The Monster Brother
603 Words
Over the next few months...
One thing became very clear.
Hania Khan and Eshaan Singh could not spend five minutes together without arguing.
"Hani, come over!" Shanya shouted from outside the Khan house one Saturday morning.
Hania ran outside carrying a cricket bat.
"Let's go!"
The two girls started walking toward the Singh house when Hania suddenly stopped.
"Wait."
"What?"
"Your brother isn't home, right?"
Shanya immediately burst out laughing.
"Why?"
"Because I want a peaceful day."
"Hania!"
"I'm serious."
The moment they entered the Singh house, Hania looked around suspiciously.
Living room.
Dining room.
Garden.
No sign of Eshaan.
She sighed in relief.
"Thank God."
Unfortunately...
At that exact moment, a voice came from behind.
"Looking for someone?"
Hania froze.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
She turned around.
Eshaan was standing there holding a book.
Her eyes widened.
"You!"
Eshaan looked amused.
"Me."
Shanya immediately disappeared before the battle could begin.
A smart decision.
"Hania."
"What?"
"Did you climb any more mango trees this week?"
"No."
"Good."
"I climbed an apple tree."
Eshaan blinked.
"You what?"
"It was shorter."
For a few seconds, he simply stared at her.
Then he rubbed his forehead.
"You are impossible."
"And you're boring."
"Still?"
"Always."
A few days later...
The neighborhood children gathered in a nearby field for a cricket match.
As usual, Hania was the loudest.
"I'll bat first!"
"No fair!"
"You cheated!"
"That was out!"
"No it wasn't!"
Everyone was used to her arguments.
Including Eshaan, who happened to be passing by.
He stopped for a moment and watched.
Hania hit the ball.
It flew beautifully across the field.
Unfortunately...
It also flew directly into a muddy puddle.
The children groaned.
Hania laughed.
"That's still six runs."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"YES!"
The argument lasted ten minutes.
That evening...
The Khan family visited the Singh house for dinner.
As soon as Hania entered, Colonel Arvind smiled.
"Ah, the brave mango thief has arrived."
Hania groaned.
"Not you too, Uncle."
Everyone laughed.
Even Isha Aunty.
Only Eshaan looked innocent.
Which immediately made Hania suspicious.
Very suspicious.
During dinner, she discovered why.
Someone had written a small note and secretly placed it beside her plate.
Property of the Mango Thief Association.
Hania's eyes narrowed.
She looked directly at Eshaan.
He calmly continued eating.
Shanya was already laughing.
"YOU!"
Eshaan looked up.
"Me?"
"You wrote this."
"Can you prove it?"
Hania gasped dramatically.
"Criminal."
Colonel Arvind nearly choked on his food from laughing.
Later that night, while walking home with her parents, Hania kicked a small stone along the road.
Imran smiled.
"What's bothering you?"
"Nothing."
"Really?"
Hania crossed her arms.
"That monster brother of Shanya."
Imran laughed.
"Eshaan?"
"Yes."
"What did he do now?"
"He keeps teasing me."
Her father chuckled.
"I think he likes annoying you."
"Well, I don't like him."
"Why?"
"He's too strict."
"Anything else?"
"Too serious."
"Hmm."
"And too tall."
Imran blinked.
"Too tall?"
"Yes."
"It's irritating."
Her father laughed so hard that even Naila couldn't hide her smile.
The next day...
Hania and Shanya sat beneath a tree during recess.
Shanya was eating chips.
Hania was drawing random cartoons in her notebook.
One cartoon looked suspiciously like Eshaan.
With devil horns.
And a military cap.
Shanya immediately started laughing.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
"That's my brother!"
"No."
"It literally looks like him."
"No."
"Hania."
"Fine."
Shanya laughed even harder.
Underneath the drawing were two words written in bold letters.
Monster Brother.
Neither girl noticed...
Standing a few feet away near the school gate...
Eshaan had arrived to pick up Shanya.
And he had seen the entire drawing.
Every.
Single.
Detail.
Including the devil horns.
- Writer
