TO THE YOUNGER ONES!

“Ghar kab aa rhi hai?” she asked over the phone with an unusual tone of excitement and impatience in her voice as we came to conclude our weekly catching up.

What was she looking forward to?

It’s not like this wasn’t a part of her routine questionnaire – “Hiiiiii. Kaisi hai? Pata hai .... *blah blah blah* ...*gossip gossip* ...  *little giggling* ...Aur ghar kab aa rahi hai? Okay, le mummy se baat kar.” and then the phone would go to our idyllic mother.

How does it really matter? What’s so different this time?

I shouldn’t be surprised.

“Aa jaaenge, what’s the rush?” I replied in my habitual manner, without expressing the curiosity dwelling inside of me.

“Uhmm, nothing.” she said and without mentioning another word of this awkwardness we continued with our mundane conversation.

She is my 14-year old sister. We exist with an age gap of about 5 years and 6 months. Pick up any criteria of comparing two human beings and you’ll find that we are poles apart. Even after not having the same taste (be it food or music), having different issues to deal with everyday and virtually no common ideologies – in short being absolutely different – something makes us click. 

The Younger Ones.
Who are they?

They are the ones who take control of your stuff without even bothering to ask.

The ones who have “beautified” your skin with all their scratch and bite marks when you were kids, whose share of scolding you are awarded with in an event of a mutual hoo-hah you’ve caused.

The ones with whom you have had a horrible fight one night and then wake up the next day like nothing happened.

Those with whom you share a five-rupee chocolate.
They're the ones who eat up their portion of that chocolate, then look at you with the innocence of a puppy in their eyes so that you end up giving them yours too.

Who are these little devils? What makes them so very special?

They are the light of our homes. The Pampered Ones.

While my mother was waiting for the stork, I couldn't help but be all hyper-excited for my new friend to come. After all, what greater joy is there for a kid than to have a permanent friend who lives with them!

When a younger sibling is born, they bring with them unaccountable joy and happiness.
I remember covering the 200-meters from my school-bus stop to home like Usain Bolt upon receiving the news of my sister’s arrival!

We are ECSTATIC! Ecstatic because now we have a companion who will always be available, a friend to rely upon with eyes closed and hands tied. Even though they are not able to recognize us at this moment, someday we are going to be their most reliable secret-keepers.

The Younger Ones, WHO are they?

They are your very first experience of a responsibility.

They make you the “third parent”. From looking after them when mom is away, making their projects and helping them with assignments to covering up their blunders and getting those outing-permissions for them, you've probably done it all.

They are the ones who drive you nuts! Fighting like cats and dogs, grabbing hair, throwing punches and slaps and casting off stuff at each other like cannon balls! Sometimes it seems like the end of the world!

And then minutes later without saying a word, BAM! Back to normal, laughing and teasing each other again (this is going to cause another fight, it's a vicious cycle you know!)

But seriously, 

The Younger ones, after all who are they?

They are your indoor-games and late-night cooking companions. They are the ones you share your childhood memories with. They are the ones who know your best qualities and most embarrassing habits. They are the ones you tickle and pinch just like that. They are the ones who borrow your shoes and then don’t return it, ever! They are the ones you plan your parents’ wedding anniversaries with.

These are the poor souls on whom you can boss around as well as the wicked ones who silently laugh in the background when your parents are “having a word” with you. 
They are the ones who come to you for advice that vary from a funky new hairstyle to a new Facebook profile picture, colour of a dress to a venue for a date, a pizza topping to career options....

They are our mortal enemies and our best friends.

Yes there are times when we get angry and shout at them; we irritate them with our constant teasing.

We may not always let them have their way; we may disappoint or upset them too. We let them down zillions of times. We even make them cry! 
But in no world does it mean that our love for them is any less than it was the day they came into our lives.

They are and will always count among the greatest blessings in our lives.

To the Younger ones!

And as for my sister, well, she was just probably missing me too much.... Something she is waaaayyy too stubborn to admit... Gosh, kids !