The Forgotten Princess and Her Beast

12. Can't get rid of memories!

Drithi

I came back to my room and changed into something comfortable. Sleep was far away from my eyes. This time for a different reason. Today, I am happy after a long time. I miss Rishi beside me though. I took out my mobile and sent him a quick text to call me when he got free. We do speak daily but today I am very excited to share the happenings with him. I did speak in the morning but many things happened after that isn't it?

I walked out and sat by the pool with my legs dipped inside the pool. A few memories started flooding into my mind. 

"Bhayya!" I called for my Adhi bhayya who was busy swimming.  I sat down on the edge carefully and waited for him to come to me.

"Teach me how to swim na!" I whined folding my hands above my chest with a dramatic pout. Adhi bhayya and Anmol were having their swimming classes while I was sitting at the bank sulking. Reason? My grandmother. Some pandit told her that I had a life threat in water till I turned 14 and asked her to keep me away from water.

"Cheenu, you know Dadi asked you not to come near the pool na bachha?"  He cooed me caressing my cheeks. I puffed my cheeks pouting and giving him my best puppy eyes.

"Bacchu, you know I can't say no to you when you make that pout right? Why are you doing that? I am just 14 and you are 10 bachhu! What if you get into trouble in the water and I can't help you? Please understand na beta!" He explained softly taking my hands in his. I nodded half-heartedly.

"I will definitely teach you once you turn 14. I promise! Now smile baby!"  He said tickling me and making me giggle. As promised, he started teaching me swimming from the day I turned 14 and he saved me a few times from drowning in the beginning.

I smiled at those memories kicking my legs in the water. This time the memories brought a smile to my face instead of tears. I sighed contended and started gazing at the beautiful night scenery when I felt a presence behind me and turned to find Abhimaan standing there looking at me.

"Wanna talk?" I found myself asking him. I keep myself far away from things and people related to Riya but he's becoming an exception. Why? Why am I not caring about her allegations and fights we can probably have because I talk to him? Why am I ready to face her and fight her for him when I didn't do that even for many of my favorite things which were dear to me for years?

He folded his pants and sat beside me dipping his feet in the water. The cool breezes hit my face carrying his manly cologne giving me a warm feeling. I looked at him and smiled which he returned.

"Couldn't sleep?" He asked me after a while. I nodded with my eyes fixed on the stars shining brightly in the night sky.

"What about you?" I asked looking at him through my peripheral vision. His silky hair is falling on his forehead giving me this weird urge to set them back and to run my hands through them massaging his scalp. I shook my head to stop those thoughts.

"Clouded with memories. Can't get rid of them." He sighed kicking water which as a result fell on our faces. I wiped my face and looked at him who was doing the same with the back of his hand.

"Thinking about Shubh?" I asked him. I know I am invading his privacy by asking this. We are practically strangers who just spoke a few words today but I felt like asking him.

"Hmm. About the circumstances that made us stand where we are," He let out a frustrated sigh messing his perfectly set hair. I placed my palm on his hand which was resting between us. He looked at our hands and then at me.

"He loves you a lot. And I can feel the same from you. Why don't you talk to him?" I asked in a soft tone at which he let out a humorless chuckle.

"I tried Drithi! But I am incapable of expressing myself. I... I am very guilty for leaving him at that time but it was necessary to leave. I want to tell him everything but words leave my side whenever we come face to face. We end up fighting or taunting each other at the end," He bore his heart out. I know he is not someone who shares things with people. But today he is letting out his feelings in front of me. 

I can see longing in his eyes for Shubh. The same I felt and noticed in Adi bhayyas' eyes. I don't know what to say or speak. The reason is I don't even know what happened in the first place. Shubh was just 12 when he came here. I was 14 back then. He told me that his bhayya left him and went abroad for higher studies. Abhimaan was 16 at that time. Their mother passed away 3 years before that and Uncle sent Abhimaan away. He sent Shubh to stay with us as he was mostly busy with his work and Shubh felt low. I know most of the things about Abhimaan as I heard my parents, grandparents, and Aanand uncle talk about him a lot. Even after I left from here, Aanand uncle called me regularly and used to speak about him along with Shubh.

"It's not my place to ask. But, can you tell me what made you decide to leave the country and your brother behind? He was a kid and lost almost everyone in a span of a few years. It wasn't easy for him." I asked him carefully. I know it was not only Shubh who lost everything but he too was left alone. Shubh at least had all of us but him, he was all alone in a different country. Though the reasons were different our situations were similar. 

"I had to Drithi! Trust me I never wanted to leave my brother alone. I was just 4 when Mom handed him to me wrapped in a soft white towel. He was so cute and chubby you know!" He said with a genuine smile playing on his lips. A lone tear left his eyes which he wiped away quickly. Now, at this instant, the man in front of me is not The Abhimaan Raghuvanshi who rules the business world and is a king. He is Shubh's Abhi bhayya. I smiled rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand.

"But, after my Mom passed away, things started to change. My grandparents wanted my father to remarry. He didn't agree for the sake of us. They started hating me and Shubh after that. My grandma used to add extra salt to our food. I was able to bear all that but Shubh, my baby brother couldn't handle it. I started cooking for him after that. I used to cook food for him with the help of a maid and feed him not letting my grandparents know about this. I didn't want them to harm him. Every day I felt like a failure." He started pouring his heart out. Tears rolled down my cheeks imagining what those little kids had to face at a very young age. I was wiping my tears when I saw Shubh calling me. It is the time to unite this brothers. They will never speak face to face. I should do something.

Maybe what I am doing is wrong but I want them to end this cold war once and for all. I have to let Shubh know his brother's side of the story.