'Anna.. iniku sikram office lernthu variya? ' Srishti stood beside Barath as he stuffed a few files in his office bag as he liked to call it.
' Iniku konjam Vela kammi dha da kanna.. na varen.. edhum sollanuma enkita?' he turned to face his baby sister who stood there smiling to herself.
Barath shook his head subtly, how she had been doing it ever so often now,
'Athu...apdinu illa na..na..na ellarukum cook panren..atha..' she trailed behind him as she handed him his tie . Barath smiled at his baby sister as he pinched her cheek softly, 'Deyh papa..Ennadi thidirnu?' He tied his shoe lace,
'En? Na cook panni ne saapda maatiya Anna?' she asked him like a baby and he instantly melted as he pulled her in for a hug,
' Hey..na apdi sollala da.. ellarukum cook panren nu sonniya..atha keten enna vishesham nu.. en thangam cook panna dha anna ku saapta maathriyae irukum theriyuma?' he kissed his baby's forehead gently as he held her to him,
'Athu..chumma dha anna..naa, nee, erm..chandru, Priyu, she bit her lip to control her blush and whispered avaru..
Namba ellaru sernthu saapudlam la?' she asked him , feeling bad that she wasn't able to invite his family as well. Srishti wanted to introduce them properly before they had dinners together, sighs, cue her naive little heart,
'Kandipa saapudlam kanna.. En papa ketu illa nu solvena?' Barath tried to hide the smile that formed on his lips and simply hugged her to him again,
'Thanks Anna' she murmured with a huge smile, hugging her big brother back with so much love,
' Intha nimathi..sandhosham idhela un mohathula paakanum nu dha na aasa paten.. anna ku romba sandhosham da Thangam' Barath whispered, still hugging his baby sister as he wiped a stray tear discreetly before she could find out,
' Nanu varlama group hug ku?' a timid voice echoed from a few foot away revealing Chandru standing there with hesitation. Barath stilled for a moment and didn't know how to respond considering the fact that his sister was just getting back to her authentic self after everything that happened.
A moment passed and silence was the only thing that prevailed in the room. Barath shrunk his eyes in discomfort owing to the sensitivity of the situation.
His heart swelled with immense pride and adoration when Srishti wordlessly opened her arms wide and gestured Chandru to join them .
Chandru's eyes widened in response as he felt touched being acknowledged by her unconditional love , even after his acts of idiocy and ignorance. He quickly joined them, his eyes tearing up on thier own as he hugged his brother and sister close, promising to himself that he'd never let them go.
A moment passed and the siblings stood in eachother 's embrace silently before Barath slowly pulled away, Chandru half expected his sister to distance herself from him but all she did was hold him close for a moment before letting him go.
'Evening veetla saapdu,Chandru.. ellarukum na cook panren ' that's all she said before going back to her room.
Not a word was said as Chandru sat on the couch in the living room retrospective of everything he did. He knew it, change was something that's inevitable in any person's life, but certain changes occur in a person's life to prove them wrong.
It was true in his case, in every sense. He had believed that it was irrelevant to be close to family, but here he was, understanding that after all the toughest tempests in a person's life, it is family that remains constant.
