Dil Ne Tumko Chun Liya Hain
Part 1
Shreya Sinha wiped off the tears that flowed from her eyes. She looked at her twin sister Chandini, who was sitting down next to her, her eyes overflowing with tears. Their grandmother or daadi as they fondly called her had died in her sleep the previous night. Shreya and Chandini were raised by their daadi and were extremely close to her. This was a very hard time for the twins as they had to take care of so many things by themselves, not to mention the emotional pain caused by daadi's death.
The girls had just finished two years in the Panchghani College and were preparing themselves for their last and final year in college. Shreya was a journalism student while Chandini was pursuing film-making and acting. The two were extremely smart and topped their respective courses. They had a quite a few friends and were loved by everybody in the small town of Panchghani.
Shreya was practical and sensible unlike her sister who loved building castles in air and talking about a perfect future. Shreya knew that a perfect future didn't exist and never expected it. She knew that she had to be strong at moments like this and support Chandini, who needed it more than she did.
She placed a hand on Chandini's shoulder who looked at her and buried her head in her shoulder. Shreya patted her sister's back while comforting her verbally. She felt tears flow from her own eyes and knew that it would be hard for her to pull back her tears like she always did. She rarely cried, but she spent a lot of time comforting Chandini and telling her crying wont solve anything.
But both she and Chandini were very close to daadi and her death was something that either of them hadn't expected. She had just gone to wake daadi up but found her dead instead. She thought that daadi was playing a trick on her, a trick which she had played many times before. But even after a very long time daadi didn't breathe and Shreya knew that her daadi was no more. She called Chandini but was unable to tell her anything. Chandini understood and collapsed with tears.
"Shreya," Chandini said softly.
"Yes Chandu?" Shreya asked even more softly.
But Chandini didn't answer. She had suddenly fallen silent and Shreya shook her.
"Chandu," she said. "Chandu say something."
"There is nothing left for me to say Shreya," Chandini replied.
Shreya patted her sister's back.
"I will be back," Chandini said.
"Where are you going?" Shreya asked. "I'm coming."
Chandini led the way and soon Shreya knew where they were going. It was a place only the two of them knew. Under a cliff quite off from their house was a small cave well hidden and could be accessed only if a person tried very hard. It was the place Shreya and Chandini used to hide from daadi when they had done something naughty. No one had ever found them there and over the years they had used the place as a secret hideout to store some of their favorite items like their favorite books, clothes, bad report cards, etc. They had stopped getting bad report cards long ago but knew that daadi would scold them for hiding them so they didn't bother to take it out of there.
They hadn't been in their hideout in a long time so they struggled to get in there. Once they were they sat down opposite each other and just stared at each other for a very long time. They knew exactly how the other was feeling so they knew that silence was the best at the moment.
After the passing of almost a whole silent hour Chandini decided it was time to say something.
"So what do we do now?" she asked.
"What?" Shreya asked.
"I know you heard right Shreya," Chandini said. "What do we do know?"
"I don't know Chandu," Shreya said. "All we had to take care was our education, daadi took care of the rest. Now we have a lot more than that to look after."
"Shreya you were always the strong one," Chandini said.
"I know Chandu," Shreya said. "But at moments like this role reversal just happens."
"I agree," Chandini said. "You know what?"
"What?" Shreya asked.
"We have each other and that is all we need," Chandini said.
"No, I disagree," Shreya said. "We are 20, we need more than just each other."
"Shreya," Chandini said. "I don't know what is wrong with me, I never talk this like."
Chandini's English was a bit weak. Shreya had taken a few crash courses in English so she had a better hand over the language.
"I know Chandu," Shreya said, ignoring her sister's wrong grammer. "I never feel so lost either."
"Daadi hee thi hamare liye," Chandini spoke in Hindi, her better language. "Now after her gone, our lives are messy-messy."
"Chandu how do you manage to go from serious and authoritative to a lost girl in just a moment?" Shreya asked.
"I don't know Shreya," Chandini said. "Don't change topic."
"You know what Chandu?" Shreya asked.
"What?" Chandini asked.
"Let us just take life as it comes right now," Shreya said. "There is nothing else we can do."
"I agree you," Chandini said.
"Come lets go," Shreya said. "We have a lot of formalities to take care of."
The girls got out of their hideout and walked home quietly side-by-side. They took care of some formalities regarding the body and decided to sleep.
Sleep didn't come easily to the twins but after a long while they did fall asleep.
The next day both sisters adorned white dresses, Shreya a white churidar and Chandini a white ghaghra. Shreya busied herself by cooking some dosas and chutney while Chandini went out to take the post.
"SHREYA!" Chandini yelled. "COME HERE!"
"Baad mein," Shreya said. "I'm cooking."
"NO, COME HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!" Chandini yelled. "FAST COME!"
Shreya ran outside worried that something was wrong.
"Kya huwa?" she asked.
"LOOK AT THIS POST!" Chandini said.
"Stop shouting!" Shreya said, taking the post from Chandini's hand. She opened the letter and read it aloud.
Dear Miss. Shreya Sinha and Miss. Chandini Sinha,
I'm Mr. Ranveer Rathore and I'm extremely impressed by your studies in Panchghani College and am glad to inform you two that I'm donating two full-paid scholarships for you two to the University of Southern California, USA for the next two years for you two to complete your pre-grad college years and I will glad to extend the scholarships for post-grad too if I see that your work is as impressive there as well.
I'm enclosing my address and phone number in case you need to meet with me regarding the scholarships. I will be staying in Panchghani for the next two months.
Term starts only in September but I advise you two to move to the States as soon as possible if you want comfortable dormitories and other facilities.
Regards,
Ranveer Rathore.
"Ye kaisi mazak hain," Shreya said, frowning.
"Mazak?" Chandini asked. "Tu ise mazak kehti hain?"
"Phir nahin hain to kya?" Shreya asked. "Hume kaun scholarship dena chahega?"
"Arre yehi insaan!" Chandini said, her eyes glimmering. "Daadi kehti thi naa? Jab kuch bura hota hain, toh kuch achcha bhi hota hain."
"Chandini," Shreya started. "Hum nahin jaa sakte."
"Kyunnnnnn?" Chandini asked.
"Tickets ka paisa kaun dega?" Shreya asked.
"Hum iss Ranveer Rathore se mil lenge aur use baat karenge, ttheeke?" Chandini said.
"Lekin," Shreya said. "I don't know Chandu."
"What you don't know?" Chandini asked. "We are going and that final!"
"Chandu," Shreya reasoned.
"No Chandu-Chandu," Chandini said and went inside.
"Ek din poora roti hain, doosri din khush ho jaati hain, ajeeb kahika," Shreya said.
End of Part 1
Hope you guys liked part 1!! It took me a while writing this. I intend to put up part 2 by tomorrow! Please please please comment, they make my day!
Nidheya
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