Adopted

Anika considered her life perfect until her sister was born. Anika was 11 years when her mother conceived. Sitting outside the maternity ward, Anika overheard her granny's conversation with her Aunt. Granny was thanking God to make her daughter finally a mom. Confused Anika wanted to hear more. Why would her mother be a first-time mom, when they already had Anika?

Her aunt further added to Granny by saying that now Anika may face a difference in love, as their own child has arrived, and she stays adopted.

Adopted! the word broke like a bombshell on her. At 11 years, she could not interpret much.

Soon the sound of her sister crying came. All rushed inside to hold the new baby. Somewhere in this transition, Anika was sidelined.

Days passed as her new sister, Arnaa joined them in their lives. 

Arnaa was becoming favourite of all. Meantime Anika asked her few friends about Adopted child. She read in the dictionary about this word, which explained to her she was taken from a different family. With just one word in mind Anika, felt the whole world changed.

Somewhere she hated Arnaa to come in her life. Aarna not only took her parents love away but also made Anika adopted. She cried in close rooms. But her parents got overloaded with the chores of a new baby that they could not realize what Anika felt.

Days passed and years too. Anika was growing as a teenager now. And so her thoughts were also changing. A neglected rebel was developing in her 

She hardly played with Aarna. She envies her for everything. Somewhere she started comparing her childhood to Aarna's. 

After completing her schooling she left for college and hostel life. There she kept herself busy with friends. Reduced her visits to the home. And focused on studies. 

But Arnaa would call her sister often to say hello di, I love you. Anika never replied love you too. 

It was her last year in college, at midnight a phone call disturbed her. It was mother, asking her to rush home, as Aarna was hospitalized.

Aarna has fallen from a staircase and had a head injury. Anika was visiting home after a long gap. Silently she entered Aarna's room where her drawing was pasted around. On her desk, her scrapbook was kept folded nicely, in which she pasted Anika's childhood pics. She wrote everywhere about her. My best sister in the world. Pasted hearts and stickers around.

In a poster of Frozen, she mentioned herself as Ana and Anika as Elsa. On the main wall, a big family picture was hanged.

For the first time, Anika realized how important was she for someone she kept hating. Reaching the hospital she found a panic situation. Due to excess blood loss, 

Aarna required B+ blood. Anika felt disgraced inside. Silently she approached the doctor to give blood to Arana. Both sisters lying close to each other. Anika and Aarna may not be the sisters by blood, but they had the same blood group in them. Who could say they were not siblings.

As each drop of blood pours down the body of Anika her hatred for her sister also melted down.

She cried and broken inside.

Soon her parents thanked Her for saving her sister's life.

And somewhere thanked her parents for saving her life by adopting her and giving her a better life. For not letting her stay in an orphanage and wait for a family to take her. For giving a small sister who can be with her till her old age.

For giving her education, food, smile, and memories. After all, these three people were only her family, irrespective of being born to them or adopted by them.