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And here I ticked off the last item on my packing list.
'THE STUDENT CAMP,' eagerly anticipated by every Ian International student, was finally happening.
As pulshing with anticipation, I found myself humming with eagerness, envisioning the breath-taking landscapes of Himachal that awaited us.
However, my moment of bliss was abruptly interrupted by a series of loud knocks on my door by an annoying creature. I swung it open, fully prepared to confront that annoying specie, only to find my favourite person standing there with her, there stood my twin sister and my elder sister who is our guardian.
Before I could utter a word, my twin, Evaana, barged past me and headed straight for my luggage.
"Do you have my camera?" she demanded, poised to disrupt my packing efforts.
"For the last time, it's not here," I replied, stepping closer to intervene. But she paid no heed, insisting on checking for herself.
"Don't you dare! I just finished arranging it," I protested, but it was too late. Evaana had already turned my perfectly arranged suitcase upside down.
"EVAANA!" I exclaimed, frustrated by her actions.
"What? I'll help you rearrange it," she retorted, glaring as if it were my fault.
"No, you'd nev—" Before I could finish, our elder sister, Vedika di, asserted herself,
"Guys, can you be decent for a minute and pay attention to me?" Vedika di said authoritatively, reminding us of her presence amidst our bickering.
"It's been more than a minute, Via," Evaana remarked, clearly unfazed.
Only her close friends call Di "Via," but Evaana insisted on calling her Via too, and for some reason, Di always allowed her anything.
"Sorry, di," I apologised, walking up to her. Vedika di sighed and nodded, her expression softening.
"I wanted to talk before you guys leave," she began, her eyes softening with concern.
"I'm not leaving for marriage, Via," Evaana's voice, laced with sarcasm, shattered the moment of tenderness, her hands absentmindedly destroying the packed bags.
"On a serious note, living room in 5 mins," Vedika di warned.
"Yes, Di," I replied as she departed, her attention consumed by her work tablet. She must be scheming something, perhaps for us. I like to think that we hold a special place in that detached heart of her, and I would wager on the heavens that I am correct.
Turning back to Evaana, who'd just wrecked my packing and bolted for the door as soon as she saw me coming.
"I'll help you later, got a call to take, Dumbo," she shouted over her shoulder, making a run for it.
"You always do that," I called after her, following suit.
"It's always hilarious watching you lose it before her, Evyaan," Aakib chuckled through the call, half teasing.
"It's never funny for me though," I replied loudly, stopping as Evaana vanished into the penthouse corridors.
I trudged back to my room with my annoyance fading as I caught sight of my Peppa Pig PJs.
"Oh my God, how can I possibly pack this?" I groaned.
"The deputy prime minister can't be caught wearing these," I admonished myself, unable to believe my mistake.
"Yeah, but my PA could?" Vedika Di's annoyed tone caught me off guard. When did she even walked in.
"Di, it was the only one that fit him," I countered. I suspected she might be holding a grudge ever since I gave her PA those Peppa Pig PJs. But what choice did I have? That vexing assistant of hers managed to look good in in every other pair, and even in Peppa Pig's he appeared as polished as always, how could I possibly resist leaving her alone with him like that?
"Yeah, I can tell," she dismissed coldly, and before I knew it, we had migrated far from the living room within a span of fifteen minutes. Silently, I followed her downstairs, where Evaana was already waiting.
"I've been here for the past fifteen minutes, I swear," she defended herself, reading Vedika Di's expression.
"Liar," I couldn't help but interject.
Vedika Di shot us a glare, and suddenly, we both found ourselves promptly silently seated.
"Here you go," Di presented two exquisite gadgets.
"Wear these at all times and always stick together with your friends," she instructed, handing one to each of us.
"I can reach you with this even in no-network areas and forests, so please don't forget to wear it."
We accepted them, noticing they resembled smartwatches to some extent except the fact they look more modest.
"These are beautiful, but you're being paranoid, Via," Evaana remarked, already strapping hers on. Di just chuckled at her.
"I thanks, Di. But don't tell me you customized it?" I inquired, noticing our names and birthdates were already saved on the lock screen.
"Yeah, a friend of mine did," she confirmed.
"This is great, Di. I love you so much," I exclaimed, pulling her into a hug, soon joined by Evaana. We don't usually do hugs, but lately Vedika has seemed a bit preoccupied, which could be harmful if it continues. So Eve decided to divert her attention. She makes sure to cause a bit of trouble every now and then to help Vedika focus on something other than her work. We also made sure to cling to her constantly, reminding she has us back home waiting for her.
"I love you both more, my bubs," she smiled softly, planting kisses on our foreheads.
It was all peaceful and dreamy until the mention of our parents pulled us back to reality. Long story short, we had toxic, narcissistic parents, and we had the option of moving out to a better environment and guardian.
So three years ago, we moved to the Vedika Di's penthouse. It's comfortable and comforting both, but that doesn't change the fact that we still love and miss our neglectful parents.
Both of us reluctantly joined the call Vedika Di had arranged, knowing all too well that it would likely end with the reminder,
"Take care, and remember, if anything goes wrong, it's on your Vedika Di." As always our parents like to censure her for anything. Disappointed, but hardly surprised.
"Yeah, we'll ball anyway," Evaana attempted to lighten the messed up mood before leaving with fake enthusiasm. She always acted the most detached among all of us siblings, but as her twin she can fool the world not me. I know she's just as affected by our parents just as i am.
I followed her taking a deep breath to clear my mind and went back to packing again.
