2. By taking her place

Siya

Laying my novel aside on the bed, I came downstairs to the living room, after hearing my parents shouting at each other whereas my twin sister Adah was standing at the corner of the room, crossing her hands around her chest.

I took the last steps slowly, observing the situation.

"What happened?" I inquired, catching their attention on me.

My dad sat on the sofa, annoyingly while Mom gave me a worried look. "Ask your sister!" Dad said.

I move my head towards her as I called her name in short form, "Ady?"

"It's nothing, Siya, our parents got a bad habit of making a fuss out of nothing." She responses with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

Mom shot her a glare, "You mean to say, we are the one who makes a fuss? huh? and what you think you are doing?!' She exclaims.

"Tell me, what on earth I've had done wrong, Mom? I just want a bit of freedom in my life!" Ady says, yelling.

"You do nothing wrong, Adah it's us who done wrong by giving you so much freedom already," Dad spoke with frustration.

"I don't remember when was the last time you ever give me something that called 'Freedom'. " She uttered.

"I sent you to the college let you wear expensive modern clothes when I had no money instead of Siya that too going against your grandfather who warned me that it's useless to educate girls, cause at the end of the day, they just gonna get marry and will go to their husband's house and you still think, we haven't given you freedom?" Dad questions, furrowing his brow.

She fakes a chuckle, "Ohh please, Dad, you just stop there with that old thinking, you haven't done a favor on me by sending me to the college or giving me expensive clothes it was your responsibility as a father, and even if it's a favor that doesn't mean that you will force me to do this marriage for your so-called promise without my wish."

"Don't speak a word more, Adah! because of that promise you got that tongue to say that to us, " Dad says, I wanted to ask him more but I decided not to and keep my mouth shut.

"I don't care, I am 18 now and I have my right to decide whether I want to marry or not especially to the guy, I never met before." With that, she rushes past me to her room, irritated.

Before I could utter a word, Mom and dad left me to stand in the leaving room alone, and along with confusions and questions as they went to do their chores. Nevertheless, it's their usual to argue on anything. My gaze slowly falls on the clock.

Oh no! I am late.

I tied my hair up into the two ponytails and wrapped my all-time favorite, pink shoes around my feet, and left the house, lifting an apple from the basket in the process.

He surely gonna scold me!

Coming a bit later, I saw him, sitting on the bridge, hovering his legs above the little lake and looking up in the sky like he gets bored waiting for me.

I kept my steps silent and yelled in his ears from behind, "Boo!" but he didn't seem to be scared at all instead he flashed me a bored yet angry look.

"You are an hour late, you know." He spoke in a duh tone.

"I am sorry." I apologize, sitting next to him.

"Don't talk to me." He looks away.

"Come on, Vishal, you are my childhood bestie," I trailed, putting my chin on his shoulders.

He sighed, "I am forgiving you just because of our friendship." He says through the corner of his eyes.

"Thank you!" I said, kissing him on the cheeks.

He seems a bit surprised by my sudden act as he chuckled, "You are crazy." he mumbles to me.

"That I know, so what you called me here for?" I ask, crunching the apple that I brought with me.

His expression shifts into the sad glance, "Siya...I got the job." He slowly trails.

"Wow! that's good news, congratulations!" I hugged him and in return, he just gave me a sad smile.

"Thanks but I have to go to Pune for three years and I am leaving tonight with the first train, I will get it."

My smile vanishes, "Ohh, it's n-nice," I said, looking at my feet to hide my happiness cum disappointment.

"And before that, I wanna confess something to you." He says, taking my hands in his.

"What?" I questioned, puzzled.

"I love you." He began, my heart starts to beat faster at his words, "I love you from the beginning, Siya, you don't know but I was dying to tell you my feelings but for some reasons, I kept it to myself but now I can't hold it anymore, knowing that we are going to stay away from each other."

"Vishal-" He interrupts me as he closes the distance between us, placing his lips on mine softly, he traces his hands on my hair.

"Siya, it's okay, you don't have to answer me right now, you have three years for that." He says, breaking the kiss.

"Okay," I let out, blushing, he chuckles.

~~~

I rolled over the bed, again and again, grabbing the pillows near my chest, I giggled to myself, thinking about how sweetly Vishal confessed his feelings to me and that kiss was....just Wow!

I trace my fingers over my lips, still sensing his taste on them, I chuckled at the thought of how well my life's first kiss went with the one whom I love truly.

"Siya!" Mommy's voice breaks my chain of thoughts, "Siya, come down quick!" She adds.

I set the pillows back on the bed and run to the living room, "What happened, Mom, is everything alright?" I inquired, seeing the tears in her eyes.

"Your sister run away from the house!" Dad yells angrily, " She left a goodbye note behind, warning us not to try to find her or else she will file a case against us to the police."

"Now what?" I slowly ask, sensing a knot in my stomach.

"You are the only one who can save us, Siya," Mom said.

"How?" They shared a look before responding in unison.

"By taking her place."