The Great Railway Goodbye

17.08.2024

Some days, you feel like a distinguished author exploring a sea of knowledge. Other days, you’re dodging your sister’s lecture on "life skills." Today was definitely the latter.

She and I had ventured into one of those old city libraries, a place that looked like it had survived about fifty battles with time. The walls were so cracked and yellowed that they probably had stories older than the books themselves. Cobwebs hung like drapes, and an oversized spider seemed to glare at me from one of the shelves as if to say, "Touch that book, and we’re gonna have a problem."

The moment we stepped in, my sister shifted into her “I’m your life coach” mode.

“You should spend more time reading!” she began, launching into another speech. “Look at these books! They’ve been here for centuries!”

“Yes, because nobody’s read them in centuries,” I muttered, hoping she’d miss that. I had to escape her lecture mode before I ended up as the next lecture subject. So, I made my way toward the back shelves, hoping to find a dark corner to disappear into.

As I turned a corner, I spotted an elderly man sitting alone, face buried in a book. He looked like a cartoon villain from a kid's show: thick glasses that made his eyes look the size of dinner plates, a mole that seemed to take up half his face, and hair that clearly hadn’t seen a comb in weeks. I crept up, curious to see what he was reading.

Just as I got close, he twisted his neck toward me at lightning speed, like a human owl. His dinner-plate eyes locked onto me, and he snarled in a voice that sounded like a rusty door hinge, “Wanna kiss these lips, kid? Move it!”

I stammered something completely incoherent, backed up, and—SMACK! Right into my sister, who had seen the whole scene unfold. She sighed, giving me that “do I have to take care of you?” look and, without hesitation, planted a loud slap on my cheek, sending me reeling. Now, if you think that wasn’t enough, let’s remember we were in a very quiet library. Naturally, every single person there turned to look at us like we were the latest soap opera episode.

Finally, cheeks burning, I mumbled, “Can we just leave?”

We made it to the parking lot, and I took my chance to reclaim some dignity by heroically “saving” our escape. I got to her scooter, grabbed the handlebars, and pulled to get it moving – but the thing wouldn’t budge. I tugged harder. Still nothing. With one last heroic heave, I was practically lying back in a 30-degree angle, my face going red as a tomato with effort, when I heard my sister cackling behind me.

I looked back, gasping. “What’s so funny?”

Between laughs, she finally choked out, “I’m... I’m holding both the brakes!”

I froze, realization hitting like a cartoon anvil. She had been holding the brakes the entire time! I straightened up, wiped my forehead, and gave her the best glare I could muster. She just laughed harder.

"Ah yes, the future writer, wrestling with a stationary scooter!” she snickered, still clutching her sides.

I attempted a dignified shrug. “Hey, it’s not a real adventure without some bumps.”

With a flourish, I hopped onto the scooter, ignoring her snorts of laughter. We rode off, her chuckling all the way home.

19.08.2024

Days after the infamous library incident, I was back there alone, hoping to redeem myself and perhaps actually, you know, read something. I was flipping through a random book when I sensed someone approaching. I looked up, and there she was—Varsi, the girl from my college who I’d caught stealing glances at me from time to time.

She was a vision, standing there with an almost poetic look in her eyes, clutching a book to her chest like it was her shield. Before I could muster a greeting, she took a deep breath, her cheeks turning the color of rose petals.

“Hey… I, uh…” she started, then seemed to lose her nerve and glanced down at her feet.

I blinked. Wait, was this what I thought it was? Was Varsi… about to confess her feelings? My heart did a somersault.

But just as she opened her mouth to speak, a loud, unmistakable voice echoed through the library.

“Ohhh, there you are, dear brother!” It was my sister, bursting into the scene like she was on Broadway. She trotted over, practically throwing herself between Sara and me, and grabbed my arm with a dramatic flourish.

“You won’t believe the news!” she announced loudly, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Our whole family is planning your arranged marriage next week! Isn’t that amazing?!”

I froze, mouth open in shock. “Uh… what?”

Varsi’s face went from pink to pale in record time. She looked at me, then at my sister, then back at me, like she’d just been hit by a freight train of confusion.

“Oh, don’t be shy, little brother!” my sister crooned, nudging me with a wink that could knock out a lightbulb. “You’re going to make such a lovely groom. All those aunties are talking about how you’re finally off the market!”

“But—wha—” I stammered, feeling like my brain had short-circuited.

By now, poor Varsi was giving me a look like I was a walking soap opera. My sister was grinning ear-to-ear, clearly enjoying every second of this train wreck.

But, undeterred, Varsi took a shaky breath and said, “Wait… I… I still want to say something.” She squared her shoulders, gathering her courage once more. “I… I really like you—”

“Oh, sweetheart!” my sister butted in, putting an arm around Varsi like they were long-lost friends. “It’s so wonderful to have a fan club! Did I mention his fiancée is a kickboxer? She’ll be thrilled to know he’s so admired!”

Varsi’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “Fiancée? A… kickboxer?”

“Yup! And you know, he’s planning to go on a no-dating vow starting tonight!” my sister added, flashing a huge, innocent smile. “Isn’t that just adorable?”

I tried to speak up, but Varsi was already backing away, looking like she’d just been handed a live grenade. She mumbled something about “being late for a… dentist appointment,” and before I knew it, she’d vanished out of the library at warp speed.

I turned to my sister, absolutely mortified. “Seriously?”

She just shrugged, barely containing her laughter. “Hey, I’m your big sister. It’s my job to protect you… from relationships.”

I let out a groan that could’ve toppled bookshelves, and she just patted my shoulder, still chuckling like she’d won the comedy jackpot.

That was the day I lost my chance at a romantic confession and earned the world’s most dramatic (and unplanned) engagement story, all thanks to the unstoppable comedic genius that is my sister.

29.10.2024

As my sister and I sped down the street toward the train station, I clung tightly to the back of her old scooter, feeling every bump in the road. We had exactly ten minutes before my train would leave, and my sister was driving like we were in a high-stakes car chase. She weaved through traffic like she owned the road, ignoring my pleas to slow down.

“Relax,” she called over her shoulder with a grin. “We’ll get you there on time! You think you’re escaping me that easily?”

I rolled my eyes, half-amused, half-terrified. “Maybe if you hadn’t spent twenty minutes perfecting your eyeliner, we wouldn’t be cutting it so close!”

She just laughed, swerving past a vegetable cart as if she hadn’t heard me. But somewhere between the honking horns and the chaotic rush, memories started playing in my mind, scenes from all those years we’d spent side by side.

I remembered Raksha Bandhan from a few years back. I’d been sick as a dog, confined to bed and barely able to lift my head. I had told her not to bother coming, but she’d shown up anyway, riding 30 kilometers through heavy traffic and a downpour just to see me. I was practically a corpse that day, but the moment she arrived, life somehow stirred in me again. I could still see her standing beside me, tying that rakhi on my wrist with a soft smile, like nothing—not even rain or traffic—could keep her from being there.

In so many ways, she was more than a sister. She was the only one who never judged me, even when I messed up or said things I didn’t mean. She understood me in a way no one else did. And now, here she was again, racing to get me to the station on time, with her usual mix of love and sarcasm.

We finally screeched to a halt at the station with three minutes to spare. My sister tossed my suitcase into my arms, not even stopping to catch her breath as we bolted through the crowd toward the platform. I could see my train, the engine humming as it prepared to depart, and I knew our goodbye was coming faster than I’d expected.

Just as I was about to board, I turned back to see her standing there, her face softening in a way I rarely saw. She looked at me, and for the first time, there was something vulnerable in her gaze, something that made me realize how much this moment meant to her too.

“Well,” she said quietly, trying to keep her voice steady, “this is it. You’re off to start a new journey.”

I swallowed, feeling a lump rise in my throat. “Don’t miss me too much, okay?”

She gave me a small, bittersweet smile. “You’re my little brother. I’m going to miss you every single day.” She paused, her eyes misting slightly. “I want you to know I’m proud of you, no matter what. Remember that.”

I tried to respond, but my voice failed me. She reached out and gently brushed a tear from her cheek, then chuckled, breaking the tension with a familiar grin. “Alright, enough of this mushy stuff. You’re making me look soft!” We both laughed, even though my heart felt heavy. She was the girl who had ridden halfway across the city in the rain to see me, who’d stood by my side through every high and low, who had always been my anchor. And here she was again, smiling through tears, pretending it was no big deal.

“Take care of yourself, okay?” she whispered, as the train whistle blew, signaling that it was time for me to board.

I was about to say goodbye when she suddenly smirked, pulling something out of her pocket with a mischievous gleam in her eye. It was a letter. “Oh, and by the way,” she said, waving the letter in the air, “don’t worry about Varsi. She’s been waiting, you know.”

“Wait… Varsi?” I blinked, caught off guard.

She grinned, enjoying my confusion. “Oh, you didn’t know? She came here to see you off. Looked a bit nervous, though, so I thought I’d help her out by taking this letter for you.” She winked, then added with a laugh, “Guess you’re not single anymore!”

The train started to pull away, but I could still see her laughing, her figure growing smaller as the distance between us grew. “And about Varsi!” she called, her voice ringing out over the sound of the engine. “I told her you were already taken! Had to protect my little brother from love and all that!”

I stared at her in shock, but before I could respond, the train was pulling me away, leaving her voice echoing behind.

As I settled into my seat, a smile crept onto my face, even as my eyes burned with unshed tears. My sister, my biggest protector, my fiercest supporter, and the only person who knew me inside and out, had somehow managed to turn our farewell into an unforgettable mix of love and mischief.

With a sigh and a chuckle, I glanced out the window, knowing that wherever life took me, she’d still be there in spirit, meddling, teasing, and reminding me of the family I’d always have, no matter how far away I went.