The Family

4. Chaar

It's been a few days since the tragedy hit us. And days turned into weeks. And weeks turned into months.

Life didn't stop for us, so we had to resume with it, slowly recovering our empty hearts and souls. The pain was there but we had learned to cope with it. The loss of an important part of the family haunted us every time we returned home, looked at her room, or even while having meals.

We had forgotten about the final words that Mother had said. It totally slipped our minds about the file. What possibly could a file do to us?

Those words seriously came back to bite me in the back later though...

It was just another day at school and I had the morning period free. I was reviewing the notes I had made for the next class when the school receptionist came and called, "Mr. Malhotra, your uncle is here to meet you. He is waiting for you in the Staff canteen."

I couldn't help but frown and repeat, "My uncle?"

Nevertheless, I thanked her for her hard work and made my way to the staff canteen to meet the uncle I had never heard about.

The door that had the sign 'authorization restricted to faculty' hung outside the door. At this hour of the day, I doubt even the canteen staff would be present. An obnoxious feeling passed through my being making me nervous. I steeled my nerves and turned the knob of the door and entered the canteen.

As I had predicted, there was no one in the huge room except for a man in a suit with salt and pepper hair standing by the wending machine.

He had an expensive-looking scarf draped around his tailored suit. The man was as tall as me or perhaps even taller. And when he turned, his handsome face was proof of what one looked when one age gracefully.

But never in my life had I seen a man that looked like him and claimed to be my uncle.

"Hello?" I greeted him when he acknowledged me with his gaze. He had green eyes that still glistened in the sunlight.

"Ah, hello there," he replied after gulping the drink he had got for himself from the wending machine, "don't mind me helping myself, I was a little thirsty while waiting."

I just nodded in reply before asking, "May I know who you are and why exactly you requested to meet me by claiming that you are my uncle?"

"Oh Abhimanyu, I didn't recognize you there for a second. You have grown into such a big man, how's your brother Nihal?" he laughed as recognition flashed through his eyes.

I couldn't exactly react to his recognition except for a frown.

"I'm sorry, I didn't actually recognize you," I added feeling a little guilty.

"I wouldn't expect you to too," his lips lifted into a smug smile before he extended his hand and introduced himself, "I am called Ranadheer. I'm your father's brother-in-law, so of course, that makes me your uncle."

I shook his surprisingly still sturdy hand not knowing what else to say.

"Sneha, your mother did a good job keeping you both away from everyone for so long after your father's death, changing all your names to her surname," he paused for a second before resuming as if he recalled something, "Oh yeah, sorry for your loss by the way. I heard about her death just recently."

I didn't know if he was being serious or mocking my mother. And what did he mean by my mother hid me and Nihal from others? Changed our surnames? Was he even talking about something sensible?

"What do you mean?" I couldn't hide my displeasure about the way he talked about my mother. I knew I sounded rude, not like he wasn't rude in the first place.