Siblings who had solace in the presence of each other, get trapped in the web of fate and luck, embark on their saga how they battle through the game of destiny called life, shielding each other from any problem hurled towards them.
This twenty seve...
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Soft sounds of alarm went off. Sunlight peeked through curtains. My eyes glanced at the white clock on the bed side table. It was ten in morning. I got up from the bed, got dressed. I grabbed my phone and a cordless power bank.
On reaching the dinning room, I found my sibling sitting on his usual chair, the head chair of the dinning table. He was all ready for office in a raven colored six piece tailored suit, onyx eyes set on the newspaper.
I sat on the chair next to his, "Good morning, bhai."
"Morning." He replied looking at newspaper he was reading.
Giving a smile to him. "Anita. Please get my coffee," I called head staff. Navy blue and grey uniform, hair braided behind her back neatly. With tray in her hands and formal smile on her face. She placed the white tray on the table. Poured coffee from the kettle in a white cup, "thank you." The same route she came from, went back on it.
With small conversation about my upcoming results and his work, we completed our breakfast. My sibling folded the newspaper, he read. "Roshni," he began, "last night grandfather called me," he halted and I nodded, "he wants us to visit Shimla for some time," my breaths hitched, going to that place had never been good for me, "Do you want to go?"
I placed down the cup on the saucer, I bobbled my head. Goosebumps formed on my arms and my legs. Chill ran down my spine. Stomach churned in discomfort. Tears threatened to fall down. I blinked them away.
Going there was never good.
Every time we went there, I returned with glossy eyes and a bloody heart overbearing with pain and misery.
"We will only go if you're comfortable."
I nodded, "I think we can go," it must be something important. He never wanted me to go there, today if he asked me, must be something essential.
"Sure?"
I picked up the cup, "Yeah." I sipped on the warm liquid.
He caressed my head, "Get ready by five."
••••
Warm hair brushed on my face. Anita packed my luggage. The hairdresser blow dried my hair, soft curls fell down my shoulders.
We left for the airport. The ride was non chaotic event, quiet, we reached the place under an hour. My brother with Nirav, his personal assistant, stood near the entry gate. Giving them a smile, perhaps a formal one at the latter person and deep one to my sibling. The security check went quickly and we moved to the Private Jet terminal. Within a couple of minutes the jet had taken off. Brother and his personal assistant sat facing each other. They discussed, few files scattered on the table. I swiped and scrolled on my phone. Soon, I fell in slumber.
I felt someone waking me up. Fisted hands, I rubbed my eyes. My brother gave a small smile, "We have landed." We got outside the airport. Guards came with our luggage. Nirav opened the door of a black SUV.
"Agastya Sahab... Agastya Sahab." Wavering voice caught our attention. Our heads snapped at source of it. An old man. Dressed in a white uniform. A hat on top of his head. Hands covered in gloves. He fastened his speed. Panting, he spoke, "Sahab, Raja Veer has sent me to pick you and Roshni Sahiba from here."
"Not required," my brother dismissed the man.
Lips parted, I sighed. Every time we visited Shimla, this was a regular thing. Our grandfather sends a man to escort us to the house, and my brother asks him to leave.
We settled in the black SUV, the car sped off. Mountains with snow glazed on top, trees sprinkled with cold snow, swiftly sped off.
A corner of my heart loved this place, the other hated it. The place where, I was born, said the first word, walked the first step, attended my first day of school, got hurt, got my trust broken, felt unloved, felt unwanted.
Perhaps, this was life.
My thoughts halted with car in front of our mansion. The name of my brother shone with gold colored Italic fonts, contrasted it, the white snow covering it.
We stepped down, after reached the end of driveway in front of the main doors. Nostalgia hit me, the smell of cold air here was something so different. House helps opened the doors, we settled in.
Taking a warm bath, I got dressed in a comfortable loungewear. Picking up my phone to scroll on it, I saw the team sent me pictures of last night. On opening the folder I was awestruck seeing that man.
Who was he, who could my hear rate go crazy on seeing his picture. I wished to ask my brother who this stranger was. I went through the social media profiles of certain people from last night, to have a look if this stranger was tagged in some picture or was a friend of any known to me. Apparently he wasn't. My curiosity wasn't big to enough to gather the courage to ask about a stranger, to my sibling with no reason behind it.
We had our dinner in silence, "why did grandfather call us?" I broke the silence.
He placed down his phone, "he wants to talk about something,"
An uncanny feeling rose in my heart. As if something was going wrong. Finishing my meal, I took a stroll in the balcony. I sat on the swing once my feet hurt. Neck craned up, enchanting sky came to my view, stars shone like someone had thrown glitter over the black paint. Behind grey clouds, the magnificent moon pecked, adoring its scars like beauty marks. The town slept peacefully, the rhythmic tunes of the air clashing in to the trees.
We returned here after two years. I don't know what will the next sunrise bring.
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