Three

"MOM! WHERE ARE YOU?" Mounika shouted as she ran inside the house, elated at having done well in the exam. Her mother, who was in the kitchen preparing tea, smiled lovingly at the enthusiastic girl, who hugged her happily.

"How was the exam?" she asked her daughter while ensuring that the tea on the stove was safe. She did not wish to get burnt by accidental spilling of tea.

"SUPER!" Mounika shouted joyfully and her mother covered her ears.

"You don't have to make me deaf!" she scolded the teen. "My ears are perfectly fine."

"You know how happy I am?" the daughter replied ignoring her mother's reprimand. "Paper 1 was easy but paper 2 was a bit tough."

"Were you feeling sleepy during the second paper?" the girl turned around to see her elder sister Harshini standing near the door, looking smug.

"How did you know?" Mounika asked with eyes reflecting her curiosity.

"It's natural to feel sleepy after stuffing your stomach with food and then demolishing a box of ice-cream, my dear little sister!" Harshini said with a mock serious face.

"I was feeling hungry!" Mounika said with her lips curled into a pout. "I can't write anything if I am feeling hungry."

"So, what are you gifting me?" Harshini looked at her baby sister with a serious expression though the latter knew that it was pretence but still fell for it!

"Why would I gift you anything?" Mounika asked warily, warning bells going off wildly in her mind for she knew this devilish expression on her sister's face.

"Because you wrote the exam well baby sister!" Harshini said with a smile making Mounika to pout.

"I am not your baby sister!"

"Yes, you are!"

"I am not a baby!" Mounika growled. "I am grown up now!" Their mother was watching them warily, ready to jump in if needed which was rare.

"Well, my dear baby sister," Harshini spoke calmly. "You will still be my baby sister even when you are getting married! And I will call you my baby sister!"

"And I will call you...."

"Akka (elder sister)!" Mounika ground her teeth at those words.

"No! I will call you my big baby Akka!" Mounika said angrily though she knew that she didn't feel angry. "With a pacifier in mouth!"

"And you will look cute with that pacifier in your mouth!" Harshini had that smug look that made Mounika think and when she understood she ran after her sister.

"YOU ARE DEAD! WAIT! DON'T RUN AWAY!" Mounika called after her sister as she chased after her through the house.

"COME CATCH ME BABY SISTER!" Harshini's voice could be heard from the garden. "I have your pacifier with me!"

Days flew swiftly like all good things do - they are over before you even realize and then you are brought back to the hard, harsh, reality! The summer break was soon almost over, and the dreaded results were round the corner. Mounika was now looking morose and prone to constant mood swings brought about by her anxiety about the results.

Her sister Harshini was no exception either; though she didn't say it openly, she had stopped teasing her younger sister. Mounika was glad and grateful for the reprieve; this was something she loved about her sister - she was empathetic and supportive in her own way.

Anjana, Mounika's mother would always make sure her daughter did not starve herself due to anxiety about the results of both her board exams and the JEE. Her husband however would be as cool as ever in front of the girls but would show his anxiety by hugging her to sleep.

When Mounika woke up on 12th June, she found knots in her stomach. She simply did not wish to get up at all! Strangely, there was no noise in the house either! Why was the house silent? Was everyone sleeping? She got up and got ready quickly and came out of her room.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, she was swarmed by hands that hugged her and lifted her in air. She squealed in fright. but was surprised to see that she was in the air - her elder sister had lifted her up!

"Akka! Let me down!" she managed to say but her sister was not letting her go.

"You cleared JEE buddi!" her sister was elated. "I told you; you would ace it!"

"What!" Mounika was shocked. Harshini called her buddi (young one) only when she was extremely happy. "I...I...I did what?"

"You cleared JEE silly!" it took some time for the news to sink in, but she had a hard time believing it till her father showed her the SMS she had received from the NTA - National Testing Agency - confirming her result. A great burden had been lifted from her heart and she felt - hungry!

It was greatest weakness that she always felt hungry after working or after listening to something shocking - be it bad or good.

"Mom, what's for breakfast?" she asked. Harshini ruffled Mounika's hair.

"Just like my buddi! Stomach before everything!" Mounika smiled happily.

"I feel hungry after listening to good news!" she replied, relishing the taste of sambar idli. "I can't help it!"

As soon as she had overcome her initial shock, she decided to visit her best friend who lived a few blocks away. Both of them had agreed that whoever saw the results would meet the other. Since her friend had not visited her yet, Mounika decided to go there and share her happiness.

Despite the advancement in communication, there were some things that modern gadgets could not replace; a heartfelt tete a tete with your bestie was one of them.

"Mom, I am going to Suma's house." she called to her mother, who responded from the kitchen.

"Come back soon. I am preparing mutton biryani and gazar halwa!" Mounika almost drooled at the mention of her favorite dishes. Gazar halwa was a sweet prepared with finely grated fresh carrots, pure home-made fresh ghee and jaggery.

Her mind dwelt on the taste of the delicious food that would welcome her as soon as she entered the compound with the enticing aroma that even gods couldn't resist. She met her friend and was elated to hear that her friend had cleared the NEET exam meant for those aspiring to make medicine their career choice.

She had been unable to resist the aloo paratha that had been prepared by Suma's mother and she was not feeling as hungry as she would have liked to when she returned home. As she thought about the food waiting for her, the plethora of opportunities that clearing the JEE had given her, she failed to notice the gathering clouds that were slowly turning the area dark.

And it started to rain - heavily - so heavily that she was drenched in seconds and started shivering as she hurried home, aware that her cotton half saree was sticking to her body. She kept glancing around to make sure that no one was watching her for she was aware of the looks she would get from boys if they saw her like that.

There was a screech of tyres and something hit her from behind rashly and she flew in the air falling 50 feet away. She banged her head hard when she fell on the ground and the last thing, she remembered was that her dress had somehow dried up and whatever hit her was nowhere to be found!