Epistle 24: Sibling Love
A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here is the next update. :D :D And also, here's wishing everyone a very, very happy and joyous New Year to all of you! <3 <3
PS. Sorry for the extra typos, I still haven't got my laptop back. :/ :/
Happy Reading! :D :D
December 13th, 2000:
To think that I wanted a sibling to share my love with.
Honestly, are all siblings supposed to be this bitter against each other or am I "lucky" again? Sometimes, I really think that my outburst on Ranveer four years ago was not worth it at all. When I thought about how I would never be loved by anyone once Disha would come to the picture, I was clearly mistaken. But what I had not banked about was the fact that the one person who I thought would love me the most doesn't. Ironic.
Ever since she's been into this world, I think Baa has not let her out from her sight for even a moment. Disha is three now and I think if I calculate the amount of time I've actually got to spend with her, it must only be slightly more than a year. It's like Baa is egging on her to have her revenge on myself and my mother for "tainting" the family name and is forever in the plans of turning Disha against us. She's my sister, for God's sake!
Sometimes, I'm simply tempted to hit the old woman and smack some sense into her, but unfortunately Ranveer has taught me manners. I know for sure that as much as she deserves that slap, I know that my conscience would prickle me nonetheless. Pity. The worst thing of the whole situation is that Disha actually enjoys Baa's company! Like if Baa isn't around her for a moment, she'll burst into the most elaborate of tantrums.
Seriously though, is that girl stupid? Who makes friends with Baa of all people?! Maa and Papa are both smart people, I wonder where she's got her brains from? And yeah, I know you must be super judging me but I cannot help it. If I'm being mean, so be it. Every child's first words are either Mum or Dad but our genius here takes her first word as Baa. Honestly, I don't know whether to pity that three year old girl or to remain miffed with her.
She ain't too bad when Baa isn't around and honestly, I think that's the only time when she genuinely feels like my sister. She may barely be old enough but I can already say that we are poles apart. She's as snobbish and stubborn as one could have her to be and she knows how to make everyone dance according to her footsteps. Even Maa has no answer for her.
You know, sometimes I really do think that had Baa not been a mental loony like the way she is, she might have actually been a very nice person to be around. Papa tells me that she was barely at the finish mark of her silver jubilee when she had lost her husband and had found herself surrounded with a debt deeper than the well at the backyard of her house and a lot of children. She had singlehandedly managed to not only recover her debt but raise her children satisfactorily as well.
Papa has always been remarkably honest with me and he did admit to me that he resented giving up his education for taking on the responsibility of the entirely household on his tender shoulders when Bas's health would no longer permit her to work like before. But it was the need to the hour and it was something that did indeed change his life forever. Had Baa been more warm and civil, I wouldn't have had any problem in being appreciative of the fact that she is a woman of element. I cannot believe that I'm saying this but some day, I would like to be as independent as her. Not as cold, batty, calculative and barbaric as her, surely, but independent.
Ahem, where was I? Oh yes, Disha.
She's quite a sweet girl when she isn't in one of her phases. She's smart, quick to catch on and particularly witty, I must say. She has a way about with people that amazes me just as much as it amuses me. Heavens knows that I'm grateful for the fact that Disha hasn't learnt to make differences between social classes. The last thing I would have wanted was for Disha's first words for the cause to be "You are a servant."
Ranveer finds her to be a fascinating toddler. Obviously he's not allowed to be anywhere near her, but from the glimpses that he's managed to get, he's always returned back to me mesmerized. I don't like to admit this, but every time he returns with that look, I feel like giving him a smack behind his head. Oh boy, I'm jealous now, aren't I? But don't blame me - Disha is going to have loads of friends in the future because she's the girl born with the golden spoon in her mouth.
Whom do I have except Ranveer?
So well, I think it's justified to be jealous. Now shush, this remains just between us now, alright? Goodness knows that I don't want that idiot to climb upon the coconut tree. But its okay, I guess. If he could keep that puppy with me for six days until it healed completely, I guess I owe him that much at least. You know, the amount of risk he took just for my happiness is astounding. Honestly, his capacity to love is something that frightens me at times.
How can somebody love someone so much? Ranveer can practically do anything for me. Anything. Get whipped, take my wrath upon him so calmly, agree to get hazed in exchange for me, and even this. His loyalty to me frightens me at times so much. I've never been able to ever reciprocate even 25% of what he's done for me so far and yet he doesn't do anything for rewards. He does it out of love.
Which reminds me about the clowns at our place. Honestly, I blame Baa for her inhumanity, but I swear upon the Lords that the remaining members in the house are the worst batch of money suckers I've ever seen. How can people be so money-minded?! It's sickening to say the least! They suck up to Baa just because at the end of the day, they are supplied with the necessary finances and that's enough to make them ignore everything that goes on around here.
The elders think that we are blind, but we are not, you see. We come to know everything that's going on around here. Ranveer may think he has no authority to say anything but I know that he's just as sickened with all of this as much as I am. I see the way the elders use my illegitimacy to leave taunts here and there but I've learnt enough to keep my mouth shut and my brain open. I don't deny that it does not hurt but well, just like Ranveer, let's say that I'm used to it now.
The kids are however much better. None of the boys are that bright but it's good in a way. Atleast they aren't gold diggers. Yes, they certainly have that whole "social class" mentality in-built in them and they don't seem to treat Ranveer as an equal but they atleast care enough for him to treat him close to a friend. Any friend of Ranveer is my friend and anybody who cares enough for him is someone I care for automatically. It's how it works.
Sometimes, I really wonder what kind of a circus am I living in.
But then I remember Ranveer's words to me about how living with a bunch of clowns ends up making your life like a circus. Honestly, I must have not stopped laughing for a whole ten minutes while Ranveer looked about nervously, afraid that we were being overheard by someone. He so reminds me of Dobby at times that I wouldn't have been half surprised if he'd punish himself for saying that.
But seriously, if I manage to live through half of the hypocrisy in this house, it's only because I have Ranveer with me. I cannot, even for a moment, imagine what my life would have been in this house had he not been there with me to help me see through it. He makes me laugh like no one ever has, and he's taught me to find happiness in all the tiniest of things. Sometimes I do it at his cost too, but we manage to get even.
Like for instance, take yesterday. Ranveer and I had barely gotten rid of the now-healthy puppy when the two of us went to see Disha in her room. And like all the trouble she is capable of brewing, she began a tantrum because we smelt bad. And just like that, Baa came swooping down upon us and shooed us away from the room, forbidding us to see her for ten days. With a good amount of dark mutterings and mental cursing, we cleansed ourselves well and continued our complaint class with each other on the terrace.
And just as I finished my entire rant about how I was stupid enough to hope for a sibling to Ranveer, he smirked at me, speaking cheekily.
"Well, I hope that you don't want another sibling to right your wrongs." I must havestared at him angrily for a moment before smiling serenely at the sky, replying rather evilly.
"Why would I need another sibling when I have you? You're one to me."
Trust me, Ranveer's expression was a million-dollar one. Never had I seen him look so pale, aghast and in shocked all at once with his mouth agape (okay, it happened just once before but I don't want to remember that). Ranveer looked at me as though he was clearly seeing me for the first time and he looked at a complete loss for words. He looked so cute that I just couldn't resist laughing.
He looked at me laughing so stupidly and let out a shaky sigh of relief, clearly looking at a loss of whether to be angry with me or relieved, settling for a mid-reaction of letting out an unsure laugh. I was so oblivious to his discomfort in that moment that I must have laughed for a straight twenty minutes before Ranveer had finally had enough and pinched me. Pinching me when I'm hysterics always helps me shut up.
He looked at me angrily, speaking darkly.
"That's so uncool, Ishaani."
And just like that, I sprung upon my feet and ran all around the terrace, Ranveer hot behind my heels. I let him pursue me for another quarter of an hour before I fell upon the swing tiredly while Ranveer sat beside me, panting not unlike a puppy. He satisfied himself with simply pulling my pigtails while I slapped his hand away, chuckling slowly.
"Relax," I assured him calmly as we finally caught our breath. "You are my best friend and there's all to it. Besides, I think my mother has given me a good number of cousins to cherish for a lifetime without adding any more to the list."
He nodded his head quickly and I pulled his cheeks, unable to resist the temptation. Ranveer looked exactly like a puppy who was robbed off his treat and trust me, I've never seen anything cuter than him when he's in one of his moods. He irritably jerked and rid my hand off his cheek as he turned to look at me, flustered.
"Your sense of humour sucks, Ishaani." I simply smiled at him, giving him a carefree look while he smiled at me instantly, his anger as nonexistent as it was half an hour ago.
And for the first time in these four years, I'd let a record break. That night, Ranveer was the only one who spoke. Out of the endless stars that remained so beyond our reach, he tried naming the different stars that he'd learnt about in school and kept naming out constellations to me while I silently listened to him. For the first time that night, I realized that not only was I a part of Ranveer's universe but he was a part of mine as well.
Ranveer is certainly a mystery that runs deeper than my own and the things I get to learn about him every day leaves me awestruck a little more. Never have I met a person with a heart like Ranveer's and his trust in love and his faith about everything happening for a reason is something that has taught me a lot as well. More often than not, Ranveer talks about the various types of love and being in love with the right person with such gusto that it makes me believe that it must truly exist.
Hey, it's not that I don't believe in love, but let's just say that I'm... well, afraid. And sometimes, I'm afraid for Ranveer too. He's too frail to bear the crushing of his heart. I know him more than anybody does, and I swear, if anyone... anyone hurts my friend that way, I'll kill that person with my bare hands. As much as Ranveer may harp on about love, I'm not going to approve anything unless I'm assured that the girl is the right one for him.
Sigh, I've spoken too much now, haven't I? But I can't help it, I love talking!
Okay, final thought before I bid goodnight to you - I'm certain that the girl who marries Ranveer in the future would be the luckiest one. And he deserves to have the best. Why shouldn't he? Papa always says that love does exist and so does Ranveer. The two of them may exaggerate a bit, I'm sure, but atleast I think that it must be worth it all.
All I can pray for is that Ranveer does not have as disastrous a reward in the future as I have currently with my overhyped claim of sibling love.
Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D
Next chapter:
Epistle 25
Edited by LadyMeringue - 8 years ago
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