The sibling story

It was 11 in the night when one of my darkest secrets was disclosed to me. A secret which was too much to bear for a 15-year-old. In those sleepy eyes, my sister woke me up in a way that got me irritated. With my eyes half-open, I sat on my bed annoyed as she sat staring at me without uttering a word. Before I could ask her what it is, I was taken aback by what she stated: "You aren't my sister".

It was for that second I went blank but managed to reply 'subah se main he mili thi kya bewakoof banane?'. Ignoring what she had told I just laid back on my bed. With her hands on my shoulder, she woke me up the next second saying you're really not my sister and this time with her eyes staring straight at my eyes without letting me talk as she continued the story: I was around 5 years old when my parents adopted you. There was a pause as she looked at my reaction. I sat stunned as I got a thought why would they adopt me(a girl )after you were born, they would have adopted a boy instead. As I waited for her answer, she continued the story, you were less than a year when my parents adopted you, you were born to one of our neighbors who meant more than a family to us. They belonged to a poor family who had three girls already and you were number four. They always wanted a boy but unfortunately, you were born to them and to bring up four daughters haunted them day and night. Few months after your birth, they decided to leave you in an orphanage and when we got to know about it, we decided to adopt you.

That moment was a total nightmare to me. The only word on my mind was the word ADOPTED and in my heart was NOOO. The thought that my sister(Mona) and my younger brother(Rahul) were not even my siblings broke me. With my choked voice, I told her no, you are lying. And she continued telling me "Remember you always complained mom why didn't she have a childhood frame of yours at home when I and Rahul had?". I was lost in her talks as she told we never had your frame because you came in our life when you were almost 8 months old, the time we only concentrated in making you a part of our family and we never thought of clicking a picture. That was the first time I got my answer to the question I had always been asking mom. My heart shrank when she mentioned my other unanswered questions. I remember me questioning mom why am I not as tall as Mona and Rahul? Why is it that Mona and Rahul had a fairer complexion when compared to me? Why were they similar and me different? Why does Mona resemble mom, Rahul resemble dad and I resemble no one? The only answer Mona gave me was "You are Adopted".

The talks broke me inside. It couldn't accept the fact that who I thought was my family wasn't actually mine. I WAS ADOPTED. I couldn't stop the tears roll down my cheeks. I still remember how bad I had felt when these talks were disclosed to me. Seeing me cry, Mona just hugged me telling don't let parents know about the talk we had. I cried and cried. I could hear Mona controlling her emotions while hugging me, she had always loved me, never did she make me feel I was adopted. Little did I know that the emotions she was controlling weren't of crying but of the laughter. I pushed her away from my arms, I was shocked by her behavior.

I was in a dilemma when I saw her laughing hard. Later did I realize she was just showcasing her talents. A talent she had of making others believe what she wants them to believe. I wasn't stupid to believe her, it's just that she was too good with her talent. That was a moment I hated her the most but the only thing on my mind was-yessss! I wasn't adopted ( Happiness is not knowing how to express it) Trust me, I was that happy.

Siblings are the best part of life. They make you cry, they make you laugh, but the day they know it's someone else behind your tears, no one can save them from your sibling. I feel so blessed to have them in my life- they aren't my siblings but my best friends. They give you beautiful memories.

Who knew the moments that I once cried for would bring in so much laughter now. 

Today you might be in immense pain, But darling, don't you worry, the same pain later will give you a reason to smile. 

Nevertheless, I'm still called adopted. And I enjoy it.

A tip for those who are called adopted by their elder siblings- Tell them, you must have lacked in something that our parents decided to adopt me. (Only if I would have told her this dialogue back then)