Mirror Mirror !

I have noticed something in people. They usually imitate others. They emulate their peers, elders, preferred celebrities, characters they read about and what they see. They take away tiny little parts from others and make it their own. A plethora of gathered fractions adulterated within and passed on as self. Mundane yet prolific. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some would say it’s a beautiful process. Grudgingly, I agree. For, I am a produce of it.

The more I muse, the more I get tangled in the web of people in my life. I recall the words, the music, the thoughts of others which I have pulled in and retained. While there are some, one stands out. The one who has my unapologetic acquiescent. Even though I fought with her constantly, still do, I wanted to be just like her, still do. I try to capture every little gesture that comes out of her being and showcase to the humanity, her very nature as my own. Even as a child, in the middle of a massive row, I was in awe of her. The way she spoke, dressed, thought and smiled. The way she held her book and quietly read those fascinating tales and the way she swayed to the melodies. The way she was always nice to everyone and the way she loved our parents. A beautiful girl with a beautiful soul. 

As of now, our relationship has endured an evolution from pitiful callowness to serene maturity, more or less. From screaming at each other likes banshees to sitting together and discussing our woes, we have found a common cushy ground. For me, my sister has always been an amalgamation of strict and fun. I am scared of her and at the same time, I am deliriously happy when I am with her. I would still hide contrabands from her but I would end up telling her everything within a couple of days or seconds maybe. She still reprimands me when I do something wrong and I still cry while yelling that I am no longer a child. She still treats me like one. I let her. I won’t have it any other way.  

Picking each other’s brains as well as picking on each other are two sides of the same coin when it comes us. I love the way her mind works and I can proudly say that my sister is one of the most smartest and creative persons that I know. Everything she does, she does it with an ease and grace like no other. Even the way she cooks is precise. She is chic and speaks her mind. She is immensely practical and at the same time overtly emotional. She cries at the drop of the hat but stands her ground for values she believes in. She is homely yet massively independent. She loves genuinely but has a hard time showing that to people. She is intelligent and gorgeous but has no airs about those. She is a little messy sometimes but her thoughts aren’t. She can do anything and everything if she puts her mind to it. 

She taught me how to ride a bike and the periodic table. She showed me how to use the computer and bought me my first smartphone. She gave me all her clothes and told me how to dress properly.  She used to pick me up from my school when there was no one around and drop me to my tuitions too.  Whenever she used to go out with her friends, she used to bring me back the best dish she had. Books, movies, series, music and all that I love is all her. She pushed me to study hard, to sing, to write and to do all the things which I could. She is after all, all I am. 

At this point my hands falter. Even though I can keep on writing but I know that my prose would fail me. The most precious are the most difficult to pen down. However, before I implore defeat, I would say one last thing – “My imitation of her is almost as venerated as she is. For why should you not pastiche the pure?“