The next day after dinner, Vyani finally decided to call Tis. It was killing her how things could go wrong in another minute and how anything could kill her sister. She had told Tis to leave her alone even though she knew leaving her alone was something he was best at. He didn't even need an instruction for it; he knew when she must be alone.
She finally touched her wrist to her forehead and said his name, and after a minute—before she could open her eyes he was already there, glaring at her with those rainforest-green eyes of his.
“Now did you get a brain or are you still thinking from that pathetic heart of yours?” he asked her in a raised voice.
“I-I want to investigate more—” Vyani managed to say.
“What is there to investigate more?!! She can see me—that's the biggest clue we can get,” Tis screamed at her, not even trying to listen to what she murmured.
“But no! There are still loopholes in this, can't you see it all doesn't match up!!! Why did my sister kill that prisoner!!! She didn't even know him! It makes no sense!” Vyani screamed back; it was more like a plea than an explanation.
“Vyani, let's not forget she is not only what you think she is. She is so much more than any of us can think. So stop with your doubts and let's make a plan to—”
“To what? To what? To kill her? Kill my very own sister? Kill the sister I shared rooms and blood with?? No, Tis! It's not a game and she isn't a puppet!”
“You are a puppet! You are acting like her puppet! She knows what you are doing and acts accordingly, but you know what she is doing and still act dumb. Vyani, I know you weren't fit for this job!” Tis screamed at her, his voice like a storm cutting through the clouds.
“I-I know I wasn't! I didn't even want to be this person! I hate the person I have become! Why do I have to think about saving the world when I was never even good at saving myself, even from me!!!” Vyani screamed this time, her voice high, little pants after the outburst, but it was necessary and she knew this.
“Then what will convince you, huh? Her attacking you?”
“If it takes that to prove her guilt then yes! If she attacks me then I will admit you are right and I am wrong.”
“And that she is the one we are looking for and you will help me kill her.”
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“I-I..”
“You consented to this, Vyani. You can't back out.”
“I— but she won't attack me!” Vyani screamed at him.
“If you provoke her openly, then she will.”
“Are you kidding me?” Vyani asked.
“No, we are doing this tonight,” Tis screamed.
After that he disappeared. It wasn't a request, it was an order his first order to her. She didn't know how to refuse. Which one do you choose: killing your sister or putting yourself on a death sentence? She wouldn't choose between the both; she already knew the answer.
She hated tonight. She hated the ticking of the clock more than anything. She was afraid of the sun going down. It was like her world would change when the sun fell, or maybe it would. She wanted nothing more than to run to the sun and beg it on her knees to stay for just one more decade or century until her sister died normally, where she wasn't involved.
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It was finally 7 p.m. She had closed her books; the biology chapter she was reading, the third one was looking difficult for her because she had just read through it without understanding, like she always did with herself.
Suddenly a voice pulled her through the cave of her thoughts.
“Vyani!! Vyani di, open the door!!!”
She flinched but realised her brother was home from his “playing hours.” She went out and opened the main door just to see her brother saying bye to Ayaan and his gang.
“Bye, Bhaiya. Let's meet tomorrow at the same time,” Adbhut yelled at the boys who were all engulfed in their conversation.
Her eyes narrowed not in an angry way but more like a confused way and her finger clutching her palm made a fist when she said to her brother, “Why were you with those older guys?”
“Older? They are your age and I am just two years younger than you.”
“So, didn't I tell you to stay away from them-”
“They are teaching me football,” Adbhut said, untying his shoelaces.
“I already said talk to mummy, she will send you to that summer camp where they teach football. No need to roam around with good-for-nothings,” Vyani followed him to the shoe-reck area.
“Good-for-nothings? Ayaan Bhaiya topped in grade ten,” her brother informed her.
“In which school? That Carven Convent one? They don't even have twenty-five children in a class there. Now stop this and say you won’t go with them again,” she emphasized.
“Why, what did they do? You think you are better than everyone just because you get good grades” Adbhut said.
“You— you never listen to me! I told you not to play with random guys. I don't want you to turn out like them!” Vyani smacked him on the head.
Adbhut flinched. “Ouch, are you kidding me right now, Vyani?” he said, hitting her back.
She hit him back, harder this time. He left his shoe on the ground and fought back.
“If they don't have any problem teaching me, what's it with you?!” Adbhut screamed.
“What do you mean? I already said they are not good guys!” Vyani said, her brain not functioning. How could her brother rub the wound she was trying so hard to heal? Why would he learn football from Ayaan? She just knew how much it would be an ego boost for him—to be taught by the brother of his stalker. Embarrassing as hell. “NO I SAID NO!!!! YOU WON'T TALK TO THEM AGAIN!!!!!” Vyani screamed this time; all that she kept became too much to keep.
Adbhut was shocked before he also screamed back. The fight became big, his hand on her sister's hair and Vyani slapping his back.
“I am older than you,learn how to respect me!!”
“Stop acting like Papa, learn that respect!” he screamed back.
“You fucking-” Vyani screamed before her elder sister, Apoorva, came between them.
“Stop!!! Stop at this instant!!!!!!” she screamed, pulling them apart, before Adbhut yanked his elbow and it hit Apoorva’s lips.
“Ouchhhhhhhh!!!” she screamed loudly.
“Oh my God, sorry, sorry-; I didn't notice—” Adbhut said in a worried tone.
“Are you all right? Show me, didi show me. Oh my God, it's bleeding, it's so black. Oh my God, haldi, boroplus, go bring turmeric,” Vyani said quickly as her brother ran inside to bring turmeric.
“Stop it, you both!! It's because of you!!!! It's hurting so bad,” Apoorva yanked Vyani away softly, her eyes teary; surprisingly, the wound seemed to spread around the area of her lips and her lip was bruised enough to bleed badly.
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“Sorry, didi sorry,” Adbhut said, almost on the verge of crying.
“Sorry, we didn't mean it—”
“Vyani, you are older; have some shame!” Apoorva said before standing up. “I will apply BoroPlus and don't think I won't tell mummy and papa about this.”
“No, apply something on it first, Didi!!!! I am sorry, wait!!” She grabbed her sister's arm, but Apoorva yanked her and went into her room.
“It's because of you! You always act like everything should happen the way you want it!!! Look now, how bad her wound is; I am calling mummy,” Adbhut said before going to find the phone.
Vyani closed her eyes, her palm clutching the box of turmeric her brother had handed her a minute ago. She knew if she opened her eyes again they would be teary. It was ridiculous how everything escalated so fast, how she just didn't want anything related to Ayaan, even her brother learning football from him, but now it resulted in a big injury on her sister's lip. She opened her eyes, her brother's elbow hit her sister's lip, so why was the whole area around her lips black? She closed her eyes again. It was her fault; she started it ,she always thought so much but the elbow had hit the lip, not the area around it. No, no, no, what was she thinking again? The worst wound the elbow could cause was a bleeding lip, not a half- black mouth. With that she went to her room and Tis was there; he always knew when he had to show up.
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