Hold My Hand

Chapter-4 (Transformation)

'Where are we going now?' I ask Sa as the auto zips through the afternoon traffic.Stella turns a deaf ear to

my questions and instead complains about how we should have taken the metro instead. Beads of sweat dampen

our brows and streak down our cheeks.'We are going shopping,' she finally answers me, when I repeat the question the fifth time.

'But I have clothes,' I mutter in protest.

'I don't think so, Ana. What you have is junk. You're going to college this year. And I want my sister to be the hottest girl on campus. All the guys will love you.'

'I can live without that happening,' I say, but she ignores me and continues, deep in her own thoughts.

'Though ... I don't want you to fall for the wrong guy. You're too naïve.'

'At least I will let you know if I fall for someone there,' I say and hope she gets the snide remark.

'I was about to tell you, but you are such a drama queen. I thought you might tell mom,' she says. 'And you

know how mom reacts.'

Yes, I know how Mom reacts but that can't be her reason. I would never rat her out to our Mom and she knows

that.

'I would have told Mom?' I ask.

'Actually ... I wasn't sure myself.'

I can understand.Daniel, in the few minutes I spent with him, seemed like a really warm and a nice guy. But

standing next to my near-perfect sister and her friends, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was barely five nine,had tan skin and was not the fittest of guys I have seen. He was far from perfect. The first time I saw both of

them together, his hands holding hers, I was shocked and disappointed. Not because my sister had hidden it from

me, but because I had always thought she would date someone much better-looking.

'Did you like Daniel?' she asks softly.

'He is sweet, Stella.'

She pauses a little and says, 'I know what you're thinking. You think that he is not good-looking or physically

attractive. I know that. But he loves me, Ana.' The look on her face confuses me. Her lips quiver like a little child and she is blushing like a school girl who is in love for the first time.'I think he is okay,' I say, not knowing what to say.
'I am so happy for you,' I say and find tears in my eyes too.

'You know what-I hope every day that you find someone like Daniel too. Someone who treats you the way

you should be treated. And that's why we need some new clothes for you,' she says and asks the auto driver to

pull up.Finally, after an hour and half of sweating profusely and cursing the weather and the driver in equal measure, we have reached malls

have come up. We walk in and are relieved as the conditioned air hits our faces.

'Gosh, it's so hot out there. I need something to drink,' I declare and look around.

'Come, let's sit here,' Stella says and points to a Starbucks inside the mall. It's a Saturday and the mall is

crowded to the brim with people of all ages and sizes flocking to every outlet inside it. The waiter tells us that

there is a fifteen-minute waiting time, but Stella charms him into giving us a table before anyone else. She then