HOPE

Rucha sen was an innocent and beautiful girl and she belongs to a middle-class family. She was a kind-hearted person who was always ready to help others. She was quite frank with her family members but there was a person in her life whom she loves the most and she can do anything for that person. She was in college pursuing graduation in commerce. She lived in a rented house with her family. Apart from her parents, Mr.Sen and Mrs.Sen, she has a younger brother, Ashley Sen who was in 8th grade. Her mother was a housewife and her father works as a salesman in a company.

On Sunday morning, Rucha was in her room. She was drying her hair with a towel because she had just come out of the washroom after taking a shower. She was busy drying her hair as her back was facing the bed and she didn't notice that someone entered her room and jumped on the bed causing a thud noise which drew Rucha's attention towards the bed. She turns back to look and a wide smile crept on her face looking at the person.

"Hey Monkey, what are you doing in my room?"

Rucha asked as she walked towards the bed but didn't get any response from the person lying on the bed.

"Get up and freshen up or else you will get the scolding of Dad and that too in the morning..."

Rucha said as she snatched the comforter from him.

"Please! Ru, let me sleep for just five minutes... "

Ashley pleaded to her sister as he snatched the comforter from her, and covered himself.

"Okay, but only five minutes..."

Rucha said and then walked out. As she moved out of her room, a strong aroma hit her nostrils making her eyes shut to feel that aroma. She opened her eyes and walked towards the kitchen and found that her mother was busy cooking breakfast.

"Mom, what is for breakfast? today..."

Rucha asked her mother as she sat on the kitchen counter.

"Scrambled egg with Sandwiches..."

Mrs.Sen ( Rucha's mother) answered her with a smile.

" Woah!!! Sounds so yummy and by the way, did dad eat breakfast?"

Rucha asked and her mother nodded her head in yes.

" Where is that little brat? Did he wake up or still sleeping ?"

"He is in my room. I will go and wake him up till then you serve the food and don't forget my milk without sugar..."

Rucha got down from the counter and left the kitchen.

When Rucha entered her room, her brother was still sleeping and was curled up like a ball. She snatched the comforter from him.

"Your five minutes are over, Ash..."

Rucha said and tried to drag him from the bed but Ashley did not want to go break his sweet sleep.

" I will get up in one condition and that is you have to piggyback me from the room to the bathroom..."

Ashley demanded in a sleepy tone as he sat on the bed running his eyes.

" Such a lazy pig..."

Rucha chuckled at his demand and then she carried her brother on her back and left him near the door of the washroom then she took a sigh of relief and went back to the kitchen. She ate her breakfast with her mother and in the meantime, Ashley also joined them in the breakfast.

After completing their breakfast, Rucha took the responsibility of cleaning the dishes and asked her brother to assist him. Rucha and Ashley always helped her mother with the household chores. Mr. Sen and Mrs.Sen were in her room.

" Ash, clean the kitchen counter and cooktop properly, or else I will delete all the games that you have downloaded on my phone..."

Rucha commented in a bossy tone.

" How cruel you are? You are torturing a little sweet boy..."

Ashley spoke and made pitiful face with a fake cry.

" Oh please! stop your melodrama and do your work. Use your tactics on others who don't know you but not on me..."

Saying that Rucha moved outside the kitchen then she cleaned her room and settled all the things in the proper place.

After eating dinner, Rucha moved to her room and sat on the bed. She plugged her earphones and played the BTS playlist and started doing her assignment. In meantime, Ashley entered the room and out of the blue, he took out the earphones from her ears which made Rucha a little startled.

" You idiot! give me my earphones back..."

Rucha said and hit him on his shoulder. Rucha hates when someone disturbs her during her work.

" Did you forget what you told me in the morning? Ru..."

" What ??" asked Rucha.

" Let me tell you it's my time to use the

phone..."

" No, I won't give you because I have to complete my assignments with the help of a phone..."

Rucha stated and took back her phone from him. Ashley made a puppy face and clung with her arm.

"Please!", pleaded Ashley. Looking at his puppy face, Rucha gave up her emotion and gave her phone to him.

"Ok you play your game quietly, till then I will study something else and don't dare to disturb me .", said Rucha. She took a book from the bag and laid her head on Ashley's lap whereas Ashely was fully engrossed on the phone.

The next morning, Rucha got up early in the morning and did her daily routine then she packed her books in the bag. She was ready for college and she moved out of the room and found that Ashley was standing at the door and was dressed up in the school uniform. She then bid goodbye to her parents and moved out of the house with Ashley. They walked on the footpath, Ashley grabbed Rucha's bag and handed his bag to her.

" Ash, what is your problem with your bag? why are you always after my bag like an eagle looking for his prey?"

Rucha asked with an irritated look.

" Ru, You know that your bag is so light as compared to mine..."

Ashley said and showed a wide smile, it's his trick of getting his work done from his sister.

Rucha slightly hit him on the back of his head and Ashley started chasing her for hitting him but she was faster than him and reached school all the way running behind her sister but unable to catch her. They reached the school door, both were panting heavily as they covered all the distance by running.

" Ok now give me my bag back..."

Ashley passed the bag to her and took his bag from him. Rucha kissed his cheeks and slightly pushed him towards the gate.

" How many times do I have to tell you not to kiss me. I am not a kid anymore..."

Ashley complained while rubbing his hands on his cheeks.

" But for me, you will always be a kid, my monkey..."

Rucha replied with a bright smile and moved towards the direction of the bus stop.

Ashley's school was on Rucha 's way to college and every day she left him first and then took the bus to her college.

After reaching the college, she submitted her assignments to the class teacher and then went to her classroom and sat in the class on the last bench.

In the meantime, the teacher came into the class and started delivering the lecture. The teacher made an announcement, "Those students who haven't submitted the assignments will do it within two days and after one week your final exams will be held. You all will get hold notice of the exams soon. So don't waste your time and study hard.", and the class was over and the teacher left the class.

When all the lectures were over, Rucha moved out of the classroom as she was walking towards the direction of the ground, she passed by the classroom, and her attention was grabbed by a voice.

" Rucha sis..."

A girl called her who was sitting alone in the classroom.

"Hey, Olivia..."

Rucha said as she entered the classroom

"How are you? "asked Olivia.

"Fantastic as always..." said Rucha with a smile.

"What about you??", asked Rucha as she sat next to her.

"Struggling with Accounts", said Olivia, making a sad face and buried her face in the books. Rucha chuckled at her expression.

"Maybe I can help", said Rucha and then helped Olivia with the subject and cleared her doubts.

"Thanks, sis, you solved my problem and I appreciate your teaching."Olivia compliments her.

"Stop it, Olivia, you are making me embarrassed now.", said Rucha with a little smile on her face.

Both left the classroom and then a car came to pick Olivia, she bid goodbye to her, and then Rucha walked towards the bus station and took a bus for her home.

Rucha and Ashley were sitting at the dining table because it was time for dinner and her mother was in the kitchen and then after some time, her mother served them food.

"Won't Dad come to eat.", asked Rucha to her mother.

" He will be there in a moment.", said Mrs.Sen.

Ashley was continuously blabbering while eating and Rucha just nodded her head.

"Ru are you even listening to me.", asked Ashley with being a little louder as he noticed that her sister was least interested in his talks, and at the same time their father came from the room.

" Ashley, how many times do I have to tell you not to talk while eating.", said Mr.Sen in a serious tone.

Ashley becomes quiet after getting scolded by his father. Rucha suppressed her lips to control laughing when she looked at Ashley's expression. Then they eat their dinner in silence and went back to their rooms.

Rucha sat on the bed and took out a diary from her bag. As she was about to write in her diary, Ashley barged into the room holding books in his hands with a sullen face.

"What happened? Ash", asked Rucha as she noticed his sullen face.

But instead of saying anything, he opened his books in front of her and gestured to her to teach him. Then Rucha helps him with his studies and Ashley listens to her sister like an obedient child. After some time, Ashley got tired and slept beside Rucha.

Then Rucha collected all the books and kept them on the table. She pulled the comforter over him properly and kissed his forehead. She feels her throat getting dried so she moved out of the room to fetch the water from the kitchen.

As she was walking towards the kitchen, she saw that her father was in the kitchen and was talking to someone on the phone with a low voice but loud enough for Rucha.

"Give me some time, I will pay the rent soon. I told you there is some financial problem in my family. I always pay the rent on time and this is the first time that I am not paying you on time.", said Mr.Sen to the person on the phone.

Rucha hides behind the wall and she hears all the conversations of his father. She was startled by the conversation. At that moment, she lost her thirst and returned to her room.

She quietly sat on the bed and her eyes fell on her brother who was peacefully sleeping and a smile crept on her face. She then got down from the bed and walked towards the window.

" God, I can't see my Dad in any kind of tension and I also have to pay the next semester fee. But I can't tell Dad, he is already worried about the rent. I wish I could get a job so that I can at least look after my studies' expenditures. But who will give a job to an undergraduate student like me?', Rucha was talking to herself by looking at the beautiful sky which was covered with shining and twinkling stars.

She then took a deep breath and moved towards the bed and slipped herself under the comforter and switched off the lights.

She tried to sleep but sleep was nowhere to be found in her eyes. But after tossing and turning for a while, she finally slept.

The next day, as usual, Rucha dropped her brother at school and then took a bus for her college. After attending the lectures, she headed towards the ground and sat on the bench. She took her diary and started writing on it. She was so engrossed in writing that she didn't notice the presence of someone sitting beside her on the bench.

"Godddd, you scared the hell out of me.", said Rucha placing her hand on the chest as she suddenly notices the presence of Olivia.

" Sorry", said Olivia while controlling her laughter.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you want to go home, today?", asked Rucha casually.

" I was going to but then my eyes fell upon you so thought of talking to you.", said Olivia with a smile.

"So tell me, what do you want to talk to me.", asked Rucha while keeping her diary in the bag and keeping it aside.

"First, you tell me, Is something bothering you?", asked Olivia.

" And why do you think so?", said Rucha with a chuckle.

"Because there are dark circles on your face and it means you didn't sleep. So there must be something which becomes the cause of your dark circles.", said Olivia with a concerned look.

" Well, I appreciate your observations. But I am absolutely fine and you don't need to worry about that.", said Rucha with a smile.

"Look sis, you can share with me. I am good at keeping secrets.", said Olivia and whispered the last words in her ears and Rucha laughed at her act.

" I told you, Olivia. There is nothing to worry about.", said Rucha and tried to convince her.

"You are right. Why would I worry about you? You are no one to me, not my sister, not my family. I am just your junior.", said Olivia with a gloomy look.

" Now you are blackmailing me.", said Rucha with a smile.

"Then please share with me. Maybe I can help you.", said Olivia with excitement.

With Olivia's continuous insisting, Rucha then took a deep breath and explained her whole matter about Rent and Job matter. Then they walked towards the main gate.

" Don't worry sis, everything will be fine.", said Olivia.

"I hope it will.", said Rucha. Then a car came to pick Olivia, she bid goodbye to Rucha and got inside the car then Rucha also left from there.