Jul 15, 2008

Nithi

My sister. She is off to the US to do her Masters next week. She was away from home for her undergrads too. I will miss her, bad.

She and I have been and still are at loggerheads for most of the issues that we happen to discuss. If we think we would both have the same opinion on something, we don’t discuss that at all. What’s the point? You get the drift. Our sole existence is to contradict each other.

But, she taught me fun. I am this, super-boring homosapien on earth. I never broke rules, never forgot homework, books, pencils, money, nothing. She always borrowed…I thought borrowing was below one’s pride. You admit that you failed (duh! Whoever gave me that idea?!). She thought it won you, friends. She always forgot. Every time she left for college, in a couple of days a parcel (huge or tiny) would follow from home, containing all things she left behind. This time, all of us have warned her that she will not get a parcel to the US.

She taught me how to shop. I excelled my teacher in the days to come, is a different matter. She demanded things, fought for her rights – against me, our mom and dad. She teased me till I cried for belonging to another family, after I got married. The fact that I still retain my maiden name professionally never bothers her. She disowned me. She probably still does. I vowed never to speak to her again some ten years back. She told me it was fun to shout “Kappathunga” (save me), when being driven back from school as if we were being kidnapped (poor Mohammed uncle, our driver – he used to sweat bullets!)

How I cried the last time, when she left for college after summer holidays, just before my wedding? She had finished all hers at home, but then I hadn’t broken down. I only consoled her. There she was, in Chennai Railway station, at her window seat and that’s when I burst out. All her friends had later told her, what a senti sis I was and what a b**** she was to not have responded. I liked that angle to it :-)

I don’t think I will cry this time, this weekend when I go visit her. I still don’t think we have grown apart or something. We still have our differences of opinions in some basic issues and I am sensing that’s why we aren’t like we were before. We still love to shop together – literally she’d shop till I drop. She is never tired……We still laugh at all our movies. They are ‘our movies’ because no one here at Sri’s enjoys it the whole-hearted way, we do. They need more humor. Bah! My sis and I could laugh our ass-off at things so silly…..most around us would only ponder why!

I would love to recall so many more things, love to keep on narrating, the fights we’ve had – that one where we were done with pillows, started hitting each other with hands and at one point were hanging from the side of the bed, the time when I was in teens, when she wasn’t yet, the way she was jealous of me…..when I grew jealous of her later, those days when she got her phone-calls when she was in her 3rd or 4th – oh so many more things. Fyi, I never got calls until I was in my secondary school. The way she exhibits a better taste in creative things, she being a better singer (way better), etc etc etc…..I think both of us share the same passion in only loving our dad…..we both love him, so very much.

Nithi holds a special place in my life. I still loathe her for her selfishness, rudeness and many a times condescending attitude to loads of people. She also finds many of my attributes objectionable. Heck! :-)

Not that we will not bump into each other again. It can’t happen like before, but. All said and done, she is my kutti sister. I will miss her around. I think I need to plan a vacation to South Carolina next.

Tata, bye-bye, see you, best of luck Nithi.

Oh, btw, Happy Birthday to you di....I know its tomorrow - but see naan dhaan first!

3 comments:

Vidya Venkat said...

So cute.. superbly written, almost made me cry.

Vidya.

தி. ரா. ச.(T.R.C.) said...

Nithi holds a special place in my life

now u will agree with me why i said from the beginning she is GOOD GIRL.

unfortunately we do not know the value of people when they are nearer to us.

தி. ரா. ச.(T.R.C.) said...

sowmiya why should you think of BAD as an alternative to GOOD. Think of better and BEST.you are the BEST