Caramel Popcorn

He didn't like anything without cheese.

Or anything that involved sugar

"That's not food" he used to say;

But the moment I used to sit in front of the TV

With a bowl of caramel popcorn

All set to watch Titanic for the billionth time

With a box of tissues nearby.

I don't know how

He used to find out

From his room : a different world

With only books

And video games;

Which I wasn't allowed to touch.

He used to come, hit my head really hard

Take a fistful of my popcorn

And laugh as I used to shout at him.

He hated Titanic

Or anything that involved fluid loss from the eye.

After all, why should one get dehydrated?

He still used to watch it with me.

Just to point out how Titanic was shot in a swimming pool,

And how Rose was more beautiful than I was.

I used to give him a furious look and he stopped.

Only to start again in 5 minutes.

Few days later, I was sitting again with my popcorn and tissues,

He didn't show up.

I was relieved.

That day, at dinner, I found out,

He was leaving.

A brilliant job opportunity.

Germany

A place he had always dreamt of.

I couldn't be more happy.

Later that night

He called me in his room and I got annoyed as I didn't want to help him resolve his fight with his girlfriend.

It wasn't about that.

He had put on Titanic

With caramel popcorn

I just sat there.

He didn't point out a single typo.

He didn't have a single popcorn.

At the end of the movie..we both were in tears.

He hated it.

My brother.

He was my best friend.

I haven't watched Titanic since then

I haven't had caramel popcorn since then.