I have a reason for doubting Ajay. He, somehow, felt like a little different in his behaviour. He is now totally different from how I knew him in childhood days. Still, I mean yeah, it is true that people changes as they grow up. But, whenever he talks to me, each and every word for me felt like a warning and quite weird. For example, yesterday...
'Ajay! I have something to talk to you. Principal is calling for you to the office.'
'Principal?' He looked rather scared than being normal as if he did something wrong.
'Aah! Yeah!' I confirmed
'Is that detective present too?' he asked me in a shaky voice.
'Aah! No. I think he is calling for some errands. You know right, he can be irritating sometimes. Maybe, he is calling for doing another presentation. You do great, after all. By the way, is everything okay? I mean, Are you feeling cold? Here, take my jack-'
'No, no, I am fine. It's nothing'. He, then breathed a sign of relief and then he went straight to the office.
Also, it does not end here..
'Hey! You seaweed bitch! Tell me truthfully! Are you dating Ajay?' a random girl came to me and asked me this, also after tightening my collar with her fist.
'Hey! Get lost!' protested Emma.
'Wait! Wait! From where did you even hear this?'
'What do you mean? Then what was Ajay doing infront of your house?'
'Well, who doesn't know your father's address? He is literally a celebrity.'
'Aa! Huuh!'
'What a stalker!' scoffed Emma.
'Stalker? My house is on the same road, dear.'
'Wooah!'
'Anyways, never even imagine about snaching MY pookie.'
'Poo-Pookie. Ewww, cringe!'
'Hmmph!' She then stomped his back and went far away from me until I couldn't see her, leaving us in total surprise.
'Hey! What the hell is going on? Are you two... reallyyyy?' asked Emma.
'You too!'
'Sorry! Sorry!'
'Let's go to class now! They will now make us study those switches and instruments.'
'Yes! Yes!'
Otherwise, everything was same except another fact that Bhaskar and my brother, after that attack incident near Bhaskar's house, used to come to my college to pick me up. On their arrival, all the girls in my college used to start chaos, which includes Emma too, as if some fan meeting show was taking place. Of course, I hated how the girls used to call Bhaskar with cringy nicknames like pookie, my sweetie, my love, my husband....e.t.c. but also cannot deny his popularity in movie industry. Sorry for late confession: I am also his fan. I have watched his each and every dramas so many times that now his each and every dialogues in his dramas or movies are on the tip of my lips. Anyways, I too feel proud being close to a friend who is a celebrity and my brother who is the president of The Talk showdown industry or The TSD industry.
'Let's go, my quee-'
'Stop! At least not in public.' I blushed.
'Okay fine.'
'But, you two can stop coming to college, now. It's already a month since the attack took place!'
'Are you crazy? Two attacks! TWO ATTACKS took place! One your father and then you', said brother in concerned tone.
'Well! It can be different incidents!'
'What if it is the same person? What if it is related with each other? Dear, we don't know there can be trap anywhere!'
As we proceed towards the car, 'See, that's why I am carrying this pepper pray and,' as I continued to search in my bag,'and this knife, it kinda looks like a pen for it's disguise'.
'The time you take for search is enough for that person to kidnap you or stab you', scoffed brother.
I don't know what to tell for that but I was kinda liking the presence of my brother. After all, it's been so many years now, that I am seeing my brother sitting beside me. Spending times with him brings my childhood memories....
During my childhood days,..
There was a time when my main hobby was to climb trees to it's top. But..
'Brother, brother! Help me! Please! I am stuck here!' I was hanging from one of the branches as I shouted for help to my brother.
My hand gave up and gravity pulled me down to huge force. Thank God, brother's was there. My brother caught me, but due to the jerk I fell on him. I saw brother was not moving after that. I was devastated. I thought he was dead. Again, how could I have forgotten this thing, he was a prank master. He used to do the same things with his friends. He opened his eyes and shouted, 'BOOM!' to surprise me. I started to hit him as I cried. Seeing that, my brother hugged me and lifted me on his lap on the ground as he continued to console me. Seeing me cry, he promised me one thing, that..
'Don't worry, my princess. You are my first priority in my life. I will be your shield forever. I will protect even if I have given up my life. Remember this, always. I will always be by your side. I promise. Don't cry!'
'Nooo! No dying! No dying!'
'Okay! Okay! No dying!'
I was 5 years old and my brother was 13 years old, that time.
But, some blackish fog surrounded our family as a curse, maybe. I was 11 years old and my brother was 19. For my mother, it was as if shani's eyes fell on our family! But for me, I think he did the right thing, even though it was sad for us as we were never against him. We really wanted him to be with us. We never cared about who he is actually, or what he is! He is our family, no matter who he is! We are nobody to judge him.'
He came out that day in front of his father. He confessed that he is gay, he likes men.
I will never forget the face of my father that I saw as he slapped him on his face and kicked him ou- NO! That was not correct. My brother left the house on his own will, as it hurt both his ego and pride at the same time. I wanted to follow him, to talk with him. But, my father grabbed my hand and locked me in my room. When I three tantrums, my father even grounded me. He took away my phone so that I would not be able to contact him. My mother was sad, locked himself away from my father. For me, my father was my biggest enemy on the path of my will, and future and now I succeeded in breaking out from that hellbound place.
Now, when I am thinking about it looking at my brother's happy face, my eyes are becoming watery. He promised me that he will protect me forever. I thought he had forgotten that promise. He might be not there physically with me. But, he was always there for me. And now too, he is sitting beside me, protecting me. Thank you God, for giving me such a wonderful brother!
Tears came out from eyes as I hid my watery eyes with my sleeping eye mask, and at the end fell asleep.
(To be continued).