Nurture And Love (BOOK #3) ✍️

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was the beginning of the new year when the twins had returned home, travelling all their way to Omkareshwar. Neither Prachi nor Rehaan knew the proper route around the small aesthetic town, yet the former was clever enough to have picked up the nearest opportunity to rely upon Ishaan, the one who was native to the place.

Prachi made no mistake in exchanging numbers with Ishaan before returning home. When she arrived at the doorstep of her farmhouse, she was prepared to get welcomed by her brother Rehaan.

"This is not how you behave, Pihu." Rehaan began, his voice loud and clear. "We both are new in the city and not acquainted with a single thing out here. Why don't you understand roaming around the place aimlessly can be so risky for you?"

"You've dra-ped around me a lot many restric-tions over the years and I haven't raised my objec-tions against any of them, thin-king those were meant for my safety. But the thi-ngs are no more the same for me, RIHU. . ." Prachi raised her voice, stressing more on uttering his name. "We have retur-ned to our roots with a lot many hopes and expec-tations, somewhere lies my dream as an aspi-ring singer. Why can't I just make my way thro-ugh the nature, sing-ing and musing along the moving wind, and sear-ching for the lights of my li-fe. . . and yours too?"

"It's so saddening to realise that you haven't grown up even a bit in all these years. Since the day I have taken up the responsibility of looking after you, I think I have thrown myself into a grave challenge of making you a little more understandable and obedient." He muttered in a serious tone, his eyes observing the impatient movement of her fingers. "Why can't you once set aside all your fictitious focus towards the reality?"

"Why have you alw-ays been so discou-raging? I have a world out-side of my stamm-ering and I know I am worth it. I know I can be a good sin-ger who will tou-ch people's hearts one day." She was perplexed even though she was fully aware of his concerns for her. "You are the first bro-ther in the world who sta-nds in the way of his sister's dre-ams like a solid obstacle."

"No Pihu, don't hurt me to such an extent. You might be disappointed, enraged and deeply bruised with every wrong I unintentionally do to you, but do not ever mark me with a blame that I am not your well-wisher." He lowered his voice before holding her shoulders and looking straight into her eyes. "I will be the happiest person in the world when you achieve your goals and you very well know it. I just don't want you moving out of my watchful eyes and roaming elsewhere with so much of anger decked up inside you. I also know that while singing, you tend to get lost in it and reach places from where you can't find your way home. I have been the witness to it numerous times."

Prachi recalled the times she used to apparently disappear during her stay in London, in search of a very vague assumption of discovering her parents from somewhere in the foreign land. Music used to be her favourite as well as the only companion as it was even today.

She averted her gaze as soon as tears formed in them. For a moment she felt as if she could feel the pain of her brother and thought of wrapping her arms around him to assure him that she was with him. But, on the other hand, the emptiness that she always visualised whenever she saw him spoke volumes about the absence of their parents which she could never deny.

Trying hard not to look at him and to prevent him from witnessing her moist eyes, she chose to turn her back on him. With a soft murmur, she clarified, "Your watch-ful eyes are some-thing I hadn't ever wish-ed for, Rihu. All I had ever desired for are our par-ents and a little free-dom to do what I aspire in my life. You ch-ose to keep me depri-ved of everything!"

"Only if you knew the truth, Pihu." Rehaan wondered, staring at her frizzy hair which were in a total mess. "Where were you since the morning? Were you roaming in the chilly wind, Pihu? Are you crazy?"