TILL INFINITIES END

13. TIA

(author's note- due to length issues, i am dividing this into two parts in continuous series. scroll down and it will continue)

'Homogeneous mixtures are the mixtures which do not differentiate-'

'-Tiaa?' I had hardly finished the definition when i heard Mumma calling me. 

'Yes Mumma?' I shouted back, while i heard a few footsteps coming towards my room and a knock at my door.

'Yes!' I say and she opens it, with Vyom peeping in. she looked a little in hurry.

'Listen, I have an emergency so I have to rush to the clinic. and Vyom has a birthday party to attend at 1.30. so..' and she pauses as her phone rings. She thinks for a second and then silences it.

She says 'So, just get him ready and wrap this book in a nice gift paper, I've kept it on the table. Sudhanshu uncle will come to pick him up, so just drop him at the gate and DON'T let him go down alone, okay? just stay with him till he settles in the car. okay? just do this much!' she finishes and quickly picks up the call 'yes, Prachi...' and leaves.

See, THIS is the life of elder siblings, one order and they have to leave all their work and go after their siblings. Now all I had in my room was my eight year old brother starring at me as I starred at him. Getting Vyom ready is a TASK. I look at the clock, it showed 12:30. and then, I again look at Vyom.

'Didi?' the extra innocence and politeness in his voice made me smile a little. he knows which tone to select when he needs to get his work done. be it anything, but Vyom is cute.

'Come on, I'll get you ready.' I say as I close my textbook and get up to go to his room.

We enter and....MY JAW FELLS on seeing the amount of junk that had been created there. All so much unorganized and dirty! His pens and pencils and erasers between books and shattered over here and there, the patches of his leaked pens on the walls, and his books....everything is just so much messy! 

'Vyom!' I shout 'What is all this? You don't clean this up?' 

'Clean up what?' he shrugs. HE SHRUGS.

I hit him on his head 'clean up what? all this dirt and rubbish! How can you even stay here?' 

'Ohh this...' he says in a more realizing tone 'I'll for sure clean this when I get back.' 

I make a face as he looks at me. even I know this is never gonna happen, but still I ignore it. 

'Show me your clothes.' I say as he runs and opens his closet. I wait for him while he snuggles his head into it.

'Didi i want to wear this.' he says and picks out an absolutely worst combination of brown pants and a dark green t-shirt.

'This?? no!' I say 'how can you even think of wearing this? move, I'll pick something out for you!' and I make my way through his closet.

And then, after ten minutes of work, I finally take out his denim jacket, a white stripped t-shirt and back pants for him.

'Yes, wear this!' I say and help him change. then I squeeze his mouth and set his hair in every good boy style. And once he's ready; he sees into the mirror. The smile on both of our faces is unexplainable. He adjusted his little jacket like elders and seeing him do this made me smile even more. He did look cute !

'Vyomie,' I ask 'you like it?'

To this, he just looks up and smiles even more. 

'Wait, I'll click your picture and send it to mumma.' I say as I rush to get my phone. 

He poses like a good boy when i click and send it off to mumma. The time showed 1:10 PM. I quickly go to the table to cover the book with the gift wrapper. 'Vyomie, go and get the red paper bag mumma has kept in the drawer.' I tear off a sticker from the labels and stick it on the gift with Vyom's name on it. And then I keep the book in the bag.

It was almost the time for Sudhanshu uncle to come. So before I send him off to the party, I give him quick instructions 'Vyomie, look, enjoy your time, but don't do too much of mischief and make sure that there are no complaints coming up to mumma and papa, okay? And don't break anything at your friend's home. Behave well and don't spill drinks or waste food. Finish EVERYTHING you take on the plate, and say thank you before you leave, clear?' 

He intendly listens to me and gives me quick nods as I say this. 

'Good boy.' I say and kiss him on his cheek, which he as always rubs off! I help him wear his shoes and we go downstairs. Sudhanshu uncle comes within some time.

I give him a smile as he opens the door. he puts down the window glass and asks me 'hello Tia, how's study going?' 

'Good, uncle.' I smile at him.

'Hoping to see you in the top ones!' he smiles, as I help Vyom settle in the car.

'I'll try!' I say and he smiles.

'When will this party get over?' I ask for the time.

'Around 5 or 5:30. don't worry I'll drop him home.' he says.

'Ohh, okay.' I say and look at Vyom 'Vyomie, don't do much mischief, okay?' 

He nods at me and then I wave all of them a bye. I sigh as I see the car go and look at the clock which said 1:30. I climb upstairs, and fold Vyom's clothes. I also organize a bit of his room and then i finally go to my room and start studying.

'Homogeneous mixtures are the mixtures which...' I had hardly finished the definition, and again, i was distracted. my phone buzzed with a ring. 

I got up from my study table, only to look at the name on the screen and twitch my mouth- 'Aayush.' I rolled my eyes- what does he want now?

'hello?' I answered it.

'Tia, look, there will be a link shared in the group in 5 minutes, just quickly join it. I've to call other people, okay? bye!' he said all this in one go and disconnected even before I could speak.

Link? For what? To play games and discuss how to fail this year in boards? Duhh! This sucks! Why does this happen that each time I try to study, every natural force on this earth compels me not to? First Vyom, and now this! I sighed and opened my laptop, keeping the zoom tab on. my phone buzzed again with a message.

The link was shared. I quickly pressed on it with my cursor, and joined the meet. My eyes searched for you-know-who. He was in the meet, but his video was off. I opened the chat section, made it private and typed: 'any idea why this meetin...'

'why have they called for a meeting?' My chat section showed up a message. And, it was from Sam. FROM SAM. *blush..blush..blush..* lol, I was just typing the same thing! I mean, this telepathy deserves a round of applause.

I smiled and erased the whole text.

'Nope! No idea!!' I replied.

'Duhh!' he typed "these people need to work!"

'Hello everyone!' Aayush said 'how's the day going-'

'-Aayush, please come straight to the point. Everyone is busy and no one is interested in knowing how everyone's day is going!' Sanya said.

'Sanya that was rude but...okay. I have called this meeting to inform you all something. Since we are giving 10th boards this year, we were to get a farewell from our school.' He said 'But seems like we are not lucky enough to get one.'

what? No farewell?? No wayyy!!

'What rubbish is this!' ankit said.

'What you're calling 'rubbish' is our director madam's decision. Being the head boy I was called to her office in the morning today, only to be informed that this year there won't be any farewell due to certain unavoidable reasons. The official announcement will be done by our class teacher tomorrow, but I thought to inform you all today!' he said.

Wow, I mean, wow!! Unavoidable circumstances? My foot. They just want to save the funds. I could already see people's faces turning down in disappointment. There's one expectation we keep from our school and they need to ruin it all! Perfect!