Yes, you will still be the little brother to me, though you are now all grown up now. I have held you in my arms right after you entered our world with a grinning smile. You made me a proud Tai and I couldn't stop looking at your tiny little hands that held my hands so firmly, to never let go. There was an age difference of around 15 years between us, but that was never a problem in our bonding. Your parents (my mama and mami) considered me as their elder daughter and I could spend a lot of time seeing you growing up, going to school gatherings with you, going to the Girgaon Chowpatty, and having fun during horse rides, having bhel puri, watching Tom and Jerry repeat telecasts with you and laughing our hearts out at all opportunities possible.
I introduced my life partner to our family after a few years and everyone was very happy. You were the happiest of all because you liked him very much and I dreamt of you both sharing a great camaraderie and rapport. I wanted you to come visit us in Bangalore and I would have shown you around and eaten so many delicacies with you. I wanted to do so much with you and for you. You were my only brother after all.
But that wasn't meant to be. Due to some misunderstandings between your parents and my mother, your parents completely stopped interacting with us. I didn't even know what was my fault that I was asked not to contact you or them at all. Later things got clear and I realized that it was unnecessary to continue the unnecessary tension and feud between us both. I contacted you on Facebook and wanted to keep in touch with you, but you told me that you didn't want to keep any contact with me and that I shouldn't contact you henceforth. I swallowed my tears, wished you well, and moved ahead in my life.
Then after a few years, the news came that you were very unwell and needed help. My mom and I were ready to rush to you and be by your side, but then again we were blocked from meeting you and the relationship got more bitter and stale. That was the time when my mom and I realized that it was better not to try re-establishing contact with you or your parents.
Many years have passed in between, and many developments have taken place in my life, I became a mother, and you became a mama. I wanted you to see my son, hold him in your hands, and talk to him, but when we met at a cousin's wedding, we didn't even make eye contact and avoided each other as though we had never met in our lives.
We both lost our aaji in 2020, my mom her mother, and your dad his mother. She was the only common point remaining between the two siblings but with her, the last straw was gone too. I had written to your dad, sending him my condolences and he had replied. There was a faint glimmer of hope and I thought maybe now, things would be straightened out after so much water had gone below the bridge. But again it was me and my silly self hoping for something that was never going to happen again. I had invited you all to my son's thread ceremony, but none of you came or sent your blessings or wishes.
And suddenly last week, I got to know that you have got married. For a moment, I was sad, thinking, I wasn't by your side at your happiest moment in life, but I am also very sure that you didn't miss me at all. All your near and dear ones must have been present at the most important day of your life.
I am very happy for you dear brother. May all your wishes come true and may you always be blissful in your married life. Though I will probably never meet your life partner, I wish her all the happiness and a happy life together.
You will always be in my prayers and blessings. Though you have forgotten me, you still occupy a tiny corner of my heart. And time and again I revisit that tiny corner of my life and have a good time reminiscing the good times we spent together.
I tried my best
to bridge the gap,
that people and circumstances
had created between us.
I tried my best to lend
a helping hand
and a loving heart,
and forget the rifts of the past.
But I think we were meant
to walk together only till this point,
Destined to go separate ways,
and be strangers again.
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