Sharing Life | ✓

7. Revive

"Taadaaa.... Ice cream for everyone!" Sandy  boasted. She entered the house enthusiastically.

Everyone gathered in the hall.

Before Priya could express her disinterest,  she grumbled, "Yaar, Pri di Akki Bhai, Sara di, Mama-Mami are leaving today. Choti Farwell party toh banti hai na. Ab please lecture na do."

"Lecture?" Shivina asked curiously.

Sandy cleared her throat and begin, "30 Rupaye ka dudh 270 ki packaging, Capitalism this, Capitalism that, etc etc."

"Chod na, Priya," Sara stopped Priya from speaking. She rolled her eyes and went in the kitchen.

"Noooooo," Sandy said in low-spirit, "Sorry. Akki bhai's wedding slipped my mind. I got a cup less. Bhabhi, Im really sorry," she apologized to Shivina.

Her face turned dull and her smile faded. She acted to be fine and said, "It's okay, Sandy. I'll have sometime later."

"Aise kaise? Aap meri Ice cream lo," Akshay hugged her from side and offered his ice cream. Her eyes sparkled again and she hugged him back.

"Anyways I don't like it, take mine," Priya interrupted.

"Aapke liye toh layi hi nahi," Sandy muttered.

"It's my fault, so bhabhi have this," she offered her ice cream cup.

Meera intervened and stopped everyone, "Koi kuch nahi kahega," she kept a bowl on the table and asked everyone to add some Ice cream in it.

"Wow, Bua! This feels like some movie. Thank you," Shivina exclaimed and took the Ice cream bowl.

Everyone laughed.

****

"Shivina," Priya knocked on a door. She asked Priya to come in.

"You look upset. Missing Akshay?" Priya inquired

"No. Matlab thodasa. But we will talk over video calls. I'm good," she said.

"Is it about the ice cream, isn't it?" she asked.

She looked at her in surprise.

"Sort of. Actually, when I was kid. Shubu always brought me candy, chocolates, whenever he received in the school, he would share it with me. Even a small toffee. When everyone shared the ice cream, it reminded me of him," she got emotional.

Priys held her hand.

Her eyes reflected the honest and innocence in her and she realized her ignorant behavior at times was something she might have perceived since childhood.

She continued, "We have shared everything. Issiliye Shubu is my best brother. Akki complained the other day that I'm partial between Ram bhai and Shubu, but the truth is we've shared our entire childhood. Ram Bhai never did anything special like this for me. We don't have much memories. Hence we don't share such a bond"

Priya took a while and replied, "Maybe because he wasn't in school then."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. I suppose when you were child, he must be in college or office or your business. Perhaps he shared his chocolates with Shubham. Perhaps Mr. Kapoor taught him sharing but never got the chance to share them with you. Maybe he never got chance to create memories with you."

Shivina looked down.

"Do you know why I'm the go-to person for Akki, Sandy or Maitri despite Sara di being the eldest?" she asked.