A Promise Forever

Chapter 9

Ela

Something tickled the side of my face softly and when I opened my eyes from the short nap, I noticed it was Mini's stray hair. She was sleeping soundly with her head resting on my shoulder in a weird position which would give her a neck cramp later. So, without disturbing her peaceful slumber, I adjusted her head carefully, earning a soft, sleepy moan from her.

While doing so, my eyes fell on her wrist which was well exposed to steal a closer and clearer look at the tattoo. The sight caused my heart to thump excruciatingly and I couldn't stop myself from tracing it with a finger. The dark permanent ink had healed now and looked exquisite against her pale skin.

A greater part of my heart was upset with her for the madness that she had pulled on herself but a silly, imbecile part of me wanted to believe that she had actually carved her own initial as she told me the other day. I wanted to believe that I was only overthinking something that was probably nothing. I wanted to believe that Mini wasn't the little girl anymore who kissed me out of nowhere. She's grown up now and might have met boys of her age. It could be one such boy's initial for all I know.

The same insane part of me also wanted to trash any such guy. She's an angel and no one deserves to have his name on her wrist.

It was a constant fight for me not to hug her close and kiss her softly like I used to do when she was small. All I wanted to do was to be free of my actions and affections for her. I wanted to touch her to reassure myself that she was still the same little kid I loved like my own, despite our rough past few years.

But she wasn't that little, sweet girl anymore.

She's a woman now. A very gorgeous one that broke my heart every time she looked at me with her wide anxious eyes.

I was no longer allowed to hug her, kiss her or even touch her because my thoughts for her weren't as pure as before. Not that I don't love her now but my love for her had taken an entirely different course of action after that damn kiss. I wish she hadn't ruined the special bond we shared with that kiss. When I think of it, my heart breaks into two every single time and I wonder what even made her do so?

Did I unknowingly provoke her to do something like that or was it just a momentary slip of action?

I know how wrong it is on several grounds but even after so many years, I could remember the feel of her feather-like lips against mine. Nothing could ever have an impact like that kiss on me. I should probably be ashamed to admit but not even my fiance's kiss or hugs had ever quickened my heart as hers did. And it again made me wonder, why?

A kiss is a kiss. Right?

But turns out even the plainest kiss from Mini can blow my mind, shatter my heart and freeze my blood all at once and a kiss from another woman was nothing when compared to it?

For the first time, I allowed my eyes to roam near her lips and the black mole on the seam of her lower lip. Even while sleeping with her mouth slightly ajar and messy hair, she looked breathtakingly beautiful to me. For a second there, I wished I wasn't her parents' adopted son and also wasn't a decade older than her. I would have definitely fallen madly, deeply, hopelessly, and irrevocably in love with her and nothing would have stopped me from making her mine. But the reality was always a b***h like I said before. We were supposed to be siblings in this life and I couldn't love her in any other form even if I wanted to.

I don't know what woke her up but when Mini's eyes shot open I found myself shamelessly staring at her. I awkwardly glanced away while she shifted herself away from me.

"How much longer, Ela?" She asked smoothening her unruly hair.

"We are almost there. Another fifteen minutes or so.." I replied gazing everywhere but her.

After that, we didn't make a sound and tried to ignore each other's presence like we did the past few days. It was one of the longest flight travels of my life and I don't have to tell you why it was so.

I sighed heavily when we finally landed at the Srinagar airport. It was almost evening when we reached. As soon as we got out of the flight, a gush of cold air hit us and it was not even the coldest month of the year.

"Holy cow, it's so cold here.." Mini involuntarily took cover by my side making me smirk. She had never been to such a cold place before and she was literally shivering in my hold.

"Here, wear this.." Chuckling I took off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders to keep her warm. I didn't want her to fall sick or something. She quietly accepted it by snuggling into the jacket and after all the formalities, she followed me outside to the cab that I had booked for us.

The army quarters where I lived were only an hour's drive from the airport. All the way to my place, we didn't speak much except for the occasional conversation. While she was mesmerized by the beauty of Srinagar, the glittering lakes, and the majestic Mughal architecture, I was mesmerized by her.

God only save me.

It was a good thing she was going to stay with me only for another day before her classes began on Monday.

"Is this heaven, Ela? How can a place be so beautiful?" She asked admiring the picturesque Himalayan backdrop when we got out of the cab.

"I know, I thought the same when I first came here.." I totally agree with her. Chennai's climate is always hot, hotter, and hottest and after being there our entire lives, Srinagar really feels like heaven to us but no matter what I would always miss my birthplace. Chennai would always hold a special place in my heart.

I paid the cab driver and guided Mini inside the house. "Welcome home.."

"Thanks.." She smiled and looked around the small, almost empty house.

Dumping both our luggage on the floor, I went to switch on the heaters. The house had only one bedroom with an attached bathroom, a small dining area, a kitchen, and a common bathroom for guests. Since I was always transferred and posted to different places, I had just a few pieces of furniture and things that I needed on a daily basis. Other than that there was nothing much but Mini took her time to go around every corner of the house as if she was looking for something very crucial.

"You live here all alone?" She asked when I came back with a glass of warm water for her.

"Yeah.." I handed her the glass of water and leaned my shoulder against a wall, patiently waiting for her to be done with her inspection. I didn't know what she was doing but whatever it was, it was damn cute.

"What about Veena?" She asked coming to a stop in front of me.

"What about her?" That reminded me that I needed to call Veena and inform her that we have reached but it was for later.

"Does she come by here often?"

Oh, so is that what she was trying to find out? Any trace of Veena's presence in this house?

Was it jealousy that I hear in her voice?

Even if I couldn't tell her openly, no one would ever hold a place in my heart as special as Mini did.

Veena had actually hinted to me a couple of times that she wanted to visit my place but it never happened or I rather never let it happen. "No, she doesn't. She lives in a women's army hostel.." I clarified but she didn't look like she believed my words. "You can take the bedroom and I will take the couch.."

She shook her head, "Ela, I can take the couch. I can fit in it easily. You are too large for it." She studied me from head to toe as if measuring me.

"Do you think I will let you sleep on the couch?" I gave her a questioning look and it made her eyes gaze away from me.

"Fine.."

"Good.." Leaving her there, I walked to where our luggage was lying to put them away before I called her parents to let them know of our arrival. Mini spend the next fifteen minutes or so talking to her parents while I left her alone.

It was already dinner time and very soon, she would be hungry as there was nothing in the house except for a packet of milk that was dropped on my doorstep this evening, I decided to go grocery shopping from the twenty-four-hour military store. I grabbed my bullet key and made a quick stop at the store. I generally ate at the mess but I didn't want to take Mini there when I knew all the men's attention was going to be on her.

I wasn't a great cook and don't even get me talking about Mini's cooking skills but I still grabbed everything that I laid my eyes on. If I had to cook for the next two days to keep Mini well-fed, I know I would do the best of my efforts.

When I came back, Mini was in the kitchen, and to my surprise, she was preparing tea from the rich around that wafted through my nostrils.

"You are back!" She smiled genuinely which caused my heart to beat unevenly. She had showered and was freshly clothed in a pair of skinny jeans and a white cardigan sweater with her hair loosely pulled up in a bun. Her nose and cheeks were pink from the cold making her look even more lovely, "I was hungry so I made tea. You want some?"

I smirked teasingly, "Are you sure it is edible?"

"No, I added rat poison in it.." She shrugged with a comeback. Chuckling I grabbed the cup from her.

I had known Mini from the day she was born and she certainly wasn't the type who cooked or even helped her mom in the kitchen but when I had the first sip of the hot ginger tea, I had to agree it tasted heavenly and refreshing. Something told me she was expecting a remark from me but I didn't know how to compliment her and kept silently sipping the tea. The disappointment was clearly evident on her face but what could I do? All my life I had only seen her as a baby and now seeing her so self-sufficient all of a sudden, I couldn't come to terms with it.

"I have got the groceries. I will cook something for dinner after I grab a shower. Is that okay?" I asked just to fill in the silence between us.

"You can cook?" She asked.

"I don't but I can try if I want to.."

"Where do you usually eat?" She questioned me again.

"In the mess.."

I excused myself and when I came back from the much-needed shower, I found her once again in the kitchen and if I thought I was surprised seeing her preparing tea before, then I was totally wrong.

When I went close to her, I noticed she had made coconut chutney, sambar and was making perfect shaped dosas, even better than her mother's that I loved and missed so much.

"Why are you doing all this? I thought I was going to cook for you.." I spoke fascinated by all the dishes she had made within such a short span.

"You told me you didn't know to cook and I do. So why not?"

'She knows to cook? Since when?..' Another proof that things were the same between us and it punched holes in my heart. While I stood there wordlessly, she took out a plate for me and placed a few dosas to go with chutney and a bowl of sambar.

"I didn't know you cook so well.." This time I couldn't not compliment her cooking skills because she was that good at it.

Simmering the stove, she turned to face me with her piercing brown-grey eyes, "If you haven't noticed I am not a little girl anymore, Ela and yes I can cook.."

I had absolutely no doubt about it but I wasn't going to agree with that in front of her. While she made a couple more dosas for me, I leaned against the counter and ate them in utter silence. What can I say, I was stunned by her as she gracefully moved around my kitchen.

She joined me on the kitchen counter with a plate for herself just like we used to do when we were kids, okay at least when she and Aadhi were kids. All three of us would be perched at the counter while Roja ma cooked for us.

"I miss our home, Ela.." She mumbled as if she had the power of reading my thoughts.

For a moment, I wanted to grab her in my embrace and tell her that she could stay here if she wanted as her college campus wasn't very far away but that would be the base of many problems and I didn't want that for any of us. Even though I was worried about her safety, I knew she had to stay away from me for her own good. And I was certainly going to make sure she was fine wherever she was in my own way.

"Hey, college life will keep you busy and things will get better soon.." For once I wanted to act like her elder brother that her parents always wanted me to be.

She nodded in return, "I hope so.."

"I know it would be.." I bumped her shoulder with mine in an attempt to make her smile and she did with a soft grin, assuring me that she would be fine. And I believed everything would go back to its place with time. Mini would go to college, I would go back to work and once I get married to Veena, all these unfamiliar thoughts I had for Mini would fade away.

Hello Readers!

How are you all? I hope everything's good on your side.

Sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long for this update. Things have been really hectic for me.

I couldn't update the book with all the pressure. So, I am slwoing down a bit. I hope you don't mind.

Please drop your comments and I will try to give you a faster update.