( The readers are requested to read the chapter 1 of this series "College Days", to understand the continuity of this story so far …)
College Days - 2
I said, "Aunty, why are you still carrying me ? Put me down now."
She smiled, "No dear. I'm very happy today. I missed you for 5 years. Let me satisfy myself first. Then I'll put you down."
She started climbing the stairs, holding me up in her arms. I was astonished. "Mami, you are a 40 year old middle aged lady and I'm an 18 year old young man. You are more than double my age. You will hurt your back."
Aunty laughed. She was casually walking up the stairs. "My dear son, your aunty is much much stronger than you. I'm 5 feet 7 inches and 80 kgs and 40 years old. Your mother told me you are only 55 kgs. And you are 4 inches shorter than me even though you are a grown up 19 year young man as you claim to be. Do you think you can even lift me up an inch? But I can carry you like this in my arms for hours. Don't underestimate my strength because I'm a middle aged woman or I'm double your age. I'll just give you one small demonstration of my strength, so that you do not have any doubts on this in the future. See, I have now carried you up to your room on the first floor. I have already spent a lot of energy carrying you for all this time and now up one floor. Even now I'm challenging you young man, you try to get down from your old aunty's hold and free yourself."
[Just to remind readers, Aunty is my Mami (my mother's cousin brother's wife). Maya is the daughter of a cousin of my Mami (Aunty). Maya is quite a tall, strong girl. I am not aware of her age though. She has been brought by Aunty from their village to be a constant companion to her.]
Aunty has now carried me into quite a big bedroom, fully furnished with all the required almirahs and cabinets and furniture. Maya, has also come in with both my heavy suitcases up the stairs. She had heard Aunty's challenge to me.
I didn't know what to do. Aunty was looking at my face intently, in no mood to put me down. I thought for once, let me show her that I'm a grown up man now. At least that way, I'll get some respect from my Aunty and this new so called cousin of mine.
Aunty understood that I'm going to accept the challenge from my facial resolve. She said, "Just one condition. If I win, that is if you cannot get down and free yourself, then I want a prize. In that case, from now on you'll call me your mother. You don't have to call me 'Ma', because I know that is how you call your own mother. But by any other name you call me which means mother. I would prefer you call me 'Mummy'. Agreed ?"
I was very sure that I would win. I could see that Aunty was a little tired now, after carrying me up the stairs. She was actually sitting on my bed to rest, of course still holding me in her arms. I said, "Yes, I agree."
Aunty stood up. Maya said, "In all fairness, Bua you should take some rest and then start." (Bua means Father's sister).
Aunty said, "No, no, it's not required. He is so small and light. I would have taken a proper rest, if I was fighting you."
That was like adding insult to injury. I have seen myself that this girl Maya is very strong. I couldn't have lifted those two heavy suitcases together up the stairs, carrying such a long distance. I doubt if I could carry one suitcase at one go. But still, Aunty needn't have mentioned this so openly. Possibly, she didn't mean to. She was just stating a fact.
Anyways, the fight started. I initially tried to push on her shoulders with my hands. She just increased the pressure on my back a little. I dropped my legs, which were wrapped around her waist, straight down. My legs were now hanging from the front of aunty's body 4 inches above the floor. I started thrashing my legs and also pushing on her shoulders. She increased the pressure of her hands on my back a little more. It seems she was purposely regulating this pressure on my back and increasing it in tiny instalments. With each increase of her pressure, a pain was increasing on my back.
She was laughing. Laughing and looking at my face and intermittently at Maya. Maya has started giggling now, possibly seeing me struggling helplessly in aunty's arms thrashing my legs and flailing my arms to get free. Aunty started walking with me. She came and stood in front of a full length mirror on one of the wooden cupboards. She stood sideways, so that I could also see myself. I didn't notice this. I was too busy trying to free myself and kept on thrashing my arms and legs. The push I was giving on her shoulders was not possible now. Her hands which were clasped behind my back were putting too much of a pressure now and my back was hurting. My eyes went to the mirror by chance. I was shocked to see myself looking like a fool, thrashing my arms and legs like a little boy being forcefully carried through the school gate by a giggling school maid. I immediately stopped thrashing my arms and legs.
Aunty was looking at my face intently. She was not laughing any more. She asked in a worried voice, "Am I hurting you dear ? I don't want to win this way, hurting you. Tell me. I'll release you then."
I didn't want to accept defeat. I would have, if this girl Maya wasn't there. My back was hurting now. Aunty was holding me up in a very tight bear hug. I closed my eyes in pain. A grunt came out of my mouth. I knew I had lost the fight to my middle aged aunty.
Aunty saw my face and immediately released the pressure, fully. She quickly laid me down on the bed. She asked Maya to bring water, fast. Aunty bent over me. I opened my eyes. I smiled up at her. Aunty's face looked pathetic. As if she was feeling the pain herself. With aunty now releasing me, my pain had subsided. I was feeling better. Aunty said, "You have tenacity beta. You have won."
I shook my head. I knew I didn't win. She let me free on her own. I couldn't free myself. I smiled and said, "No Mummy, you have won."
Aunty smiled down at me. She helped me to sit up on the bed supporting my back. Maya gave me a glass of water. Aunty held the glass, while I drank. She returned the glass to Maya and turned to me, "No Beta, I don't want to force you to call me Mummy. The day you will feel that your heart wants to call me Mummy, that day you say the word. But I'll tell you one thing which I had never told you before. I can never replace your own mother. I can never love you as much as she does. But my love for you is only just a little less than hers. I love you as much as I would have loved my own son if I ever had one."
I couldn't control myself. I flung my hands around her neck and kissed her on her cheek. I said, "You know, this is the first time I've ever kissed anybody other than my Ma. I am your unborn son and YOU are my Mummy."
I saw tears rolling down her cheek. She bent forward on the bed beside me, slid one arm under my armpits and around my chest and her other arm, behind my knees, and then she swept me effortlessly up from the bed to hold me tightly against her, cradled securely in her powerful arms. She started rocking me slowly in her arms like a baby and filled my face with kisses. My arms were around her neck. She was snuggling her nose in my face like a mother does to her baby. I saw Maya's face a little above Aunty's shoulder. Maya was having her hands on Aunty's shoulders, embracing her from her back. It was an odd sight. I had always considered my Aunty as the tallest woman I knew. Now I see that I've a cousin who is towering over my tall aunty and making her look short. Maya was looking at me and smiling in a friendly way. I smiled back at her also.
Aunty, sorry Mummy, looked sideways at Maya who was looking over her shoulder. She turned around to face Maya. Now Maya was on the other side, with me lying in Mummy's arms between her and Maya. Auntyextended her hands holding me towards Maya. Maya looked questioningly at Aunty but extended her hands too. Aunty passed me from her arms to Maya's arms. Maya took me in her arms like a small child passed by his mother to his aunt. She held me the same way as Aunty held me, cradled on her two hands and pressed to her young solid breasts. Only that I felt her hands are longer and her shoulders are wider than Aunty's. I also felt smaller in her arms. My head rested on her full solid breasts, while Maya effortlessly held me in her arms like a baby, smiling down at me lovingly. I was feeling as if I've now got a very tall and strong elder sister also in this house.
Aunty smiled at Maya and said, "Now you practice holding him in your arms and on your lap, Maya. From now on, you have to carry your big brother a lot."
Maya nodded her head in affirmation. I looked surprised at Aunty, "Big brother? But I thought she was bigger than me."
Aunty smiled, "Yes, she is 6 inches taller than you and much heavier than you. Also she is much much stronger than you. But in age she is almost 1 year younger than you. She just turned 18 a couple of days ago. And in 1 month's time you will be turning 19. So you are 11 months, that is almost a year older than her."
I protested, "But...but if she is my little sister, then she should not carry me like a child in her arms."
Aunt laughed, "Ok then, you carry your little sister like a child. That you won't be able to. She weighs 75 kgs and you are 55 kgs. See how small and weak and helpless you look in your little sister's arms. So your little sister will always carry her big brother in this house. Not only that, I have given her the responsibility that from now on she will take full care of you. See I may be busy in my household work monitoring the maids. I may not be able to look after you properly. Maya is very mature for her age. In fact I've asked her to sleep with you at night for a few days, till you get adjusted to this house. You have never lived away from your parents or brother and sister all your life. Lying alone in a new place, you might get frightened at night. Then your little sister will take you on her lap and rock her elder brother to sleep."
I protested, "Nooo…you cannot make my little sister babysit me !
My aunty chuckled, "Ok, I see that you are having problems accepting this arrangement. In that case, you imagine that you are her little brother and she is your elder sister. In fact, actually that is what will be happening na ? She is going to take care of you as her little brother only. She will arrange your clothes, organise your food, feed you, bathe you, dress you up, take you to your college and fetch you back from your college. I think that's a great idea, you start calling her Mayadidi from now and she will call you by your name. That way, even the maids in our house will not ask questions, if they see Maya carrying you in her arms or lap. So, you call her Didi from now on. Then you won't feel ashamed when she carries you."
I said, " Hey Maya, why are you rocking me in your arms ? I'm not your baby. But wait Mummy, what are these you are saying , she'll bathe me and dress me up and feed me ? Why will she bathe me ?"
Aunty said, "Your mother was only telling me the other day, that when you come out of the bathroom, there's soap left on your body and your hair remains wet. You can't wash or dry yourself properly even now. So your little sister will take you to the bathroom and bathe you, wash you and wipe your body after the bath. What is there to be ashamed of your sister ? As it is she is much bigger than you in height and weight. You see, if you don't wash all parts of your body properly, there will be germs and you'll have rashes which will itch. So I've told her to wash all your parts of the body properly every day when she is giving you your bath. I know from my own experience…your uncle is also very dirty, he doesn't clean himself properly. I've explained to Maya how to do it. She will sit on the bathroom floor cross legged and pull you down on her lap and make you lie on her lap. She will then clean your arms and body and thighs and legs with soap, ragar ragar key. You know all the bends and crevices in your body need proper washing and rinsing. Especially inside your thigh joints. Men and boys wear underwear for long periods without washing. Boys cannot generally bathe properly, they are always in a hurry. Look at us girls, we take so much time to bath. So from now on your little sister will bathe you and wipe you dry." Both Aunt and Maya laughed out loud, possibly imagining the scene.
I was slowly beginning to understand that in this house, I will now be bossed around not only by Aunt but my tall, strong younger cousin sister also. I asked, "But within the house it's still ok, nobody else will come to know. But what did you say, Mummy, about Maya taking me to college?"
Aunt squeezed my cheek with her fingers as I was carried lying in my little sister's arms and talking to them. "Arey mera Bachha, uncle told your Ma that day na, ki your college is very close to our house if you go by cycle via a shortcut route through the lanes. But your Ma told me that you can't ride a bicycle. Your uncle used to ride a bicycle which Maya now uses sometimes. But the carrier is broken off. So Maya will take you to your College and fetch you back in that cycle."
I said, "But you said the carrier is broken, so how can she carry me?"
Aunt and Maya were both laughing. "Why? You will sit on the front bar of the cycle and your little sister will hold the handle-bar with her long arms around your body, protecting you. Haven't you seen that in old movies ? The hero carries the heroine on the front bar of the cycle and sings songs. We were discussing this. You two will look exactly like hero-heroine of yesteryears. With you, the hero sitting on the front bar and your little sister, the heroine, carrying you with her arms protectively around you."
I said, "I don't like this idea. I would rather take the longer route by bus or auto."
Maya said, "What Bua, you are teasing my big brother ? Nahi bhaiya, if you don't want to go by bicycle, I'll ride you to your college on my uncle's scooter. I drive that also. I think that you won't mind sitting on my back in the scooter ?"
I said, "That's still an acceptable option. Ok, now you put me down Maya, I want to go to the bathroom."
Aunty, sorry Mummy, said, "Yes that's better. You have travelled by train. You must have your bath. Maya, you carry your big brother to the bathroom and give him a good bath. And clean him up properly as I told you."
I protested, "Nooo, I'll take my bath alone. Let me go."
Maya has already started towards the bathroom, "Don't cry big brother, start getting used to being bullied by your tall little sister. Just surrender yourself in my arms and let your little sister give you a nice clean bath."
While walking, carrying me in her arms, Maya lifted my body up a little and then bent her head down and planted a kiss on my forehead. "My cute big brother will love having his bath from his little sister. You know Bhaiya, your new Mummy gave you that Tab as a gift. You know what gift she has given me ? A doll - YOU…My big cousin brother - You are my living Doll to play with in whatever way I want. I own you now. You are mine."
( To be continued….)
