Splinters Of Ice | Pranbir

09| Emotions

"When memories of past come flashing by, pain in its zenith conquers your heart. But if this was how your numb heart could breathe in a few senses, I'm ready to bear this pain again and again"
- Ranbir Kohli

Her eyes which were always unfathomable pools, at the moment held tears. And that was enough for him to understand that she's surely affected by the mention of "Dad". His sensitive spot was his mother. Just the depiction or mention  of a mother was enough for him to breakdown. So he comprehended her sensitive spot was her father.

"He was what he was because of his little angel. She was his reason to live. He held her hands and taught her to walk. He taught her being both her mother and father. His place was irreplaceable in her life. She grew up to be a person he was proud of but his presence in her life wasn't written for long."

Behind in the background, the actors had enacted a brief performance giving life to his words.

Aadmi musafir hain
Aata hain jaata hain
Aate jaate raste me yaadein chod jaata hain

"He faded away from her life and she lost the only support that had anchored her in the sea of losses.  His presence had been enough for her because her father was her world. But after losing him, she failed to keep control over her sanity. Yes, it's a fact that death is inevitable. It's a fact that one who comes into this world has to leave it as well someday. And all that he leaves behind are his memories, which his loved ones cling onto to lead life. But all of it is easier said than done right?"

The room erupted with louder claps even as all pairs of eyes were filled with tears. And he could see hers was too.

For Prachi holding onto her tears had become extremely difficult for after years, she had broken out of her frozen form. Her father had been her world. He had been her everything. Yes, she missed her mother but he had made up her loss as well. In her life he had been both her mother and her father. But that day when he left never to return, she had found herself numb. She had been taken to her Aunt's house and tortured but all that registered in her was that her father was no longer her support. He had left her! They had told her it was her father who had sold her to them before killing himself but despite her numb state, she could see past that absurdity. Her love for her father was her devotion. He was her idol. And just mere words from some random person couldn't shake her belief. Her devotion was ingrained into her subconscious as well and thus, she had refused to believe he would do such a thing to them.

The curtains closed again even as a melancholic tune played out in the background. After a few minutes, the curtains opened again to reveal a small girl tying Rakhi to another girl who was a bit elder than her.

Phoolon ka taaron ka
Sabka kehna hain
Ek hazaaron me meri behna hain
Saari umar hume sang rehna hain

"In her life, there wasn't anybody except her sister. Her elder sister was her everything. And so on the auspicious occasion of Rakhi each year, she tried it on her sister's wrist because her sister was her everything - her protector, her parent and her idol"

Ranbir couldn't hold back anymore as tears flowed down his eyes.

"Da...da....."

Tears formed in his eyes as his baby sister uttered his name. His name was her first word! She hadn't taken Maa or Papa's name. It was him, her Dada. Holding her in his arms, he kissed her forehead and promised her that he would always be there for her. He promised her that he, her Dada would protect her and keep her happy.

He had promised his sister he would protect her but he could do nothing to save her! Absolutely nothing! He couldn't even see her for one last time. That day the brother in him had died a far worse death than the son in him.

"Why did you go Mishu? Why did you go leaving your Dada? I wish it was me instead of you. You...you were just a baby...why did you leave?" his mind screamed in agony.
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She felt her tears flowing down but did nothing to stop it. The unshed tears of years were finally finding an outlet.

"Di, I won the competition!!!" she squealed as she entered. Prachi turned to look at her twin sister with a wide smile. Pranati hugged her tight, almost rendering her off balance.

"Wow congo Pranu! So this surely calls for a celebration isn't it?" Prachi asked breaking the hug gently.

"Chocolate muffins!!!" Pranati screamed even as Prachi giggled.

A ghost of a smile formed on her face but immediately disappeared when she recalled the next worst day of her life.

"I'm sorry. She's no more" he said and left from the house.

"No! No!" she screamed and climbed on the bed frantically. She shook her lifeless form, hugging her, shaking her but to no avail.

"What do we do now?" a woman exclaimed worriedly from behind.

"We'll bury her body in the backyard. Others anyway don't know of her existence!" the other woman whispered.

Anger. Fury. Rage. She felt all of it at the moment. Her so called Aunt and her sisters words kept ringing in her mind. Her mind filled with flashes of her past, her sister's painful screams and howls echoing in her ears. Nothing except anger prevailed in her. And that's when her eyes saw him.

She gritted her teeth. He was the reason behind all of this! It was him because of whom she was recalling all of this years later! It was because of him she was changing. And she dint like it one bit.

Angered beyond measure, with everything running in her mind like a movie, her sister's howls, her aunt's laughs- all of it driving her insane, she stood up and moved towards him with the sole intention to just destroy him.

She was just two steps away from him when......
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What is going to happen next? Will Prachi really just kill him?

Do share your views

Love,
Pratyusha