Shadow and Light

21

Author

The next morning was the morning of the auspicious festival of Raksha Bandhan, a festival celebrated by every brother and sister in Bharat.

Ada didn't give this festival that much importance not just because she didn't have any brothers to tie the red thread on, but also, she never believed in the delusional promises a brother made to his sister about protecting her from all evil and she wasn't making baseless assumptions she had proof they were delusional, she had lived through the said proof.

She lived with a brother and sister until she was 15 and she didn't even know they had that kind of bond because the brother was not doing the protecting and the sister didn't shed tears of joy every time he came for a visit.

The brother was not protecting her from the evil, he was the said evil.

She got ready, wearing a yellow lehenga she bought recently, she was loving how much she was spending so much of her husband's money on useless things like lehenga's of the same design in every available colour.

By the time she reached his room, she could hear laughter from inside, she knocked, and got a loud "Come in" in response, "Where were you? I came here and you were no where to be found?" Namita asked, the guest didn't know how this was a forced arrangement and how they don't sleep in same rooms, "I had gone out, for some fresh air. I got up too early" Ada replied, plastering a smile on her face.

"Oh!" Namita replied, "Well, you are right on time, we were about to start" she spoke enthusiastically.

Namita tied Rakhi on both of their hands, as it was tradition, then she tied it on Adwith's wrist.

"Well, that's done. Where is my gift?" she extended her hand, "Here" both of her brothers gave her something she liked, sweets and jewellery, new clothes, they all looked so happy, it almost made Ada tear up.

"Ada? Aren't you going to tie Rakhi on your brother's hand?" Namita asked, "Well..." she looked towards Ranvijay, "I don't have a brother, Didi" she said.

"Oh" Namita nodded in understanding, "A sister then?" she asked hopefully, "No, I was a single child" Ada said, "Oh, really? That must have been so nice. To grow up as a single child" Namita added, "Believe me, it wasn't" Ada sighed, her lips forming a straight line.

"Well, as this is done. Let's have some breakfast, shall we?" Adwith said, trying to bring down the awkwardness, "Yes please, I am starving" Ranvijay added.

So, they all went to have breakfast, with a smile on their faces and love in their eyes.

Seeing the three of them, Ada came to a realisation, a realisation that maybe all those promises weren't delusional after all, because before her eyes were two brothers who would do anything to protect their lovely sister from all evil and here was a sister who would cry tears of joy whenever her brothers would go visit her unannounced. She smiled seeing them, but she cried inside.

She blamed her fate, for whatever was wrong with her and her life.

***

That evening, Namita's husband and kids arrived in the palace, and with children's laughter the palace seemed like a home. It was bearable to live in, Ada laughed on every silly thing they did, she laughed freely, without any intention behind it, she felt joy after years of sadness.

She had taken quite a liking to the two kids and so had they, they would come and sit with her, the younger one would come and sit in her lap, asking her about herself, telling her about themselves, their day, their school, their friends. They had all the innocence a child could get. She smiled with them, talking to them, telling them stories, mostly true. Told them about hilarious instances she had come across life, she hadn't laughed at them then, but now she did.