Orphaned without a warning!

Dr.(Late) Raj Kailash Mohan

It was a sweet little world with just two of us in it. No one else could comprehend the very essence of it. Of course, most of us have a sibling and we must realize not every sibling – sibling bonding is just the same. But, our kinship was different throughout. I can bet, even our parents were never able to predict our actions and reactions. We had feuds over everything – micro and macro stuffs, valuable and silly things, words and silence. Underlying, was a strong bond that remained unshaken by calamities of any sort. Everything seemed just so imperfectly perfect. When I turned 24, I was away from home. I was working. It was the first birthday of being away from home. I am not so-home-sick-much-pampered kid, honestly. But, deep in my heart, I was feeling I am missing home. Self – respects or to put it right, the fear of being teased by family (in a very funny lighter sense, though) withheld my thoughts from sharing with them. I went to office. There was a birthday celebration. I returned home. My land lord was kind enough to organize a mini–birthday–cake–cutting at home. I ran into a long-time family friend or technically my father’s student who said, she was the one to receive me home when my mom brought me home from hospital who hosted a birthday dinner. Everything was a surprise. And when it was close to midnight, he knocked my door. When I opened the door, he was there, standing with a naughty smile and a cover that had my ‘new birthday dress’. Stepping in, he gave me a hug and in his usual tone, ‘happy birthday lusu!’

Despite being siblings, hugging each other was not so very common among us both. At least, not after our teens. It was the first ever hug I remember to have received from him ever since I stared remembering things. And, that was the last time he hugged me for lifetime. It has been more than two years since he left the world. It has been more than two years since I am orphaned without a warning. After that Thursday night, my life, my goals, my world changed completely. I understood I cannot escape the reality. It was so clear that I lost the light of my life.  But I am trying to keep him alive in my memories. I am trying to keep him alive in my actions. I am trying to keep him alive in carrying out my responsibilities. I am trying to keep him alive by showing kindness to strangers. I am trying to keep him alive by living upto his expectations. I am trying to keep him alive by following what he taught me. I am trying to keep him alive by writing about him. I am trying to keep him alive even though I failed to save him from the clutches of death. 

He would be 24 this 23^rd  if he was alive. I only wish, I hugged him on his 24^rd like how he hugged me and told him, “Happy birthday stupid brother!”