new bonding

Deepu was in an irritated mood। Nothing was going according to his wish। School was reopening after Xmas holidays and he had been pestered to get up early। Then his mother had not given him noodles for breakfast as promised. Instead he had to gulp down idlis which he hated. Not that staying at home was a better option. His younger brother had fought with him over a fancy ball pen and his parents had asked Deepu to behave like a responsible older brother and give Shamu the pen.Always give in!
Deepu was sick of being the older brother, that too of a fightercock like Shamu. In his 12 years of life, the happiest were the first four when he had been the only child of his parents. They were devoted to him, boasted about him to everyone. Why can parents not have just one child, he wondered. He had never asked them for a brother or a sister. He was happy with all his belongings and games, his own TV and computer. Ever since this Shamu came into his life, it was ruined. He had to share everything with his brother, including his room. Everyone was always comparing them. Deepu is average looking but Shamu has really good features. Deepu is smart but Shamu is very bright, they said. Shamu is also always smiling, always affectionate. When Deepu heard these remarks, he felt humiliated. Certainly he didn’t feel any love for his brother. People do not know how cleverly Shamu acts before them to get a good name. He keeps his true nasty self only for me, mostly in our room, spoiling my happiness, thought Deepu. If Deepu as much as touched his brother in anger, he would start howling and the parents would come running to accuse Deepu of irresponsibility. Truly he had had enough.
Deepu could not even sulk in peace. Immediately the complaints would start. ‘why are you pulling a long face? Don’t we buy you all you need? Don’t we send you to a good school? You should be thankful for all that you have got’ was his parents’ usual litany. Ufff! Deepu was sick to the core.
Both the brothers wore their uniforms, took their bags and lunch boxes and walked to the bus stop. Deepu did not even want to look at Shamu. Shamu tried to hold his brother’s hand but Deepu shrugged it away. Shamu said ‘I am sorry Deepu. Don’t be angry with me’ but Deepu just turned his face away.
Deepu had only two good friends. He would not talk to the other boys or girls. When he entered the class he saw that both his friends were absent. He felt gloomy. Now his whole day would be unhappy. He would have no one to speak to. He would have to eat his lunch alone. As he sat in his place, Deepu noticed someone new sitting in the last row. The boy must be of my age, thought Deepu. He looked a bit tense because it was his first day in this school. He looked eagerly at Deepu but Deepu just turned his face and sat in his own place. He disliked strangers.
During lunch all the children of the class rushed out in groups to eat in their favorite spots: some under the banyan tree, some in the small garden, some simply in the corridor. Deepu did not budge from his place. He did not care what the others did. Then he heard a small voice from behind. Then two voices. They were carrying on a conversation. But the voices sounded unfamiliar so Deepu turned back to see who the two boys were. To his surprise he saw there was only the new boy and no one else. He had been talking to himself. One boy as two boys. Deepu was so surprised that he forgot not to talk to a stranger. ‘whom are you talking to?’ he asked the boy. ‘I have an imaginary brother. He is a sweet boy. Whenever I am lonely, I imagine he is near me. Then I make up the conversations to feel good’ he said. Deepu was utterly surprised. ‘you mean you have no one to speak to?’ he asked. The new boy, Param, said he was his parents’ only son. His parents gave him all that he wanted but what he wanted most was a younger brother which he did not have. He wished he could share his toys, games and chocolates with a younger brother. Even if the brother was naughty, he would teach him to do things the right way. He wished he had a brother who would sleep with him in his room. He wished he had a brother with whom he would come to school and share his lunch. But Param was not miserable. He made up his brother in his imagination and was content enough with it. Maybe one day he would be lucky to get a friend who would be as dear as a brother to him.
Deepu was stunned. This was all so new to him. All these years everyone had only told him how inferior he was to his brother. Nobody had tried to make him understand the value of being an older brother.
Their conversation ended there. but Param carried on his own sweet dialogue in two different voices. Deepu listened attentively: Param asking his imaginary brother to take a bigger bite of the chocolate, param telling him that he would wait for him to finish before washing his hands. (and so on)
Deepu realised how lucky he was to be a real older brother, even to a wicked fellow like Shamu. He would learn from Param the right way of bonding with his brother.
And of course he would be Param’s new best friend.