The Rose In His Garden (Completed)

02

Anjali lie down on her bed, recalling everything that happened today. She is frustrated by everything happened in her life. She was happy when she got a little brother. She used to be glued to him and protected him. As she grew up, she felt left out by her parents as they were busy in taking care of Arnav. All her relationship crumbled down as soon as the boy find out that Arnav is her brother. Slowly she started to go away from being the affectionate sister of Arnav.

She remembered all these times she sat besides him in the hospital. From the day he has born, he spend a lot of his days in the hospital till he is nine year old. All those surgeries helped him to lead a normal life with his abnormalities. She felt like a selfish b*t*h for behaving like that when all he done was loving her. A sob erupted from her throat as she remembered their childhood. How he used to give her wild flower bouquet, how he used to wait for her to get back from school, how he saved each and every chocolates he got so that he can share it with her, how he tried to help her when she fell ill, how he told her that she is his best friend. Anjali wondered what happened to her, how did she changed into the lady she is now.

She went to his room and didn't found him there.

"Maa, where is chote?" She asked her mother.

"You adopted brother just went out. He will be back after finishing his work in the farm." Ratna used the same words against her which pained her.

'If it hurt her to hear him being called as her adopted brother, then how would he had felt when she annouced that in front of them??' Anjali hated herself and went to her room.

*******

At night
Anjali entered the Arnav's room and saw him engrossed in a book. She called him and he didn't react to her. She saw him hearing aid placed on the table and walked towards him. She placed her hand on his shoulder making him turn his head towards her.

"Di, you here?" He said plugging the hearing aid and adjusting his specs.

"I want to talk to you chote."

"Is it about what happened earlier?" He asked and she lowered her head, as tears started to roll down from her eyes.

"Di, I'm not angry on you. Yes I was hurt when you said like that, but I know why you said that. You have suffered a lot because do me, all your relationships went down because of me. If being you adopted brother gives you get a bright future, I don't mind doing that. That's the least I can do for you."

"Chote, I'm really sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"Di I told you na, it's ok. In rakshabandhan, you always tie a dhaga on me which implies that it's my duty to protect my sister. All these year, you were the one who protected me, you scarified a lot for me while you were supposed to have fun. I want to compensate all those time you missed while being with me. I'm sorry that, I didn't understand you. I was too much busy in my own world that I forgot that you have a world outside me. I'm really sorry di. You must have really felt left out all these years. I know how that feels. I don't want you to feel that anymore. I want you to be happy. Have a life of your own where there will be someone who will take care of you like a princess." Anjali hugged her brother and cried. Tears roll down from his eyes too.

"I failed to be your sister chote... I have become selfish while all you wanted was my happiness." She cupped his face and wiped away her brother's tears.

"No di, you are not a failure. You are the only friend I had when everybody treated me like a ugly duckling. You fought with everyone who treated me badly. Everybody is selfish in this world di. Even I'm selfish about our family and my farm." He consoled her.