Barriers fall down, the ice around her heart slowly begins to thaw, and the sixteen year old girl starts to resurface when an unexpected series of events take place, resulting in Aakriti Singh Rathod to reunite with the siblings she once left behind...
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“Ahem” – I cleared my throat before pressing the record button on my phone and starting to sing.
“Sun mere humsafar, Kya tujhe itni si bhi khabar, Ki teri saasein chalti jidhar; Rahungi bas vahin umra bhar... Rahungi bas vahin umra bhar, Haayee… Jitni haseen ye mulakatein hain, unse bhi pyaari —”
The music that flowed out of my system was suddenly interrupted by the rattling of the windows. I turned off the camera before getting up to shut those windows, when from there, I saw a black coloured mercedes, parked right in front of our gate.
Jab gaadi park karne ki jagah nahi hoti, to itni mehengi gaadiyan lete hi kyun hai ye log?
Upar se dusro ke ghar ke saamne khadi kar dete hain!
I picked up a wooden rod, or you may say, laathi, and went down, with anger bubbling inside me.
Aaj to dekho kya kachra banati hu iss car ka. I was about to hurl the rod on the windshield of the car when all of a sudden, I felt a tight grip around my wrist.
Although the grip was rough, the touch felt warm and undebatably familiar.
“Oye! Kon hai bey ?!”
The voice sounded familiar too, and within no time, I was harshly turned around, and the moment my eyes met with those ebony ones, I stilled.
It was her.
The lady who showered me with ample amount of love, in a span of just 6 years — so much, that even the love my biological mother gave me, if ever, in my 17 years of existence could not match her mark for a moment — was standing right in front of me.
And I absolutely hated, how my arms itched to wrap around her waist, and my body begged to be held by her.
I was supposed to feel hatred towards her,
Haina?
Then why couldn't I ?
“Khushi-” Her voice cut through the silence making me snap out of my thoughts. I could see her eyes softening, and love shining in them.
But I cannot let her close again.
Never ever again.
“Aahana. Aahana bulaiye please. Mera naam khushi nahi hai.”- I replied back in a soft tone as if I did not know her, which was actually true to some extent.
I did not know a lady who left her siblings behind, almost for a decade just because of a small tiff with her mother.
The sister I knew would sacrifice anything for the people she loved and cared for. She would never tell you to stop crying, rather she would silently hold you for hours and cry along with you.
“Aahana please -” She called out yet again.
I could not stand here anymore. My throat seemed to close up, sweat droplets trickled down my neck even in the month of January, and my hands could not stop shaking.
I rushed back to my room, taking long strides and slammed the door with great force.
Would have probably woke everyone up.
Rise and shine people!!
But why the in the freaking hell was she here?
I picked up my mobile phone from the table and unlocked it. My hands hesitantly reached to dial his number, but I called him anyway.
I put the phone to my ear, while all I could hear was the loud thumping of my heart. The call rang three times and my fingers almost reached to hang up, but the call was received, and a frantic voice came from the other side.
“Anu?! Tu theek hai ?!”
“Rehan” - I somehow managed to choke out.
“Ha Anu, bol na kya hua?” - came a sweet and soft coaxing from his side, just like a mother does to her child.
“She is here” - My was barely above a whisper, and I am sure he might have not heard it. But he did.
“Tu mili unse?”
“Haan”
“Achha. Ab pehle shaanti se baith, paani pi, aur mujhe exactly bata kya hua.” I did as he said, and began to recite the series of events that took place.
“Aur kuchh to nahi hua?” His voice was so soft and gentle, as if I would shatter like a fragile glass if he raised it even a bit.
“Nahi.”
“Yaar ye to tujhe bhi pata tha ki vo ek din wapas to aaengi hi. Aaj nahi , to kal , kal nahi to parso , kabhi to aati na…”
“Hmm”
“Ye bata, main problem kya hai?”
“Rehan,” - I heard some shuffling from the other side of the phone - “Gosh! How do I tell you?!” I took a deep breath to calm myself, and started again - “Rehan, main problem yahi hai that she’s here! How do I make you understand that?”
“Anu, tu kabse kisi aur ki presence ya absence se affect hone lagi? Naa jaane kitne log gaye hain, kitne aaye hain, you never cared about that! What happened now?”
“Rohu, SHE IS FAMILY, AND SHE IS SOMEONE I’VE IDOLIZED FOR A LONG TIME! I cannot just see her everyday and stay all calm and cool about her presence”
“Aahana, you remember you’ve told me many times that you hate Komal aunty with every fibre of your being. But still you live in the same house as her, you eat the food that she makes, and more or less, you speak to her about one thing or another! Uss time kahan chala jaata hai tumhara ye logic? She is family too! And moreover, she is your mother! Maa ka darza to hamesha behen se jyada hi rahega na? Now tell me, does that not affect you? Do you not feel -”
My eyes burned with angry tears and I cut him off before he could continue further - “ Just stop it, Rehan! STOP! YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY, AND YOU NEVER WILL!” - I looked away trying to gulp my tears- “Maa aur behen ke beech mein phasi hui hu rehan… I don't know what to do!”
I wiped my tears with my sleeves and continued - “Khair, tu rehne de. Tu nahi samjhega. Samjhega bhi kaise? Family ke naam pe all you have is a sister! Nobody-”
A beep sound interrupted me, making me aware that the call was disconnected.
It was then I realized what all I had said in my agitation, and the extent to which, my words would have hurt him.
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