I stare at him. “Neel,” I say slowly, “you are supposed to chew your food.”
“I am chewing,” he replies immediately, while very clearly not chewing.
Aditya presses his lips together, his shoulders shaking slightly. Within minutes Neel’s plate is empty. Completely clean. He slides off his chair, wipes his mouth with exaggerated satisfaction, and lifts his plate carefully.
“Thank you for dinner, Aditya,” he says with great politeness before carrying the dish to the sink. Then he turns and runs down the hallway toward his room like the fate of the entire evening depends on it.
I sigh and stand up. “I should make sure he doesn’t hurt himself,” I say quietly.
Aditya nods, still looking amused. Neel’s door is half open when I reach it. Inside, he is sitting on the edge of his bed with several books scattered around him like he is searching for the most important one.
He looks up immediately when he sees me.
“Didi!” he exclaims. “You have to go!”
I lean against the doorframe and cross my arms. “I know,” I say gently. “But I will put my brother to sleep first.” He narrows his eyes suspiciously as if evaluating my intentions, then finally sighs and flops dramatically onto the mattress.
I switch on the small night lamp beside the bed. Soft yellow light fills the room, warming the corners and turning the shadows gentle.
Neel scoots closer the moment I sit beside him. I pick up one of the books from the pile and open it quietly. As I start reading, his restless energy fades little by little. His small fingers curl around the edge of the blanket while he listens. Every few minutes he interrupts the story with questions.
“Why did the dog run away?”
“Because he was scared,” I explain softly.
“And why did the boy go after him?”
“Because he loves him.”
The room grows quieter as the story continues. Outside, somewhere far away, a vehicle passes. Inside, Neel’s breathing begins to slow.
His head eventually tilts against my shoulder.
When I notice his eyes fully closing, I stop reading. I close the book carefully and place it on the small desk beside the bed before wrapping my arms around him.
He curls closer automatically. “You must be happy, didi, it's very important,” he murmurs sleepily.
I smile and kiss his forehead. “I am very happy, Neel.”
He snuggles further into my side. “I must make didi very happy.”
Something tightens in my chest. “You already do,” I whisper, brushing my fingers gently through his hair.
He opens one eye slightly. “You will never forget me, na?”
The question is so soft it almost breaks me. I hug him tighter. “Never.” I smile against his hair, “I love you the most in this world.” My throat burns suddenly but I keep smiling. I raise my hand and gently bump my fist against his.
“You and me against the world. Remember?” His sleepy face brightens immediately. He lifts his tiny fist too.
“Didi and Neel against the world.” I laugh softly and hug him again.
“Didi will always love you the most.”
He blinks up at me. “Even more than Aditya?”
I chuckle. “Obviously.”
“No one can compete with you, my cutie.”
