Tarun Bhai pulls the car under the parking shed of our house.

I move my hand a little to reach the seat belt, but hiss in pain accidentally brushing my injured hand against it.

"Wait." He quickly unfastens my seat belt, moves out, and rushes by my side opening the door of the car.

I ease off my seat, shaking my head with an amusing smile. "Bhai, my hands are still working. It's buried not fractured, you need not to do it."

He rolls his eyes heavenwards, shutting the car door. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Oh!" I exclaims as we enter the living room, "BHAI!"

He glares at me. "Why are you shouting?"

"In all this mishap, I forgot to tell you the most important news," I say, grinning at him.

"Really! Are you ready to get married?"

"What? No? Why you are always behind my marriage." Why he always teases me with this? For God's sake, I am just nineteen. I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear, scowling. "I won't leave you. Ever." No one can love me like you do.

"That means you'll keep nagging me . . ." he sits on the couch and rubs his forehead, ". . . my whole life?"

"How rude, Bhai!" I grumble. "Anyway, it should be you who needs to find a girl for yourself."

"Huh?" He waves me off. "Whatever."

I gaze at his head, accumulating, an evil idea runs in my head.

"What?" He leans backwards.

"You need proof? One minute, stay still!" I lean into him, hovering over his head and pluck a grey hair.

"Saanjh, did you lose your edge in the accident?" He glares.

Smirking, I shove the hair in front of his eyes as a sign of victory.

"See now your hairs are turning grey. You are getting old, Bhai. In a few days you will start getting wrinkles around your eyes. If you do not marry now then, when will you?" I giggle and run away from him.

"You little devil." He jumps from his place, following me. "Wait till I catch you."

I laugh harder when he gets a hold on me and tickles me to death. My voice comes as inhuman. I try to slap his arms away but he tickles more, laughing with me.

"Who is old now?"

"You!"

"Let's try again."

"Bhai, don't." I feel my eyes tearing up. I can't laugh more. "Ah—my hand, my hand!"

Concern washes through his face. Ha! This always works. Taking mercy on me, he decides to leave me. I try to catch my breath when he takes his seat back on the couch where I join him.

"Now, I'm serious, so please, you too be a little."

"Okay, fine, tell me."

I beam. Taking my place beside him, I shake my head, denying. "No. Not like this. You have to guess it."

"Oh my God! Really?" Shock is clearly written all over his face.

I grin, hugging him. "I knew it. You will guess it within a second."

"You got back this semester."

"Yu―What?"

My mouth hung open and my jaw practically touches the ground.

One by one I throw all the cushions at him, careful enough not to strain my hand.

"You are so . . . so . . . bad." That's the only word came to him after pondering and stressing my mind.

He laughs, catching all of them.

"Stop, stop. I got it. I got it."

I hold the last cushion by my side and place it in my lap.

"Which brother thinks like that? Back, seriously? Moreover, who the hell gets happy after getting a back?" I sneer.

"So, you passed?"

Really? He is still in doubt. Sometimes I wonder if he really my brother?

"You just leave it. I tell you myself otherwise God knows what you will guess next," I pass him a sarcastic smile, but soon it turns out into a genuine one.

He will be proud of me.

"I topped!" I clap my hands together and the pain shoots in my arm.

"From bottom?"

Here comes again, his not-so-funny comment that distracts me from my pain.

Tilting my head sideways, I give him a tight-lipped smile.

"Was it a joke? But I didn't find it humorous."

"What joke? The way you were behaving yesterday, this was the only thing came in my mind."

I glower at him, but he was right. I was so tensed about my result that I was behaving cranky and the whole day he was consoling and assuring me.

"You and your mood swings," he murmurs under his breath but unfortunate for him I heard that and the next second the last cushion kisses his face.

"Oh, shut up. I had scored the highest percentage in my batch."

He chuckles, pulling me in a hug. "Congrats, doll! I'm so proud of you."

This is how we live. He has always been protective towards me, but never overshadows me. He let me fight my own battles, but only if he is sure there is nothing to harm me.

"There is a courier for you," the housekeeper, Rekha, passes me an envelope. She is in her young twenties and is working for us for the last two years. "It was delivered in the morning," she adds before leaving.

Courier, for me? I glance at the sealed envelope. The logo on the envelope makes me perplex.

St. Xavier College.

My college.

"What is it?" My brother murmurs.

I shrug my shoulder, confused. What the hell is this for?

"Open it," he says as reading my thought.

An official letter? Holding my nerves, I tear the seal. But soon my expression changes from confused to shocked one.

"Oh my God!"

The letter states that due to some internal reasons, I was transferred to the Direct Vision University, New Delhi, under the Student Exchange Program. I was instructed to collect my required documents from the Administrative Block of the college as soon as possible. Lastly, the letter was attested by Assistant Registrar.

What the hell?

Are they crazy? How could they just do this in the middle of my degree course? How could they transfer me to other college?

Then something catches my eyes. I flip the page, keenly look at the other paper—the preference list of colleges; it holds my signature.

My signature?

I scowl.

"How this paper contains my signature when I never seen it before?"

Tarun Bhai takes the papers, scrutinizing it as I wait for an explanation. He taps my head before speaking, "It's yours. Don't you remember, you had excitedly signed your consent while applying for the admission? I told you not to do so."

I snatch the papers before he comments something more and run to my room. "Don't worry. I will go to the Dean's office tomorrow and ask about it. I am sure they will cancel it. The letter didn't mention any specific reason for the sudden change."

IT HAS BEEN FOUR days since I received the letter. I inquired about it in the Office of Science Department and got to know that it was true. Whether I blame it on the lack of teaching faculty or college fund but it is true that I have been transferred to Delhi. I am leaving my college.

Since that day, my brother barely returned home. He comes home when I fall asleep while waiting for him and leaves early just wishing me a good morning.

Tonight, I pull him up with me. We are sitting on the terrace gazing at the stars—that brightens the dark sky. No one speaks a word.

There is silence, stars and us.

"Is it related to the restaurant?" I decide to break the ice. He doesn't respond but gives a sad smile in return. I have never seen him like this. I hold his hand, "Bhai, please don't worry. Everything will be fine. I can see how hard you are working."

"I think you should concentrate on your studies not on all these matters. I'm here for these things," he tries to change the topic.

"I know you will not tell me but I also know that whatever it is, you will handle it. I trust you." I squeeze his hand. Suddenly two stars twinkle brightly in the sky. I smile and point at it, "See, Mom and Dad are with you too. They will be proud watching you from there. They will be happy to see how you managed everything all alone."

"You think so?" he mumbles, looking at the twinkling stars. His eyes are shining with a new emotion.

I shake my head in denial.

"I don't think. I know they are very proud of you."

He hums in response.

"When I have to leave?" I whisper, diverting his mind.

He sighs. "Sunday."

"You mean this Sunday?"

"Yeah."

"But it's too soon. I mean I just got my results." This is not fair. I thought I would enjoy this break, but my luck.

Why everyone has a problem with me?

"What can I do if your semester there is going to start next week? And yeah, I'm leaving for Bangalore. There is an investor who is interested in opening a branch of InLight."

I tug a lock of my hair behind my ear. "Can I ask you something?"

"From when have you started seeking permission?" He asks with a boyish smile, making me roll my eyes at him.

"Where am I staying there?"

"Hostel, of course."

"But—"

"No, Saanjh." He holds my hands in his and looks into my eyes. "No apartment. No PGs. You are staying in the college hostel."

I sigh and rest my head over his shoulder. There is no point to talk to him now. We sit there in silence again. There is no worry, no fight, but us.

He stands up and dusts his pajamas. "It's late. We should sleep."

I give him a lazy smile. "You go. I want to sit here for some time."

"Good night," he wishes before leaving for his room.

I smile at him.

"Bhai,"—he turns—"I love you."

I don't know what came into me but I feel like saying.

He smiles back.

"I love you more."

Sitting there alone in the loneliness of the night, I think about this passing week. It was completely unexpected. I feel like my life is not in my control, as my destiny wants me somewhere else.

I get transferred to Direct Vision University (DVU), that too without any prior clue. My flight ticket is booked.

Fabulous.

Don't know what life has stored for me?

***

I lie in my bed with a pillow crushed in my arms. It is evening and probably my last evening here. The sunlight fall in my room is dull, low in its intensity.

The week passed faster than I expected. My wound is healed by now, leaving some scars here and there. This whole week I spent my maximum time with my brother, and finishing some of my new collection of novels.

"Saanjh!" My brother's voice snatches me back to reality.

Groaning to myself, I move out of my bed.

"Sa-aa-njh!" He calls again, but this time knocking the door of my room.

I put on my slippers and heads towards the door. I open the door and he is there, standing outside.

"Why are shouting like a crazy person? At least wait for my response." I move inside, he follows me. "So, what's the matter?"

"You packed everything?"

I chuckle. "Tenth."

"Huh?"

"This is the tenth time you are asking me this question."

"Fine." He shoves his hands inside his jacket and takes out a small box. "I had something for you." He passes me the box wrapped up in a shiny purple sheet. A gift.

I give him a gummy smile.

"What's this?" I examine it, rolling up and down, curiously. I lightly shake it. No sound. What it can be?

"For your new life there, come on, open it."

That's what I needed. I shred the beautiful wrapper in pieces, crushing it. It reveals a small velvet box.

"Take it easy, Saanjh. No one is taking it from you."

I ignore him, the mysterious box inside the wrapper successfully hold my full attention.

I open it. Wow! It contains a kite shaped olive green pendant, with silver border. It looks simple but elegant, just as I like.

I pick the pendant out.

"You liked it?"

I nod frantically, tracing my fingers over it. "It's really beautiful."

***

Tarun Bhai drives the car, whereas I gaze out, running my fingers around the new pendant. I have worn a simple V-Neck floral print flared dress along with my buckle closure sandals. I am not into branded things. I like the things in which I feel comfortable.It is time for my flight and we are heading towards the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

I will miss this city.

"Your hostel and other formalities are finished in Delhi."

Hostel? Like hell, I will live in a hostel. Nah! I grin inwardly. I have made my own plan.

"I told you, there was no need for a hostel. You just wasted the money," I trail off―damn. I forget I am talking to my overprotective brother here.

Shut up, Saanjh!

I will inform him after landing in Delhi.

"Why?" The Tarun Khurrana radar is up for scooping information. He gazes at me with pursed lips, and narrowed his eyes.

I look here and there to escape from his scrutinizing eyes.

But today is a lucky day for me as we pulled up outside the drop-off area at the airport terminal.

Phew! Narrow escape.

"Take care. Call and message me every day." Leaning across, he hugs me.

I shake my head in amusement. "Bhai, it's not my bridal farewell. I'm not getting married. And anyways, I can take care of myself."

His expression dulls, and I giggle.

"But still, I will be worried about you."

"Oh, Bhai. Don't worry, I'll be fine. And whenever you want to see me, you have to just board a flight." I hug him again. His lips linger over my forehead. I will miss him and his comforting hugs. "See you soon. You take care of yourself too and don't take too much pressure. Bye!"

"Bye, take care!" I smile at him for the last time, moving away from him. I blink back my tears.

Soon, I am on my own. Putting on my sunglasses, I head over to check-in with my trolley bag and stood in the line.

Delhi here I come.

For a new start.

For a new life.