Chapter- 19

Ekta stared at Eshita blankly, her face devoid of any emotions, like a calm surface hiding a storm beneath. From inside, she was preparing herself, scared, nervous, and on edge about what Eshita wanted to talk about now.

Did she do something wrong? Did she offend the girl in some way? Will she get yelled at again? Every negative thought clashed in her mind one after another, she couldn’t separate reality from her fear anymore.

“I am sorry,” Eshita murmured, finally gathering her thoughts.

She was hoping for Ekta to ask or at least say something, but the girl just sat there on the bed, staring at her like a ghost, completely unreadable. Annoying!

“Huh?” Ekta blinked, startled. That… was not what she expected.

Yes, Eshita had apologized to her in Shimla after her violent reaction, but back then she had her reasons. Ekta had Eshita’s secret in her hands. But today… it wasn’t like that.

Eshita sighed, rising to her feet. “See, whatever happened yesterday… the way I snapped at you. I shouldn’t have, and I am sorry for that.”

Ekta too rose to her feet. “You… you don’t have to…”

“But I want to,” Eshita cut her off gently. “I don’t hold any grudge against you. I don’t hate you or even dislike you. We don’t share a bond that allows me to feel that deeply about you. Maine tumse Shimla mein bhi kaha tha... bhaiya tumhe apni bhen maante hai and that’s what I respect. Your bond with him.”

Eshita’s honesty should have made things clear and lighter between them, but Ekta felt the sting of each word coming out of her mouth. And that unsettled her. Eshita wasn’t giving her hope, she was simply letting her know that her actions were driven by basic decency and respect, nothing more. Yet, it still felt like something inside her was quietly breaking.

“Yesterday, the way I reacted…” Eshita added, snapping her out of her thoughts, “I shouldn’t have. I just got worried, you weren’t waking up. Bloody hell, what kind of alien sleeps while watching a 3D horror movie?” She exaggerated .

Ekta looked away, embarrassed. The sarcasm wasn’t lost on her. She slept to avoid watching those distorted, terrifying faces… and for the sounds, her own screams had once been so loud and helpless that now she didn’t get scared of artificial sounds. Truth be told, they were nothing in front of what she had heard.

Eshita shook her head in disbelief, “But yes, I get that. You are a unique piece, in fact, a one-piece model God has made. So I will remember this for future reference.”

She sighed deeply, “Anyways, that’s not the point. The point is, I reacted harshly with you, which was wrong. But I can’t help it. When I get scared or panic, I burst out like an overloaded balloon, and that’s what happened. I got worried you weren’t waking up and I panicked thinking something serious had happened to you… I-I mean, main bhaiya ko kya jawab deti? Main tumhe apne bharose pre leke gayi thi. Tumhe kuch ho jata toh…haan isliye…”

“Aap sorry hain,” Ekta completed quietly. She noticed the change in words but didn’t mind it. She was the one behaving like a desperate puppy who found a new sense of belonging when Eshita was clearly setting the boundaries. She needed to get a grip on herself, and she will.

Eshita nodded instantly. She was getting carried away. Being an elder sibling came with a lot of responsibility. She had her bhaiya to never worry about anything, to lean on him, but she couldn’t be the same with Ekta. She feared she might fail, and Eshita Sehgal hated failing.

She was behaving like a desperate puppy who found a new human being too cute to ignored. She needed to get a grip on herself, and she will.

“It’s okay,” Ekta said softly. “Waise bhi jo ho gaya so ho gaya. Mujhe bura nahi laga.” She murmured quietly, avoiding eye contact.

The truth was, she was hurt, but she didn’t understand these unfamiliar feelings rising in her heart. She had felt them just for Ekansh once, after seeing his care, his patience, his love for her without expecting anything in return.

So when Eshita was doing just that, except differently, she couldn’t help but feel a pull towards her presence, and the more she tried to pull away, the more that pull tightened around her, refusing to let go.

Eshita nodded, “Bhaiya… tumhe neeche bula rahe the naaste ke liye. I think we should go.” Saying, she walked away without waiting for Ekta.

Suddenly, the air felt heavy and uncomfortably quiet.

Ekta took a deep breath before following her behind. Last night, Ekansh had asked her the same question, what happened. But Ekta closed off. She had a lot to say, but where would she even start? Her memories were fragmented, they weren’t so simple or linear to be described in words. So she chose silence like always, better than falling apart trying to put those pieces into sentences.

✨✨✨

The loud thuds of fists colliding against the leather punching bag echoed through the room. Sweat trickled down Eshita’s forehead, her eyes blazing with intensity as her jabs rained down on the bag at a relentless pace, each harder than before, driven by the frustration she refused to voice.

Next week she had semester exams. Vanya was prepared for them,so was she, but the question of continuing something she didn’t like nagged at the back of her mind. She had two options; either force herself to write the exams or simply quit, wasting the past six months of her college and start a new beginning by choosing what she loved.

Either way, there was a loss, just two different ones. If she forced herself to write the exam, she would pass but feel hollow, trapped in something that never truly belonged to her. And if she joined another stream in the middle of the year, she would have to start from scratch, lagging behind with others who were already settled and ahead. Eshita felt stuck.

Ekansh leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. He observed his sister, for the last eight minutes, to be precise. She looked like a ruffled bear who was trying to fight off something invisible yet suffocating her from within. His sister’s way of dealing with her thoughts or emotions had always been physical, channeling everything into action rather than words.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he pushed himself off the door and walked in.

“Spar with me,” He said casually, walking to the table and picking up another set of gloves.

Eshita froze mid-punch, her head snapping towards him in a whiplash. “What?”

“Spar with me, Esha,” Ekansh repeated calmly. “One on one.”

“No thanks...Ouch!” She stumbled back as the bag she had pushed away swung back towards her like a boomerang.

“Mera din hi kharab hai aaj,” she mumbled, rubbing her forehead.

Ekansh chuckled softly. “Tera din kharab nahi hai. Tu usse khud kharab bana rahi hai. Come on now, boxing is the best way to lighten up our day.”

Eshita shot him an incredulous look. “You can’t be serious. Getting beaten up by me will lighten your day? Like seriously?”

Ekansh raised an eyebrow. “Itna confidence hai tujhe khud par? Did you forget I used to spar with dad?”

Eshita rolled her eyes, walking into the center of the room. She remembered, those memories were anything but peaceful. Both her father and brother loved bringing their oversized competitive side in between; none gave in just for the sake of their bond. They were stubborn, relentless, and equally matched in their own ways.

There were times her mother had to literally yell at them to back off when they refused to end the match. Neither raised a hand recklessly; a son being respectful towards his father and a father being protective towards his son, yet they went on for hours, dodging, blocking, getting on her and her mother’s nerves like anything.

She tightened the gloves, squaring her shoulders with a competitive glint in her eyes. “What will I get if I win?” She asked with sass.

Ekansh thought for a moment, then said,
“If you win, you tell me what’s going on in that head of yours. No filters! And if I win… I will do what you want. Fair deal?”

He knew if he came straight to the point, his sister would beat around the bush and then avoid it altogether. It was better to ease her into his way, she could release her pent-up stress and also open up to him.

Eshita raised her hands; Ekansh followed suit, both taking their stance firmly, shoulders squared and eyes locked on each other, ready to strike or defend at any moment, moving in circles around each other, calculating every move.

Eshita raised her fist and lunged forward, Ekansh blocked it effortlessly, reading her move before it even landed.

Eshita threw another punch from the side, Ekansh blocked it again, stepping back slightly while maintaining his balance.

“You still need to learn a lot, Esha,” Ekansh remarked calmly, “Use your mind, not just your strength,” He added, guiding rather.

Eshita applied the technique she had been taught since childhood, when her father trained her, or even her brother. She had noticed one thing in common: he was always precise, you need to survive the situation, not focus on taking down the opponent. Surviving gives you a chance to run back and fight another day, but being stubborn and fighting blindly will make one lose life.

It wasn’t even a serious match, but now that both brother and sister stood before each other, applying the same principles learned from the same man they respected, they didn’t mind showing off their skills a little.

Eshita ducked suddenly and swept his footing, abruptly, Ekansh lost his balance. Before he could regain it, Eshita again pushed him back with full force, and he fell flat on his back on the carpet.

Eshita grinned widely. “And here we go. I wo... Ahh!” She shrieked as Ekansh grabbed her wrist and pulled her down with him, blocking her hand behind her back effortlessly.

“You should always stay alert till the very end,” Ekansh’s tone was sarcastic. He let go of her hands. “One of the basic rules, Esha. Did you forget that?”

Eshita huffed, removing her gloves. “Yeah, yeah. My fault. Anyways, you won.”

Ekansh sat up beside her. “So now tell me...What were you thinking?”

Eshita rolled towards him lazily, resting her head in his lap. “Next week se semesters hai.”

Ekansh nodded, giving her time to continue.

“I don’t know what I should do,” Eshita murmured, frustration lacing her voice, “I am prepared for exams, even confident that I will pass. But… I just… I don’t want to. I am not interested in business, bhaiya. It sucks. I hate it. Mujhe power, paise aur apne family name ko aage carry forward karne mein koi problem nahi hai. I know it belongs to me as much as it belongs to you. But… jab mere dil hi un sab cheezon ke liye kuch nahi hai… waha mera interest nahi hai toh main khud ko force kaise kar sakti hoon?”

She looked up at him. Ekansh was staring right back at her, his eyes gleaming with understanding, as always.

“I don’t know what I should be doing. Pehle mere paas wajah thi dad ki baat maanne ki. He never gave me an option, but today… I know I am free, but I am still confused. If I choose a different stream now, I will lag behind. Sab aage badh jayenge aur main… I will be the one left behind, trying to catch up. I don’t want that. Neither do I want to continue something I don’t like.”

Ekansh removed his gloves, setting them aside as calm as ever. “Which stream do you want to pursue? Did you decide that?”

Eshita nodded faintly. “Literature. I have been writing poems for the last few years. They aren’t perfect, but still the kind that are enough to express my emotions. So choosing literature as my field will help me understand my own voice better, I can learn new techniques and improve my writing skills before I do something in that field.”

Ekansh contemplated. Literature wasn’t a problem, yet it worked if Eshita would have told him she wanted to be a teacher, journalist, or even a professor. However, she wanted to pursue writing poems, becoming an author or poet. Which had less certainty, risky outcomes, there are countless poets out there who aren’t stable, who didn’t get the recognition or financial security they deserved. He didn’t want Eshita to struggle unnecessarily when she needed stability in her life to stand on her own feet.

But neither did he wish to discourage her. Every individual has their own path, and he would never ask his sister to choose something she wasn’t interested in.

He glanced down at her. “How about you apply for a mass communication? Complete your graduation, get a degree along with your passion. It will be helpful in both enhancing your writing skills and also give you financial stability, something you might need when you turn twenty-three or something.”

Eshita clicked her tongue. “Money is not the factor, bhaiya…”

“I know, baacha,” Ekansh cut her off. “We have enough money to live our whole life till death even if we don’t do anything. Sehgal empire isn’t going anywhere.”

He lifted her chin, making her look at him. “This all is about you. Tu jo karna chati hai kar, main tujhe mana nahi karunga. I will only ask you to choose this wisely because it will help you in the future. Agar aage chalke tujhe asa lagta hai that you are using your parents’ money like every other grown-up adult who goes through such thoughts, you will at least be able to turn to your bank balance and be proud that you have earned something yourself. Even if it’s not big enough to buy a diamond, but enough to fade that lingering guilt away. Pursuing what you love is as important as choosing what can support you when things don’t go as planned.”

Eshita gave it a thought. With mass communication, the options that would open up for her would be journalism, content writing, editing, digital media, many more, including creative writing, something she truly wanted. She gave in, her bhaiya was right. She was least interested in spending her father’s hard-earned money to fulfill her desires. She could earn on her own, add a few of her father’s pennies, balance it all, and be who she wanted unapologetically.

“But what about others?” She hesitated, “My classmates will move on with their lives… I’ll be the one left behind…”

“Your life is yours, Esha,” Ekansh interjected firmly, “How you choose to live it is in your hands. You want to keep looking at others and make decisions based on them, only to regret it later… or you want to choose your own path, even if it means taking a step back now to move ahead the right way later. It’s your choice to make.”

Eshita stilled, letting his words sink into her system. Regrets were the kind of weight that stayed long after the moment passed… she couldn’t bring herself to carry that. She sat up with a start, turning and throwing herself at Ekansh. “Thank you.”

Ekansh balanced himself on one hand, resting the other on her shoulder. One day, his sister’s hyperactive hugs would kill him.

“So now that I have helped you so much, how about you go clean my room?” He teased playfully. “Bahut ganda ho gaya hai.”

Eshita pulled back, annoyed. Her eyes narrowed at him. “Main ab koi choti bacchi nahi rahi that you will order me around and I will do that. Apna kaam aap khud kijiye.”

Ekansh looked at her, amused. “Choti nahi rahi, yeh toh dikh raha hai mujhe. Apne bade bhai ko jawab dena seekh gayi hai. Bad manners, isn’t it?”

Eshita scoffed. “Bad manners? Kaash yahi jawab aapko maine pehle diye hote toh aaj aap mujh par yeh hukam nahi chala pate.”

Ekansh rose to his feet, pulling her up with him. “Hukam chala raha hoon main? Lagta hai teri memories par junk lag gayi hai. Main hukam kaise chalata hoon, tu bhool gayi hai. Nhi?”

Eshita stepped back instinctively. Her bhaiya was a giant meanie hulk. She would never forget his torturous punishment tricks. Just as he tried to get hold of her ear, she ducked down.

“Junk aapke reflexes ko lag gaya hai. You can’t even catch me.” She poked her tongue out childishly.

Ekansh glared at the brat. He hated when she mocked him like that, and she knew that.

Eshita shrieked, running away as soon as he lunged forward to catch her. If she got caught, her ears would pay in debts she couldn’t possibly survive.

Running down the corridor with Ekansh following behind her, Eshita collided with Ekta. Without a second thought, she jumped behind the girl.

“Save me,” She blurted out. “Bhaiya ke dimaag ka screw dheela ho gaya hai. Tight kar de jaldi.”

Ekta blinked, startled. She glanced back at Eshita and then at Ekansh, who stood before her.

“Side ho,” Ekansh ordered.

Ekta nodded. She tried to step aside, but Eshita pulled her back in place immediately.

“Arre meri maa, tu kyun agyakaari bhen banne mein lagi rehti hai?” Eshita hissed. “Har baat nahi maante apne bade bhai ki. Learn to be a little stubborn.”

Ekansh folded his arms, “Really, Eshita? Mere hi saamne usse bigaad rahi hai?”

Eshita peeked out from behind Ekta, resting her chin on her shoulder casually. “I am just making sure that she doesn’t blindly follow you… aapka atyachar na sahe vo jaise maine saha hai.”

Ekansh shot her an unimpressed look. “Atyachar? Do you even realize what that means? Maine aisa kya kiya tere saath jo itne bade bade words use kar rahi hai aap, Your Highness?”

Silence fell. Eshita actually thought for a moment.

“Bahut kuch,” She murmured. “You remember when you asked me to write your 50-page assignment? My hands were paining but you didn’t give me a single break.”

“Because a stubborn creature thought bursting firecrackers in her school library was a brilliant thing to try,” Ekansh countered. “I saved you from mom and dad’s scolding, punishing you as I found fit.”

Eshita frowned. “And what about sweet deprivation? You didn’t let me have my favorite chocolates and ice cream for three whole weeks no matter how much I cried and pleaded.”

“Because a little wild cat was having a toothache,” Ekansh retorted calmly, “she was too scared to go to the dentist that I had to ask mom to make herbal medicines... telling her I am having a toothache. And torture myself drinking that bitter thing for your sake just to sneak the other glass for you.”

Eshita swallowed hard. The edge in her bhaiya’s tone wasn’t lost on her. Well… if she thought carefully, every adventure she did in the past, her bhaiya had only helped her and then roasted her in his ways, sometimes unfortunately ending up being collateral damage.

She pouted sadly. “I should really do something new this time that doesn’t backfire on me.”

Before Ekansh could retort, a burst of laughter filled the air. The siblings snapped their heads towards Ekta, who laughed heartily.

Her hazel eyes glinting with pure joy, her entire face lit up, as if the weight she carried disappeared for a fleeting second, both Ekansh and Eshita witnessing something so raw, so unfiltered, for the first time since they met Ekta as per their own timeline.

That single laugh, beaming her face so brightly, stirred something protective in both of their hearts. All Ekansh wanted was to protect that innocence, that light, that rare happiness.

Eshita felt the same surge, to shield her without question. Unknown to herself, her protectiveness for Ekta rose instinctively. She vowed to never let that carefree smile fade from Ekta’s face ever.

Ekta stilled, her laughter slowly dying down. Her face flushed. She looked away, embarrassed. “Main abhi aayi,” she mumbled, rushing away.

Earlier, Eshita had sounded so cute trying to throw herself before the lion without realizing it, she burst out laughing without control, without thinking. Realizing a bit too late where she was. She froze slightly, she had never laughed so openly. All she had done was cry and cry. Laughing while watching a funny video was also rare, as her heart never felt connected with anything.

However, with Ekansh and Eshita, she found herself feeling those rare moments, where laughter bubbled out of her without any fear or hesitation. She didn’t know what those unfamiliar feelings were. But they felt good!

✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Your thoughts on Eshita and Ekta conversation?

Your thoughts on Ekansh and Eshita conversation?

✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Next Update: Saturday!

Thanks for reading!!!

 

← Previous                               Next →