Azhagana Chinna Devathai…..

P.S : Another story, this time a new one :D, but sans any P.J or twist or komeedy... There is no turn, just an attempt to keyboard down (i mean "pen down" :D) a simple "Brother-Sister" love story.

P.S -2 : Thanks to Ramya, as the opening para was written by her... I wish I could write the entire story short, elegant in her and few other bloggers' style, but writing a crispier story is definitely not my cup of lime juice (Sorry I dont like Tea :D)..

This is an story written entirely in English with a Tamil title..not that I planned like that, but I couldnt get an apt title than that... That song from Samuthram is my favorite :)

AZHAGANA CHINNA DEVATHAI

Anand stood in front of the mirror in the wash room, scratching his jaw line lazily… Popping his knuckles, he examined his face carefully in the mirror. Leaning closer, he grabbed his chin and looked more closely at the stubble that was starting to appear on his cheeks...He was a proud man today. It was his D-Day.., Anand - member of his college's elite basketball team, a symbol of macho man…, chance to be every girl's poster boy at college….

It was for this very moment, Anand had been waiting for years. Getting into his college team was no joke as Anand had found it out every time he loses out to the top players in his team during the selection process…. Despite being a captain and a champion in his school Basketball team, Anand was mostly finding himself in the sidelines not being able to make it to the College main team. But, lady luck finally smiled on him this time, as a last minute withdrawal from Kumar, who is the team's short forward, owing to viral fever helped Anand pave his way into the team after 3 years …. Couldn't be a better time than during the State championship, for Kumar to develop viral fever, Anand thought…. Smilingly he looked at his watch….Gosh!!! Time is already 7:30 and he had to report for the mandatory practice today at 10:30 am for the all important state wide tournament. Dilip, the coach of the Basket ball team was very strict on the players and their attendance to the practice sessions. He can even go to the extent of firing the player from the team, if they fail to turn up or not punctual. Bearing this in mind, Anand quickly did with his things and readied himself in a hurry… One two buckle my shoe… three four here comes the star….. Anand whistled in joy as he laced up his brand new Nike shoe….

"Ma!", he called up his mom who was in kitchen busy with her morning chores. "Ma… I am leaving for college for the Basketball practice session. I might be back by lunch…. Buh Bye….Tell Appa and Nivi also"

"Nandhu…." Amma responded from the kitchen, "One minute dear..., I want to talk to you…Can you please hold on".

"Oh…Amma… what is that ….Tell it later no…. I am already late...Can't u keep your stuff later?" Anand groaned impatiently…

"Wait my darling…I would be right there…" Anand's mom hurried to the hall …. "Nandhu.. Where have u started, so early in the day?"

"Huh... Ma, I had told you 1000 times already... I am having my basketball practice session today…your son is now a team member of the College basketball team and is going to be a champion player pretty soon…. "

"Ohh nandhu...thatz wonderful" smiled Amma, paused for a while and continued, "I am so proud of you… But sorry dear, today you got to do something more important than this Basketball practice session, and so you are going to stay home" Amma calmly told with a gentle smile on her face...

Anand was shocked…. "What…. Amma are u crazy...What are u telling??"

Amma continued in the same vein… "You know rite… Your Chithappa's (Uncle -> Father's brother) wedding anniversary today and he has arranged a function at his home. Appa and I need to go there…. You must be aware that your sister Nivetha is having her model exams next week. This is an important exam for her, as this is going to decide what group she can take in her 11th standard next year. Hence she will not be able to come with us…So you need to stay at home and taking care of her. You can go to your practice session on another day."

Anand miffed angrily "Come on ma… don't play….If I skip this practice session, then finished… I would be out of the team…, I am not going to throw away my three year dream for the sake of her stupid exams…. I am leaving…."

Amma, "Nandhu, come on dear,... you should not be talking like that… Please understand the seriousness…There would be so many telephone calls and also many ppl will be ringing at the door. It would be a distraction for her studies if she is going to attend all that… Further you got to understand, your sister would feel uncomfortable studying alone at home….So Take care of her…"

Anand gestured his disapproval by shaking his head, "Nothing doing.. Playing for the College Basketball team is my first preference.. I am not interested in doing a receptionist job sitting at home…I am going to go… Do whatever u want" and started to leave..

"Oh, is that so…", Amma stopped smiling, "Thatz great… let us see how Appa is going to get ur dream bike Pulsar" …

"Ammaaaa!!!!... This is atrocious…… unfair on me" a baffled Anand fumed angrily, as his mother she told in a stern voice and went inside to resume her kitchen duties. But he was unable to protest anymore to his mom for his Amma knew, how much a Pulsar bike means to her son, even more than the College Basket ball team selection. While all his friends raced in style in their 125 cc bikes, Anand had to be content only with his 98' model Bajaj Kawasaki all these days. Only now Appa has given his consent for a brand new Pulsar bike through his mother's strong recommendations. Anand knew when Amma says something she means it and hence he was not able to do anything when she played the Pulsar trump card. If he does not abide by his mom, not only he will lose out the opportunity to get his dream Pulsar, but it will have other repercussions as well…

Anand went inside his room, banged the door with a noise and locked it. He was dejected over not being able to attend the practice sessions. "Nivetha….Nivetha….all 'cause of this girl…...How many things I need to put up as a brother………… It had been like this always….cha…."

Anand was so happy when Nivetha was born fourteen years ago. He longed so much for a sibling, since it was boring being a single child for all of his 8 years and especially because all his friends were having fun with their siblings…. However, the euphoria over Nivetha's entry into his life lasted only a few years, ever since Anand was thrusted with the responsibility of taking care of his sister… Anand had his own reservations about whom to mingle with and who not to, He was proud of himself for being choosy, but Baby Nivetha, with her charming smile, did not seem to bother about all those and got attached with everyone she came across. It became Anand's duty to go around in search of her to every house, around the apartments and to bring her back home…… Irrespective of wherever she is, even if it were to be at his "enemy's" house, Anand had to do that…. He hated doing, but he had to… no other go!!!

As Nivetha grew, Anand's responsibilities also grew. He had to drop her at the school, then pick her up in the afternoon after school hours…If she had any special classes, Anand had to wait till the class ends and then take her home…Akka will never bother about her brother waiting idle for her, wasting the time. She would come leisurely at her own pace, but would fight with him even if he comes a minute late to pick her up. Ohh!!!!!!! She gets so wild when she gets angry with him… The mistake would have never been his, but he would be at the receiving end getting punches and pinches from her….. Even after all this, only Amma would only force him to approach and make up with her

Nivetha created other problems too to Anand…… She was very studious with her studies and always held the first rank in her class. Hence comparisons between his and her studies would become a topic of discussion at home… Anand failed to understand his folks' reasoning…. Given a chance, Anand could score centum in all of Nivetha's second or third standard subjects…. but if little Nivi writes his College exams, can she even score 10 marks??… Then how could she be called as studying better than him….. Why don't these ppl understand…?

"Hmmmmmmmmm"…sighed Anand….. He looked at his watch….It was showing 10:30 am… The practice would have started…. He was not there, rather wasting his time at home... How sad!!!... Anand quickly switched off his mobile, before coach Dilip call him up and blast him for not attending the practice session… He is out of the college Basketball team anyway, then why to hear to all the crap from him, he thought, as he came out of his room to the hall.

The entire house was quiet, Amma and Appa must have left for Chithappa house and Nivetha should be studying in her room… What I would do now, he wondered…. "If she does not have any exams, at least I could play with her or chat with her leisurely….Now if I go and try to talk to her when she is studying, she will surely blast me"…."Man, this is Totally unfair!!…" he thought…"When she had something to say or share, she would tell all that stuff and I would be patiently listening to her, but when I had to tell anything, she will not even have the interest to listen or at times, she would just shut the door and tell She is busy….".

Hmmm….Got bored, he browsed through the day's newspaper. There was nothing interesting in the Sports section that day and Anand was not interested in reading other sections anyhow…. He glanced at the week's Young World section…… Nivetha's article, the one she has sent for the Children's day essay contest was featuring in that issue of Young World. Anand was not interested in reading it…. He had read it several times before it was posted for the contest. The contest asked the contestants to submit an essay on their most valuable person in their life….Nivetha chose to write on her close friend Rathi in her article. He felt she should have rather mentioned about their parents, but then thatz her choice….

As Time passed, Anand felt bored being idle and thought he could peep into Nivetha's room to see what she is doing… So he slipped into her room. Nivetha was in the balcony discussing seriously about the human respiratory system over mobile, with her classmate….. Anand looked around the room…The books were neatly arranged in the book shelf and only two books, which she was studying currently was lying in the studying table…. Compare it to his table, it would have been scattered with so many books, any book even remotely related with the subject he is studying….Nivetha would often chide him for keeping his studying table messy and warned him not to touch hers…Anand would reply "I am just creating the mood to study and that is my way of studying :D"

Anand looked further in the room... He saw a red color diary, half closed with the pen on the last written page lying in Nivetha's bed… It was her diary which she uses to write her poems, drawings, etc that she submits to contests or competitions…… What she could be writing now, during this important exam time, he wondered…… Driven by curiosity, Anand took the diary and looked into the last page which she had left opened…It was the essay "My most valuable Person" and she has written one paragraph for that…. "Oh it is the same stuff that came in the Young World magazine…" Uninterestingly Anand flipped to the previous pages, when he noticed his name in that last page… He was shocked… "Hey, this does not look the same thing which she posted…I read it several times before posting it…", a confused Anand read the passage from the beginning

"My dear Anand anna.. The most valuable person in my life… he is more than a brother, I would say he is my second dad….in that he cares much like our dad does, more lovable bcoz I need not fear him or respect as much as I do to my appa. He tirelessly hears to what I say, advices me a lot even though he know, I would not listen to any of that.... I must say, am proud to be his sis. He, for me, is the best among the best…....

Tears rolled down as Anand was reading through the passage….He did not expect this from Nivetha… He knew that Nivetha has affection for him... but hearing that from her, this was the first time ... Anand never thought feeling something that he already knew, would make him feel sweeter,something similar to when Nivetha was born fourteen years ago…

"Annaaaaaaa", Nivetha's voice brought Anand back to his sense, she had just finished her call with her friend. "Annnnnna...I am so happy to see u here now Anna..."

Anand quickly closed the diary he was reading .…."Ye…s…yess…. Nivetha…., .. how are u doing" he stuttered

"I am doing great na, Amma told you were angry with her for being asked to stay at home for the sake of me…Sorry nandhu na… Because of me you had to stay at home and skip the practice session no..."

Anand quickly shook his head in the negative "Hey never mind pa… I was.... I was actually ok with this…."

"Wowwwwwwww…really?? yes……. Yes… Anna Thanks a lot", Nivetha's face brightened with joy..

Anand just smiled in reply…Usually he would have teased her or tried to irritate her during her exam times…He had always treated Nivetha just like any of his best friends, only difference being she gives him that additional responsibility of taking care of her… Not that he didn't treat her as a sister…It was only that, at times, he felt he was overloaded with the responsibility of a "Brother", especially whenever his Amma thrusts the responsibility on him. But now he felt, for some one so lovable, it is a joy doing anything for them, than a burden. He felt stupid for whining about his sister earlier. Anyway now the ice had broken and had started melting now….

Nivetha continued, "Anyway anna, I will continue studying oki….Every 2 hours after I finish a chapter, we shall chat for some time…. Deal? "

"OK Nivi..done, You carry on, I will time pass by reading some story books", Anand pulled a chair and sat before her

"Sure… …. Anna, You know what…. If you are in front of me, my mind seems to work better… I donno why… It looks like magic.. All this time I was sitting and wondering about my Zoology assignment due for next week. As soon as you came …ideas are flowing… "

Anand smiled, "Nivi darling…come on, don't joke..oki?"

"Hey, I said it straight from my heart anna… seriously!! You don't know how badly I wanted to have you near me while I study…"

Anand was touched by her affection… How foolish of him to even think about as a burden for taking care of her… "How blessed I am to have such a lovable sister… Is it not a pride to be a brother, What more joy than to have a chance to make my angel sis happy!!!" he thought. After a moment of silence, Anand showed the diary he had in hand, and the passage she had written.. "Nivi, what is this you have written here, isn't it different from the one you had posted to Young World"

"Oh..that?... When that contest came up, my automatic choice for the most valuable person was you.... But then I felt our love was very close to my heart that I don't want to publish it publically...and hence I wrote on Rathi, my best friend from pre-KG days"

Anand did not reply to this…. Actually he had no reply to her.…So he just smiled at her in reply...Nivetha continued with her studies and soon, got absorbed into it completely. Anand patiently sat in front of her the entire day and gave her company as she studied meticulously for the exams. Anand used to complain whenever he was forced to give company to Nivetha during her exam preparation, citing it as a waste of time. But today he felt otherwise.. Even though she never took the break she told him, infact she didnt even care to talk with him while she studied, Anand loved every moment of the time he had spent for her, for he had just realized being by the side of a love one, when they need was more important than any other thing in the world!!!

P.S - Today (16th Jan) is Kanu pongal... I would like to dedicate it to my lovely sisters and my dear elder sister :)