Rajshekar - Back Home in Bombay - chapter 10 - The Chronicles of the Youngest Child
Raj entered the Percy building compound with Daddy. They reached at around four in the afternoon, and there were already some people sitting on their balconies. The family on the ground floor had two women who were usually at home. They saw Raj walking in through the gate and told each other that Mr. Warrior’s son was back in Bombay. They watched him from the dark corners of the balcony and then walked towards the grills that had been installed, converting their open balcony into a small closed room. One of the aunties said, “Hello,” to Raj and Warrior Uncle. Raj smiled back. He was a little tired from the journey.
As they entered the staircase, Raj climbed each step as if getting back home was a great occasion. For him, in any case, it definitely was. He did not allow his mind to wander to the whys and the how comes that had used to haunt him. Justice was finally served, and he was now rightfully back in his home. No financial ease would keep him away from his parents anymore, he told himself as he climbed with Daddy up to the third floor. I will earn good money and be capable enough to stay where I want to, he told himself when he saw Amma open the door.
He smiled at her. She was definitely the person who brought him immediate peace. She smiled back, looking tired but oh so delighted to see her firstborn again! Raj surely did not remember, but she still remembered the day, all those years ago, when she had to say a quick bye to him because her other son, Venu, had been left unattended and needed someone to keep an eye on him. The heartbreak written across Raj’s face had stayed with her.
She was now happy and determined that this boy would not be asked to do anything more to help reduce the family’s financial burden. Raj entered the front room of the apartment and looked around. His baby sister Lekha lay on a cloth on the floor. His brother was still only nine and very naughty and hyperactive. Latha would be back soon, he was told. His sister was twelve and had gone to a neighbour’s house to play.
As soon as he thought that, the doorbell rang, and Daddy opened the door to Latha, who stood under the frame and looked at Raj. She had a huge smile. Raj was her childhood pal, her brother who had shared her English accent when they had come back from London. They used to read books together and continued to do so when Raj came back home from boarding every summer. She was looking forward to knowing everything about this last year that Raj had spent away from home, away from her. He would surely bring her up to date about what was happening in the world. Her brother Raj knew everything. He was so smart, she beamed, and ran into Raj’s outstretched arms.
Amma had been making the evening tea, and everyone moved into the inner kitchen area and sat on the floor as she poured tea into the steel glasses. There were two biscuits beside each glass, set on a small steel saucer. Two for each child. Amma waited for Raj to wash his hands and gestured to Daddy to keep Venu next to him. She made a small space between herself and Latha. Lekha was awake and in her lap at the moment. In the small gap, she pulled Raj close to her and passed him his tea glass. She ran her fingers through his hair. She looked at him as he drank his tea and told them about the train journey back. She marvelled at his height and how handsome he looked. When she was certain that no one was watching, she pushed her two biscuits towards him and continued to be busy with her glass of tea and her baby.
Raj saw what she had just done. He took both the biscuits in his hands and looked back at his mother. His jaw relaxed and his chest decompressed, he noticed with the next breath he took. He felt tears flood his eyes. He stared at the tiles on the floor and swallowed hard, feeling his adam's apple move up and down. He knew now that he was home. This was what he had missed. These two biscuits tasted the best.
This story is dedicated to the life of my older brother Raj who passed in 2019.
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