My family and I - Chapter 4

I tried to avoid her group by going around them, but one of them caught us.

“Look at these ones, trying to hide!” he said grabbing Neeta’s bag and pulling her into the circle.

For a moment, Neeta looked petrified, then her eyes met mine and I nodded towards my sister. She turned towards Sonam who hadn’t quite noticed who it was.

“Sona didi!” Neeta called out desperately.

I could see my sister freeze as she heard her name. She turned around swiftly and glared at Neeta and then started scanning the crowds. I realized she was looking for me, she knew Neeta and I came together. I bent a little and tried to make my escape.

“Gotcha!” One of the seniors exclaimed as she caught hold of my wrist. “Gosh!” she said, “You look a lot like Sona.. You’re her sister?” She asked.

I gulped furiously looking around for my sister. Her friend raised her hand and called out to my sister, “Here Sona! Your sister is here!”

That’s it! I was dead. Despite my sister’s warning, within five minutes of my arrival I had made it known to at least 30 people that we were related. Sona came over reluctantly.

“I told you to stay away from me!” She whispered as she tried to push me out of the group nonchalantly.

“What’s the hurry Sonam, we would love to meet your sister.” A tall, lanky guy came towards us. He didn’t look like one of my sister’s friends. For one thing, he wasn’t wearing black which was something like a uniform for most of Sona’s guy friends. Secondly, he actually looked quite nice and respectable. Thirdly, well.. he called her Sonam, none of her friends called her that. Nope! Most definitely not a friend.

“So is this what you look like without all that goop on your face?” He told my sister as he looked at my face intently.

Sona just donned an indifferent expression on her face and put a hand on my shoulder. I almost collapsed, was Sona showing some signs of protectiveness towards me??

“Take a hike Samrat.” Sona told him coolly and turned around dragging me and Neeta in tow.

“Both of you, out of my sight!  Now!” She ordered once she had deposited us safely in class.

I was feeling oddly nice. Despite the fact that Sona couldn’t stand me, she had decided to forgo her coolness (momentarily) to defend me. I don’t know from what, but still.. It meant something right? If this didn’t count as a measure of shishterly loue, I didn’t know what would.

“What a start huh?” Neeta muttered into my ear as she sat down.

For once I had to agree with her!