Lush greenery greeted every time any visitor dropped by at Malik’s residence. The house had an air of vibrancy that changed dull moods. Simplicity emanated from every nook and corner. Wooden furniture had soft cushions that added to the comfort. For hours on end his friends lounged and felt at home. A bachelor pad had its routines and Anil Malik, 39, was a passionate man for the world. He had a fine taste in home decor, paintings and useful gadgets.

It was a two huge room apartment. One room had a section of it transformed into a kitchenette and a dining area. In the other room a partition segregated his bed and living space which had plants that gave it a very green look. Close to the entrance was a tiny bathroom that also was his escape room when he needed it from frequent visitors.  Anil, 5’8, wheatish in complexion was a very social man.  He enjoyed the company of both men and women. 

Being sexually active was a given thing as heartbreak in childhood had transformed him into a money making machine. He was an auto parts dealer and was doing good in life. Parents lived in Mumbai, a metropolitan city of India, and they dropped by whenever they could free themselves from court dealings. Both were lawyers and it all used to fall in place. He had a 43-year-old elder sister, Sameera, who was madly in love with an architect but marriage was out of the question as she was a very ambitious jewellery designer. 

‘I really did not want to take your call when I saw your number flashing on my cell phone Anil, was all set to finalise the deal of diamonds I had spoken about the last time we had talked you know, hope all is well with you?’ asked a worried Sameera. 

‘Oh, I am just missing you out of the blue. Missing someone like me hence just couldn’t stop from calling. Glad you answered. Now go,’ abruptly Anil hung up.

‘Weirdest brother I have I must say,’ Sameera soliquayed and got back to the papers she was reading to seal the deal. Sameera had gotten used to her brother calling whenever he could. There was never a conversation just these one liners that made her feel that she was an integral part of his brother’s life. They never spoke much but shared a bond that had many cherished memories. Playing in parks, gardens and verandas were very dear to both of them. They were not naughty and preferred unity more than fights while growing up. 

The Malik’s were a close knit family with hardly any showoffs or frills around them. Everything was known to everybody and it was a comfortable congenial atmosphere back home. Minor hurts and bruises were tended at home as both were very careful children. Sameera and Anil were capable of looking after themselves from a very early age and a house help was not needed round the clock. Once they got back home from work both kids loved to rattle the details of the day to their parents and years kept passing. 

When Anil was 14, he had a major crush on his classmate Julia Mcgrath. She left after a year when her dad was posted in Santiago, Chile in the American Embassy. Anil’s feelings couldn’t take off as Julia was out of reach. He chose to confide in his elder sister and he felt relieved. It was a very painful period in his life as boyish urges too were gaining momentum. Julia’s exit added to the agony but there was no rescue in place. He used to pour all his thoughts to his elder sister and found solace when she was there as a patient listener. 

Something had changed drastically as months elapsed. Everytime she held him close to her bosom to comfort him, he felt the heat within. There used to be a peaceful halo whenever she used to come close. The smell of her hair and skin intoxicated him. He wanted to keep clinging to her but she had to leave for some errand or the other and that used to agitate Anil the most. This feeling never happened with his mother. It seemed whatever Julia aroused in him was met unknowingly by Sameera. The embrace was done in pure sisterly love.

Anil loved her sister as a lover but he had to mask it by being whatever it required to be a brother. Raksha Bandhan, a festival that was celebrated to strengthen the bond between a brother and sister was always hated by Anil. He had no choice but to give in to it year after year. He wanted to protect her as a lover and not a brother but it would have been a sin and uncustomary from all standards. It was wrong lawfully and religiously he knew it but he could do nothing about it. 

After a lot of thought over the years to avoid any kind of incest Anil started building a life where he could stay away from his sister. He pursued his passions to keep his mind off her once he finished his education. He opted to stay in a different city, the capital of India, New Delhi to realise his dream of being an auto parts dealer. Social life, friendships with both genders helped him a great deal. He never let it come to the surface as he was transforming into a very good actor. 

Plants for him were the reminders of life that Sameera had instilled in him by being there when he was nursing a broken heart. Through them he always kept Sameera close to his surroundings. Whenever he just couldn’t take it he used to call her to listen to her voice as a lover and not a brother. The shift was always painful but this is what he lived for and the torment kept getting bigger and bigger whenever she took the call or came face to face.