THE EYES DON'T REFLECT EVERY TIME!

CH-3 INTO THE PAST!

I was ten; it was mid summer when I heard, my parents were going to leave me for the next five years. I didn't know what to do. I suddenly felt the need to run to my mother; I couldn't stay alone. She wrapped her hands around mine. Hugging me, she said, "I am sorry my child! We have to go. I never wanted to tell this to you, but your brother's future is in your hands. Promise me.......promise me, you will not ever let him be alone. You will always protect him, won't you?"

"Yes! I will take care of him, I promise. But please don't go.....Please Mom!" I felt another hand on my back. Father! he joined the hug . The only thought at the moment was- why did only my parents  have to go away from me , from my brother? I wanted this moment to stay for eternity my hand around my baby brother. My mother's hands around me and father hugging all of us into one. The perfect family! However, all of us knew, that was not possible. I could only expect it to extend for another half a minute.

Finally the moment arrived when I had to see my parents to go away from me. They took their belongings and stepped into the car. I could see my mother's eyes full of water and that of my father with a tinge of despair. But neither of them looked at us; maybe afraid that would make there departure difficult: it was not easy either. When the car was in quite a distance from us I saw a hand peeping out of the window of the car, followed by a wave. THE WAVE OF DEPARTURE!

I looked at Toris who was staring at me with big eyes, then gave a sweet smile, I smiled back. Little did he know what future awaited.

                                                                                   ............

"Hello! I was asking for a Swiss Black Forest.....yeah..... the new one .......1239 bucks ..... that's good..... hmm thank you!" 

"Have you finished  ordering....help me put these balloons." Mewli spoke from thee corner of the room.

"And here I was going to ask you to help me out with the cake."I assured her.

"Why would you make one ? You are ordering it, aren't you?"

"That's for the night party, and what I am making is for now. "

"I am confused."

"Just wait and watch!"

"I don't know what's going on in your mind but whatever you want, you have to do it faster because your brother is going to wake up."

" Yes I know."

I took all the necessary stuffs out of the cabinet and started out with the batter. Right then somebody gave a serious blow from the back leaving me off-guard before I stumbled back into my normal position.

"Swen! You scared me."

"And look who shrank like a wimp!"

"Excuse me, I am not a wimp. Your voice is too demonic for anyone to not  fall senseless, I am in my senses though."

"Very funny-"

"Hi Swen, you're here.....I thought you might be dreaming right now. So, what's the reason for your early rise?" utterly disgusted, lips tired of blowing air into balloons, Mewli did not bother interrupting.

"How can you do this! You forgot To's birthday!"

"No, I didn't ....what do you think I am here for ?"

"So am I; why would you think otherwise?"

"Guys stop! I can't let To get up by your nonsense. Swen, would you like to help us somehow?"

"Sure! If someone doesn't have a problem." Swen eyed Mewli. "By the way, what are you doing?......Wait wait let me guess; is it the same cake you made on Mew's birthday?!"

 "Well yes.....but not sure whether it's going to taste the same."

"Of course it will. Can I taste the batter once?"

"NO , first birthday-boy, then everyone. Now I would like it if you go to the terrace and arrange the chairs there, while Mew makes the rest of the arrangements here."

" Yeah but---" I push him to the stairs before he could say anything.

It was past an hour when I  finished baking the cake.

"Hmm, it smells really good!"

"Thanks Mew, but I am not sure whether it's going to taste fine. By the way , what's the clock showing right now?"

" It's almost 11:55 pm."

"That means we have to wait for another five minutes to wake To up."  

"Woh! woh! Don't you all ever dare to plan anything in my absence." There comes Swen.

"Else?" Mewli countered.

"I.... I would .......yes, I would eat up the whole cake. So, better don't do that."

" You are still a child, Swen."

"Did you complete the work?" I demanded.

"Yeah, the work's fulfilled. Now may I know what's going on between the two witches?"

"Did you just call us witches?"

" Leave it Mew, he has absolutely zero words in his dictionary. And yes Swen, we have to wait for another two to three minutes for cutting the cake."

"Another three minutes! I can't wait to have the cake, for even a minute." He mumbled.

"Did you say something?"

"No! Absolutely not."

I kept the cake on the dining table. Then went back to the kitchen to set it up. It took me some time to clean the batter bowl while a fork fell down to the ground. I crouched down to pick it up. Suddenly, I felt lump of weight forced on my head, it becomes heavy and I lose vision. It started becoming blur and I felt sure to fall down, when I a hand supported my back.

"You okay? Here's some water, take it."

I drank the glass offered  by Swen. "Better now."

"You haven't had dinner, right?"

"I had to make this....."

"Every year you do...."

"And I don't want to mess it up. I always make sure he does not regret anyone's absence on this day."

"Its okay, Tee." He said wiping out my tears . He sat in front of me. "You love your brother a lot. He'll be proud of you. And I am gonna make sure that this day becomes the best day of his life. Though don't come to me later if To gets spoilt by your excessive pampering."   

"Thank you ." I hug him while we both give out a chuckle.

"Oh! my eyes. May I join emotional scene too?" Mewli came and joined us. This was how it felt to be best of friends. They don't have to be perfect, because they know--- Its good to be perfect but it's more perfect to be good.

I don't have too many friends but the two friends that I have is like everything to me; Mewli and Swen.

Mewli: Talking about her makes my heart fill with lots of happiness, because she was the one who gave me 'the feeling' when I had lost all my hopes. She made me laugh when I forgot what it actually meant. After my parents she was the first person who cared  talking to me... She helped me look after my brother too.

Swen was neither polite to me nor was even acting as a friend the day we first met. He  was at the corner of the last bench when Mewli took me to him while they were friends already. He was so quiet back then, I never knew he could have been such irritating too. All I was, a helping-machine to him but strangely, I never got bored of that. People love to judge him by his arrogance but we have seen his caring side. He lost his mother and sister through a mishap in his father's laboratory. May be that's why he is so vulnerable to relations.

It never seemed to me that twelve years had passed since we first met!