The Trail to Spring

Chapter 36

I sat staring at the wall clock in the hospital corridor as the minute hand slowly ticked away.

It was nine in the morning. Doctors had spent the whole night taking out the bullet that had been lodged in Rakesh's shoulder by his foster father. He had lost a lot of blood but I was ensured that there was no immediate danger to his life.

So, today I sat outside his hospital ward, waiting for him to wake up. I was afraid of what his reaction would be. Would he be angry? Sad? A little confused?

I dropped my eyes towards the phone in my hand. I had called and asked Mom and Dad to come to this hospital. They were surprised by my seemingly arbitrary request and I had to reassure them countless times that I was completely healthy before they had agreed to come here.

I stood up to stretch my legs as they had cramped up due to sitting for so long. I peeped inside Rakesh's room. I was surprised. He was awake and seemed to be in deep thought.

I tightened the hold on my phone and gave out a deep sigh to calm my nerves. Then I slowly pushed the door open.

"May I come inside?"

Rakesh nodded, his eyes fixed on mine.

I closed the door behind me as I entered.

"Maya, I....."

I didn't let him finish. I approached him and hugged him tightly.

"I missed you, dada," I laughed even as streams of tears started trickling down my cheeks.

"You know?," Rakesh said, his eyes widening.

"Of course, I do! I am your sister," I said, wiping the tears from my face.

"And I am your brother," he smiled. "I never realised how painful it is to get shot."

"Serves you right!," I said.

"Nobody says that, idiot!," he protested.

"And nobody runs away from his family when he is eight because he wants to go on stupid adventures!," I chimed back.

Rakesh shrugged his shoulders.

"How did you figure out all this anyway? Did Pops tell you?," he asked.

"I saw Blackie in your bookshelf," I grinned.

"Who's that?"

"You know perfectly well who that is," I answered.

"No, I don't," he protested again. He turned his face away as it became a shade red.

I held his left hand tightly as I took in the fact that I had been successful in tracing my brother, the same brother of my childhood fantasies.

"I am glad it was you," I sighed.

"I am sorry, Maya," he said still not keeping eye contact, "I am sorry that you had to suffer so much because of me. You see, I was afraid. If I had wanted, I could have come back. But I didn't have the courage to meet you anymore, after everything that I had made you go through all these years."

He took a sharp breath.

"Back when you first came to my apartment, Pops had recognised who you were and had informed me of the same. I wanted to meet you but he warned me not to reveal my identity to you. I was scared of what he could do to you, to Mom and Dad.

I had thought that if I could retrieve his pen drive for him, he would let me go back to you. That's why I took you to Darjeeling with me. I knew that you would be safe as long as you stayed with me."

The door opened once again and in came Mom and Dad. They stood transfixed on the spot as their eyes travelled to my brother. Rakesh put down his head. It was clear that they knew who was on the bed. Mom's eyes were sparkling and a tear was trickling down her left cheek. Dad slowly walked up to us with clenched wrists. He seemed to be shaking with rage.

"Lift your face," he said in almost a whisper.

Rakesh slowly lifted his face to look up at Dad with his red eyes. I wondered whether Dad would slap him on the face.

But as it turned out, Rakesh gave out a low grunt as Dad hugged him tightly, his anger finally giving way to relief to finally joy.

"I am sorry, Arjun," he said, still shaking.

Mom came and held his hands. I noticed that she was finally smiling, the kind of smile that was not put up for others forcefully but one that was natural, one that came from deep inside her, a beautiful smile that made all my trials and tribulations worthwhile.

It was worth it.

"I wanted to come back, Mom," Rakesh sobbed, "I wanted to come back to you but I realised all the wrong that I had done - to Maya, to Dad, to Grandpa and Grandma. And to you. I thought it would be for the better if I didn't return to your lives anymore."

Mom wiped out the tears from Rakesh's face, even though she herself was crying.

"I am sorry, Mom."

"It is alright," she said as she stroked Rakesh's head.

"You were brave. I am proud of you."

As I stood watching them embrace from a distance, I finally felt something that I had longed to feel for as long as I could remember.

A sense of belonging.