Crushed and Created- Tangled series (Overprotective famous brothers)

Did I ruin everything?

Salman

After a while, Pixie was finally lightening up. I couldn’t see her sad, it hurt me deep inside. She was off for a nice, long shower and I took this opportunity to have a talk with Cassie.

“Hey, is it good time to talk?” I sat next to next on the couch as she was on the phone with someone. Even though I was a little furious over how she behaved in the morning, I couldn’t be rude towards her. Whatever the attitude, but she did everything just for me and my career.

“I’ll get back to you.” She said to the person on the phone and punched the end button on her Nokia phone. Looking at me, she raised her brows as if to cue me to continue. I shifted in my seat and got straight to the point.

“Cassie, I know what you did in the morning was for my PR, but I need to get some things cleared. Please keep my family, especially Arhaan and Alisha out of as much as media as possible and don’t get…rough with them. It’s not them who are the celebrities here, it’s me.”

It sounded awfully self-centered to say that I was the celebrity here, but it was the truth. I was the biggest star in the family, Cassie was my manager and both the kids in our family shouldn’t be dragged into the fame so soon. It was gonna be their decision whether or not to get into the show business, but as for now they were miles away from it.

“I know, but you better know this. Your sister is a Goddamn celeb in herself- you like it or not. Every move of hers, everything she does, says, wears or goes is analyzed all the time. And yes, I know she didn’t choose it but that’s what happens when a superstar like you adopts a girl as his sister.” She completed her rant and I ran a hand through my hair.

Fuck, she was right. My baby sister was a celebrity too. She had over a million twitter followers, paparazzi stalked her for even one single snap and gossip about her was absurd. God alone knew how many people were eerily obsessed with my thirteen year old sister, who wanted nothing but an Olympic gold in gymnastics. Here she was practicing her butt off every day and turning down movie deals which could change her life.

Sometimes I felt like I had made this huge mistake by adopting her. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea for her future. Maybe if I had let the authorities put her up for adoption, she would have a chance at a normal life. She wouldn’t have to go through this grueling life; she wouldn’t have to face anything she was facing today.

What if my sister turned into the next Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton of Hollywood? Another person, blinded by the camera flashes and fame? Another person struggling to stay sane while being treated like a specimen under a microscope? Had I entirely ruined Alisha?

“Just…keep her out as much as possible.” I mumbled almost mechanically and went outside. Getting my jacket, I grabbed the BMW bike keys and ordered the security to stay behind. This time I needed all alone.

Getting out of the back gate wasn’t very difficult, since everyone expected us to be in some luxurious car every time we stepped out. Accelerating towards the Sea link, I drove with no particular destination in mind.

The speed weirdly calmed me down, the air hitting hard against my skin cleared up my thoughts. Slowing down I took a turn and stopped at a local shack. Just on the beach, it was one of the most famous places for locals in Mumbai. Taking a seat well shielded from the crowd around, I placed my head between my hands and tried to just feel normal again.

“I knew you’d be here.” Pixie’s hand caught mine, and I looked up in bewilderment. Nobody knew I was here, then how did she?

“Do you realize that sub-consciously you came to the place where we both first broke the ice?” she half smiled at the table and I looked around. Yes, it was the exact same words when she first called me bhai- the Hindi word for brother. It was the same place when I first saw her as my sister and not some random little girl. It was just this beach, just a few feet away from the bushes where we were sitting eight years ago. That day had changed our lives, but I wasn’t sure if it was for her good or not.