Epilogue

 

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Slow Down
Make it last


I’m having the time of my life

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Present Day

Raizada Mansion

 

 

“Oh my god! Chachu!! Chaaachu!!” screamed a terrified thirteen year old as he ran down the stairs of his own home in horror.

 

Aakash, who had bolted upright from his position slouching lazily in Nani-ji’s armchair, suddenly spun around.  “What?” he called out worriedly.

 

Only to be faced with a part horrified, part disgusted, replica of his older brother, in actions if not in appearance, confide in a low voice, “Again!”

 

Immediately Aakash, felt himself commiserating with the child, it was understandable the trauma he was going through.

 

Aryan, may have spent his first few years jumping from orphanage to orphanage, but no manner of hard living could prepare a child for the trauma of watching a mushy-parent’s-making-out session.

 

He was an adult and he got nauseous.

The poor child.

 

 

 

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And take your photograph


I don’t want to leave this behind

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Present Day

Raizada Mansion

 

Arnav Singh Raizada watched, his eyes twinkling with amusement as his wife stared horrified at the open door their son had bounded energetically through moments ago.

 

She was as red as a tomato, blushing as if she was still a newlywed bride instead of the mother of a hyper-active teenager. Granted she’d only been one for about a little over three years now, but still.

Finally turning back from the now empty doorframe she, buried her face embarrassedly into his shoulder, “I’m a horrible mother.” She mumbled mortified.

 

It was a mark of how strong a relationship she’d managed to cultivate with their son in these short years that instead of treading on eggshells as he had with her for a good few years after the rough patches they’d been through, he was struggling to hold back a solid chuckle.

 

For his part he couldn’t really say he was bothered.

 

Aryan had tormented him last week by showing up at his office to ask him what a ‘condom’ was. It was only after he’d fumbled through a half-baked explanation of birds-and-bee’s that he’d noticed the corner of Aryan’s mouth twitch sporadically, and realized that he’d just been played.

 

By a teenager.

 

God he’d felt old that day.

 

Aman on the contrary had walked into his office later and doubled over with laughter, apparently his one and only heir had not only left a traumatized father behind but had spent a few interesting moments in the company’s mainframe, and sent out “You’re Fired.” memo’s to his entire senior staff.

 

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Some people called it causing trouble.

Aryan Singh Raizada called it leaving his mark.

And leave his mark he did.

He was after all a Raizada.

He couldn’t really help it.

Just look at his parents.

 

 

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What seems so out of reach


We’re holding it right in our hands


Let’s give up everything


Let’s jump in and never look back

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Three years ago

Delhi, Orphanage.

 

 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Khushi asked her husband for the umpteenth time, as she placed shaky footsteps into the well used halls of the broken down building they had just entered. “Do you think we’re ready?”

Arnav for his part proceeded to ignore her as he had for the past fifty times, quelling her with ‘the look’ as she called it.

 

Not that the look actually worked on her anymore, and he had been prepared to get a healthy earful of her, ‘that – is – not – an ‘ answer’ tirade when from a few feet behind him came a voice firm yet, slightly shaky from unuse, “If you’re worried enough to care that you may screw up, they’ll be a lot better off with you than they are here.”

 

Khushi claimed that she’d known in that one moment. When he’d spoken up scared, yet still standing his ground that he was the replica of the man she loved so much.

 

For Arnav it was what he’d said. Ten years old, and this doe-eyed, kid was standing there in his own stubborn way standing up for every other kid in the orphanage. He was Khushi, with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

 

And the rest as they say … was history…

 

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This is all I ever wanted
but life got in my way


You’re all I ever wanted


I didn’t see how it could change


That something was missing until today

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Present Day

Raizada Mansion

 

 

And suddenly as if just on cue, Khushi’s slightly flustered voice filtered down the stairs, “Aryan, we’re sorry! We didn’t realize you were there darling! Can we come down now?”

 

“No!” cried Aryan, who from the look of mutiny on his face was in no mood to allow his parents such a swift respite, shook his head no, his brow furrowed, Aakash noticed, just the way Bhai’s was every time he wasn’t particularly pleased with something as he then stated unequivocally, “Haven’t you inflicted enough trauma on my still developing mind?” he asked, his precocious choice of words throwing his Chachu into a fit of coughs.

 

He may not have been old enough to form coherent sentences, but he distinctly recalled his Bhai throwing the elders into fits of choked laughter after deciding to make use of all the big words he saw in the dictionary his Mama, aka Aakash’s dad, had gotten him.

 

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Climbing so high
just don’t look down
we can see everything from here

For once in my life
feet off the ground


I don’t wanna come back down

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Present Day

Raizada Mansion

 

And that was how on one sunny Saturday afternoon, Aakash found himself, consoling his newly minted-teen nephew, with sage words of advice in regards to dealing with parental inanity.

 

Aryan, in turn, found himself actually listening to his usually silent Chachu, with rapt attention, after all with his parent’s, the poor chap must have a few pearls of wisdom to offer.

 

Meanwhile, upstairs Khushi couldn’t help but let slip a giggle, at her son’s particular choice of words, he was so cute! 

 

Her giggle in turn had managed to entrance her husband who in turn deemed this yet another reason to steal a quick peck from her lips.

 

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Take your photograph 


I’m having the time of my life

______________________________

 

 

Present Day

Raizada Mansion

 

 

Which was exactly when her son, who had after having listened to an hour long lecture on how his parents we’re younger than him in parent years,  had decided to forgive his parents for the trauma they’d inflicted on his young mind, had come upstairs.

 

Only to see his dad throw him a wicked grin over his mum’s shoulder, that practically screamed ‘payback time– and kissed her noisily.

 

Shock held him immobile for a long second ‘ and then he slapped his hand over his eyes and bolted from the room, his horrified – “Argggh, Not again!”- echoing in his wake.

 

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You’re all I ever wanted


I didn’t see how it could change


Nothing could get in the way


You’re all I ever wanted


Didn’t know what I was missing until today

 

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