Swati Sandeep- Rajwanshi Saga- Maan and Arjun, a bite from Facon

Arjun waited for Maan to speak, but his Bhaiya was unusually silent. When Maan did not say anything for ten minutes, Arjun got frustrated. “Aapko baat karna tha na? (You wanted to talk right?)”

Maan nodded his head, but did not speak.

“Then why are you silent? What kind of conversation is this?”

“The kind you insist on having.” Maan said quietly.

“Me?” Arjun’s eyes sizzled with irritation. “You are the one who does not say anything, Bhaiya. You are the one who insists on remaining silent for everything. No matter what happens, you remain silent. Tomorrow I will murder someone and you will remain silent!”

“I don’t think the law will take it kindly to you murdering anyone.” Maan did not lose his cool.

Arjun wanted to shake him. He did not know what he could do to get his Bhaiya to react. The Bhaiya he knew would have taken him to task by now, but the man standing in front of him was acting as cool as a cucumber.

A sharp crack echoed through the room as Arjun’s palm slammed against the table, frustration shimmering beneath the skin.

“Do it again, and I will forget your age, Arjun.” Maan’s eyes glinted in warning.

Arjun’s eyes flicked. Finally he saw the glimpse of his Bhaiya, but it was the wrong warning to give. Arjun raised his hand ready to repeat his actions, but Maan caught his hand before he could do any damage. Arjun hissed in frustration. The man struck faster than a snake. He both loved and hated that in the Dark Phoenix.

“If you want to behave like an overgrown toddler then I will treat you like one.” Maan gently pushed him to sit. “Stay put.”

“Bhaiya…”

“I SAID STAY PUT.” The deep baritone voice echoed through the room. For a second Arjun felt nine again.

“What got into you?” Maan glared at him. “Why are you behaving like this? You got shot again, Arjun, which means you acted recklessly. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“I am doing my job, Bhaiya.” Arjun shot back annoyed. He did not wish to talk about his job, he wanted to talk about them. For once he wanted to put work behind and focus on family.

“Your job is to walk in the shadows. Not into the line of fire.”

“If you want to talk about my skills, Commander, then let's go to that damn office. This is my home. You are my Bhaiya. For once can you behave like Abhimaan Rajwanshi? For once can you treat me like the Aru you raised.” Arjun rose in agitation. “I am not just the black phoenix Bhaiya. I am your brother.” Arjun grabbed Maan by the shoulders. “Why have you changed? Where is the man who made sure I toed the line? Aap meer ek galti bardast nahi kartey the Bhaiya aur main aaj jo bhi karu usse aapko koi farq nahi padta? (You could not tolerate a single transgression from my end, Bhaiya and suddenly you no longer care what I do?) You keep the boys on a tight reign and you don’t even care what I do. Don’t I matter anymore?”

Maan did not say a word.

“Why are you silent damn it! Say something.” Arjun yelled in frustration. 

“Have you said everything, or is there something else you want to say?” Maan’s voice was gentle, but firm.

Arjun looked away. No matter what he said there would be no difference. Everything changed. He was the one who had to accept it. At least he had his Bhaiya’s friendship. He should learn to make peace with that. He had his Bhaiya back, atleast the man was there to talk to him. Something was better than nothing. He could not expect to turn back time. His Bhaiya had a family of his own. His priorities changed.

“Silence speaks stronger than words, Aru. Sit down and stop thinking dumb things.” Maan held his hand and made him sit. Arjun was too tired to protest.

“Now, look at me.”

Arjun refused to look. If he looked he would beg, and that he could not do. The man who raised him was gone. Lost to him forever. He could not accept it.

Maan gently cupped his face. “How old are you, Aru?”

“Ab aap mera age bhi bhool gaye? (Did you forget my age as well?)” Arjun went for sarcasm, but he came out like a whine.

Maan let out a little sigh. “Aru you are no longer a child, bachcha. You are an adult.”

“So? I am not your younger brother anymore?”

“You are, you will always be my younger brother, my Aru, my first child.” Maan’s voice filled with gentleness. Arjun’s throat closed up, tears threatening closeby. Maan gently cradled his face, “but when kids grow up a parent has to take a step back and become their friend. The way you are doing with Andy now. What am I doing differently, Aru? Why are you getting upset?”

“Because I don’t want you to change.” Arjun confessed, unable to keep it bottled anymore. 

“I didn’t change, Aru. You grew up, bacha.” Maan gently ruffled his hair. “Yes I am different with the boys, that is because of the difference in our ages. I can’t talk to Abhi and Andy the way I talk to you. They will always be kids to me.”

“And I am no longer your kid?”

Maan gave him a gentle rap on his head. Arjun’s eyes widened in shock. His Bhaiya stopped doing that after he turned eight.

“That was for behaving like an eight year old.” Maan said unapologetically. “I thought I raised a smart boy! Looks like I was over appreciating myself.”

Arjun huffed and looked away. Maan draped a hand across his shoulder and pulled him closer. “When Aru grows up I hope I can share the same equation with him that I share with you, Aru.”

Surprise flickered in Arjun’s eyes.

Maan smiled. “Dad always told me that a parent who found a friend in a child was very fortunate. He had a friend me, and I found one in you. I am not taking a step back, Aru. What you have not realized is that I am the same way with you as I was since you joined team Phoenix.”

Arjun opened his mouth to protest, but then fell silent. Looking back he realized that his Bhaiya eased a lot after he joined team phoenix. 

“A child needs to be monitored, bachcha. The day you were roped into Team Phoenix I knew you embraced your destiny. I did not have to look out for you, because you were capable of doing it yourself. A baby chick will never learn to fly if the birds refuse to let it go. I did not want to cripple your wings. I wanted you to soar. I still want that. You don’t know how proud I feel when I see you taking command. We might not agree with everything, but that does not change my feelings. A child’s success is a parent’s pride. You feel the same about Andy, don’t you?”

Arjun nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.

“Andy comes in and goes as he pleases. He talks back to you. Gives you all the sass in the world. Was he the same way a few years back?”

Arjun looked down. He was getting what his Bhaiya was saying, but Arjun regretted what they lost.

“We never got to live out the transition phase.” Maan’s voice was filled with regret. “I never got to tell you how proud I felt. We never got to have those first arguments about control and easing back. You never got a chance to ask me to back off.”

“I would never say that.” Arjun insisted.

“Ya right! You would have been the first one to say it, Aru. Don’t forget I raised you. I was also prepared for that, but life did not give us a chance to play it out.”

Arjun sighed in frustration. That was the problem, life never gave them a chance. Those eight years would never come back.

“Jo kho gaya, hum use wapes nahi la saktey, Aru. (We cannot get back what we lost, Aru.) But if we keep behaving like this, we will lose again. Do you want that?” 

Arjun shook his head.

“So now will you tell me what this is all about? You know I love you. So why this sudden need for reassurances? Or are you missing the time you spent in my study?”

“And if I said yes?”

“We can have a few sessions there.” Maan leaned back. “I bet you will not survive more than three sessions. Do you still hate writing lines?”

“Can we talk about something else?” Arjun said quickly.

“How about corner time? Do you still detest it?” Maan’s eyes twinkled.

“Jeez Bhaiya. I am not eleven.”

“So now we remember your age?” Maan teased. “How about dish duty? Would that…”

Arjun blocked his mouth. “Okay I got it! I am an adult now. So forget about all those mean things. You gave me such juvenile punishments, Bhaiya. I am a saint compared to you.”

“Andy begs to differ.” 

“That kid is a brat.” Arjun accused.

“So are you.”

Arjun gave up. No one could win an argument with Abhimaan Rajwanshi, and Arjun was not in a mood for an argument. The simple conversation put him at ease. Nothing changed between them. He had nothing to feel insecure about. His Bhaiya was the same man. Maybe it was he who was hesitating to exert his rights.

“Now what, Aru. I can see the gears shifting.”

Arjun shook his head. The man could read him like an open book.

“I am hungry, Bhaiya. How about some pasta?”

“When you are shot?” Maan shook his head. “Absolutely not. I will make soup.”

“Soup is for kids, Bhaiya. I am an adult, remember.” Arjun draped an arm around Maan’s shoulder. He was done waiting for bhaiya’s attention. He could not get it if he behaved like a good boy. His Bhiaya raised a brat, and he needed to reacquaint his Bhaiya with the brat. 

“Adults know what is healthy for them.” Maan said as he made his way to the kitchen. Arjun trailed behind him.

“Yup! Pasta it is then.” Arjun said with a smile.

Maan ignored him and set the sauce pan on the stove. Arjun reached for the pasta packet from the counter above. Maan snatched it from him and placed it back and reached for vegetables instead. 

“I am not eating those dumb things.”

“Yes you are.” Maan reached for a chef’s knife.

“Nope! I am not. Veggies are for kids. I am an adult. I get to eat what I choose, and I choose…..” He winced when he felt a harsh tug on his ear. He thought he would push harder, but Maan, like usual had little patience when it came to him. 

“You are doing it on purpose, are you not?”

“Doing what, Bhaiya?” Arjun tried for an innocent smile.

Maan let go and focused on the soup. He had raised a brat and he had to deal with one. There is no use complaining, least of all to a child who did not wish to grow up around him!