ShivOmRu : A Bond Beyond Brotherhood

#9

A New Beginning

ShivOmRu didn't know how to put their feelings in words. Rudy was worse of them all.

Rudy had known kaka as his only parent ever since he started understanding the world around him. Kaka had been his dad, his friend, his teacher, his... everything.

Rudy had cried himself to sleep 3 times throughout the train journey. He didn't even get a good sleep due to all the nightmares he saw.

Om, on the other hand, was trying his best to be strong for Rudy but had tears flowing down his eyes. He still remembered it like yesterday when kaka had brought ShivOmRu to his house from that dirty orphanage.

Om took his time in quietly sobbing once Rudy fell asleep. He cried himself to sleep as well but with Shivaay on his side, he knew that everything will get better through time.

Shivaay didn't let a tear slip down his eyes after leaving the house. He needed to be strong for his younger brothers. He held his brothers close to him as they cried their eyes out in his chest.

"Mein sab thik kar dunga, OmRu, I promise." ("I'll fix everything, OmRu, I promise.") He whispered. He saw that OmRu had fell asleep on him. He kissed their foreheads and covered them both with a blanket.

Shivaay shifted his brothers in a comfortable position and sat on the opposite seat of the train compartment which was empty.

He pulled out the two envolopes which kaka had handed him, from the pocket.

A tear slipped down his eye but he managed to keep all the other tears inside.

He opened the first envolope, there was just a bundle of cash inside it as he had already taken out the tickets.

He put it neatly beside him and reached for the other envolope. The envolope held two folded papers, one of the paper looked worn out and old while the other looked too white and new.

Shivaay decided to go for the old worn out paper first.

It was the letter which kaka had received years ago from the Oberoi's. Shivaay re-read it a few times and finally came to the conclusion that his family hadn't abandoned them on purpose but they had their own serious and dangerous reasons for it.

He now realised what kaka meant by their lives are in danger and he also now understood why kaka had told him to hide his relation with the Oberoi Industries from the world.

Shivaay reached for the other folded paper and unfolded it. "Pyaare Shivaay baba..." ("Dear Shivaay Baba...") Shivaay read it in hushed voice so that he doesn't wake his brothers up.

"...Nahi, baba nahi." ("...No, not baba.") Shivaay smiled at the line. Kaka was writing what he was speaking.

"Pyaare Shiv, Happy Birthday ! Haan, Haan mujhe pata hai ki birthday pe mein khud bhi yeh bol sakta tha lekin mujhe letter likhna jyada accha idea laga. Aj mere chote se Shiv pure 16 saal ke ho gaye hai. Kitne jaldi din beet-te hai na ? Aisa lagta hai kal ki hi baat hai jab aap OmRu ke sath mere ghar mein aaye the. Kitne chote the aap tab lekin fir bhi bahot bahadur aur hoshiyar, apne bhaiyon ke liye kuch bhi karne ki himmat rakhne wale." ("Dear Shiv, Happy Birthday! Yeah, yeah I know I could've wished you face to face but I like the idea of communicating through letters. Today my lil Shiv has grown up to be 16 years old. Ah, how fast time passes! It feels like yesterday when you and OmRu had come to stay with me. You were so little but still courageous and smart, always ready to do everything for your brothers.") Shivaay could actually hear the fond chuckle kaka had let out after writing this small paragraph.