In this way, Babli would often tease and trouble Deepu with her pranks.
One day Deepu thought that the root-cause of all his troubles was Babli. “Had she not been in this house, I would not have to share anything with anybody. Mummy and daddy would have loved only me.”
“Bhaiya, where are you lost?” asked Babli. “Mother has been calling you for long time!”
“Deepu, here take the money and the bag and bring potatoes from the market,” said mother.
“Mummy, why don’t you ask Babli to bring it,” said Deepu.
“She is too small to go for shopping,” argued Mother.
Deepu went to the market. On the way, he was thinking that Mother also took sides with Babli.
Deepu’s resentment against Babli grew with each passing day. One day he tore off a page of her notebook in anger. When Babli saw her notebook, she felt very bad. Though she knew that Deepu must have done this, she did not complain against him to her parents.
One day Deepu got fully drenched in the rain while coming home from school. By the evening, he had developed high fever.
The doctor came home and gave him some medicines. That night, Babli sat beside Deepu. She kept putting cold strips on his forehead from time to time.
“Go and get some sleep,” said Mother. But Babli refused to get to her bed. “I am all right, Mother,” she said. She did not to go her room to get some sleep. Babli stayed there to pray to God, for his brother to get well soon.
Deepu’s head had been aching terribly. Babli applied some balm on his forehead and massaged it with her tender hands. Deepu felt very guilty over his past behavior.
“How are you now, Bhaiya?” asked Babli lovingly.
“I am sorry, my dear loving sister. I was so wrong in thinking ill of you,” said Deepu in choked voice.
“Bhaiya is well now. Mummy, come and see… Bhaiya is all right now,” Babli called out to her parents.
Her parents came rushing hearing her voice.
“How nice my sister is! I will never hurt her. I will do everything possible to make her happy,” decided Deepu. He felt relieved and light at heart.