'Anna.. Barath turned to look at Chandru who called him from outside the door, he wiped his tears quickly and beckoned him to come inside, 'Enna da?'
' Athu.. ava saapudla.. saaptu thoonga soldringla?' Chandru's voice came out in hushed whispers with a lot of hesitation. Barath nodded slowly, his voice still devoid of any emotion,
'Papa… oru vaai saaptu thoongriya? ' he patted her cheek softly and she mumbled a no,
Chandru's hands extended to touch her arm but he couldn't bring himself to , his eyes fell on her tired visage and teared up, unable to fathom the emotions that he felt that moment,
She was his sister, his twin. How was he even ignorant to this very fact?
'Sash..sasha..' he slowly called her, sitting near her legs, watching her move in Barath's lap,
It was him who called her Sasha first back when they were kids and he couldn't get her name right in his mouth. Soon, it became her nickname among everyone in the family,
' Please.. saaptu thoongu.. please ma' he told her, unable to finish his sentences.
It hurt him that they had grown so distant, so distant that talking to her felt so foreign that moment. It made him realize that they'd drifted apart from each other despite being so closely associated and he hated himself for the same.
Does that mean she doesn't love him anymore?
'Energy illa' she mumbled,still smuggling to Barath and Chandru couldn't help but ask,
'Na.. na ooti vidren.. please..saapdu.. ' his shivering palms fell on her toes as he pressed them softly, offering her some sort of comfort even though he knew that he had hurt her enough,
The siblings soon sat in the living room as Chandru opened the parcel that he had brought along with him. He slowly sat near Srishti to her left and extended a mouthful of chapati dipped in gravy,
He didn't even know her food preferences.
Barath looked at his sister and touched her shoulder, gesturing her to face Chandru 's extended hands
Srishti wordlessly opened her mouth , she didn't want to meet his eyes. A part of her heart ached to see her brother in pain, but she was already in pieces trying to mend herself and caring for his feelings felt much too overwhelming,
Srishti couldn't help it, her tiny fingers collecting a piece of chapati as she dipped it in butter before extending it to him. Chandru's eyes watered realizing what she had done,
He doesn't like spice at all.
Srishti fed Barath next and they fed her. The siblings finished their dinner with each other for the first time in all these years. And after dinner, Chandru came to see her again, bringing her cold cardamom milk ,which he remembered to be her favorite from childhood.
Srishti drank it and went to bed, not a word was said. Her body beguiled her needing rest as she fell into a deep slumber.
Unaware of the guilty palms that pressed her legs all night without a wink of sleep.
Priyanka had called her the next morning and was immensely worried, but Srishti consoled her and told her that she was too numb to feel anything and assured her that she'll be okay soon. Priyanka understood that she indeed needed the space when her best friend refused to see her.
Srishti had stayed in her room for the most of her time, reading poems all day, eating considerably less amount of food. She had kept everyone at bay, silence was so comforting and she indulges herself in it fully,
