It had been two days since the smoke bomb incident and Rudy adding to her guilt by calling her a guardian angel. She hadn't known how to react to that. Moreover, the looks Anika Di and Shivaay Bhaiya had been giving her since that incident told her that they suspected her. So, she was already worried, and now Prinku's call letter had her more worried.
She and Prinku had been choosing a colour palette each for all the wedding functions according to Anika Di's instructions, when Soumya had brought the call letter. Prinku had been really happy on receiving it, though she was also sad that she would have to leave soon.
"Arre Prinku, Mala! Tum logon ka hogaya kya?" Anika Di stepped in, bringing Ishana out of her thoughts.
"Haan Di. Almost. Woh beech mein yeh aagaya." Prinku said, holding out her call letter to Anika Di. "Meri internship ki call letter." she continued smiling. "Mujhe 4 hafte mein wapas U.S.A jana padega."
Ishana watched as Anika Di took the call letter and read the contents. She turned pale for a moment, but covered it with a fake smile. Ishana could just tell that her smile was fake. Seeing the letter had affected her. Could it be possible that this Anika is actually her Ani Di?
"Congratulations Prinku." Anika Di said. "Chalo we have one more reason to celebrate now. You should go share this news with your brothers! They'll be really happy." she continued sweetly.
"Haan Di that's true. I'll go tell Om and Rudy Bhaiyya." Prinku replied excitedly, taking back the call letter Anika Di was holding out. "Chalo Soumya. You also come with me na?" she added looking at her best friend. Soumya nodded with a smile and said, "Of course." Both the girls then left, leaving Anika Di and Ishana alone.
Ishana decided to take a chance. If this Anika was indeed her Ani Di, then it was time to come clean, before this whole thing got into an even bigger mess.
"Ani Di?" Ishana called softly before she lost her courage. Anika Di who was standing with her back toward Ishana turned around sharply.
"What did you call me?" she asked.
"Ani Di." Ishana replied firmly. "Aap meri Ani Di hi ho na?" she asked her eyes tearing up.
"Chutki?" Anika Di asked, her voice suddenly faint.
Ishana nodded, with a big smile through her tears.
Ani Di's eyes were full of tears too, but she controlled them. Then she moved so quickly that Ishana did not see it coming. She suddenly found herself pressed against the wall with a small but sharp swiss knife at her throat.
"Why should I believe you?" Anika Di growled. "Do you have any solid proof that you are indeed my sister?"
Ishana gulped. She didn't blame Di for her suspicion. If she had been in her place, she would have done the same thing. So, she gave her the only proof she could. She began to sing softly.
"Lafzon ka yeh rishta nahi.
Lamhon ka yeh rishta nahi.
Sadiyon ka hai yeh wasta, hai rooh ka raabta..."
She stopped when Anika Di let go of her suddenly, taking a step back, eyes wide in disbelief.
"It is you." she whispered, and pulled Ishana into a hug. The both of them were sobbing by then.
The song was a secret between the both of them. Nobody else, not even her so-called mother, knew about this song. Ani Di's dad had taught it to her as a child, and when he had passed away, she had taught it to Ishana. It was a secret song, one that Anika Di used to sing for her to put her to sleep.
After Ani Di's dad's death, the lady- her so-called mother- would often come home drunk and beat the both of them. Ani Di would usually ask Ishana to hide and take all the beating on herself. After beating her up, the lady would then lock Di in a dark room without any dinner. The lady never cared whether Ishana was there or not. She was more interested in torturing Di, and seemed to take a special pleasure in it.
Once she was sure everyone was asleep Di would come find Ishana. She always brought food for them both, and put Ishana to sleep by singing the song. Sometimes though, Di would be too hurt to come find her. So, if her Di didn't come looking for her, Ishana knew that she had to go find her instead. That was an unspoken arrangement between them. She would find the room her Di was locked in and pick the lock. And she would take care of her sister as best as she could during those times, feeding her and doing some basic first aid.
This went on for almost 2 years. Her mother hated her sister, and neglected her. Ani Di was the one who played the role of both mother and father in her life. Ishana, though very young, knew that she herself was her sister's strength, and always tried to be as strong and happy for her as she could.
Of course this bond couldn't stay hidden from her mom. Try as she might, the lady couldn't seem to break Ani Di's spirit, which Ishana had realized much much later was what she had been trying to do. That's probably why she decided to separate them.
Ishana still remembered that day. Ani Di had just returned from school- the lady had kept that up for pretence- with some chocolate for her, when the lady had barged in with two men and another woman following her.
"That's the girl." she had said, pointing at Ishana. "You can take her."
There had been absolutely no emotion in her voice. It was as though she had been talking about some random unknown child and not her own daughter.
Ani Di had of course tried to stop them, but she was no match for those men. Ishana had been forcibly taken away to a van, and then transported to the boarding school. She didn't really remember much of the journey, because she had eventually fallen asleep out of exhaustion from crying continuously. She had only been 6 years old at the time, and had been stuck in that hell for the next 10 years without her sister to take care of her.
"Tum kaha thi?" Ani Di asked pulling out of the hug. "Patha hai, maine tumhe kaha kaha nahi dhoonda?"
"Woh, uss aurat ne mujhe ek boarding school mein bhej diya." Ishana replied softly. "Par woh school kam aur narak zyada thi." she added.
Ani Di hugged her tight again. "Tumhe mujhe sab kuch bathana padega. Par yahan nahi. Abhi ke liye, wipe your tears and don't worry. Sab teekh ho jaayega. Main sab kuch teekh kar doongi. I promise." she said.
Ishana teared up again. It had been so long since she heard those sentences. "Sab teekh ho jaayega. Main sab kuch teekh kar doongi." This had been Ani Di's constant promise to her. And she had always kept it, at least until Ishana had been taken away.
In the first few months at school she had kept hoping that Ani Di would come find her, and make everything alright like always. Eventually, she understood that her Ani Di wouldn't or couldn't come. She was too hurt and Ishana would have to go find her instead, like those nights she would go searching for Di, when she didn't come. But try as she might, she couldn't leave the school.
She had attempted to run away many times but she had always been caught and punished. She had eventually learned to accept that she would have to stay there, at least until she was old enough to take care of herself. She had finally succeeded to get away from there a little after her 16th birthday. A few weeks after that, she had met Ashok Papa. Those weeks on the streets had been a struggle, but it had toughened her up to survive against all odds. And now that she had found her Di, she knew she'd be okay.
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