A N I K A P O V

"BUT I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE AGAIN, WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND, DAD?" I screamed in the hallway and turned my back on him.

"It's for your good, Anika Beta... I swear this is for the last time." He said as he handed the transfer certificate in his hand.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed his signature at the bottom of the papers. As I heaved a heavy sigh, my mind was clouded with a sense of defeat. I knew that retreating to my room was the only way to ease the burden weighing me down. Without hesitation, I turned on my heels and headed towards my bedroom.

I closed the door with a thud, and I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. Tears streamed down my face as I held my breath in silence.

They should know I'm angry

"This is not how you should talk to your parents, Anika!" I heard my mom shout from outside my room. I remained silent.

What about elders, who should also consider their children's feelings instead of just admonishing them for not being respectful?

I felt frustrated and left out.
Every time I think I've settled into a routine, something changes, and it throws me off balance again. It's like no matter what I do, things are always shifting around me without any concern for my feelings or needs.

Ding*

My phone beeped. Knowing it was from my father, I chose to ignore the notification.

Oh, my father. Respect, Mr. Kashyap. An incredibly successful business tycoon who is flawless in every way. The owner of KYP Industries.

My father, you know, is a quiet, busy man.

He was so busy that he overlooked his kids' needs.

Too busy to give their kids the emotional support they need.

I scoffed. He put in countless hours of hard work and dedication to make sure we had everything we needed. He did all of this for us—for me and my brother. I am very grateful for all he has done.

But I was a child too, Dad. I also wanted you to teach me things like you taught Bhai. I also wanted to be pampered like Bhai was.

I was in the middle of my train of thought when my phone rang again. The caller ID read "Lost Submarine Research Center"—our group chat name. I chuckled.

Idiots.

"Hey, Anika!" Reha spoke with a smile.

"We heard you're changing schools; how do you feel about it?" I gave a small shrug, not knowing what to say in response.

"We saw your dad personally meet our class teacher and principal."

"What? Again?" Lyla exclaimed; her voice was overflowing with 'genuine' concern.

"There's nothing I can do, guys."

What else could I say? Now that I am habituated to this shit and want to get married asap, so maybe I could get some emotional support?

No. 

I'm just 16!

"Aww, it's okay, man. We're all going to miss you a lot," said Ria, my seatmate. Everyone then proceeded to chatter away and joke around while I laughed along with them. Ah, the way I'm going to miss these silly little dumbfucks!

"By the way, where is Jiya?" I asked, noticing her absence.

"Oh, your best friend is really upset with you, Anika," Ria says. Even though I had known about changing schools since the start of the semester, I still felt guilty for not informing my friends about it.

Despite my frequent school changes in the past, I never expected to have such a strong attachment to this school. Yet, something about this particular one had captured a special spot in my heart.

It's not the place we miss, but the memories we've created there.

-

A couple of days later, my stuff was already in the hostel. Dad told me that I'd be attending one of his close friends' universities in Pune.

There's no way I'm staying in the same city as him.

Oh, him.

My brother.

Mr. Kashyap's one and only pampered apple of his eyes. My brother. Aditya Kashyap y'all

No, I didn't hate him. I could never. My brother, Aditya, was the closest thing I had. As a best friend, a parent, and my biggest defender. He knows me inside and out, from my likes to my dislikes. I'm not one for sharing my things; I hate it, and he's aware of that too. He knows how much I love food, clothes, jewels, and my love for Zain!

As time passed, my brother and I moved to different cities, which changed our relationship. Although he has always been a role model for me, I sometimes wish that I had been born before him so that we could have grown up together and shared the same experiences.

Growing up, my parents never showed any favoritism between us. But I still felt the lack of emotional connection that had been created between us. This absence was always lost on me.

Or maybe I wasn't good enough.

─ 🌹 ─

Pune, 16:49

"Ma'am, we are here." I heard my driver and quickly averted my gaze outside.

"Thank you, uncle!" I smiled at him before grabbing my sling bag and hopping outside.

As soon as I entered the hostel with my luggage, I was struck by the bustling atmosphere. Girls were walking around and chatting, creating a lively environment. It felt surreal to be in such an energetic place after so long.

"Excuse me, Anika Kashyap." I greeted the lady at reception and handled a few documents for her.

She retrieved the keys from the drawers and said, "Here you go! Your room is on the second floor. It's room number 21." I thanked her as I took the keys in my hand.

-

As I was unpacking my belongings, my phone suddenly vibrated. Grinning at the caller ID on the screen, I answered it.

"Are you done?" My brother spoke from the other side.

"NO hi? No hello? That's not what I taught you, Aditya Kashyap!" I taunted him, mimicking Dad's voice. I could sense him smiling from the other side.

"Oh, come on, Neeche aa Jaldi. Tujhe bilkul bhi miss nhi kiya," he said while I giggled.
(Oh, come one, come down quickly; I didn't miss you even a little bit.)

"2 minutes." I quickly hung up the call and ran outside. The thought of meeting him again after two years filled me with joy and excitement.

Skipping a few stairs, I jogged outside the hostel, looking around for him

I spotted him in his pink hoodie, seemingly engrossed in his phone with his back to me. It was the same hoodie we had bought together years ago, embellished with the letter 'A' at the back. 

I remember bawling and causing scene in the mall because he refused to buy a pink-coloured hoodie so we could match outfits for the parents-teacher meeting, and pink was my favourite colour back then.

With an exuberant grin plastered across my face, I hurried towards him at lightning speed. 
"Adiii! I missed you so much!"I embraced him tightly from behind, wrapping my arms around his waist.

Silence descended upon us, I waited for his response, but my gut told me something was off. He didn't say a word and stood there motionless, almost as if he had been traumatized by what I said.

"Uh. I'm not Aditya." His voice is awkward.

My eyes widened in surprise, and my heart began to race as I quickly jumped back.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sorry, sorry, I thought—"

Shit, this is embarrassing.

The anonymous guy turned around, giving me a clear view of his face. He was obviously not my brother.

His dark brown, almond-shaped eyes were captivating, and his sharp jawline was accentuated by skin like honey. I felt my heart skip a beat as the realisation set in. I was staring at him.

Silence

I gulped. God, please, this is so embarrassing. I was about to speak, but before I could get a word out, I was interrupted.

"Hey, Anika!" We both turned to the sound of the voice, and I couldn't help but smile. 

"Hello, bhai!!" I greeted him warmly as he pulled me into a hug. "I didn't miss you so much," I said with a grin.

"Either way," he replied, handling the packed food before greeting the guy in the pink hoodie whom I had just hugged a few minutes ago.

I raised an eyebrow, giving the other person a curious glance. He seemed to be his friend, if my assumptions were correct.

And that hoodie. It's my brother's. There's no way Adii gave that to him. I sigh in disappointment.

"Oh. Advik, she's my sister, Anika," said Bhai, and I looked at him.

He smiled. His eyes became smaller when he smiled.

"Hello," he greeted

"Hi," I said lowly. "She mistook me for you," Advik chuckled.

I gestured towards the hoodie, conveying my intent without saying a word. My silent message was understood by him. 

He knew full well that I loathed sharing things, despite us having only just met again after almost two years. I was seething with anger and there was no doubt in my mind that he was fully aware of the depth of my dislike.

"Anika, listen,"

"I need an explanation, but I'm tired right now." With a hint of sarcasm, I uttered the words and spun around to head back towards the hostel entrance.
"BYE!" 

I walked past my brother and his friend, and I heard them gossiping about something. Aditya Bhai said something, and Advik started laughing his head off. I immediately got curious and wondered if they were talking about me. I turned around. What was so funny?

My brother was smiling while shaking his head, while Advik was laughing.

This time, his eyes didn't disappear when he laughed.

His smile was pretty.

What the hell, Anika?

I slowly returned to my room to gather my thoughts.

Little did I know that this semester was going to be the hardest for me.

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It took me 3 days to write this, & still disappointed pftt 😭
Vote, Thokooo, and do tell me your thoughts and views.

Any suggestions or reviews are much welcomed here 🤍

Bye-bye <3

— Love R.