The little one.

Long ago, I remember wanting to have a little sister. I thought of it as sharing secrets, sharing wardrobes and having lots of girl fun together.

And yet, I was given a tiny little brother. I saw him sleep 18 hours a day. I saw him kicking and squalling as soon as he found his legs. I found tiny fingers clutching my hand to guide him whenever he felt unsure of himself. The same  fingers often tore out my hair if he didn't like what I said. I gave him pillion rides on my bicycle because he was so little for so long. I fed him his food after school when I could barely feed myself. He would snuggle beside me at nap-time and run away as soon as I'd dozed off. He would come to my class like the best kid ever to deliver his teachers' summons umpteen times. I cried afterwards and he'd point and laugh. I tried to instigate him into trying the schooltime forbidden fruit - the delectable yet questionable chuski! He would eat it and complain to mom anyway. But inspite of all that happened, I was given a gift. A gift of a person to love for all of my life.
Despite my initial disappointment at the wardrobe I couldn't share because he was a boy, I find ways to do it! And the secrets? All of them. He's the friend who is older than his seventeen years and has big brotherly advice despite being just a little boy. He's the boy who still snuggles when he feels sleepy. He's the boy who will bend my brittle nails if I scratch him accidentally and then ask mum if my nails will be okay. He's the boy who takes me out for cake voluntarily. And he's the one who'll say, "Come back home after 7 or 8 days. 3 days is too less!" He's the one whose face makes me cry at the railway station. He's the boy who's growing up so so fast and has made me crazy proud. He's the one I'll love for an eternity. ❤