Growing Pains

-More Cookies-

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow through the windows of Arjun's modest home, he stepped inside, exhausted from a long day at the police station. The familiar scents of freshly baked cookies, filled the air, but as he walked into the kitchen, his heart sank.

The sight before him was nothing short of chaos. Flour dust coated the countertops like a winter snowfall, and cookie dough was smeared across the floor. Mixing bowls lay overturned, and a few stray chocolate chips rolled around like lost marbles. In the center of this culinary disaster stood Amrita, her face smeared with flour and a guilty smile plastered across her face.

"Amrita!" Arjun exclaimed, his voice rising in disbelief as he surveyed the mess. 

"What happened here?"

"I was making cookies for you!" she replied cheerfully, her eyes sparkling with excitement despite the chaos surrounding her. "I wanted to surprise you!"

Arjun's initial irritation flared into anger as he took in the full extent of the destruction. "This isn't how we cook! You can't just throw things together and expect it to work out! Look at this mess!" His voice echoed off the walls, filled with frustration.

Amrita's smile faltered as she watched her brother's expression darken. She had only wanted to do something nice for him after their earlier confrontation at the station, but now she felt small and ashamed.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought you'd like them..."

"Like them?" Arjun replied sharply, his hands on his hips as he looked around at the flour-covered chaos. "You've made a disaster! I can't even walk without stepping in something! This is the second time today that you've caused trouble!"

"Sorr..." she tried.

"Remind me if you are allowed to cook without supervision?" he asked sternly.

"But Shweta aunty taught me how to bake cookies just this morning! I thought I can make it myself now..." she said softly.

"Is that the answer to my question? Yes or No?" he asked yet again.

"No." she said at last, "I am not allowed to cook without superfission."

"Super-vision. And no, you are not allowed to cook without supervision." he corrected her.

With a heavy sigh, Arjun weighed his options. Either he could let her off the hook with this stern chastisement or enforce some real rules. He knew he had to set boundaries for her behavior.

 "You need to clean this up right now," he said firmly. "And until you do, no TV or games for the rest of the evening."

Amrita's eyes widened in shock. "But I didn't mean to!" she protested, her voice rising in pitch as she fought back tears.

"Intentions don't matter if you don't think about your actions," Arjun replied, trying to keep his tone steady despite feeling guilty for being so harsh. "You need to learn responsibility."

As he turned away from her, he could feel his heart aching at having to scold her again in one day. He walked toward the living room, leaving Amrita standing alone in the kitchen.

Feeling hurt and rejected, Amrita crossed her arms and pouted. She had always been known for her stubbornness. When upset, she would often resort to giving silent treatment, a tactic that usually melted Arjun's resolve.

As she began picking up the mess, scooping flour back into its container and wiping down surfaces, her expression was one of deep sadness. Each movement was slow and deliberate, emphasizing her displeasure with being punished again.

Arjun sat down on the couch in the living room but couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt creeping in. He could hear Amrita sniffling softly from the kitchen, and it tugged at his heartstrings.

After a few moments of silence filled only by Amrita's quiet sobs and the distant sound of traffic outside, Arjun stood up and walked back into the kitchen. The sight of his little sister—her small frame hunched over as she cleaned—made him reconsider his approach.

"Amrita," he said softly, kneeling beside her. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just... I want you to be careful."

She looked up at him with big teary eyes, still pouting but clearly hurt by his words. "You're mad at me," she said quietly. Her resolve of not talking to him was already breaking. No more hard feelings after getting punished twice in the same day.

"I'm not mad at you; I'm frustrated because I care about you," he explained gently. "I know you wanted to do something nice for me."

Slowly, Amrita nodded but remained silent, crossing her arms tighter. 

"Come here," Arjun said softly, opening his arms wide.

With a hesitant smile breaking through her frown, Amrita rushed into his embrace, burying her face against his shoulder. "I just wanted to make cookies..." she murmured.

"I know," he replied, holding her tightly. "And next time, let's make them together so we can avoid this mess."