Masoom - Shergill Brothers

Chapter 5 His First Word

Arhaan went to his room after talking to Arjun. He saw nikky peacefully sleeping and a smile adorned his face. He sat near arnik and caressed his face. He was not only his brother, nikky was his life. For the very first time arhaan was relieved that nikky never wanted anyone accept him. For last two years he always hated that nikky never had anyone accept him to embrace him, pamper him, love him and treat him like his own but today it felt like a blessing in disguise. Arhaan couldn't help getting lost in the memories.

Flashback

2 years back

It was a little more than two years back that the pandemic started and all schools closed down their hostels and sent all the students back home. It's been a week since arhaan was back in delhi. He hated being here. He didn't knew if that place can really be called home. He never feels sure about his presence in this house. Why was he there? Who is he? He was step son of Mr. Yash Goienka. Mr. Goienka was never rude, he rarely spoke to arhaan but whenever he did he was very gentle and understanding. He always made sure that arhaan was never in want of anything materialistic but it was never more than that.

Apart of being his step son arhaan was navya's son. Is he? Really? She never paid any attention to him accept for when arhaan spoke to her directly, which is never more than wishing her good morning Or good night. He remembers that navya was not so cold towards him in the beginning when they came here. She used to take care of him. She has spent many sleepless nights beside him when he was discharged from the hospital but once he recovered something changed in her. She grew cold and distant and it was not only with him but with everyone around her. She always seemed to be on the verge of tears.

And then there was his nani. Even the thought of that woman disgusted arhaan. She was rolling in luxury, all thanks to Mr. Goienka's money. Yash never stopped her from using or shall he say abusing his resources and the lady made sure that she take full advantage of his generosity. Arhaan ones tried  to point that out to her but soon after that they sent him to hostel.

He was heart broken at first but soon realised that it was a blessing in disguise, he was away from home but he soon he gained a group of friends which took care of him more than his current family. He was actually happy there but to his bad luck the pandemic hit and he is back to this house. More confined than ever. There were good, some bad and some best parts of his current long visit.

The good part was that his nani was no more. Arhaan never liked her but what he got to know some time back made him hate her to the core.

The bad part was that not only his mother was still distant to him and Mr. Goienka, she was the same with three year old arnik, whom arhaan met for the first time. He still has a hard time with a cold mother at the age of 16 but poor nikky is just 3. He hated how he was being raised. Just a week has passed since he met nikky, although he is not very fond of little kids as he has no experience of handling any before but still everytime he finds the boy looking at him he feels an urge to hold him close and never let go. He can see that the arnik is a lonely kid. Their mother is hardly ever there with him. Mr. Goienka was mostly busy with his business and that made arnik a staff responsibility. He was fed on time, given baths, had alot of toys but nobody ever played with him or pampered him. There were two nanny's with him 24*7. Both qualified, both polite and always present with nikky but they hadly ever played with him. Either they were busy on their phones or they will talk to each other. Nikky was always with them but only in name. They never forged any emotional connection with him.

One such day nikky walked out of his room and entered Arhaan's room without getting noticed. Arhaan was busy playing his video game so he didn't notice arnik there at first. Soon arnik was drawn towards the game going on screen where the hero was killing a dragon. He came and sat near arhaan. Arhaan noticed him and immediately hit the pause button thinking that the game was too violent for arnik. the moment he paused the game arnik started crying. Arhaan was confused, he had no idea why the kid was crying.