Pratiksha's POV-
Sitting at the dining table, I stirred my coffee.
We were sitting in the dining room, having our breakfast. Papa reading newspaper, Maa and Ishita talked a little, then she turned to me.
She glanced at Maa before turning to me. I raised my eyebrows.
"Didi, can I go on the college trip next week?"
My hand froze mid-air. Memories from years ago surged into my mind. College trip. It had been anything but ordinary for me. I shook my head slightly.
"No," I said calmly. "Focus on your studies instead."
Her face fell instantly. "But Didi-"
"No 'buts,' Ishita," I said, looking up at her. "You need to focus. College trips won't get you anywhere."
"They will! Memories matter too!" she argued.
I sighed, "Ishita, I said no. You have exams coming up, and you need to focus. A college trip isn't a priority right now."
Her face twisted in disbelief. "But it's only for two weeks! I've already covered the syllabus twice."
"That's not the point," I replied, my voice firm. "You're in your final year. Your focus should be on securing top marks, not gallivanting off on some unnecessary trip."
"Unnecessary? Didi, this is my last year! When else am I supposed to make memories with my friends?"
I took a sip of my coffee, willing myself to stay calm. "Ishita, memories don't matter if you don't have the results to back them up. Be realistic."
"Be realistic?" she repeated, "You sound just like a typical marks-sick gaurdian. I thought you'd understand!"
"I do understand," I countered, "But understanding doesn't mean letting you make bad choices. You're too smart to waste time on distractions like this." I was dumb.
"Distractions? God, Didi, not everything is about studies!" Ishita's voice rose, her hands gestured wildly now.
I leaned forward slightly, "You think this is me being unreasonable? Fine. But when your grades slip or you miss out on opportunities, don't come crying to me."
Her chair scraped back loudly as she stood up, "You're impossible, Didi! You think you know everything!"
"I'm trying to look out for you," I said sharply, but she was already halfway to the stairs.
"Well, maybe stop trying so hard!" she shot back before storming upstairs.
I sighed deeply, rubbing my temples. Maa and Papa exchanged a glance before Maa spoke softly. "Beta, you were so harsh. We did let you go. Remember?"
I didn't reply immediately, my eyes fixed on the untouched plate in front of me. Had I been too harsh?
I sighed, leaning back in my chair.
"Beta, she's still young. Let her enjoy these moments. They won't come back."
"She's right," Papa chimed in, "You should let her have her time too."
My eyes flickered between the two of them. They weren't wrong. Taking a deep breath, I nodded slowly.
"All right," I said. "But I need to have a talk with her first."
My father's face softened into a smile. "That's my girl."
"I'll go tell her," I said, standing up and adjusting the coat.
As I climbed the marble staircase, I heard a familiar meow. Pippo, my love, bounded toward me, her tail swayed as she walked. Gosh, I swear her walk is just.
"Oh Pippo" I said, crouching to pick her up. "What is it now?"
She purred, nuzzling her face against my cheek. When she tickled my nose, I sneezed, making her pause. She tilted her head and lightly touched her paw to my nose as though apologizing.
I chuckled softly, cradling her close as I knocked on my sister's door.
"Ishita, it's me. Open the door."
"Go away!" came her muffled voice. "I don't want to talk to you!"
I sighed, sharing a look with Pippo, who meowed sympathetically. "Fine. I was going to say I'll let you go on the trip, but if you don't want to talk-"
The door flew open and she launched herself at me, hugging me tightly. "I knew it! I knew you'd allow me!"
She dragged me into her room. The room was every bit her- white walls, fairy lights strung across the headboard, and posters of K-pop idols on the wardrobe.
"You've already packed?" I asked frowning.
"I knew you'd say yes!" she said grinning sheepishly.
I shook my head smiling.
My smile faltered slightly as I folded my arms. "But there's one condition."
She tilted her head, "What condition?"
I took a breath, choosing my words carefully. "Enjoy your trip, make memories, have fun, but... be aware of boys. I'm serious. Don't let any guy ruin your peace. It's not worth it in the end."
Her grin faded as she sighed heavily. "Di, you've told me this a million times already. I get it. I won't. But let me tell you something-" She straightened, "Not all boys are the same. You can't paint everyone with the same brush."
I blinked. "Look at Papa. Or remember Dadu. He loved Dadi so much, didn't he? Just because someone had a terrible experience with one person doesn't mean everyone else is like that.
For a moment, my thoughts drifted to Dadu, how much I missed him. A faint smile crept onto my face at the memory before I shook myself back to the present.
"I'm just giving you a condition," I said lightly, trying to mask the weight of her words. "If you want to follow it, great. If not... well, my decision might change."
Her eyes widened, and she raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! Social distancing from any and all male species!"
I chuckled "Good."
"But, Di, don't blame me if my friends come back and say how boring I was on the trip."
I rolled my eyes, ruffling her hair. "Boring is better than reckless."
---
I sat at the head of the sleek glass table, staring at my notepad. Morning sunlight filtered in through the floor to ceiling windows, bathing the room in a warm glow.
"....and that concludes our quarterly report," said Rajat, one of our senior managers. He glanced at me briefly, awaiting feedback.
"The numbers look good," I said finally, meeting the eyes of each team member. "However, there's a noticeable dip in the projections. I'll need a comprehensive market analysis by the end of this week-something more than just surface-level trends. We can't afford to let this become a recurring issue."
The nods around the table reassured me.
"And for the upcoming wellness campaign remember, numbers and strategies are important, but stories sell. Creativity is the key...... "
I stood as the meeting end after few hours.
Walking into my personal space, I felt a wave of calm.
Kicking off my heels, I leaned back in my chair, letting out a sigh.
My relief was interrupted by the buzz of my phone. A message lit up the screen: The amount has been sent to the owner.
My eyes lingered on the message. Fifteen thousand rupees, it wasn't about the money, not really.
A smirk played on my lips, but there was no satisfaction behind it. If anything, anger stirred within me rising like a tide.
Just then, again my phone buzzed, I glanced at the screen: Niharika :)
A smile tugged at my lips as I picked it up only to hear nothing but a click. The line went dead.
I frowned. I immidiately called her back. She answered "I accidentally called you. You must be busy, madam ji," she said in a mocking tone.
I chuckled, "Hey don't say that. And why accidentally? You should have called me freely."
There was a pause before her tone shifted slightly. "I'm angry with you."
"Angry? Why? What did I do?"
"Don't play innocent," she snapped, "I've called you so many times, pleading with you to come to my godbharai next week. But you're so stubborn, Pratiksha. Why won't you come? I need you here. At least not for me, then for this child who will call you maasi (aunt) one day."
I binked down at the floor, sighing deeply. "Look, Niharika, I want to... but I can't-"
"Please, not again!" she interrupted, "I've never forced you to tell me what happened between you and bhai, but at least consider this. You both could make a fresh start."
"Never," I said firmly, anger flaring momentarily at the thought.
Silence followed, and when I heard a sniff, my heart sank, "Hey, Nihu, what happened? Why are you crying?"
"You're the reason!" she blurted, "You didn't even come to my wedding, Pratiksha. Not even after all my pleadings!"
How could I explain to her that her brother was the reason I stayed away? How could I tell her that being in the same room as him was unbearable?
"At least for my child, please come. Or..." she hesitated, and when she spoke again, her voice cracked. "Or just think that this child will never know they have a masi who loves them so much."
"No, no," I shook my head hurriedly, "Please don't say that. You can't do this."
"Then come, will you?"
I thought for few seconds. Maybe it was time to let go, to stop letting one person dictate my happiness.
"Okay," I said exhaling deeply. "I will come."
Her face lit up instantly, a wide childlike smile spread on her face. "Oh gosh, I'm so happy! Double happiness! My two important people are coming. woohoo!"
I frowned, "Two?"
Her smile faltered for a split second, and she looked around, "Uh... you and... umm, my baby!"
Before I could say anything, I heard a voice behind her. "And me, baby?"
It was Raj.
"You too baby..." she said and I heard silence.
And I know where it's going.
"Um, I guess then we can talk later right?" I asked clearing my throat.
I heard the phone already cut with a beep. I sighed shaking my head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OKAY OKAY! THIS WAS PRATIKSHA.
IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE IN HER PREVIOUS SELF AND HER NOW?
BYE! DO VOTE.
LUB U <3
