MYSELF AND I
I clearly remember that night. I had been trying to sleep for a very
long time, but had been unable to do so. My mind was a whirlpool of thoughts and emotions. This was all because I was going to have to stay far away from a
relationship that I had shared for more than 21 years; a bond so
unique that it was special to only a few people. It was the bond I shared with my
twin sister.
My twin and I were inseparable. Bonded together from the womb of my mother itself, we couldn’t be separated since the
day we were born. Since the day of our birth, my
parents daily witnessed different aspects of this unique relationship. My mother often recalls an incident that
happened when I was just a few months old. Having been born premature, we used to cry all day and night. So I had to be carried by my father and my sister by my mother. One day my parents got so frustrated that they decided to leave us on the bed and not carry us in their arms as they attended to other household duties. My sister was already on the bed howling her heart away and I was in my mother’s arms. My mother laid me also next to my sister. What happened next amazed all in the house. As soon as I was laid next to my sister, both of our cries diminished and we started frantically waving our hands around. Once our hands met contact, both of us held each other’s hand tightly and our cries vanished. As long as that contact was there, it seemed as if there was nothing else we needed. If anyone tried to separate us, we again started throwing tantrums. This shows how strong a bond we share.
But now, we would have to be apart without a glimpse of each other for quite a long time. I had to go to another place for my studies while she stayed back at home. I just couldn’t bear the thought of being far from her. It was as though I was leaving a very integral part of me back at home; like my leg or one hand, without which functioning is impossible. We were so close that we never needed words to communicate with one another. A look was enough to convey an entire thought. Our teachers always complained to my parents that although we never talked to each other while lectures were on, yet our eye contacts said more than words could. And they could never punish us for that!!!
This of course does not mean that we were always at peace with each other. We had our regular doses of arguments, and fights; but things never got bitter. Fights always got solved in less than 5 minutes with either of the party compromising or with both of us realizing how foolish we.
There were also other complexities of being a twin. People got so confused with our appearance that we began to feet like we were facing an identity crisis. I began to feel like her and she like me. Sometimes the same boy fell in love with both of us at the same time, and that too knowing we were twins!!!Those were really funny moments; but also very irritating.
The best part of this relationship was that, though we both were identical in looks, yet we were completely in every other aspect. If she liked the colour red, I hated it. If I happened to like red the next day, she would vehemently refuse to like it!! We were a combination of total opposites beautifully blended into one.
It has been two long months now since we are apart. There were times when I felt as though deep within me I had lost something that I loved. I felt moody at times for no reason at all. But now I have learnt to live as myself and not as two persons in one. Although I prefer that things had stayed as they were, yet I know that one can’t have all that he/ she always wishes for. I would trade anything in the world to stay always with my sister, but I know that it is not very practical. Life has to go on. My telephone bills continue to rise, but that is alright. I have the satisfaction knowing that I share a very unique relationship; one that I am very grateful for and no-one, except God can change that.
ARCHANA K SUDHHEER.
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