One Cuppa Chai

°8°

It was probably odd to sketch a random boy in the dead of the night but I was. I glared at the little pencil sketch on the paper before me. I don't know if anyone would recognize that the cool warrior version of the person I had drawn was Kabir but I'd tried my best to imitate his bright cognac eyes and the lopsided smile. I attempted to sharpen his jawline with the pencil and inspected my work, chewing at the end of the stem. 
My sister was sleeping on her stomach and snoring softly. I was sitting up in my bed and smiling to myself like a goof. Satisfied with my stupid drawing.

For the first time in my life, my dream felt absolutely surreal.I could feel every inclination of my body.

 I couldn't recall anything about the hazy roads and the vegetation that flashed past me in a blur.

 It was as if I was on a journey, alone. On a hilly terrain that winded upwards like a screw, until I realised that it was growing dark and cold. Then it was all silent. The whip of the wind and the rush of the wheels faded away. A figure was looming above me and I'd squinted in the inky blackness.

"Get on, we're getting late," The familiar voice sounded, perched on an equally familiar sports bike. I flinched and awoke into consciousness.

That damn bike now even starred in my dream now, really impressive.

My sister's wrist came up and swatted a mosquito on her face and she mumbled something and turned over.

I let out out a huge sigh.

Arranging my pillows, I rested down on the bed and turned over to the side, trying to fall asleep.

But I was wide awake for the next thirty minutes, mulling over things that were over and done.

And in the morning, I was woken up with a painful whack.

I squinted my eyes open.
Siya was standing with a pillow.

"Wha... Why are you waking me this early?" I lamented and threw my leg over the bed.

"Avuna? It's nine o'clock madam."

I gave a displeased grunt until the words hit my ears and I sat up. "Nine? School, school, I'm late!"

I jumped off the bed.
My hands quickly grabbed the neatly folded uniform off my cupboard and the socks.

"You're not taking bath?" Siya called after me.

"Who's taking ba..." I stopped short when I saw my parents who looked up from the TV screen.

My mother looked at the uniform perched on my shoulder.
"Only today you'll feel sincere. It's a local holiday, they announced yesterday night." My mother said.

I whirled around to face my sister with vengeance on my face.

"Surprise, surprise!" She said and
I threw myself at her.

She managed an apology between laughs.

"Behave like the elder one once in a while otherwise people will forget," I said, straddling her on the bed.

"Oh. You be nice to me. I teach tuitions for your boyfriend." She reminded from under me.

"Boyfriend?"

"Then what is he? Your Dhobiwala?"

I threw a nearby pillow at her before exiting the room that satisfactorily hit her head.

"Eat those idlis quick and go study." My mother instructed from the kitchen. I could hear her bangles clinking together.

"She just woke up. Don't pester the child." My father said and I offered a deceivingly innocent smile in his direction.