??????? 34

                                        

                                              

                                

                                    
                                
                                  
                                      
                                  
                                  
                                    
                                      
                                      
                                    
                                  
                                 
                                
                                
                              
                              
If anyone asked me how it feels to be the youngest sibling, I'd say it's the best. You're cherished, protected, and loved with a fierceness that feels unbreakable.
But if someone asked me what it's like to have a younger sibling...
I wouldn't know because I didn't have.
At least, that's what I thought.
Until I found out about her.
My baby sister.
Today I learned of her existence, it felt like the air had been ripped from my lungs. The ground beneath me crumbled, leaving nothing but an abyss of pain. 
A tiny life, one who was meant to bring joy, hope, and laughter into our family, was gone before I even knew she existed. And I—her brother—had no idea.
It's a cruel twist of fate to mourn someone you never met. To grieve a relationship you never had the chance to build. Yet, here I am, drowning in the weight of what could have been.
She should've been my little shadow. My light in the darkest moments. I should've been the one to protect her, to tease her, to teach her all the silly things that make childhood magical. 
But instead, all I have is this suffocating void, a hollow space where memories of her should have been.
She was just a baby. My baby sister.
And I failed her before I even knew her.
The study felt too small, the walls closing in as I sat in silence. Across from me, Vikram Bhaiya kept his watchful gaze on me. 
"Divyansh?" Vikram Bhaiya's voice broke the silence, his tone cautious. "You haven't said a word since I got here. What's going on?"
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat refusing to budge.
Before I could even try, Dad spoke, his voice heavy with an authority that left no room for argument. "Wait for the others."
Veer Bhaiya and Arjun Bhaiya were on their way. Dad had called them earlier, and now we sat in this unbearable silence, waiting for the family to gather. 
Minutes passed like hours. Then the door creaked open, and Veer Bhai entered with Neha Di by his side. His usual calm demeanor faltered as he took in the somber atmosphere.
"Dad," he said cautiously, his voice laced with concern. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"
Dad simply shook his head. "We'll talk when Arjun and Kavya arrive."
Veer Bhai glanced at Neha Di, who was already reading the room, her eyes darting between Vikram Bhaiya and me. She whispered something to Vikram Bhaiya, but he only shrugged, his jaw tight.
I barely registered any of it. My mind was somewhere else—stuck on a face I'd never seen, a laugh I'd never heard, and a name that was never spoken.
Another creak of the door. Arjun Bhaiya and Kavya Di stepped in, their expressions shifting from surprise to concern as they saw us all gathered.