Reshimbandh~Silken Threads

2. Rawte Siblings Reunite

Same evening

Arjun drove towards a road which was once his home, but things had changed some seven years ago. That time when his father had asked him to choose between his luxurious lifestyle and business or his career as a police officer, he chose the latter.

Now he was going there just to meet his siblings. His father had written a letter, it was almost an emotional blackmail to bring him back to the house. Arjun's mind tried hard to reason and stop him from visiting 'Rawte Mansion' but his heart won, he couldn't break his sister's heart and decided to meet her.

~

Inside the Rawte mansion, the same young girl sat on the couch in her room. She made a drink of rum for herself and kept the bottle back in a closet. She picked her drink and went downstairs, sat on the sofa surfing through different channels and sipping her drink little by little.

"Woow man! Bicardi Limon! A perfect rum for this hot day..okay night. Well, I didn't introduce myself did I? I'm the one and only, none other than Neha Rawte!" She said dramatically holding her cell as mic, she mimicked the news reporter on the television in her own way. "Today's news headlines once again, my dear brother is coming home! Yay! Woohoo!! Will be back after a short break." She whistled and squealed in happiness. "Dinu Kaka!" She called the head servant.

"Ji bebiji!" An elderly man came and stood in front of her.

"Kaka, aarti ki thali ready?"

"Ji bebiji!"

"Dinner ready?"

"Ji bebiji!"

"Kaka, how many times shall I tell you, don't say 'ji' 'ji'!"

"Ji bebiji!"

"Kaka, go and bring aarti ki thali."

"Ji bebiji! But Arjun baba hasn't arrived yet."

"You go and bring the plate, bhaiya would be here shortly." She smiled warmly at him and shook her head as he left. "Ji bebiji!" She mimicked him and laughed to herself and quickly finished her drink.

~

Arjun drove in the most posh areas of Mumbai, 'Rawte Mansion' was situated at the end, very close to the sea shore. The security guard saluted him, opened the huge black gate and let him in. Nothing had changed much except the trees that had grown bigger. A cool breeze disarranged his nicely kept hair as he jumped out of his car. A driver came to him and took the keys to park the car in parking lot.

Arjun now slowly climbed the stairs and stood by the large teak door of the mansion, as always, it was open. Before he could step in, a familiar voice stopped him from inside, "Wait! Put your shoes outside. How dare you forget the rules?" Neha said sharply as she came to the door, with a plate in her right hand.

He removed his shoes in a corner, no one was allowed to enter the mansion with their shoes on. He stood at the doorstep, looking at his younger sister holding the Aarti ki thali in one hand. The memories of his childhood came floating in his mind.

23 years ago, he was standing inside, holding the plate to welcome his little sister who was five days old then. She was coming to this house for the first time and he stood with his mother to welcome her. His excitement knew no bounds when he got to know that he had a little sister.

"Come in now!" Neha said as she had finished doing aarti and saw him lost somewhere.

"It feels as if it was just yesterday I had welcomed you in this house, you were this little." He said gesturing his hands as if holding a small baby, "And now you've grown up to become an almost replica of your mother."