By Ashwini Jayashri

Thiruvananthapuram, July 12, 2019: I am Ashwini, 23 years old settled in Thiruvananthapuram with my parents, elder brother, twin sister and two dogs.

Being a twin has both advantages and disadvantages. But I think I am lucky and blessed to be born a twin.

It is an advantage because even my parents get confused between my sister Aishwarya and me. At time I get things meant for her such as chocolate and other eatables.

I am lucky because my twin is my closest friend. In fact, I don’t have many friends. She is always with me whenever I need any help.

We both studied in the same school and college so we had the same friends. After some betrayals we have practically none left as friends. But we make up for them with our own friendship. In a way it is good not to have many friends because we have no commitment towards anyone. So cool, you see.

Although we studied in the same school we were in different divisions. The school had many other twins as students at that time. They all wanted to sit in the same division with their twins.

We didn’t want to be together. It was mainly because one of us would start crying if a teacher scolds the other. I don’t like anyone hurting my sister. Only I have that right to scold or fight with her. This is the same for my sister too. So, the teachers realized the best solution is to keep us in separate divisions.

We don’t wear the same matching dress when we go out because we don’t like people noticing us. We like to be invisible.

I am also quite possessive about her. At house, if anyone scolds her or shouts at her I will start screaming without knowing the reason.

But the irony is that it is I who hurt her most saying bad things. She is a sweet hearted person and I am not. She is a girl with positive vibes but I am not.

But I love her so much. If I want to thank God for anything in my life it will be for giving her as my sister.

I call her baby and she calls me mummy. I don’t know why she does that but she is my baby forever. And I don’t know what I will do if she goes away from me after marriage. I can’t even imagine a day without her.

I am a lazy pig because she makes me lazy. I want to say sorry to her for hurting her often. I want to say that I love you.

When we were kids my sister used to do some pranks on my brother and they would start fighting. Father would come and punish me mistaking me for Aishwarya. Later, he would apologize to me and that was the cutest thing.

But I miss those days when our Amma took us out to buy dress and other things.

Actually I don’t remember much from childhood. Now that we are grown up our preferences have changed. Still we love each other.

I don’t feel that she is my twin or another person. I am her and she is me, we both are one person in mind but different in body.

I do not consider her as another person. She is my shadow and I am hers. She is always with me and I love her more than anything in the world.