The Worstest Brother

The title sounds perfect, doesn’t it?

Well... I can visualize a conglomeration of rage and joy in your eyes when I label you “the worst.” 

And... I can predict what is actually hovering in your mind when you are about to set your eyes on this note: A set of degrees of emotions of love and affection; and curiosity and restlessness. 

Am I anyway wrong.. Shriman Derick George?

Now.... Please glue to your seat for another sixty seconds and show courtesy to my note on you. Wouldn’t you Velyaangale..??

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As I slowly close my eyes, I’m instantly transported to our childhood get-togethers at Mattom. I just don’t remember anything concrete but a hazy image of a ruffian uttering English floats in front of my eyes. This cute ruffian was known for his martial arts skills and inferior being like me had always been advised to keep a healthy distance from him. Everyone at Mattom longed for ruffian’s and his family’s arrival during Christmas holidays and summer vacations. To be precise, Goans’ bi-annual visits to Chiramel Family. Goans made sure that they brought with them fine quality cashew nuts and port wine each time they touched Chiramel land. Although ruffian wasn’t witty enough, he somehow stole Chiramel family’s attention through his extraordinary intelligence and brilliance. And of course, the inferior being envied him for that. Years passed by and ruffian moved to Hyderabad for his Junior College and later shifted to Kollam for Bachelors Degree.  

His bi-annual visits to Mattom soared to bi-monthly so as the phone calls he made to Mattom. Many a time our Ammamma pointed out the frequency of ruffian’s calls and our kith and kin appreciated him for his consideration for the elders. Ruffian again won everyone’s hearts and thus became darling of all the elders. Lucky Fellow!!!

Along with earning an Engineering degree, ruffian’s four years in Kerala trained him to converse in excellent Malayalam and he became a Malayalam Pandit in due course. Roughly speaking, he began to understand the nuances of Malayalam like we all do and became exceptional enough to give a tit for tat in Malayalam too. Remember...those were the days when Gtalk and Orkut played a vital role in ruffian’s and inferior being’s lives. Readers, I presume you can imagine the inferior being’s state of woe each time she realized that ruffian can catch sarcasm in Malayalam no lesser than her. 

My personal rapport with ruffian tightened at this stage. That is technically, at the dawn of the Early Age of Social Networking in India. Our conversations came a long way from trifles to general issues by the time Facebook hit the Social Web. Besides both of us became matured enough to understand, analyse and interpret things happening worldwide. Ruffian grew to be a gentleman and inferior being to be gentleman’s sister. Thus the doting image of a smooth criminal in a way trumped the choking image of ruffian in inferior being’s psyche. He defined the word companionship in kinship and taught the latter to do things that she thinks are righteous in nature. You would find him pulling her legs 24*7 but if others dare ridicule her for anything he just can’t endure it and will stand and speak for her. If the inferior being is in distress some way or the other he would be available just a click away and won’t go away unless he brings a euphoric smile on her face.   

Hardly anyone knows that this smooth criminal is an anti-dogmatic doctrinaire but once you invite him for an open conversation you would totally agree with it. He thinks, speaks and acts accordingly as a man of liberal thoughts. But he does not even attempt to coerce any of his rules on the inferior being. People closer to him wouldn’t have seen him being willing to move an inch from what he thinks is right. Even though inferior being despises him for such obstinacy, considering the good traits he has within him surpass it. Also she very well knows that there would be some logic behind every action of him and she likes him for that. 

Readers, now you all be in an awe and must be thinking why the inferior being entitle him “the worst brother” when he himself has proven to be “the best brother anyone could ask for.” The answer is quite simple: The inferior being’s egoistic heart clenches when she appreciates the fact that there are people better than her in her own family. And a lump forms in her throat when she sets out to say out loudly that she has got the fantastic brother in the universe.