1995
He had recently learned to sketch letters, his ‘A' was inspired the cloth clips, and ‘B' by his dad’s goggles, ‘C’ was shaped almost like his sister’s hairband; he had one thing in his mind for each letter. But to his wonderment people wanted him to relate the letters to an entirely different thing. Why was ‘A' related to apple, when apple resembled to 'O' better? Although his O was inspired by a ball, apple he thought could be a proximate replacement. A for apple was unacceptable.
His sister was in a school and she had books. One she showed him was with a number of letters, some spaced and some not, placed by a picture of a crow and a pot. Everything to him was a mystery. He felt dumb, and felt jealous of her, when his sister told him an amazing story about a thirsty crow, by going through that complicated array of letters.
So one day he broke the ice. Lying on his mummy’s tummy he said, “Mumma mein bi school jaunga…"
“Kyu?” she asked, almost amazed.
“Di ko kyu bhejti ho?”
“Woh badi hai. abhi tu chhota hai, thoda aur bada ho jayega tab."
“Aap didi se hi pyar karti ho! mujhse nhi… isiliye nhi bhej rhi. Mujhe sab pata hai.” He started crying; and waited for his father to come.
To this naive little kid, his sister was perhaps his first competition, but as he looks back now, she was his first inspiration.
…
1998
A new place said to be unsafe. Their school was a walk away.
“Dono saath mein laut k ana, samjhe?” Mom had told them.
So he used to wait for his sister whenever free early, gazing onto the array of stalls parked outside the campus, from gola walls to pani-puri walas. Amidst those heavenly smells, his mouth would hold a waterfall. At times, once they had found each other, they used to buy something. And he used to finish his in a gulp and then used to look at her with that innocent face. She used to grunt but share.
She shared with him almost every chocolate that Papa ever bought.
Though unseen, that was her love. To that little kid, the sense of it was lost with all the remote controls she threw at him. But as he looks back, he knows that her love him was always there.
...
2006
His sister moved away for higher studies. The idea of finally having everything to himself made him rejoice so much that he forgot to portray a sad face as see was leaving. His dad had to give him 'that look’ to make him realize. He immediately hugged her and pulled her hair. She punched him on the back. That was their goodbye.
The house was so empty after a while, so less fun. There was a void, he never realised could exist. 'Damn we grow!’, he would grunt, and wait for his sister to return. During her visits, he would bother her more, to fill an imaginary pot of her reactions perhaps, that he could spread on the sheet of time when she isn’t there.
That was his love for his sister, Felt but yet not realised- never expressed.
…
2013
They both grew, and she was getting married. His job was keeping him away from the bigger part of the celebration, and that he still misses. And then as the wedding date came close, he was too involved to notice, what a significant change is about to happen. He realized it all... Her love oozed out of the neglected corners of his mind, and overwhelmed him, after her Bidai..
He realized that she is her closest friend... Will always be.
....
2016 (Today)
Life has taken him miles away. She has her life back home in India. An envelope sits on his table, waiting to be opened. A thread that has so much meaning waits to be tied on his wrist...
Rakshabandhan it is... To remind that they have stuck together always... and that they always will...
