Anirudh- The Story Of A Misread Barrister

Chapter-105: Good Deeds Paid Off

"He will wear this suit.", baba's firm declaration was countered by kaka's loud contention, "No, let him wear dhoti."

"You still didn't get rid of those English habits, Binoy.", kaka sneered, propelling baba to give back. "Da, you want to make my son an old man already?"

This was the scene going on in the room by the time I came after taking a relaxing bath. It took few minutes for me to realise that they were actually fighting over my dress. Of late, these twins had nothing to fight about; not even over differences in opinions. So, finally they have settled with something as trivial as my dress, which shouldn't be their concern at all. I am the one supposed to select my dress, isn't it?

"Order! Order!", I yelled like the magistrate in court. "Why are you both fighting like kids?"

"Anirudh, see, I have taken this white shirt and black suit for you.", baba showed me an outfit that looked damn classy, like a perfect English dress, the one that I usually wear.

In an instant, kaka too appeared before me with a royal blue kurta and golden dhoti, challenging me to decide which one is good.

As I passed my fingers fondly over the white and black English suit, kaka's face fell. "I should've known that you will ultimately listen to your father. Go ahead.", he complained like a child who is angry with his parent.

"Kaka...I haven't decided yet..."

"What is there to decide, Anirudh? You are always in your kaka's team.", baba huffed.

"God, how many children should I manage in this lifetime?", I uttered helplessly, looking at the ceiling, shedding false tears. "Do I really attract children or will people automatically turn into children on seeing me?"

Hearing my complaint, both of them laughed, placing the outfits on the bed.

"You don't know Anirudh", kaka spoke with a contented smile, "the happiest thing for a father is to be fathered by his own children. It is a sign of children's growth and a suggestive warning for the older generation to retire and give space for the younger ones. Even though I am not your biological father, I got to experience parenthood while raising three of you."

The quiver in kaka's voice and the moisture in his eyes called for our attention and without wasting a minute we embraced him. I have never seen him merely as my kaka. He was more than that; more than my own parents; because it was he who raised and cared for me in the absence of my parents. Similarly, my father too never objected to kaka's unrestrained right over me and my brothers, although he had envisioned our lives differently than kaka.

I lovingly embraced both of them while passing a remark, "Well, if you want me as your father then even I am ready to take you as my children. "Since that is decided, children, I order you to stop fighting over your father's clothes and sit quietly."

This earned a unanimous reaction from the brothers who gently pulled my ears, bursting into laughter, while I feigned pain.

Subsequently, I had decided what to wear for the wedding function I was going to attend that evening. It was the English outfit, the classy white and black. I preferred to dump the suit coat that looked too much for a traditional Bengali village wedding and hence decided to go on only with the waistcoat. With the thick black pants, pearl white shirt, black waistcoat and a brooch gifted by Bondita, I looked ready for the party. I sprayed my favourite, rather Bondita's favourite musk perfume across my torso and put on my pale gold-rimmed spectacles.

I purposefully went to kaka and asked how I was looking. He was certainly impressed with the way his favourite son looked, but refused to admit. Suppressing the glint in his eyes, he tapped the ground with his walking stick and sternly questioned why I didn't wear the traditional Indian dress.