Unravel

Prologue: TEAR

"Missing someone is part of loving them. Not until you are apart do you realize how much they mean to you."

- Nikhil Saluja

Fifth of May, 2012

"... and you're sure it's not a scam, right?"

"Of course. You were with me at the meeting, mom."

"I know." sigh "I'm just worried. I can't believe my baby boy is all grown up."

A few meters away, on a little couch designed into the wall right under the large window, sat the girl's younger brother and their mom.

She was only one year older than her brother and they grew up getting along so well they sometimes seemed like twins. They were similar in many ways, both unbelievably beautiful, kind and friendly. If God wanted to create the perfect human being, most would say he'd done an exquisite job with these two.

She tuned out of the painful conversation and just stared at her little brother who was about to leave into the world, to make a name for himself and, all of a sudden, she felt like she'd been the younger one all along.

Sure, they were similar in many ways, but one huge characteristic that drew them apart was the level of maturity each possessed, and, strangely enough, it was the wrong way around. While the boy seemed to have grown up faster, mentally speaking, the girl was still too innocent for her age and too pure to be let out into the twisted world. She may have been twenty-one, but she held such a pure and child-like heart that one could hardly believe it and none should dare taint it.

Her brother's laugh resonated through the room, loud and comedic, as it had always been, bringing her back out to reality. She looked fondly at him laugh, and, listening to the lively sound, a wave of merciless sadness washed over her, tearing her heart to pieces. She realized it would be a long time before she could hug him again, talk to him again face to face, hear his obnoxiously unique laugh from right besides him, spend the whole night chatting with him and learning how to cook from him.

And tears just started pouring uncontrollably, like a river overflowing.

Her silent cries urged her off the cushion and towards him, wrapping her hands around his body.

She'd want to tell him not to go, to ask him to stay, to not leave her alone, but her love for him ran so deep that she knew she'd never be able to do such a selfish thing.

It was a different kind of heartbreak.

He hugged her back, crushing her into his warmth. He, too, loved her so much it hurt to see her cry. He'd miss her, but he had to go, he had to make her proud. He wanted to be worthy of being her brother. He wanted her to be proud to call him her brother.

So he stepped back, and grabbing her shoulders he said:

"Innie, don't cry." he searched her eyes as he continued "I'll call you as often as I can, and we'll meet each other whenever I have time."

She wiped her nose and eyes with the side of her pajama blouse and nodded.

"Let's make a promise." she gazed back into her brother's eyes and waited "you'll soon move out as well, I'm sure. Your business is doing so well after all. So while we both live outside of our parents' house, let's set the same passcode for our doors. This way if we ever need each other the door will always be open in a way. And we'll be able to walk right in."

She smiled a toothy grin and linked her pinky with his, stamping the deal afterwards.

He grabbed his bags and walked towards the door and to the car that was sent to pick him up.

She came out onto the porch of their childhood home and waved him off. The sadness, though still there, had diminished by a lot and she could now somewhat relax.

He'd never broken a promise after all.

"Oh, and Innie!" he screamed making her head snap upwards to look back at him.

"Happy Birthday, sis!"