It was early morning, the month of June 2010. I was a curious adolescent boy and was rummaging through the schoolbag of my brother to find his physics textbook. Physics had always fascinated me; hence you can see why I was reading my elder brother’s textbook early morning. Suddenly my father comes in; takes my brother’s bag and starts to search it. And he found something my brother shouldn’t have had (It wasn’t anything illicit). I knew my brother had it and had been keeping it as a secret from my parents but I decided to save my ass and his. I told my dad that I believe it belongs to a friend of his. Well, I expected it to work. My brother came to the room and my parents were furious. He, although decided to admit the truth. He told them how he had obtained it and my parents scolded him. The most important part, he didn’t tell them that I knew all about it.
Fast forward, my brother somehow got the feeling that it was me who ratted him out and we fell apart. All the talks we used to have suddenly ceased. We used to be in the same room but neither of us spoke a word. When I tried to speak, he used to answer me in such a blunt tone that I decided to let it be and not talk to him. But was I correct?
He got selected into IIT-Bombay a few years later(2013) and we were all proud. I was proud too although I decided not to express. Maybe it was ego. Who knows. Time passed quickly and next month he was off for college. While returning from the railway station, I felt hollowness in my heart. But I decided not to mention it to anyone, including myself. I ignored it completely. Again, maybe it was igo. I’m not so sure.
An year passed and he came back for summer vacations. He stayed for almost three months but we hardly spoke even 15 words. And those 15 words included things like,”mummy is calling” and such stuff. In a nutshell, we were complete strangers for around 6 years. Maybe even more.
I came to college in 2016; IIT Kanpur. I wanted to go to Bombay but they didn’t offer the course of my choice. Well, the pressure of academics quickly escalated and I was engrossed. One day, out of utter frustration, I decided to text my brother. He replied. We exchanged a few texts, simple ones. For the first time in almost six years, we had a genuine talk. Fast forward 4 months, he called me at exact midnight to wish me for my birthday. I was happy, although I didn’t show it. Maybe it was the first time he ever called me.
Yes, it WAS the first time he had called me in these six years.
Well, now we talk quite regularly on the phone. But yeah, it is quite awkward when we are in the same room. I don’t know what it is. But I’m quite happy that we started to speak.
Maybe it was the initiative I took by texting him. Maybe he was also willing to speak. Who cares. It’s the final outcome that counts in this case. I’m still to tell him that it wasn’t me who ratted him out. I’ll tell him the next time we meet. In a few weeks.
To end, I’d like to say that *sometimes* or in fact many times it’s the ego that prevents us from talking. Many times it’s the memories and experiences that we have which make us distance ourselves from our family. It’s an unfortunate thing to happen. And to realise that it happened is an abysmal feeling.
Remember, no matter what happens in our life, our family WILL be there to support us. Everyone else might run away but our parents, our siblings won’t.
Don’t let them go away.
Ever.
