𝖒𝖎𝖟𝖕𝖆𝖍

ｓｅｖｅｎ

Gauri fiddled with the ends of her dupatta, her mind blank as her insides churned. She remembered the way bile had risen up her throat when she'd burst into the bathroom—— Annika had had her eyes closed with a serene smile on her face.

It had terrified her!

Gauri had grown up without or a father. Her mother had died long before her fifth birthday. Their father had been bedridden and depressed since their mother's death.

Gauri wouldn't have even known that the man in the locked room, she'd been told to never go to, was her father. Her sister and aunt had taken care of Harshvardhan Trivedi for nearly three years until she'd seen the corpse of the man being wheeled away on a gurney, at the age of five.

She still remembered clutching Annika's arm, and whimpering as she had buried her face in her sister's chest. Her sister had wrapped her arms around Gauri, peppering kisses atop her head and whispering words of comfort.

Annika had promised to take care of her—— and she had. She had loved Gauri as a mother loved her child, as a father loved his daughter—— something neither of her parents had done.

She still remembered how their Chachi would always make Annika slave away day and night—— from cooking, to cleaning to doing the laundry. Annika had learnt how to make and sell dosas before she had learnt how to do simple multiplication.

Their Chachi had always restricted Annika from going to school; stating that it would be a waste of time and money.

Gauri remembered bits and pieces of her childhood—— she remembered Annika's love and care; the motherly touches and the soft lullabies sung to her every night; the whispering words of assurance as Annika would rock Gauri to sleep when the younger Trivedi sister would occasionally suffer from nightmares. Annika would stay up the entire night to make sure Gauri got her sleep, even if it meant she didn't sleep a wink.

Growing up, Gauri had watched Annika wipe away her tears as her Chachi would taunt and scream at her elder sister. Annika had always stayed quiet, thankful that their aunt had taken them in. Their Chachu had been a kind man, taking them in when their own father had fallen so hard into depression, he couldn't even raise a finger to raise his daughters.

Their Chachi had always been a sweetheart in front of their Chachu—— showering Annika and Gauri with love; putting them to bed and tucking them in every night. Gauri had always been puzzled at the change in their Chachi's attitude. But her young mind had termed their Chachu as a good luck charm—— their Chachi became nice when their Chachu was around, which meant that he was their lucky charm.

Soon after, Sahil was born. She remembered just how happy Annika had been to have a little brother. Annika had been fourteen at the time and Gauri merely nine. She remembered the jealousy which made her never talk or play with Sahil until she had been twelve.

But Annika had always made sure to pay extra attention to Gauri. Sahil had had his mother and father's love, but Gauri didn't have that. Thus, Annika had showered Gauri with the love of a mother, father and an elder sister.

When their Chachu had passed away, their Chachi had gone back to the cold avatar twenty-four/seven. Sahil had been perplexed to see the change in his mother, but he had been even more scared when his mother would scream at his Annika Didi and Gauri Didi.

Annika had borne the brunt of their Chachi's words and actions—— toiling day and night. But Gauri had learnt—— their Chachi thrived off the sadistic pleasure she got from torturing Annika day and night. Seeing Annika's tears and helpless look in the elder Trivedi sister's eyes brought her happiness.