SHADOWS AND REFLECTIONS

TRANCE

She sat in the garden with a brush in her hand. She knew no art. But she wanted to paint to relive the memories. She splashed a combination of all the colors on the white sheet in front of her. She made a portrait of her sisters as her sita didi had done years ago.

"Its marvelous", a voice from behind shook her from her trance. She turned behind to find sita standing with her eyes beaming with pride and joy.

" Didi!!! You are back!!!" She exclaimed.

"Yes dear. I was always here. I guess you didn't knew."

"Nobody told me didi and that's so rude", she fumed.

Sita chuckled at this.

" what happened? Why are you laughing didi?"

"Nothing. Anyways tell me what have you drawn? I see this as our picture. Isn't it?"

"Yes didi, the sisters who never vowed to break apart"

Sita nodded slightly teary eyed.

"I wanted to draw something similar to what you had done. But I can never surpass your work didi".

Sita smiled at this sweet honest confession of her sister.

" But I had drawn us holding hands and walking together. What have you done with this dear?" The painting had the girls seated with the three sisters facing sita as sita told them something.

" We did this always.. Isn't it didi? You would always teach us something and we would hear you intently"

"Yes. Am blessed to have sisters like you three."

" You always taught us. But you never said that you'll test us. You always told us we will always stay together. But why did you go leaving us behind? I knew your husband was banished and you couldn't stay in the palace but why did you break the promise that you vowed to us as a sister?"

Sita was amazed at her sister's fearlessness. She didn't hesitate to question her.

" You need to remember your duties amidst a whirlpool of emotions."

"But not without you didi. Who will guide us?"

"Am always there for all of you." Sita told her little sister.

"How?"

" My caressing your cheek, patting your shoulder, twisting your ear does not prove my presence dear."

"Then?"

"If you really want my presence in your lives, do what I always told you. Do what our parents would have expected us to if we were together", Sita advised her angel.

Sita was right, she thought.

" Didi, I think."

She looked in front only to find that sita was no where. Her heart sank in deep pain.

It was 4 weeks that the trio had left for the forest.

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