I passed through the eager crowd of the airport, making my way towards the exit. I could see the happiness on every face to meet their loved ones and families. I too a big smile plastered on my face.

"Coming through," I repeated as I channeled through the mass of people at the main exit. Delhi Airport can be declared as another city of its own.

I looked around to spot any familiar face or a car.

"You are blocking the way, lady." A voice halted my search, I moved forward after apologizing. People dashed through me left and right, sometimes making me lose my balance. My handbag which has to be about 7 kgs started digging into my shoulder.

"I am going to kill Viks," I whispered to myself. Just then a black range rover made its way towards us, I squinted my eyes to check the person sitting on the passenger seat. The car stopped right in front, making some people disperse. The passenger door opened and my humongous of a brother steeped out gracefully. I stood in the middle of the crowd, my hands folded to my chest, eyes glaring at him waiting for them to meet his. He spotted me in a second, holding both his ears in a silent apology he made his way towards me. He may be big but I am elder, the eldest.

"Sorry, Didi." He spoke as soon as he stopped in front of me. A timid smile on his lips. My glare remained unyielding. He engulfed me in his huge arms, his paws( yes, they should be called paws) placed on my head and another on my shoulder blade.

"Sorry nah didi, Don't scare me now. I missed you so much. You know I stop operating when you don't talk to me." Viks speaks into my hair. Well, it is true. He does stop operating and tails around me silently till I speak to him. He was the devil of the house and I was the only one who could tame him. The moment I warned him to cease talking to him, he would leave everything and follow me like a shadow till I gave in.

"I missed you." I squeal in happiness as I hug him back. He picks me up, crushing me into him.

"I am free for 2 months, don't leave me alone. You will stay here." He further demands.

"I promise." I tap his back. He moved away looking at my face with a big smile.

" Can you imagine there was a time you towered over me." Ah! Good old days.

"And you thought I am forever going to be taller than you." I reminded him. There have been times where I would try to scare him with my height, he would look at me like a person of lilliput would.

"I had incessant nightmares about that. I dreamt one day on papa's eye flick you would eat my head off." We laughed out loud.

" Do you have any idea how many times you have bitten me in real life? Countless." I exclaimed the last word.

"And countless times you have saved me from papa and maa after that." He replies.

"How could I let them lock my baby brother in a chair? You comprised of my whole day." I lovingly comb the hair from his face, to see his bright face.

"Hey! Where did you get that scar from?" I examine closely a rough patch closer to his hairline.

"Fielding hazard. You tell me. Why do you feel lighter?" I roll my eyes at his possessiveness, his constant companion.

"I gained weight. Though, I would like to shed some. I think my stomach is coming out. " I look down at my stomach while speaking.

"Didi, the hell! You look perfect. Actually, better than before." He pinches my cheek with one hand.

"Don't do that! Everyone teases me for that." I swat his hand away with a frown. This is the habit of my whole family which turned into a laughing material against me. I am 26, not a kid.

"Tell that to bade papa." Viks challenges me. It's better to bear with it.

"Are you keep me going afloat or we will go home?" Viks settles me down, lifting my handbag to his shoulder, he throws one of his arms across my shoulders.

"I have so much to tell you. First, we are going to try a new place. I have been dying to go there but papa said in these two months I would go on a junk diet so he prohibits me, you will convince him. Then, you will assess my new room. I have made some changes.

And you are moving in with me, I mean obviously. We are going to take a trip too. How long it has been since we haven't gone on a sibling's trip."

"Viks, speak slowly. Aise tez nahi bolte." I reprimand. He was always a fast speaker, though there have been changes since childhood moments like this make feel wonder did he ever stop.

"Achha, if I don't speak fast then the time will fly away and I still won't be able to complete my talks." He speaks indignantly. This time he speaks loudly, attracting the attention of passerby's.

"Aeee Virat Aditya, it's Virat Aditya." A young guy exclaims. Many follow the direction of his pointed finger, us. Suddenly, like a wave many people surround us. I stick to Viks, as closely as I could, my head down.

"Sir...sir....big fan.....one photo sir....." The voices come from all around. Viks tightens his hold on my shoulder, just then a guy bashes into me, "sir ek photo."

Viks, turns me inside, his hand holding the back of my head firmly against his chest, shielding my face.

" I am sorry. Please, step back. Please...Didi is not comfortable." This seems to affect, we move forward. We get in hastily and the car speeds away as soon we sit.

"Uff! " I make a sound then start combing the hair which has turned into a nest.

"Hairstyle badiya bann Gaya." Viks teases. I get on my knees in an instant and attack his well-styled-5-steps-perfect-hair.

"No no no...I am sorry. " I don't stop. I ruffle them till my heart's desire. When I move back, Viks stares at me with deadly eyes.

By the time I could react, he lunges at me and starts tickling me.

"Stop! No.....hahaha.....ah......" I lose all physical resolve as I laugh.

"I'll tell...tell bade papa," I speak between my laughs, he stops abruptly.

" Not fair!" He gasps. I push him away and sit, taking deep breaths.

"Everything is fair in sibling fight." I retort.

Viks drops his heavy hand again across my shoulders, bringing me closer to him.

"How was the work trip?"

"Nice. I went to a British India museum, I roamed around to see the Indo-gothic architecture..." I was stopped by his hand on my mouth.

" Boring. Who sees that? " He asks wryly.

" I do. Unlike you, I don't go to places just to sleep and exercise." I slap his thighs in reaction.

"Trust me, I wouldn't do that in Mumbai. Especially, Mumbai." He replies mischievously.

"Ewww! Viks, I will forbid your trips to Mumbai." I shake my head to clear his words out.

" ok ok, I am kidding. Well, there is one thing that I want to forbid too. " He speaks with a serious expression.

"What would that be?" I ask inquisitively.

"Your dates! You think I won't know that you have been going out with Ranvijya Rathore." My eyes widen at his declaration.

"How..how...you know what? I am not even going to correct you. You can assume what you want to. I am not dating anyone." I school my expressions as I speak.

"Didi, it's a small world. You see my friend happened to have attended a Bollywood party. He saw Ranvijya smiling like a goof at his phone screen. He caught the glimpses of your photo as his wallpaper, then he left the party right at the beginning in a hurry. Coincidently, your flight was supposed to land in about an hour. " His narrowed eyes bore into mine.

"Is there just one Saira? How can you be so sure that it's me?" I speak nonchalantly, not breaking eye contact. Inside I was dancing, he has my picture as his wallpaper!

"Ranvijya, the same guy who would move around you like a fly, your classmate since pre-school, and the one who took you to prom, the same guy who proposed to you when you were 17 to marry him." Viks counts the instances on his fingers.

" And the same guy with whom I lost contact after a year in college. " I say with a faux smile.

" I know you are way more intelligent than me, no doubt but my brotherly instincts say you are dating someone. I am not wrong."

He boasts at me.

"Well, my instincts, as the elder sibling say that you are going to get a good beating. How about that?" I tap his cheek sweetly.

"I swear I'll kill him," Viks speaks with aggression.

"I will sue you for murder," I reply innocently

"Your brother, your blood. Do you know that in the whole world there is no one else other than me who has the same blood as you? I am one in a 7 billion." He dramatically changes his face in that of a disbelief.

" You are one in this whole universe." I peck his cheek. He lovingly plants his head on my shoulder, his arms wrapping around my midriff, just like a kid.

"Tell that to papa. " He mumbles childishly. I always seem to have this retrospective effect on him where he would become a kid again, it's organic given I heard and hear all his rants, stupid questions and all his secretes.

Our father has no strict bone in his body, he could never shout. Well, he didn't need to in my case but with the arrival of Virat Aditya Sharma, things changed. I agreed with him on the fact that viks needed to be chained to a chair but one look at him, I would negate that idea and take viks into my room. He would thrash my room, my books, walls, and at night when everybody slept I cleaned the whole room.

Vik's tendency to create trouble never left but did reduce with age.

" What did he say?" I enquire.

" That he would lock me up on a chair." Oh, Dad! That's the best you could think of but never executed.

" You trouble him while he is sleeping, your late-night whims like jumping between them and sleep, your habit of playing football in the house, I am sorry viks but you do bring it upon yourself. Our parents devoted a lot of time on us, they still do the whole day and you just disturb their peace even at night. Moreover, we know that it's just his way of scaring you. Has he ever able to execute it since childhood? No. " My comb through my baby brother's hair lovingly.

" Mummy does not mind it. She smiles widely as soon as I enter their room, and hugs me to sleep." He replies. Well, obviously my mom would do that. That's what moms do. Mom would even fight my father when he threatens to throw viks out.

" Viks, Papa does not mind you sleeping with them but not the whole week ok. Our mom is his wife, don't forget that." He takes a moment to understand.

" You are the best. " He lifts his head to peck the side of my forehead.

" I know! " I exclaim making both of us laugh. I look straight to see the car entering our home premises. 9 days and how much I have missed home. I see a figure standing casually against one of the stone pillars that lay before the entrance.

"Viks, listen. The Ranvijya matter should not come up. I'll chop your head off. " I threatening point my index finger at him.

"Sure!" He dismisses me breezily.

When the car stops, I excitedly jump of the car and throw my hands in the air on seeing my forever companion.

"Bade papa! " I shout in delight.

"There is my daughter." He shouts from the opposite side as we both match towards each other.

" Didi is dating Ranvijya Rathore." Viks exclaims from my back making both of us abruptly stop.

"What!?" Bade papa snaps in disbelief. I scarily turn around to face Viks who stood against the car, my handbag on his shoulder.

"You are going to be chained today, I'll make sure of it. " I shout on top of my lungs.

I see, my 24 old brother, the best batsman of his generation, pailing in front of my eyes.

Oh! I always win.

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