Shrishti came out of her room the next day morning to a silent house. And it was only fourth day of her Bua and cousin's stay. She wondered what was in the store for the day as she headed for the breakfast. She was not even surprised to find only her Pappa there.
'They are still not coming out?', she asked as she sat down and was served her breakfast.
Pappa shook his head. 'Both of them ate early and left for your Chachu's house. They will spend the day there. It was in their plans.'
Shrishti nodded. 'Yes, normally during vacations, Ishita spends a week there atleast. But this time she is only here for a week. It is understandable that she went there for a day. By the way, why is Bua here? Normally, she drops Ishita, stays the night and leaves for Chachu's house next day morning and leaves Chachu's home to go back to her home by evening. And then she does the same thing when she comes to pick Ishita up at the end of the vacations. How come she is staying whole week this year?'
'Because it was only one week.', Pappa explained, 'There is no sense in coming first day and going back second and then coming back on sixth just to go back on seventh. It would be tiring for her.'
At lunch, Shrishti happily went over to Raghav's home. She paid him back for the dress, took photos of his lunch, posted it online and happily ate lunch with him and Megha. Then Megha came with her to her house where they settled on the living room floor, on the carpet and happily played snake and ladders and ludo before pulling out scrabble.
In evening, Shrishti went out to cycle. Megha cheered for her and Raghav jogged beside her while she rode the cycle. During that time, a car came to her house. It was Chachu's car! Her eyes lit up as Chachu got out. He must have come to drop Bua and Ishita, she mused when she saw the mother daughter duo get down from the back seat.
'Chachu!', she called out before cycling over to him. Her Chachu smiled at her and happily shook hands with Raghav before taking a hug from Shrishti. She said her goodbyes to her friends before following Chachu, Buaji and Ishita in.
'Did you see, Maamu? That was Raghav, Pari Di's boyfriend.', Ishita said. Her tone was playful and yet Shrishti felt her hackles raise. She could not help but think that Ishita was deliberately trying to get Shrishti into trouble. She pushed the thought away. Maybe she was being unnecessarily suspicious and reading into things that weren't even there. Just then Bua hushed Ishita. 'Stop poking your nose into other people's business, Ishi.', she scolded Ishita.
'You have a boyfriend now?' Chachu sounded amused as he looked at her. Shrishti huffed as the four of them sat down in the living room.
'If I had, wouldn't you have known it already, Chachu? After all, you are one of my favourite people!'
'Only one of? Not the favourite?' Her Chachu pouted playfully.
Shrishti shook her head and grinned. 'Papa is my all time favourite.', she declared.
Shrishti continued to chat with her Chachu for a while before the man left to talk with his sister who was once again in the kitchen, making something for the family. Shrishti stood up to go to her room when Ishita's words stopped her from leaving.
'Bade Maamu's favourite! Chote Maamu's favourite! Both of them love only you!'
Shrishti sighed, shook her head and reminded herself that Ishita was a teenager and was full of insecurities like every teenager. Heck! Shrishti had been an adult once and she still had insecurities. Surely, Ishita could be forgiven for being young and stupid when Shrishti had done worse when she was the one being young and stupid.
Shrishti decided to continue walking away. Ishita did not seem to like her lack of reaction though, as she did not let go of the matter easily.
'Both of them love you. Now even my Mumma adores you. She has been doing nothing but praising your calm manners and maturity the whole time she was at Maamu's! It is ridiculous! Why do you get all the love and not me?'
Shrishti whirled around and unable to keep her mouth shut, she blurted out, 'Have you ever thought that our family loves me so much because I don't have a mother?'
Ishita looked taken aback by the expression on Shrishti's face. Shrishti was glaring at her with tears brimming in her eyes. 'Have you ever thought that they are trying to make up for the lack of mother in my life? You complain that your Mumma does not love you! But you get to eat your Mumma's handmade food every day, something I will never have! So what is wrong with Bua trying to give me her handmade food and making up for the lack of Mumma in my life even if it is just for one meal?'
Shrishti glared at her cousin as all her anger came to fore. She did not even know that she had so much anger inside her towards her cousin. But all the hurt, she had felt since Ishita badmouthed her after her death and took all Shrishti's good intentions and twisted and warped it into something wicked, all that hurt came pouring out now.
'Do you know why Pappa loves me so much? Because I am the only thing left of his wife! I look like his wife and he thinks I am my mother's shadow and I should be treasured so that when he dies and meets his wife, he could proudly tell her that the little child she left in his lap had a good and happy life!'
Ishita blinked, totally shocked. But Shrishti was not done. She quieted down as she spoke, but her words still held the firmness that the words she had shouted held, 'Chachu loves me because he became my Mumma's friend after Pappa married Mumma. He loves me because I am a piece of his friend!'
Shrishti sighed, feeling drained all of a sudden. But she still had something left to say. 'And the most important thing! Never doubt your mother's love for you! A mother will move mountains for her child. My Mumma went through hell to just give birth to me! And your Mumma? She is here to shower her love upon me for one week. Rest of the time though, she has only her Ishita in her eyes.'
Ishita looked down. Guilt was written on her face. Shrishti turned to walk away but then stopped and turned back before looking at her cousin.
'And one last thing,' she said, making Ishita look up at her, 'Everyone loves me because I am sweet and polite and do not throw tantrums. If you act sweet, polite and with some maturity, everyone will love you too!'
Saying her piece, Shrishti turned and stormed away, but not before noticing that her Bua and Chachu were standing at the kitchen door. They must have heard her words. She did not care! She had nothing to hide!
Half an hour later, Shrishti was startled by the knock on the door. She was still angry and fuming in her room. She asked the person to come in and it was her Pappa.
'How are you?', he asked as he came and sat beside her. She was lying on her stomach on the bed, one of her second year textbooks open in front of her, though she had yet to read a single word.
'I am fine, Pappa.', she said curtly.
'Don't lie to me, Pari.', Pappa said gently. She scooted over to him and put her head on his lap. She pouted. 'Why is Ishita so mean? I was trying to be so polite with her! But she was so mean!'
She did not care that she was sounding like a small child. She just wanted comfort from her father. Her Pappa came through as he carded his fingers through her hair gently. She closed her eyes.
'I am not here to scold you.', Pappa said after a while. 'I know you have been patient for days and I actually understand why you got angry. Your Chachu and Bua explained everything to me. Bua has punished Ishita too. Once she goes home, her punishment would start. She will not be allowed any allowance for two weeks.'
'I am sure she would blame me for that too.', Shrishti said petulantly. She knew she was being childish. She did not care.
Her Pappa did not say anything. He just patted her head. His actions told Shrishti what his mouth did not say. He was silently on her side, it seemed.
'I am worried about you. They seem to cause you a lot of distress.', Pappa finally murmured.
'It is ok, Pappa. They are our family.', Shrishti said. She knew how much her Pappa liked when his siblings visited. So she tried to downplay it.
'Family are supposed to be the source of our joy, not the cause of our distress.', he quietly said. Shrishti fell silent at his words.
'This is your home, Pari. It is supposed to be your safe zone. If here you cannot relax and be happy, then it distresses me. I would rather not have your Bua and Ishita around if they trouble you so much.'
Shrishti sat up. 'Pappa! Don't you sacrifice too much for me? Enjoy having your sister around! I will be fine!'
'Pari! You are the only thing in this world that matters to me. If you are happy, I am happy.'
Shrishti smiled softly and hugged Pappa. 'I am fine.', she muttered as she pulled away. 'It is only three more days. We can manage it.'
'You sure?'
'Yes, Pappa. Chill!'
And Shrishti was right. She managed to remain calm for the remaining days of her Bua's trip. Ishita avoided her during the last three days and Shrishti was more than happy with the status quo. Her Chachu left the same night after dinner but not before telling her that he was here to listen whenever she wanted. She was happy to hear that. Bua showered more love on her for the remaining days and Shrishti let her be. If that is what it took for Bua to assuage her guilt, so be it.
The only time Ishita and Shrishti were in the same place was during meal times and during both meals of the day, Ishita kept her head down and ate quietly. Her mother must have said something to her because she seemed way too subdued. The only time her expression changed was when Bua showered more attention on Shrishti. Whenever Bua gave Shrishti attention, Ishita would simply stare at Shrishti with a weird expression. Shrishti did not know what to make of the expression. So she ignored it. Other than meal times being weird, the days were pretty good.
Shrishti, now having no cousin to entertain, ended up spending her full day online, mostly on social media. This ended up with her making new friends online. They were just casual friends but she enjoyed the camaraderie and the connection. Her friendship with Shashi also improved as the man had decided to make online videos about his cycling practices. She watched each of them and left comment on them, cheering for him and being a support to him. He would call her back and they would talk about anything and everything.
Shrishti also spent time chatting with Daljeet and Divya and made plans with both of them to hit the mall once her cousin left. This time nothing was going to ruin her outing, she determined.
The day her cousin and her Bua left dawned bright and clear. Shrishti hugged her Bua.
'I am so sad you are leaving.' Shrishti did not know why she had tears in her eyes. Maybe it was because despite what happened in her other life, this was still her Bua, that one lady who always showered her with food and love whenever she visited.
'Bye.', she told Ishita, with no emotion on her face. She may love her family but Ishita did not make it easy for Shrishti to like her during this trip. So Shrishti was more than happy to see her go. That is why she was surprised when Ishita lunged and hugged Shrishti with tears in her eyes. 'I am sorry, Di. I behaved like a small kid. I should not. I am a grown up. I should act like grown up. Sorry.' She pulled back and looked at Shrishti with wide tear filled eyes.
Shrishti sighed mentally. She had forgotten that this Ishita was still a kid. Holding her past grown up self's actions against a teenage her was not right. And as far as Ishita's actions in this life was concerned, which family does not have some tiff due to different personalities? Also, she was still a teenager. She was not like Shrishti, who was mentally not a teenager due to coming back. Holding her stupidity against her did not feel right.
Shrishti patted Ishita's head. 'It is ok. There is nothing to forgive. Just be a good girl, study well and have some fun, ok?'
Ishita nodded and smiled at her brightly.
And with that, her cousin and aunt had gone and Shrishti was left with her empty home. And with empty home came peace.
'THEY ARE GONE!', she shouted before collapsing on the sofa.
Pappa laughed as he sat beside her. 'You can fake sadness, you know?'
'Why should I? You already know how I feel. And tell me truthfully Pappa, don't you feel the same?'
'I have no idea what you are talking about.' Pappa looked away. Shrishti laughed.
'So what is the plan now?, Pappa asked a while later.
Shrishti pouted. 'Right now, nothing. It is late in the evening. I will pass the time with TV shows and then dinner and bed.'
'Tomorrow?'
'Tomorrow....', Shrishti brightened, 'Mall trip with my besties!'
'And then?'
'Day after tomorrow? Oh! Shashi has a cycling race in our city. I am going to meet him and cheer for him!'
'That is nice? Anything else planned after that?'
'Nothing, Pappa! Why are asking all this?'
'Because I promised you a trip once your Bua left.'
Shrishti gasped. 'Where are we going?'
Her Pappa shrugged. 'Wherever you want.'
'Give me an hour to think. I will research and tell you.', Shrishti got up to run away.
Her Pappa shouted as she ran to her room, 'Find a cold place. I want to get away from the summer heat!'
'OK!'