Sameera knocked on the door of the house and an elderly looking lady opened it.

"Yes?"

"Uh......Mrs. Mamta?"
Sameera asked and the lady nodded. Sameera looked at Shrithik to find him in a guarded posture. Hands folded and brows furrowed.

"And you are?"

"Mam, I'm Sameera Sharma. I was here with a letter of your name."

"Letter? And are you a post person?"

"No mam. Actually I study in Hyderabad and my chemistry professor gave this letter to me in hopes that I would give it to you. Can I come in?"

Sameera asked smiling and the old lady nodded. Opening the door wider she let her in and made her sit on a sofa.

"Would you like something? Tea, coffee?"

"Water will be fine mam."

The lady nodded and brought a glass of water for her. Sameera wet her throat and the old lady asked

"Which professor were you talking about dear and which letter? As per my knowledge, none of my known people live in Hyderabad."

Sameera nodded and handed the letter to the lady.

"Your brother mam. Shrithik Chauhan."

The lady's eyes widened and she snatched the paper away from Sameera. Quickly unfolding it she read it and her eyes got filled with tears.

Sameera looked at Shrithik to find him with the expression as if he was not shit scared twenty minutes ago.

"He's......he's alive?"
She asked and Sameera nodded.

"I thought he was dead. Why didn't he come before?! Why is he contacting me now?! Do you even have any idea that how much I missed him, how much I miss him till this day?"
The lady yelled and Sameera shook her head sadly.

"I'm really sorry mam, but he was in a compromising situation. He wanted to meet you himself but he was afraid that you'll hate him."

The lady sniffed and then softly spoke
"How can I hate him? He's my brother. I'm just angry at him. He could have contacted me before. Please dear, tell him to meet me. Don't bother to do that, tell me where he will be now. I'll go and meet him myself."

Sameera smiled sadly and answered
"I'm sorry mam, but I can't tell you that. But I'll tell him that you missed him."

"Please beta. It-"

"Mam I'm really sorry but I can't. I hope that you understand."

"Okay. But please tell him that I can never hate him. He was my only one till he was there. I'll never hate him."

The lady said and Sameera, unexpectedly hugged her. Feeling the warmth of her body, the lady broke down and cried a little more.

"I should take my leave mam. He will be happy to know that you don't hate him."

The lady smiled at her and escorted her to the door.

"I'm glad that you came. Bye."
Sameera smiled and started her bike, when her boyfriend sat behind her she started driving.

Shrithik hasn't said anything since they came there.

"Old man? Say something."

Shrithik was feeling numb. He didn't know what to feel. Happiness or sadness. He should laugh or cry? He was confused. He was happy that his sister still remembered him, that she didn't hate him but he was sad because he was the only reason why his sister was deprived of the small love and care she could get.

Her voice startled him and broke his thoughts.

"Uh.....yes?"

"What happened? You seem to be in deep thought."

"Yeah."

He nodded and looked away. Sameera nodded but thought better to disturb his personal thought.

When they reached home, he directly went to her room but Sameera didn't follow. She wanted to give him his time.

The day passed, she gave him his food and he didn't even take more. Sameera slept with her mother that night and the next day was spent with him in her room, inside her blue blanket.

And Sameera was busy along with her family members in the cleaning of the house. Diwali was a time in the year when even the deepest corners of the house were cleaned.

That night a tired Sameera came into her room, to find him reading the volume II of Sherlock Holmes.
Volume I carelessly lying on the table indicating that it has been read.

"Hey!"
She said softly and he looked up at her and smiled.

"I was waiting for you. I'm really sleepy."
He said and she smiled back.

"This early? It's just seven. But don't worry I too am sleepy. I'll just bath and come. Bye."
She waved at him and then went to bath.

Twenty minutes later Sameera came out of the bathroom and opened her pigtail from the bun.

Shrithik was now lying on the bed, probably asleep.

She slipped inside the covers, about to sleep. But her eyes fell on the tattoo on his back. Her fingers subconsciously traced it.

"Freedom, good luck, power and protector. Why did you get it?"
She whispered when she saw him looking at her with the side of his eye.

"You really want to know?"
He asked and she nodded. He took a deep breath and started explaining.

"I wanted freedom from my inner demons who made me do things because of my insecurity. I looked down upon people just to confirm it to myself that I was better. I wanted power to get over them. I wanted a good luck who will protect me from them."

He whispered and turned around. He looked into her eyes to just find something pure. Was it love, affection, sympathy, he didn't know. But whatever it was, it was pure.

His fingers lightly traced her face, as if trying to memorize everything. Sameera was trying to read him. What was he feeling? What was that he felt which made him get a tattoo like that.

"Maybe.........maybe you are my goodluck."

Heat crawled up her face and she tried to surpress her smile.

"You say things like that and I become suspecious of you really loving me."

She said and he laughed. Getting straight what she meant. It's an Indian trait to get suspecious when someone is being too good. Even a mother in India doesn't tell her children too much that she loves them. It's really suspecious.

"You know-"
Sameera started when their laughter died down.

"-I'm glad that you stopped me that day. I don't want to have sex before marriage."
She said looking at his fingers that were grazing her cheek. The corners of his lips turned upwards.

"I know. But I've heard that you planned to never marry-"

"Then I would have stayed virgin all my life. I don't feel like a person has to get laid."

She interrupted sassily and angrier. She didn't like the idea of people thinking that they are superior if they have sex or that one night stands are cool or the people who go around fucking are cool.

He laughed hard.

"Don't....don't do that it's funny. It's funny to watch you get all sassy."

He laughed some more and noticed that a slight blush has creeped up her face.

"Getting all shy now, are we?"
He asked teasingly and she looked away.

She crawled near him and then turned around. Keeping her head on his bicep she took his hand and kept it on her waist.

Shrithik too buried his head in the crook of her neck and placed a small kiss on her skin.

"Old man? Are you okay? I mean..... about your sister."

"Yeah."

"So you are feeling fine? I mean you were so scared that she will hate you and she turned out to not and became emotional. Then you didn't even say anything......are you listening, old man?"

She asked when she felt that he was not responding.

"Yeah. Go on."

"So are you okay?"

"Probably."

Sameera sighed frustrated. This guy was not giving her a proper response.

"Give me a proper response. Old man."

She snapped and he sighed.

"I am okay. But I was not six hours ago. It's not easy to just........digest it."

He said and she turned around. Now this time his head was on her arm. And half of his body was wrapped around hers.

Sameera patted his head softly with her other hand. And lightly kissed his head.

Shrithik smiled back at her and closed his eyes. When hugging, he normally liked to be the small spoon. It brought him a sense of protection. As, there is someone in the world who will protect him. It made him just drop his maturity and let the child inside him live freely.
And fortunately, Sameera too liked it when he slept like a child in her arms.

"Sweetheart?"

"Yes?"

"Can you tell your mother that she cooks a million times better than you?"

She laughed and hit his head.

"Shut up you fool. And sleep."

He laughed and closed his eyes again. This time going in a deep slumber.

_______________________________

"He's not ordinary.............

I'll not leave you sweetheart, I'll not...........

But you have to. You took my loved one away, I'll do the same.............

You are nothing without her........

Please, don't go..........old man. Please.
OLD MAN! SHRITHIK!'

Sameera woke up panting. Nightmare. It was a nightmare. First time she ever had one.

Sameera held her head trying to remember what exactly it was. Only voices, some dark figures.......she was confused.

"Here. Drink this water."

She flinched at the voice of Shrithik.

"It's okay sweetheart. It's me."
He said and she gulped and nodded.

He brought a glass full of water to her lips and she drank the whole in one go.
Suddenly feeling cold she crawled near him.

He wrapped his hand around her waist and made him sit beside her. He woke up when she was probably in the middle of her dream. She was squirming frantically.

"Did you get nightmares before too?"

He asked looking down at her hands and rubbing her palms.

"Never. It was the first time and......it was strange. There were many voices....me, you and some more. I couldn't see any faces, just dark figures."
She said panicking. What in the actual world was it?

He nodded and made her lay down. Tucking her up he spoke

"Don't worry. People get nightmares. It's common. Nothing to worry about."

"But I haven't had any before and nothing traumatizing has happened to me. Neither have I watched any movie."

He nodded and rubbed her forehead.
Slowly a soft, sweet smell entered her nostrils and her eyes felt heavy. That smell.........something was strange.

"You are doing this.....right?"
She whispered and her eyes closed shut.

He smiled softly and whispered
"It was important. I don't want you to overthink it. Now tomorrow you'll be all well again, without the memory of your nightmare."