A father in disguise

Raj: Ma she looks so cute and lovely. I have got someone to play with at home.

Ma: Yes dear. She's our new princess. You have to take care of her.

I was so happy that I have got a sister to play with. I told everyone in my school about it and they were happy too. Everyday after I return from school, I spend all the time with her as it was not only happy but also a way to avoid my homework.

Raj: Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap

Ma: Raj !! How many times have I told you not to take that to her room. 

Raj: Ma it's boring and I don't have anything to do. This is the best game at the moment.

Ma: No. Look at her, she's screaming. You are scaring her.

Raj: Just a few minutes and I will be done.

A few days later..

Ma: Raj, I am cooking here. Can you go and see why she's crying.

Raj: Ok Ma. Will check her out.

I went there and  couldn't find anything. I stood there for while, she stopped crying and I came out of the room.

Raj: Ma, she is alright now.

Ma: Good. Look at your hands...

Raj: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.......

Ma: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah......

I ran outside to get rid of it out of my hands.

Raj: Are you scared of it as well?

Ma: Yes, from my childhood.

As months passed by, many guests came to meet our princess Hema. She was so adorable. Our house was filled with gifts and all of us were so happy for a few years until that one day. That is when I began to realize that the center of attention has turned away from me, towards her. Everything she asked for was made available for her. She had more clothes than me and even more toys than I did. I started feeling that she was more important than me. I started moving away from her and there started my hatred on her. We hardly speak and even if we do, I would manage to get a good fight with her. As years rolled by it only became worse and I have almost reached my college now. New place, new friends and like always new love stories.

    

Sham: Raj, one of my friend is in some trouble. Can you help me?

Raj: Sure. What's the matter?

Sham: We need to kick some ass.

Raj: What are you talking about?

Sham: There's this guy who is following behind my friend's girl for quite some time.

Raj: Who? And which girl are you talking about?

Sham: Will tell you later. My friend loves her but the girl doesn't know about it yet. Will you help me bash that guy who's following her lately? It will help him earn her love.

Raj: Yep, what are we gonna do?

Sham: So here's the plan. (whispering). We take him out tomorrow in the evening.

We took him out and bashed him as planned. We celebrated with a treat from his friend and I returned home.

Hema: Na, I have bought something for you. Close your eyes and give me your hand.

Raj: For me? It's ok. You can give it to me.

Hema: No. Close your eyes and give me your hand.

As I closed my eyes unwillingly and gave my hand to her, she tied something on my hand

Raj: What is this for?

Hema: Today is Raksha Bandan and this is Rakhi. Don't you know?

Raj: I do know this is Rakhi but why do you tie it now when not in all these years?

Hema: It is because I have realized how much you love me.

Raj: Me? No way. You know what, I hate you with all my heart. You took everything away from me. Ma and Pa spend more time with you than me. All my toys became yours. All people who come home wanted to play with you and not me. For a long time I was left in a state of solitude because of you. I wish you never existed.

With tears rolling down her face,

Hema: But I love you so much and you are my superhero.

Raj: What!!! Can you come again...
Hema: Yes, you are my superhero. You remember that day you came to my room with that mosquito bat. I was not able to sleep because of those mosquitoes. They kept biting me all day. I warned them that my brother is gonna come to eliminate them. They you were, holding that mosquito bat like chota beem. As you smashed them one by one, they fell like leaves falling down the tree. I screamed with joy and slept happily.
Raj: Yeah I remember that. They did the same to me as well. I saw your hands filled with red spots. Didn't want to wait for our parents. So took the task in my own hands to save you.

Hema: On the other day, Ma was cooking food and I was lying in the cradle. There was a small cockroach running around the room and trying to get into the cradle. I couldn't do anything about it other than to cry. You heard it and came into the room, and took them out with your BARE hands. The best part was that you let it get onto your hands gently so that I was not disturbed. How courageous of you!!! But I heard you and Ma scream a while later. What was that about?
Raj: Ah, Mom and I were playing hide and seek.

Raj: You tie this today for what I have done so many years back?
Hema: Not just that. Though we don't speak much, you still care about me and protect me. Today when you bashed that guy in the street, I was so happy. He had been following me for a few days now. I couldn't say to our parents nor you. But you found it and bashed him. That's when I realized how much you love me.

Raj: I have you in my eyes at all times!!

Having realized that Sham's friend was looking out for Hema, I was in an urge to bash him as well.

Raj: Chappppppp...
Hema: What happened?
Raj: There was a monstrous red ant trying to munch your skin. I nailed it !!!!

As she burst into laughter, I hugged her and gave a kiss. After which, I made a promise to myself that I would be her superhero forever.

Hema: But you told me that you hate with all your heart?

Raj: Just kidding. I love you with all my heart.

Hema: Where are you going?

Raj: Have some unfinished business with a friend of mine (wink).

P.S - Happy Raksha bandhan to all. Dedicated to my Thangachi and cute little angel Hema.

Kill'em or be killed !!!

I woke up fresh in the morning as my biological clock triggered a wake up alarm inside my head. I was welcomed with a coffee from Nino, my new robot from Japan. He also cooked my food and took care of everything that I needed to start for work. Artificial intelligence and automation were at their pinnacle as I was enjoying the fruits of my ancestors' work. Whenever I read the diaries of my great grandfathers, I realize how much the earth has changed. One thing that hasn't changed much over so many centuries is war. There is always an invasion from other people living in distant planets across the universe. People were ready to kill others for their own survival. We were recently attacked by Juptians (from Jupiter) who moved out of earth just a century ago. They tried to steal the abundant wealth of knowledge present in our Earth. Since we were prepared for it, we managed to get away with a few robots lay down their lives defending.

With all the help from Nino, I started off to my work. I entered a long queue filled with people starting their day to the office. All of us were waiting for the Teleporter, our major source of transportation. As the Teleporter arrived, each person had to choose the location they need to be teleported to. Specific private locations with restricted access had to be chosen with a 6 digit code, followed by retinal scanning for authentication. There were lot of rumors about secret agencies and underworld criminals having their own private locations that remained unknown to most people. The wait was over as the Teleporter had finally arrived. The queue started moving slowly but steadily until it came to a halt for a while. It was due to a young lady who stood there long without choosing her location. As people started rushing her, she gave place for others in the queue to proceed before her. Once again the queue came to a halt and it was no surprise that it was her. As earlier, she let others pass through and this time was standing just ahead of me. I asked her if everything was alright and she remained quiet. I asked her once again and her answer was "I am not able to decide my destiny; do you want to help me out?". I couldn't understand what she was talking about and decided to remain quiet. When her turn just arrived, she decided to type the location code. Once the retinal scanning was completed, she was ready to enter the Teleporter. She slipped while entering the teleporter and I tried to get hold of her. I was pulled along with her into the system and while I was wondering how it was possible, we reached her destination. Upon reaching, I yelled at her, "What have you done to me?". Smiling innocently, she said "It was you who tried to hold on to me". Her mesmerizing smile was enough to persuade me out of my feeling of having lost a day to work.   

As I was floating in the dream of her smile and moved ahead, I was awakened by a sign that read "Are you ready to kill?". I was a vegetarian from birth and didn't even wish to kill an ant for that sake. After taking a deep breath, I looked at her with a scare on my face. She smiled upon me but this time it wasn't enough to take the scare out of my face. I told her repeatedly that it was because of her that I landed in this strange place. Looking at my face turning red, she winked at me saying "That's destiny for you, my dear". I insisted that we should leave this place immediately. Hearing me say that, a man nearby laughed at us saying that we could only leave this place as dead. A few guards standing near the sign board looked at my behavior and asked us if we reached here by mistake. While I opened my mouth to say yes, she stamped on my feet and told the guard that we were completely aware of where we stood. I started wondering what I have done to myself in trying to help her. She held my hand and promised that I will be safe with her. Our eyes were soon tied as we were being taken to meet the head of the place. I could hear people screaming and running. My heart started beating abnormal like it never did and she could feel it. Every time I felt nervous, she held my hand firmly. What a wonderful moment it was to have her hold my hand and being scared at the same time. After a few minutes, we came to a halt and our eyes were untied. 

I was taken aback of what was happening around. People were looking happy, laughing at each other, screaming and running around. I couldn't understand anything that was going on. As my eyes were wandering around the place trying to find cues, an old man came and sat in front of us. He looked at us and asked in a huge voice "Are you fellas ready to kill?". I thought to myself, "Oh no, not again". He told us that there will be training from the next day and we can rest for now. I was happy that I would be alive for one more day. We were allotted two separate rooms filled with basic amenities and food. All the while she could feel the scare in me but never uttered a word. Even if I tried to question her, the only reply I always got was her smile. Though it looked mesmerizing, I felt it like the devil's smile on me. We had our food together and it was time to hit the bed. As I left her unwillingly, she held my hand for one last time and said "Don't worry, Ill take care of you". Those words were my only source of hope from a stranger with whom I've been hanging around for almost a day. I couldn't sleep the whole night thinking about what I would be trained upon, whom I should kill and what would happen if I got killed. Soon I got into the thought of her cute little face and mesmerizing smile. That helped me fall asleep for the night.

It was early morning and I was awaken before my biological clock did. I was told to get ready as our master was expected to arrive soon. Both of us got ready and our master arrived. He inquired about our stay in the place and if we were ready for training. I was forced to say yes, even though I never was. I knew this was my end and that I couldn't do anything about it. He told us that the training will last for two months and we will be ready to kill by then. What a sigh of relief it was after hearing him utter the word "two months". I was so happy that I have earned two more months of license to be alive. It was soon ruined when he said that after two months of training, we will be killed if we don't kill. Our training had thus started. We were given training for two months on all skills required to kill. On the final day of the training, our master gave a final chance to ask questions to him. She asked him, "do you think it is easy to kill our ego, lust, jealousy, anger, fear and greed any sooner?". He replied that love is the only answer to kill them all and if we did not manage to kill them, we would end up killing ourselves. I interrupted to ask "where in this place can I find love?". With a gentle smile on his face, he replied "she's right next to you". As I turned my head towards her, she winked at me saying "That's destiny for you, my dear".