Him and I

Of family and futures

Rain stared out of the window of his apartment in downtown Bangkok. He just simply loved this city, the city of his birth, the city where he had grown up. The vibes of this place were out of this world. It was like a woman, mysterious and intense, hiding a million secrets in its bosom. It ran a gamut of emotions, from peaceful temples hidden right in between the hustle-bustle of the city, to loud tuk-tuks that carried locals and foreigners around with equal elan. It never failed to mesmerise him, and for that he was ever grateful, for it was this city that had nurtured him when he had been at his lowest. It had given him his best friend, who had found him when he had almost been lost, had anchored him when he had been simply afloat. And now, together, they were going to start a new chapter of their lives.

"Are you done with unpacking dude?" Sky asked, poking his head into the room. "Almost, just these last 2 or 3 boxes. Why?" Rain replied. "Well, the fathers are calling us for dinner tonight. Are you okay to go ?" Sky asked. "Who all will be there?" "Everyone I guess. If you are not comfortable, we need not go, you know that," Sky said. "No, I am okay. I can't forever be in hiding. And they are not the ones who hurt me. They have given me enough leeway anyway. Time to grow up, right?" Rain asked, smiling at his friend. Sky smiled back, knowing that this wonderful person whom he knew was hiding a lot of pain behind that smile.

Rain and he had grown up together, and had gotten along spectacularly well. Rain's loud, vibrant and chaotic personality was a perfect foil to Sky's quiet, sassy and calm nature. Rain had an elder sister who was 3 years older than him and a younger brother 3 years younger. So he had never really fit in. In order to be noticed, he had developed an over-the-top attitude that would probably annoy a lot of people, but Sky could take it in his stride, because he knew the façade Rain put up was just to hide a highly insecure boy who used his looks and chirpiness to mask his loneliness.

It was not that Rain wasn't talented. While Sky was fond of the more intellectual things, Rain was more physically active. They were both in the top 1% of their class. While Sky was captain of the debate team and on the Student Body Council, Rain was an extremely good singer and dancer, and a national level badminton and soccer player. On the surface, they were as different as chalk and cheese, but underneath, where it mattered, both were little boys who had grown up without seeing much of their families. For Rain, Sky was his anchor in the sweeping storm, and for Sky, Rain was his refuge in the swaying wind.

"Then let's go for the dinner and get it over with. Anyway, it's not like we are going to be sued if we don't finish packing right away. Our apartment, our choice, shemai Nong?" Sky asked, using his seniority of 2 months and 12 days to tease his best friend. "Khaaaap Phiiiii," Rain dragged cutely on the words. They both laughed out loud. "Let's go then," Rain said.

The two of them quickly changed into formal attire and made their way to the family estate just outside of Bangkok. Initially, Tharn and Type Kirigun, Rain's parents and Leo and Fiat Suansri, Sky's parents, had their own homes, literally next to each other. As they grew older, however, they decided to move in together. They purchased a large piece of land, where they built a huge home with several wings, for themselves and the children when they had partners as well. Tharn and Fiat loved plants, so the estate had large, extensive, beautifully kept gardens, which even Rain was very fond of. In fact, there was an amazing solarium at the back of the estate, which had been almost totally created by him. Sky refused to touch the plants, stating that he didn't just have a black thumb, but was black upto his elbow. Even the plants in their apartment was taken care of by Rain.

"Khun Rain khap, Khun Sky khap, swasdi khap," the family butler, Uncle Jom, who had seen the two boys grow up, said. "Swasdi khap Uncle Jom, sabaidee mai?" Rain asked, as both the boys waiied. "Sabaidee ja," he smiled. "Where is everyone?" Sky asked. "They are waiting for both of you in the grand room," he said. "Is everyone else already here?" Rain asked. "Khap Khun Rain, everyone is here," Uncle Jom said. "Shia," Rain whispered under his breath. "Are we going to get the 3rd degree again?" he said. "We would have got it even if we had reached first," Sky whispered back, as they both made their way to the grand room, so called because it was literally that. A humongous room that was made keeping in mind the tastes of the 4 men who shared this space.