There, the door bell finally rang.
It was almost time for him to return. I jumped up, "That must be Ajay da", I murmured. I paused before the door for a while, took a deep breath and slowly opened.
Yes! Yes! Yes! .. He's here, it's him.
"i love you Ajay", i said as my eyes twinkled. "Its been six years. My God you've grown more handsome brother, so good to see you. Missed you."
"Its the same my lill Princess. I see you have grown old as well. So hows my baby gal doing now?" he asked putting his arms across my shoulder.
"Nothing that great, just too burdened with work." I replied, releasing a huge sigh.
We walked to his room talking about mom and dad. I told him they were fine and they left few hours ago for a conference for there new assignment. "They wanted to see you but they couldn't, the meeting was too important for them to miss." I said.
"Its ok. I understand how important ones job is. I'll see them when they return." he replied.
"For how many days are you here Ajay Da?"
"Well, I guess a week or too. Is it too less?" he answered humbly, scratching his head.
"Yes! its a very short interval. You should not say this to mom now otherwise she might scold you so hard that you regret coming back home." I laughed.
"you little michievious thing, you'll never change. I wonder how mom is handling you now. I'm no more here to assist her. She must be real irritated with you."
"You bet Da. She is most of the time pissed off with me. There are days when she gets so angry that she even refuses to serve the dinner to me." I laughed even harder.
"Poor mom!" he exclaimed.
Me and Ajay Da sat on his bed and talked about how New York was and how he was enjoying his free life there. I still couldn't imagine how he thought life with parents was better than living alone, out of India.
Many times we even argued in the topic of 'which life is better' .. For me obviously it was the life which he was living.
Mom and dad reached home when it was almost 8:30 at night. Ajay Da had already changed and was waiting eagerly to meet them.
As they entered he hugged them together and touched there feet showing respect. I was never like that, may be that was the reason why mom always liked Ajay Da more.
"Man! Do you practice panam there as well?" I giggled.
"Please Ajay, teach this girl some manners. I am sick and tired of the stupidity. She refuses the fact that she is no more a baby now, she needs to learn the basic practices. Tell me, can we make her marry someone with this type of behavior ?" mom said.
"Mom! not again. Marraiges is way behind. I have my dreams. I have a long way to go before that stupid thing." I always hated it when mom said all those boring stuffs about my future.
Was I that old?
*
Next morning I woke up as Ajay Da pulled off the curtains letting the light rays enter my room and knock my eyelids interrupting my dreams.
"Ajay .. Please close those curtains. I hate waking up early." I requested.
"Get up! we are going for our morning walk. Hah! its been so long since I last jog in Mumbai. Com'n. Hurry." He said, pulling off my blanket.
"I so hate you for doing this to me.", I checked my watch. "Oh my god! Its just seven thirty. I annot believe you woke me so fucking early just to make me jog." I said.
We walked along the Marine drive, watching the city wake up slowly. Its been ages since I saw my city so early. It was sunday and as unsual everyone slept more than weekdays. The flash-back reappeared. I saw the same places from where I used to walk holding Ajay's hand. Eating 'warapaws'. Sitting by the side of the sea and throwing pebbles into the water. Felt so good.
"I miss my old days" I said, looking at Ajay. He smiled. I smiled back.
"I miss my lill Princess more who has grown so old now that she no more needs me by her side to be secured." He said, as his eyes filled with water.
"Its not that Da..." I said as I held his hand like old days, "I still need you by my side to be secured. You know how silly I am. I know you are there to save me from my troubles, I'm still your lill baby just like I was." I added.
I said as I saw tears in his eyes. I rubbed them off and asked him why he looked worried.
" Reena, I have very little time. I just wanted to see you guys, see my city, live my life for the last time. I am not going back to New York. I'll spend my last days here in my homeland. I love you my lill sister. Please don't tell mom and dad about this. I'm in the last stage of throat cancer. I wanna see them happy till I close my eyes... "I hugged him tight before he could speak any futher.
I couldn't emagine this could happen. He was my life to me. I could afford losing him.
I told him I couldn't hide my tears from mom 'n' dad, I scolded him for not letting me know about this before. He said that he himself came to know last month.
We came home late so that I wouldn't have to face mom as she would leave for her office.
As we arrived home, he handed over all his account details and will. Gifts for mom and dad and few relatives.
But there was something else as well. Something which made me cry.
"I kept it safe as you gifted me this after you first drawing class, now I return it to you to make our childhood relive again.",he said.
My painting. My painting of my and Ajay together holding hands. My first painting when I was of 7 or 8 years old.
*
5 month later ....
Mom and dad have recovered alot. I cry less now. Miss him very much. The fights.. the agruement of our old days make me cry the most, I can never forgive him for leaving me so soon.
I see the painting, framed, hanging on my wall. I remember his last words and realized how much I meant to him.
