The Grim Reality
“What…. whaaa…..! What….! What do you mean…? What……really? Did I get it right? How is that even possible? I mean, I just can’t believe it, are you sure?”
Her big eyes became even wider, her hands were swinging everywhere, on her sides, over her head and in front of her torso, while her legs shook like a leaf in a strong storm. She was breathing heavy as if she is finding it difficult to breathe. Nona held her mother’s arms, have her seated on the couch and said,
“Mom calm down, just calm down and sit down before you collapse on the floor.” Glancing at her panicking mother worriedly, Nona continue after inhaling a deep breath, “What you just heard is true”.
Nikhil was standing on one corner shaking out of fear, his eyes filled with tears and face turned as white as the wall, comprehending what could happen now as the cat is out of the bag. Nona looked at him, quickly went to him, hugged him and walking him to the couch where their mother was sitting and gasping for breath, she said pointing out towards the couch with her oval shaped beautiful hazel eyes,
“Nikhil, why don’t you sit on the couch?” He looked at her then at their mother and shook his head, she nodded her head in ‘yes’ moved her lips without bringing out the sound, ‘you must’. He sat hesitantly glazing at his mother, still trembling.
Nona talked to her mother, whispering softly in her ears so her brother sitting next to their mother did not hear her. She tried to calm her down and after sometime she managed to do so. When mother came back to her senses after her daughter poured some wise words in her head that kind of soothed her heart, she stared at her son for a long while in bewilderment and then suddenly pulled Nikhil in her arms and hugged him tight.
Nikhil looked up in her eyes and said nervously,
“Don’t get mad at me mom it’s not my fault, you know that right?” Shaking his head he again said, “I am made like this, God made me like this so I cannot help it. But I am happy for who I am”.
Mother sobbed bitterly for a while still holding Nikhil in her arms then wiping her tears with the back of her hands said looking at Nona,
“Don’t ever talk about this in front of your father, not a word, understand, both of you?” Then showing her short fat forefinger to Nikhil she continued, “And you, Nikhil try to act normal in front of him. Don’t let him find out about it, like I did today. He does not talk much but he will not spare you if he finds out, he might as well kill you”.
****
It was a weekend their mother Kiki was busy in the kitchen preparing lunch. Nikhil went to Nona’s room and knocked at the door,
“Hey Nona sis, what are you doing? Can I come in?”
“Yes come in my sweet brother. What’s up?”
He quietly entered her room and shut the door behind him. He went and sat at the edge of her bed. She was looking up something on her laptop that was on a small desk by the window. She looked back and asked with a grin,
“So what brings my brother to my room today?”
Nikhil hesitated a bit and with his blushing face said shaking his legs, “Can I see your new party dress you bought the other day?”
“You saw it, did not you?” Nona said without lifting her eyes from her laptop.
“Yes, but want to see it again.” Again hesitant voice came from Nikhil.
Nona stopped what she was doing and gaped at her brother for a long time and said smiling,
“I know what you are up to?” Winking at her brother she got up and walked to her wooden cupboard. Opened it and took out the red party dress that was body fitting and could simply show body curves. She handed over the dress to her brother. He felt the softness of the fabric with his fingers then took the dress on his cheek rubbed the softness and felt the velvetiness of it.
“You want to try?” Nona said tilting her head and giving another good winking.
Giving his sister a grin filled with awkwardness Nikhil nodded and biting his lower lip said, “Yes I would love to. That is if you don’t mind.”
“Don’t act as if you have never tried our dresses before!” Saying Nona gave a nudge to her brother.
He just gave a big smile and ran to the bathroom to change. After a little while he came out blushing and walking in shame with that eye-catching, crimson halter neck dress on. He looked stunning. His body shape was unimaginably as good as a model’s impeccable physique. At times Nona envied him. She too had a beautiful body shape but she could not match her brother. His body shape was like of a girl more than a boy. She went and stood behind him as he was admiring himself on the large full length mirror that was attached on the cupboard door. She then took out her favorite earrings and put them on his ears. Both looked in the mirror and there stood a beautiful girl instead of her handsome brother. She pinched both his cheeks, then hugged him from behind and placed a kiss on his nape of his neck. Raising her eyebrows and rolling her eyes she made a gesture and he shook his head feeling embarrassed.
She widened her eyes and biting her lower lips showed him eyes and said, “I am letting you try my new dress that I have not even tried once, now I am asking you to do cat walk and you are refusing me?”
“Okay, okay my dear sis I will do it. But I have to walk bare feet as your shoes do not fit me.” Then with twinkles in his eyes and a big grin on his face he did cat walk and both started laughing. After the catwalk he began to pose. Nona quickly grabbed her mobile and started taking photos giggling and asking him to pose this way and that way, turn your head to the right, and throw your head back blah....blah.
They were so engrossed in their act they did not hear their mother come into the room.She looked at her son in amazement in that crimson dress and posing for Nona. She started laughing and both Nona and Nikhil became conscious of her presence in the room. Nona abruptly stopped taking photos and stood still. Nikhil ran to a corner and tried to hide himself. This sudden change in the environment in the room and her children’s behavior gave her an alert ring somewhere in her mind. She saw Nikhil shaking and his eyes filled with panic. She shouted,
“What is going on? Why is he dressed like a girl? Why is he shaking? And why is he panicking?”
Nona took a deep breath and looked at her brother who immediately shook his head in “NO”. She did not want to miss this opportunity that she had been waiting for long. This was the best time to reveal the truth to their mother. A grim reality, which could lead to a catastrophic outcome and bring hurricane in their peaceful lives, but she had to spill the beans.So it will be unchallenging for Nikhil in the future.
********
