unfateful day, where he lost everything at once. His Love, His Relations, His Family.
Parking his car, outside the fence Rahul held his brother's hand and came inside, opening the brightly painted iron gate.
"Papa!" Neerav called out happily and ran towards Harsh who was bent over a flower hedge pruning the leaves.
"My Boy!" Harsh embraced his son happily, smiling at the infectious happiness of his youngest son.
Rahul felt his legs wobble a bit as he looked at his father, the man responsible for destroying his family - the most precious thing he had. The same man who ruined his mother's life, leaving her for another woman when she had spent her entire life taking care of his old father and nursing his children. She too could've pursued her dreams, build a career and reputation for herself, her own identity. But she chose her family over her dreams and aspirations.
She was dedicated to him and their relationship when he never was. She still is, he still isn't.
Rahul couldn't help but ask himself, What was he doing here? Mocking his mother's pain? Her sacrifice?
But what unsettled him the most was the look of admiration and respect he in Neerav's eyes as his youngest brother looked at their Dad!
Wasn't it exactly the same way he used to look up to Harsh years back? With proud and admiration, wanting to be just like him for his Dad was the best in the world. A loving Dad, a caring husband, a dutiful son and a perfect gentleman.
And what did he do?
Rahul still remembered that unfateful evening when his world had fell apart for the man he had grown up idolizing wasn't the man he had known him to be. He was someone else. Someone who was far from being anyone's idol. Someone who didn't care about anyone but himself. Someone who was selfish. Not his DAD.
And seeing the same look in Neerav's eyes scared him.
Rahul's trance was broken by Neerav's voice, "Bhaiya! Aap wahan kyun khade hai?" He called out for him making Harsh look up immediately.
He had got to know that Rahul and Arjun were back in the town but never had he thought he would get an opportunity to meet them too. Not after whatever he had done in the past.
He could feel little tears springing up in his eyes as he looked at him eldest born, standing at the doorway and Harsh couldn't help but wonder how much he has changed over the years. With sharp and handsome features, his eldest son was no longer a boy but a man, strong and handsome.
If it had been up to him, Harsh would've engulfed his son in a tight hug but he sure didn't miss the coldness in his mocha eyes as he looked at him.
Rahul's legs felt heavy and unsure as he walked towards them, trying to force a smile on his face just for the sake of his brother.
Harsh couldn't help but be amazed at the fact that his eldest born was an exact replica of how he used to be in his young years. He had Sunita's eyes, but his handsome features, his flawless milky complexion was all his.
"Kaise ho Beta?" Harsh asked him with a smile, only he knew how much he was holding back the urge to engulf Rahul in a hug.
"Theek Hoon. Rahul replied rather formally and that hint of coldness in his voice wasn't to be missed.
"Papa, Rahul Bhaiya aur Arjun Bhaiya kuch din pehle hi aaye hain, dadu ke bulane par. They're even helping me with my cricket practice aur inhone mujhe promise bhi kiya hai ki woh mera match bhi dekhne aayenge!" Neerav bubbled over excitedly.
"That's great! Papa bhi aapko promise karte hai, ki woh aapka match dekhne zaroor aayenge!" Harsh smiled at his son who hugged him happily.
Rahul saw Anu looking at them through one of the windows until her eyes met his, and Rahul could feel rage dissolving in his veins. Not just his father, this woman too was responsible for everything that happened to them.
And maybe, Anu knew those accusatory eyes of Rahul and walked in quickly.
The day was spent in playing Jenga, some cricket and chit chat which was mostly Neerav talking while Rahul and Harsh listened. Harsh even tried to indulge Rahul in some conversation but the latter replied in just monotones.
When Neerav went over to the table in the middle of the garden to get some sugar for his lemonade, Harsh tried speaking to his son again.
"I.. read.. read your last book Rahul." It was just amazing. I'm very proud of you.. Harsh smiled at his son.
"Thank you. Waise you don't need to put up this pretense of talking to me, Neerav isn't around." Rahul spoke up, looking at his phone.
"It's not pretense beta. I really.. really want to talk to you.. to catch up with you. Kitne bade ho gaye ho tum, such a handsome man." Harsh added, tears gleaming in his eyes.
"woh haqq aapne aaj se bohot saal pehle kho diya tha. Neerav abhi baccha hai, isliye usse kuch nahi pata aur issi wajah se uska dil rakhne ke liye main aaj uske saath aaya hoon and nothing else." Rahul replied this time, looking straight into his father's eyes.
Harsh didn't have anything else to say. That bitterness, that pain, that coldness was still there in his son's eyes and he was responsible for all of it.
When it was time to leave, Neerav gave a bear hug to his dad who returned it back as lovingly.
"Chalo Neerav." Rahul held his youngest brother's hand and had turned to leave when..
"Rahul, yeh cookies le jao apne aur Arjun ke liye, tum dono ko bohot pasand haina?" Harsh smiled as he handed him a big jar of chocolate caramel cookies that were his childhood favorite, but after his father left, it's taste and the memories attached to it had faded away too.
"Zehmat ki aapne." Rahul spoke up that instant.
"Iss mein zehmat kaisi beta? Tum aur Arjun jab chote the, toh main apne haathon se bannata tha tum dono ke liye." Harsh smiled fondly and Rahul didn't miss that nostalgia that passed through his eyes.
Neerav enthusiastically waved at his father as they drove out of the home making Rahul dread the moment he would know about his father, his innocent heart would be bruised and his admiration shattered, just like his did all those years back.
"Rahul Bhaiya aaj kitna mazaa aaya naa? It's like jaise aap dono ka aana mere liye lucky ho gaya! Jab aap dono yahaan nahi hote naa, toh mere saath cricket khelne ke liye toh kya, koi baat karne ke liye bhi nahi hota Aru Didi aur Dadu ke alaawa. Aur kabhi kabhi toh Aru Didi bhi bohot busy rehti hain apni paintings aur dance classes ko lekar." Neerav spoke up a bit gloomily.
"But jabse aap dono aaye ho sabkuch kitna accha ho gaya hai. Aaj toh Dad ne bhi mere saath 1 ghante extra cricket khela! Meri favorite cookies bhi banayi aur lemonade bhi, aur aapko bhi cookies ka itna bada jar diya! This day couldn't get any better, I love Dad." He added happily as Rahul turned to look at him at the last statement. The happiness on his little brother's face was so visible that it broke something inside him.
Neerav's innocent heart was so unaware of everything that has happened in their lives.
Neerav ran off to his mother excitedly as soon as they came back home.
Geishu barked happily seeing his favorite master back as Rahul gave the golden retriever a cuddle who in turn licked him lavishly.
Rahul could still hear Neerav talking to his mother in the kitchen excitedly telling her everything about the time he spent with their father as he kept the car keys on the side table.
"Achha hua tum aa gaye, warna mujhe tumhare naam ka warrant laga dena tha!" Tia came into the room, beaming as she gave him a hug.
Rahul smiled at her.
"It's been three days, and in three days I've only seen you three times!" She added in an accusatory tone, pouting a bit.
"Well Miss Malik, I told you that this trip won't be a classic vacation as you wanted it to be, but tumhari zidd thi naa? You should've gone to Finland with your friends." Rahul reasoned with her.
"I wouldn't have been the same without you.." Tia spoke up looking at him with a softness in her eyes that would've surprised Rahul if he had paid attention to it, but he didn't cuz his mind was too full of the events of this afternoon.
"Anyways, you visited your dad right? How was it?" She asked, quite inquisitive.
"As it was supposed to be." Rahul replied absentmindedly.
"Is there anything you aren't telling me Rahul? You know I'm always there for you, to listen to everything that you have to say. And I don't mean to pry but why does your father lives away from his family?" Tia spoke up, keeping a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah I know, but Tia right now I'm tired. I just need to be alone for a while." Rahul tried to reason with her, smiling.
"Being alone won't solve anything Rahul, you need to talk about it, let it out. And if you won't tell me then who else? I'm your best friend! It isn't fair that I tell you everything but you don't!" Tia added, as her temper flared up a bit.
"For God's sake Tia, I really need to be alone right now, can't you UNDERSTAND THAT?" Rahul snapped back, losing his patience.
Tia left the room angrily, closing the door behind her with a bang as Rahul rubbed his agitated temples.
The sun was setting in behind the snow capped peaks, announcing the arrival of nightfall soon.
Hill Stations always experienced early nightfall and Coonoor was no exception.
Rahul lighted up the cigarette held between his lips by a click of his lighter and took a puff as he stood in the common garden looking at the trees in the distance.
His mother was unaware of the fact that he smoked and sure wouldn't be pleased to find out that he was smoking in the house, so he had walked out of the house hoping that fresh air would do him good but it didn't.
Rahul's mind was still stuck in a loop of afternoon's events ever since they came back from meeting his father.
To see that man face to face cuz of whom all those years back, he had lost the two most precious things he had, family and the love of his life, and more than that seeing his little brother having the same admiration, respect and love for their father knowing that it had to break sooner or later and would affect his innocent heart and mind.
Lost in thoughts, he didn't notice Aarohi walking down the path of their common garden for her evening walk, but she saw him for sure standing there, lost in thoughts.
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