Aiden ~
I met her when I was 15 and she was 12. She made a strong impression on me from the first meeting. She was holding my hand and roaming around my house like she owns it. She's a cutie, the girl I love the most. I don't know if she remembers...
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They both started laughing, but then I noticed Karnish; he was very quiet. In the past, whenever the four of us were together, he used to talk a lot, laugh a lot, but today he was as quiet as a sea breeze .
I gave him a side hug and asked, "Are you okay? Why are you so quiet today?"
Karnish replied sadly, "Didi, I will miss you a lot. If you leave, who will protect me from mom's scolding? Who will save me from dad's scolding? Who will love me?" And then he started crying.
I replied, wiping away his tears, "Please don't cry, bachha. Don't cry like that. You're my big boy now, and big boys never cry. I'll be there for you every time. Whenever someone scolds you, you call me, okay? I'll scold them instead."
He replied, "Pakka, right? You'll pick up your phone anytime, even if you're in the office."
I replied, hugging him tightly, "Yes, you can call me anytime. You're more important to me. After all, God has given me such a cute little brother. Why would I ever ignore you?"
He finally smiled and said, "I love you so much, didi. And I will miss you so much."
Avani, making a sad face, said to Karnish, "You only love your real sister. No one loves me."
He replied, "Why are you saying that, didi? Why wouldn't I love you? I love you too, and I will miss you," he said, hugging her tightly .
Avani replied, "I love you too, chote. I will miss you a lot. Take care of yourself," she replied, hugging him back warmly.
Soon, the four of us did a group hug, feeling the warmth of togetherness. Our parents called us from inside; it was time to leave.
Suddenly, I felt a wave of sadness wash over me as we prepared to depart. It was a mix of emotions-leaving my parents, Karnish, Ariv bhai, and Avani's parents behind. We wouldn't be able to meet them in person everyday ; it would all be virtual. I knew that Avani was feeling the same way. On one hand, we were excited about going to Greece and pursuing our dream of becoming designers, but on the other hand, we were sad about leaving our family behind.
Seeing Karnish crying made my heart ache, and for a moment , I considered staying back, finding opportunities here instead . But then I realized that it would only make him feel guilty, thinking that he was the reason I gave up on my dream . I didn't want him to carry that burden .
Soon, we reached inside, and our parents said, "Let's go now; it's already time to leave. Otherwise, you both will miss the flight."
I saw Avani, with teary eyes, and said to her in a soft voice that no one else could hear, "We can't cry right now; otherwise, it would be so hard to leave them. They all are close to our hearts, and they are all happy to see us achieve our dreams," I said, keeping my hand in hers to give her strength. She nodded in understanding .
