Veiled Secrets

0.5

Shivaay's eyes strayed on the traces of the shed that was built around the tree at the corner of the Mansion's backyard, he remembered how he and Om had built the place with Tej and Shakti's help when they were playing hide and seek.

He was strolling around after having the lunch. His feet took him to the archaway of the entrance of the backyard on their own. And here he was, trying to tie the broken strings of the past to create the embroidery of his own imagination.

He was six and Om was three.

They heard the pitter patter of footsteps running around followed by the giggles. The mansion was lively because of them. As if life had returned after the long raging storm that had left the land barren and devoid of any love or life in those closed and restricted premises.

"Shivaay! Om!" Tej called as he searched the mansion around. Shakti doing the same. Jhanvi had gone to visit her friend's book launching event while Pinky had gone to Mandir with Kalyani, so it was their duty to look after the kids.

"Where are they?" Shakti panted as he bent down to catch his breath, he had been running around the house all day, Om and Shivaay wanted to play hide and seek, who were they to deny them.

Tej sighed as he leaned on the pillar. That had been a terrible idea. He had no match for the never ending energy that children carried with them.

They heard giggles coming from the first floor and they sighed in relief. At least they hadn't gone out of the Mansion, that would have been a serious problem.

"Bhaisahab, this all is your fault. Why did you agree to this." Shakti said as he climbed up the stairs with much difficulty. Tej sighed again, and this time out of exhaustion, suddenly the staircase seemed a dozen times longer and higher.

The brothers collapsed in the middle of the stairs and sighed. Tej felt a little hand on his back as Shivaay grinned, "Aha! Me and Om tagged you. You lose!"

"Om and I." Shakti corrected himself softly. Shivaay nodded repeating the words.

And there were those sweet giggles again. Om was peeking from where he was standing behind Shivaay, his hands clutching onto his trousers.

"Oh no." Tej faked as gasp as he pulled both the children in his hold. Shivaay laughed as Shakti tickled him from the sides.

"No more." He said finally with tears of laughter in his eyes. Shakti smiled as he picked Shivaay up, and stood up with a grunt.

Shivaay noticed that and his eyes sparkled mischievously, "You know dad, you are getting old." He said with complete seriousness in his tone, Tej snickered as he high-fived the little one. The three year old, Om, who had no idea just mimicked the laughter he saw around him.

Shakti looked mildly offended at his brother's snickers, "Bhaishab, do not forget, if I am getting old then so you are."

"Nuh uh, bade papa looks younger than you." Shivaay said, the tone suggested that he meant what he was saying. Tej cackled at the look on Shakti's face.

"That's my boy!" He spoke his eyes shining with pride. Om was looking back and forth between them confused as to what was going on there.

"I'm sorry, dad I was just kidding." Shivaay said after a while hugging his father's neck when he didn't say anything. Shakti smiled at him, "I know, son. You don't have to say sorry for such things." He spoke as he ruffled his head.

The six year old Shivaay grinned at that. "Old!" Om pointed at him making him pout.

"No! I am just" Shivaay paused and looked at his fingers and showed them to Om "I'm just six!" He said firmly as he showed the exact number of fingers to put more emphasis on his words.

Tej blinked at the banter. Before he distracted them. It was not until an hour later when Jhanvi returned to see the adults lying on the couches exhausted while the kids were playing around.

She looked at her husband and her expression grew hesitant. "Tej?" Her voice was careful, Tej looked at her but didn't say anything.

"Badi maa!" She heard a joyous exclaim and she felt the smile overtaking her features as she looked at the little kids, he and Om were looking at her expectantly. "Yes, my love." Shivaay smiled brightly at the term of endearment.

She fished out something from her handbag and made them close their eyes.

"And there you go." And she placed the chocolate pieces in their tiny fists. She watched as their eyes shone with a different light looking at the treats. "Just one today." She added the sentence sternly but she was unable to keep up the facade when she looked at them.

She might not have a good relationship with her husband. But Shivaay, Om especially, they were her children. The reason she was still holding onto the last hope, because of them only.

Tej didn't say another word to her, she cast the look back to the kids. Shivaay was glancing at her curiously. He wondered why his bade papa and badi maa behaved so strangely around each other, but he was happy that they didn't fight anymore like they used to.

She caught his gaze and smiled at him assuring that everything was fine before she ushered him to go back to what he was doing.

"Why are you standing here alone?"

Shivaay was brought out of his thoughts when a hand was placed on his shoulders. Om was standing beside him looking ahead staring at the ruins of the same tree house that he was gazing at.

"Nothing." Shivaay answered in the nonchalant tone. "Just remembered something." He said with a shrug.

Om hummed. "Congratulations for the deal." He said, Shivaay could hear the pride in Om's voice and he felt his lips twitching up in response. He turned to look at his brother with an arched eyebrow.

"Since when did you start talking about business?" He asked with amusement lacing his tone.

"Since when, my brother started bagging huge deals yet returning home with a forlorn expression on his face." Om mimicked the tone of his voice and Shivaay smiled at him. They had always been able to read their thoughts. Like they always knew what the other was thinking.

"I didn't realise." Shivaay spoke as he pried his eyes off the spot and turned to look at brother properly.

"I know. What happened?" Om asked as he looked at him concerned.

"Nothing." Shivaay didn't want to elaborate the topic or the expression will turn sour for both of them.

"Alright." Om let off the topic not wanting to push his brother's boundaries though he had a faint idea what he was feeling when he had noticed Shivaay staring at the lone tree at the corner of their yard.

The tree house.

Shivaay was fairly attached to the house. But it was in ruins now, just like the relationships around the family. He didn't care much, it was so for as long as he could remember. He could never bring himself to believe the tales Shivaay had told him of when they were younger.

He could never imagine, Mr. Oberoi to be the loving father that his brother spoke about. That image was beyond his imagination.

He knew Shivaay would never lie but he knew one thing, that Shivaay had to see the world that it had become now, instead of hanging on the past like this.

Maybe what his brother had seen was just a facade that Tej had put up in front. He could never understand how his brother, still respected him even after all the foul things that man had said to him.

"Shivaay, it's gone." He spoke, he saw Shivaay's shoulder stiffening. "I know." He spoke.

"But it doesn't hold on for a little longer." His brother's voice was a soft whisper, the very same that managed to calm him down during the panic attacks that he used to have.

Don't hold onto the broken ends, Shivaay. You are only hurting yourself.