The door creaked open, unveiling a realm that appeared to exist beyond the boundaries of time and space. A world where colors danced on canvases, and clay took the form of imagination. It was Anirudh’s Studio, a sanctuary for his creativity.
A 15-year-old, Aditya, felt a rush of awe and excitement as his eyes scanned the room. His eyes darted around, taking in the vibrant paintings that adorned the walls. Each stroke of paint, each sculpture created, told a story that was as captivating as it was inspiring. The scent of fresh paint and clay hung in the air.
In one corner, Anirudh stood behind a sculpture, his hands busy giving shape to the clay. Aditya wanted to go in and explore, but he knew he would not be welcome. Anirudh had made it more than clear that he did not want anything to do with Aditya. He was never rude, but his silence spoke volumes.
Aditya did not wish to overstep his boundaries, but he was really curious. He knew he could not rest in peace until he saw what was inside the mysterious studio. The man was glued in the studio for hours. He wanted to see what he did there all day.
Anirudh straightened up, releasing the tension from his body. His body was protesting, reminding him that he needed a break. Anirudh put the tools aside and wiped his hands on the rag. He needed a coffee and decided to get one.
Aditya saw him moving and quickly hid behind the pillar. His heart palpitated as he feared being seen. It was not like he was scared of Anirudh. The man was harmless, or so his Big-B insisted, but still, Aditya was apprehensive. Anirudh’s cold demeanor could cut deeper than his uncle’s cane. Not that he relished being abused, but somewhere he felt that it was easier to handle abuse than rejection.
It was not like he wanted to be an illegitimate child. It was not like he had begged his father to break a happy family. He was tired of paying for Sushant Oberoi’s sins.
Aditya saw Anirudh walking past him and waited with bated breath. For a second, he was sure he would be caught, but Anirudh was too exhausted to pay attention. Aditya breathed in relief as Anirudh walked away without a backward glance. He counted to 100, making sure Anirudh did not change his mind and come back again.
Once he was sure Anirudh was gone for good, he gathered his courage and entered the studio. His Big-B had told him stories about Anirudh’s creations. He knew for a fact that his Bhaiyu was a renowned sculptor.
A year ago, when Anirudh was awarded the Young Achievers award, he had seen the shock on his father’s face. Sushant Oberoi did not believe in any profession other than business. He always insisted that only academics could make a person shine. Art, Music, and Dance were, according to Sushant, a waste of time. So Anirudh’s success was a slap to his face. When he saw Anirudh lift the award, he had made a silent vow to himself. One day he would prove to his father that Music was a career. He would make a name for himself in the industry and throw the words back on his father’s face in style. Since that moment, Anirudh had become his idol. He wanted to follow in his footsteps.
But only after coming to Oberoi Mansion did he realize how much Anirudh detested him. He did not even like to share the same space with him. Anirudh walked away the moment he saw him. Aditya found it hard to deal with that kind of rejection. When he first entered the house, he was filled with apprehensions. He was scared that his siblings would not want him around. He feared that Arnav had too much power in his hands. But his siblings won him over with their love. He was still not sure how long they would love him, but he was happy to take what was offered to him.
So, he never imposed on Anirudh. He respected his decision to keep him at a distance. In a way, he respected Anirudh too much to go against him. He promised himself that once he saw the studio and satisfied his curiosity, he would never bother Anirudh again. Sneaking in was not good manners, but Aditya’s curiosity won over.
The studio was absolutely breathtaking. It was even more stunning than the description given by Big-B. Aditya went through everything carefully. A diverse array of instruments was haphazardly piled up. They intrigued him to no end. He could not stop himself from picking up a carving tool. It looked sharp. Aditya ran his finger across its edges and winced when it nicked him. He put his finger in his mouth, stifling curses, realizing he needed to be very careful. They were not toys, but tools. He was putting it back into its place when his eyes fell on the statue that Anirudh was working on.
The statue took his breath away. He could see his Bhabhi’s face staring back at him. Anirudh had perfectly captured her radiant smile. She looked like an angel, that she truly was. The man had the ability to breathe life into the sculptures. Aditya could not stop himself from hugging the sculpture. He still found it difficult to hug people. He was afraid of physical intimacy.
His uncle hugged him after every beating and assured him that it would never happen. His mind associated hugs with pain. It was still difficult for him to let go of the past demons. He knew it was not healthy, but it was not in his hands. He wished he could one day hug his Bhabhi to his heart’s content and tell her what she meant to him. Tell her how much he loved her, that she was the only mother he ever knew.
He pulled back, blinking his tears. “Bohot khubsoorat ho aap, Bhabhi. (You are very pretty, Bhabhi) Just like an angel. He got it perfect, bas ek cheez ke kame reh gay hai. (There is only one thing missing.)”
“Kya? (What?)”
Anirudh’s voice took him by surprise. The tool slipped from Aditya’s hand and fell down, missing Aditya’s legs by inches. Anirudh crossed the distance between them in a second and pulled Aditya away from the sharp tools. He went down on his knees to check Aditya’s feet. When the tool slipped from the boy’s hand, his heart skipped a beat. The tool was too sharp; he should have made sure it was out of reach. With Ayu all grown up, he never had to bother. The kid was 15, and he was bound to find the tools attractive.
“Theek se khada reh. (Stop fidgeting),” Anirudh scolded as he examined his feet carefully. The boy was barefoot. He looked up, annoyance shimmered in his gray eyes, so very similar to that of the boy.
“This is a studio, Aditya. Why are you barefoot? Did Ayu not tell you to be careful around here?”
Aditya felt tongue-tied. His Big-B had told him too many things. That was the reason why he found the studio so irresistible.
“Kaheen lage? (Did you hurt yourself?)”
Aditya gulped and shook his head. Anirudh sounded so angry that he was worried he had upset him.
“Don't they teach safety at school?” Anirudh straightened himself. “This is a workplace, Aditya. You are not supposed to walk in without shoes, and you definitely cannot play with the tools. They are very sharp and can cut straight through.”
Aditya hid his nicked hand behind his back immediately. Anirudh caught on immediately.
“Did you hurt yourself?”
Aditya shook his head furiously, but Anirudh did not believe the lie and reached for the hand that Aditya was concealing behind his back. He saw the gash on his index finger and glared at Aditya.
“Yeh kaise hua? (How did this happen?)”
Aditya looked down. He should have stayed in his room. The problem was he was bored. His Big-B was in college, and he did not know what to do with his time.
“Kuch poocha maine, Aditya. (I asked you something, Aditya.)” Anirudh raised his voice, causing Aditya to flinch. Anirudh realized his mistake and calmed down immediately. Everyone was aware that Aditya was a victim of abuse. Priya emphasized the need to be gentle with the boy. Anirudh was quick to temper; he was learning to control his anger around the boy. Aditya was traumatized enough; he did not wish to add on to that in any way.
"Baith. (Sit),” he pulled a chair for the boy and helped him sit, then reached for the first aid kit he always kept handy. As Anirudh reached for the antiseptic, Aditya hid his hand behind his back immediately.
“Nahi, Bhaiyu. Main theek hoon. (No, Bhaiyu! I am fine).”
“No, Aditya. The tools are made of iron. You can get an infection. Let me disinfect the wound,” Anirudh insisted.
Aditya shook his head. It would burn. He did not enjoy the pain. The cut was mild, not serious enough to cause damage.
“It’s okay, Bhaiyu. I will manage.”
“Aditya, don’t test my patience. Give me your hand,” Anirudh’s voice turned stern.
“Jalega, Bhaiyu. (It will hurt, Bhaiyu),” Aditya protested.
“Yeh baat tujhe pehle sochna chahiye tha. (You should have thought about it earlier.) Now give me your hand.”
Aditya wanted to refuse, but Anirudh stared him down until he complied. Aditya wished he knew how to defy the look. If Anirudh had yelled, he would have rebelled. It was the silent reprimand that he found difficult to disobey. He hissed as he felt the sting of the antiseptic. Anirudh blew on it gently.
“This is the reason you should be careful in this place. No one likes being hurt,” Anirudh explained as he bandaged the wound. “When did you last get your tetanus shot?”
Aditya shrugged his shoulders. He did not remember. Anirudh shook his head. “Then you will need one.”
Aditya paled.
“I will tell Bhaiya. He will take you to the doctor.”
“Can we forget this happened?” Aditya bargained. He hated injections. He could do anything to get away from them. “How about you forget that this happened, and I will never bother you again. Deal?”
Anirudh closed the first aid box firmly. “Aspiring to be a businessman, are we?”
Aditya looked away. He was aspiring to become a rockstar. He was sure his Bhaiyu knew about it by now.
“It’s done. Now go to your room and rest. Bhaiya will take you to the doctor.”
“I don’t need a doctor, Bhaiyu. It was just a dumb cut.”
“Tell that to Bhaiya, I am sure he will agree with you,” Anirudh suggested.
Aditya paled. His Bhaiya was very strict when it came to their health and safety. He had made it very clear that he would never compromise when it came to them. They were not even allowed to skip meals in their home. If his Bhaiya found out that he was playing with his Bhaiyu's tools, he could kiss his freedom goodbye.
“Please don’t complain,” Aditya pleaded. “I swear I will not bother you again.”
“It’s not about you bothering me, it's about your safety. You will need the tetanus shot….”
“Please, Bhaiya will be very upset if he finds out. He promised us that if we behaved, he would take us go-karting this weekend. If he finds out he will be upset. Big-B will also miss out because of me. I am really sorry I bothered you….”
“Aditya, I am telling you, this is not about you bothering me. This is your home now. You are free to come and go anywhere you please. You are not in trouble because you walked into my studio.”
Aditya paused. He was not? He looked at his Bhaiyu in surprise. He assumed Anirudh was upset with him because he came into the studio. His Bhaiyu confused him.
“You are not upset with me because I came here?”
Anirudh shook his head and got back to the sculpture he was working on. He was done talking.
"Can I come here whenever I want?"
Anirudh stiffened, but then he nodded his head.
“You will not mind?”
Arirudh looked back. He could read the confusion in the boy's eyes. He shared the same confusion. He could not accept the boy nor could he acknowledge him. He was at a crossroads, that was the reason why he went out of his way to avoid him.
“Go and rest, Aditya. Ayu will be back in an hour. He can take you to the doctor. Bhaiya does not have to know anything. Your Big-B will know how to handle Bhaiya. Learn those tricks from him. I see you will need them a lot.” Given your penchant for seeking trouble. Anirudh did not say it, but Aditya could hear it clearly, and rolled his eyes. All his siblings assumed that he loved chasing trouble. That was far from the truth. No matter how hard he tried, trouble chased him. He had made peace with it, but something his Bhaiyu said caught his attention.
“So you will not complain to Bhaiya?” Aditya asked, seeking reassurance.
Anirudh sighed. The boy was testing his patience. “Do you want it in writing?”
Aditya shook his head and turned to leave the studio, but then stopped again. Until that point, Anirudh had never had a conversation with him. Aditya didn't know where he stood with him, so he always kept his distance. Now that he had broken the ice, Aditya wanted to test the waters.
“Bhaiyu,” he called out.
Anirudh looked up from the sculpture.
“Do you hate me?”
Anirudh stiffened. Aditya gathered his courage and looked up. “I know you do not like me. I am the reason why dad….”
“You are not the reason for anything, Aditya,” Anirudh interjected, making it a point to look him in the eye. “I am not blaming you for what Mr. Oberoi did to my mother. I am not a fool. I know who to blame, and I will never blame a child.”
Aditya was taken aback. Anirudh was always unapologetically honest. That's what Aditya admired so much about his Bhaiyu.
“Then why do you avoid me?” Aditya couldn't stop himself from asking.
Anirudh was silent.
“Why, Bhaiyu? You don’t even look at me. You go out of your way to avoid me. If you do not hate me…..”
"I have no reason to hate you, Aditya, and even less reason to want to be around you," Anirudh cut him off immediately. All the talk was making him restless. He wasn't ready to confront his feelings. Aditya stiffened.
“Bhaiya gave a Vachan (Promise) to Dad. I cannot ask him to break his word. I respect him too much to go against his wishes. At the same time, I respect my mother equally. You are not responsible for what happened, but if she were here, she would never…..”
Anirudh was too agitated to finish his sentence. Aditya's eyes brimmed with tears. “Bewafai ko maaf ke jaa sakta hai, par uske saath jiya nahi jata. Hai na, Bhaiyu? (You can forgive a betrayal, but you cannot live with the proof of the betrayal. Am I right, Bhaiyu?)”
Anirudh looked away. That is what his mother believed. He was not going to dishonor her memory by accepting a boy who was responsible for all her miseries. He did not hate Aditya. He loved his mother more!
“I am sorry for everything, Bhaiyu. I will not come here again and trouble you. Thank you for telling me.”
Aditya rushed out of the room. Anirudh wanted to stop the boy, tell him that he did not hate him in any way, but he chose silence. It was best if Aditya kept his distance. That way he would not be forced to hurt the boy. Anirudh picked up his tools, hoping to engross himself in the work, but he could not. The sculpture was completed several days ago. He would have moved on to the next sculpture, but his gut told him that something was missing. He did not know what. Aditya had mentioned the same.
He looked up. The boy was already gone. The sculptor in him would not rest until he knew what was missing. He rushed outside the room hoping to find the boy. He could not find Aditya there, so he went looking for him in his room. Aditya was sitting on the bed and crying silently. Anirudh stiffened. The last thing he wanted to do was make the boy cry. Aditya heard the footsteps and wiped his eyes immediately.
“Aap? (You?)” Aditya wiped the tears in a hurry and rose to his feet. “Why are you here?”
Anirudh never entered his room. Now he knew why.
“I didn't mean to hurt you, I am sorry,” Anirudh felt obliged to say it.
“It’s okay, Bhaiyu. You do not have to apologize for being honest. Why did you come here?” Aditya was confident that Anirudh did not come there to apologize.
Anirudh sighed. The boy observed everything. There was no use lying to him.
Anirudh hesitated before saying, "You mentioned that something seemed to be missing from the sculpture." He did not know why he was asking. He was an artist if he could not spot what was missing. The boy was even less likely to do so. But Aditya shared his feelings, and he was desperate to know what was missing.
Aditya nodded his head. The moment he saw his Bhabhi’s sculpture he knew what was missing.
“I didn't mean to offend you, Bhaiyu. It's a beautiful sculpture….”
“You did not offend me, Aditya. Please tell me what is missing. Even I feel the same, but I am not able to put my finger to it,” Anirudh said.
Aditya hesitated. Anirudh sighed; he should not have asked. The boy was upset. He needed to be comforted, not questioned. He turned to leave the room.
“Bindi missing hai (The bindi is missing),” Aditya finally spoke up.
Anirudh turned around and looked at him.
“Bhabhi humesha bindi lagate hai. (Bhabhi always wears a bindi) You forgot that. Otherwise, it's just perfect. Just like Bhabhi!” Aditya explained.
Anirudh nodded his head and stepped back. He rushed back to his studio and approached the statue. Just as Aditya had mentioned, he had forgotten the bindi. He was a keen observer, but he had never noticed that about Priya, yet the boy did.
He reached for the tool and carefully carved the bindi. The sculpture was finally done. The artist in him was thoroughly satisfied. He stepped back to admire his creation, but all he could see was the boy's innocent eyes staring back at him.
Anirudh closed his eyes, praying for strength. He could not let the boy get to him. His mother deserved his loyalty. He promised his mother that he would never accept the boy who made her unhappy, and he was determined to keep that promise. But for how long was the real question!
This is soo beautiful 🥺❣️
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