Unconditional Love

The moon shone white in the blanket of utter darkness as Saket smoked on the open terrace. Blowing smoke into the chilly night, he held the railing and looked down at the black ground below him, and then at the starry sky. Sighing heavily, he turned and put his weight on the railing. Taking a drag in, he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.

“This can’t be happening,” he thought. “She has to go, but not this soon! Not like this! This just isn’t fair.”

As he waited for her, Seema, to come up to meet him, he stood still, stationary in position as well as thought, just wondering about what was going to take place the next day. The knock on the terrace door came and wrenched him out of his engrossed thoughts, and her cheery voice greeted him.

“Hey bhai, you called me up? And what are you doing here in the cold, get inside or you will freeze.”

“I just wanted to talk to you sissy. Wanted to be with you for a bit before you go…”

With this, Saket turned and rubbed his face clean of moisture.

“We could have done this inside as well, couldn’t we? And have you been smoking again?”

“Just a single one to beat the cold, and inside this couldn’t happen. The bride has been the busiest and most wanted person in the house for quite some time now, so someone would steal her away before I could say a word to her.”

“Brrr…it’s so cold Saket, tell what you have to fast, then I have to sleep. I don’t wanna look weary on the day of my wedding!”

“Go Seema, its fine. We’ll talk later.”

Saying this, Saket started walking away to the other end of the open stretch of roof. Sitting on the parapet, he took out another cigarette from the packet and lit it. Relishing the smoke, he looked down, and beat his leg to an imaginary beat. From behind, Seema walked up and sat beside him.

“What happened bhai? You don’t seem to be yourself right now,” she said to her little brother, who was a couple of years younger than her.

“It’s nothing Seema, i’ll be fine. You go and sleep or you won’t look good tomorrow.”

“And what about you? If you don’t sleep then you’ll be lousy the whole day, fighting and shouting on anyone and everyone.”

“i’ll not let that happen, at least tomorrow.”

“Tell what happened, and you can take your time. I’m not going anywhere till you tell me, and the more time you take, the more tired i’ll look tomorrow.”

“Blackmailer. Can’t you ever do something better?”

“That always works on you chotu, so start off.”

“I was feeling lonely and left out.”

“Where’s Sonal? You both had a fight,” asked Seema. She was talking about Saket’s girlfriend, who Saket had been dating for 3 years.

“No, she’s fine, and it’s not her. It’s you. I can’t bear that you’re going away from me and from mom dad as well. Never had thought I’d say it, but yes, I miss you Seema di.”

Putting her hands around her brother, Seema hugged Saket and said, “I’m just a kilometer away stupid, come anytime there dear. And you have known Aniket since childhood, so it’s perfectly fine.”

“That’s different, why don’t you understand? It’s not the same for me! The way we sat the nights, talking about no topic and mom had to make us sleep, you remember that? Now who will give me company when I’m in my pensive moods? Who will entice me away with the stuff you used to do? Who will care for me like you did when I was little? The way you used to hug me and hold me tight when I woke up from a bad dream? The gentle touches you gave on my skin and dabbed me to sleep when I was in fear and when mom couldn’t achieve the feat of making me sleep? Will you come and do it- no! I couldn’t allow you even if you wanted to!”

“Selfish brother of min, that’s only why you’ll miss me?”

“There’s a reason i’ll not miss you for as well. Without you, I can raid the fridge in the nights and now I won’t have to share as well. But yes, that won’t be fun. It was the hushed up talks of our mission plan and the silent tread from the room to the kitchen which was the best, and the covering up in the mornings. But the flipside is that I’ll be the known culprit from now on.

“The fights we had when we were little, and I cut your hair once while you were sleeping. Ohh, I still remember how I and dad had laughed while you and mom looked on in fury. I had stayed awake the next 2 nights, in the fear that you would do the same to my hair, but thankfully, you never did.

“The walks we had in the park, and how you taught me the bicycle, running behind for miles. Then those chocolates we devoured from your pocket money- and you always gave me the bigger piece. Now will anyone else ever be able to give me those special moments and memories?”

The pair sniffled together, and Saket went on, “I always used to tease you that come let’s find a guy for you and get you married. Then I’ll have peace and serenity in life. But now, I have realized that peace lay in being with you. And as you go, I can’t thank you enough.”

“You have grown big, a bit too much Saket. I hadn’t imagined you like this. For me, you were always the kid in the shorts, grumbling and whining and playing and enjoying. The baby I loved, and always will. But now, the baby has evolved into a big man…a really big man…mom would be so happy if she heard you say all this,” Seema said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Can I get a hug di? I’m going to miss you so much…”

“Me too bhai…”

“Can’t you stay some more? Wish I had some more time to thank you for all you’ve done.”

“I’ll push down from here if you say that, get it?”

“That would be worth, at least you’d have to stay here till I became all right again. Wish I’d understood all of this sometime back; then maybe we would have had a better time.”

“You really are selfish planning to destroy your sister’s wedding that to a night before it. I hate you bro,” she said with a laugh.

“Now go and sleep dear. We don’t want your face weary tomorrow. You now will become the best wife in the universe, and as you already are the best sister, that won’t be tough.”

“You are so sweet Saket. Now I’m going. You sleep as well.”

“Good night sissy, now give me my last night hug and go cheater!”

“Ha-ha, you never will forget that, eh? Good night bhai, sleep fast, sleep well. Love you bhai.”

Saying this, Seema got down from the parapet and headed to the door.

“I love you didi, good night, sleep well.”

“Good night bacha,” was all Seema replied as she wiped the tears going down her cheeks and walked down the stairs to her room.

Walking towards his own room and stationing himself in his arm chair, Saket picked up a book to read with his blurred eyes, moist and wet, till he dozed off with the book in his hand, and the lights still turned on.

Half an hour later, Seema walked in, shut off the lights, and covered Saket with the blanket. She whispered in his ear with a watery voice, “You didn’t know about this to tell me tonight, and this is my little secret which I’ll preserve.”

Opening his eyes slowly, Saket replied, “I always knew about it, and I have been awake most of the times when you check on me. I never told you ‘cause it just felt so good. Now go and sleep, I can as well, now…”

Seema hugged her brother, as a stream went down both their cheeks. They just smiled.

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Friends may go away,

And so may your life partner,

But she never budges from your side,

Does your soul sister.