7 Went To Gamble Again

"So how was the date with jiju?" Saloni asked me as soon as I entered the house.

"He ain't your Jiju." I replied her seriously. I mean if he really like that girl I am not doing anything.

"What?" Why is she sounding more shocked than me?

"Because your so called Jiju, if you mean Kabir by any chance like a girl name Natasha so unless Natasha is your sister then he isn't your jiju."

Saloni was not expecting that because she didn't say anything for a long time.

She was shocked by my words and I took the time to go for a hot shower. She is going to pester me into telling her what happened.

Unexpectedly she didn't ask anything and just hugged me silently. I don't know what happened to me in that moment but I broke into tears. It looked like someone opened a dam after a long time and the tears flowed continuously without stopping.

Even I was shocked because of my behavior. I rarely cried. She patted my back silently consoling me.

For the first time I felt someone was there to pick my pieces. It's not that I don't love her but she has always been like my baby. I always hoped she would never see what I was going through so that she won't feel burdened.

I finally stopped after a long time.

"I am sorry, you had to see that." I said as I moved to prepare bed.

"It's fine. In fact I would like if you are more like this in the future.

"Huh?" I looked at her in confusion.

"You always shoulder everything alone, and I get that you don't want me to be sad but I can see it. A single person has so much burden to carry and you carry burden of so many people it's not fair. I might not be able to do anything but I can at least give you a shoulder to cry."

"It was fine before because I thought that you had that stupid guy but let me become you friend now?" she looked at me with expectations like she would be hurt if I said something wrong.

Only in that moment I realized that even though she was also a kid she understood everything like me, she just chose to not speak about it.

"I am sorry, I won't let you feel like that next time." I wanted us to be the sisters who would share everything with each other, and while I wanted her to share about her problems I never considered telling her mine. She must have felt left out all this while.

"You have all grown up." I passed her a smile.

"It's good that you know you were wrong." That made me laugh.

"Okay now, shall we sleep?" she joined me in bed. We often sleep in the same room. I don't know why I just don't like to leave her alone.

"Where is Dad?" I asked her.

"He went to gamble again." I frown at her words. Dad started gambling again in the past few months.

"Why don't we just leave him?" Saloni said.

I know that he is wrong and I should confront him but I still don't hate him. I am still giving him a chance hoping that he will turn over a new leaf one day, even though that day might never come.

"Let's not talk about it. I won't give him money this time." I said.

"By the way, di." Saloni said.

"Yes?"

"Kabir has a questionable taste. I mean how can he ignore a godly beauty and go after someone who is not even worth to hold your shoes." She said with the most serious expression I have ever seen on her face.

I laughed at her words.

Even though what she said might be correct I still reprimanded her, "You should not talk about someone like that, and you have not even seen her, how can you judge her."

"I can still say for sure that she is not even half good as you." She retorted.

"Ok ok, now let's sleep. I don't want to cry again." Saloni didn't say anything after that and we went to sleep.

I thought I won't be able to sleep, but I was so exhausted that I passed out soon.