Seventeen

Chapter 2

(Adithi's)

When I walked into the apartment, the house was filled with the smell of Bhindi sabji. Excuse me?? That is what is for dinner?

"Mamma.... Unfair." I said running to the kitchen. Suhana was already there with her plate, and digging into her roti and Bhindi sabji.

"You know, I don't eat Bhindi." I said.

"So?" Suhana asked. "You should learn to eat all the stuff. You are not a kid anymore."

I ignored her. Just because she is 2 minutes older than me, she always thinks she is the older sister. "Mamma," I called.

"Ah... your sister is right." Mamma turned to me, "You should learn to eat all the vegetables."

"That's not the topic here. You made Bhindi last week too. And yesterday it was 'lauki', a day before yesterday it was spinach... Why is the only thing that Suhana likes being made?" And that girl likes only healthy and veggie stuff.

"Sorry. I will make you aloo next Sunday. Okay?" Mom said.

"Ah whatever..." I said. "I am not eating from here..."

I said running off.

"And that's why mom makes the things I like," Suhana called after me. "Because I actually eat what she makes. You just go eat from other houses."

"If it was something I liked, I would have eaten it okay," I yelled back and walked away. It's always... always what Suhana likes. Now, even my parents seem partial... As if it was not enough then the whole world loves Suhana more than me. At least our parents were fair till now. They loved and cared for us equally. But now...

And Suhana has got even worse. She cares about her beauty and weight so much that she likes to eat all the vegetables and bland healthy food only. Also so has filled mom's ears saying good things about heating healthy food, and introducing mom to all health crap... It's suffocating.

I rang the bell to Arjun's apartment which was the nearest one to ours. Arjun's younger brother, Ayaan opened the door.

"Rajma chawal." He said as soon as he opened the door and saw me. That means that night dinner's menu was Rajma chawal.

"Cool..."

"Mom, put 5 plates," Ayaan called in.

I walked in.

"What's today? Beetroot?" Arjun asked as he walked to the dinner table.

"Bhindi." I said, sitting down.

"You don't like Bhindi too?" Arjun's mom asked. "But that's a tasty one."

"I do eat it. But I was not in the mood today." I said, feeling a bit sheepish. "More than that I was angry at Suhana," I added to Arjun.

"What did she do now?"

"Fill our mom's head with health facts. Mom only makes her favourite food now." I said.

"Don't you worry, let's go out next Sunday, and eat something... How about, pizza. Deal?"

"Yup." I grinned.

Okay so, I was really really looking forward to the pizza. But the next day, in school...

"Pizza?" Asked Suhana when she heard the plan... "Hm..."

"Why? You don't want to eat pizza?" Arjun asked.

"No... I mean, I am okay with it... But I was craving some Chinese food... I watched a programme on TV yesterday on Travel and Living...and they were making really yum noodles... Can we go to some Chinese place, please...?"