He had always thought he was chosen

He had always thought he was chosen. Always thought he was the favored one. But none of it mattered. For he was his sister’s keeper, and she was his life. They weren’t that far apart in age. They had both been born a few minutes apart. Twins. That word came out strangely in his thoughts. Even today. Twins were strange, unusual in this country. Some saw them as an omen of good luck. Some saw them as bad. Some claimed they were unnatural. None of it mattered. Not when he had her. To guard and protect with his life. They were only a few minutes apart. He was the elder of the two. But in personalities, they were worlds apart. He was cautious and careful. He was remembered. She was wild and free, her bubbling joy infectious. But she completed him. He loved her like only a brother could. She was his life.

It was a sunny day. They had been playing around in one of the many lawns in this “city of gardens”. Playing hide and seek. She had hidden well. He couldn’t find her. The canal was lapping nearby. The traffic was loud and obnoxious, as per the usual. He heard the yelping of the dogs. Puppies, by the sound of it. He smiled. And then frowned. She was probably there. But why were they yelping. There was an ache in his chest as he traced and drew closer to the sound. A few trees. A few boys standing around them, laughing. The puppies yelping behind one in the middle. Then he heard it. His blood boiled. Her voice. Pleading. They kept laughing. He drew closer. She was standing in front of one of the biggest boys. He had a stick in his hand and kept poking them with it. There were three. Two brown. One white. Their eyes hadn’t opened yet. But they could feel the pain. A smack. He couldn’t believe it. He could. But no one else seemed to register what had happened for a few seconds. The boy held a hand up to his cheek, dazed. He drew it slowly, put it in front of his face, and looked at it. The cheek was red, the trace of the slap still on it. He looked around his circle of boys. If he didn’t do anything now- there was a snigger from one of them, he couldn’t tell who- if he didn’t do anything now, he would lose all value in their eyes. He made towards Fatimah menacingly. Azazil cried out. They ignored him. She looked at him, winked, and began to run.  They chased her. He chased them. Ran and ran they did. It was evening. The big boy was panting. Azazil was panting. They were by the marketplace. The leader stopped and told them to stop. He said something. They laughed. Azazil kept searching. Then he saw her. By the orange hues of the sky, she was standing by a stall. He called her name. She turned. Smiled at him. Boom. The explosion shattered everything. He had a scar on his face that would never go away. The scar in his heart though, that would never even fade.