Twins

My sister and I have repeatedly been told how alike we look. A few have also told us how different we look, astounded that we are sisters. The former is more usual, though, and two instances stand out.

As children, a gentleman came up to us. “Excuse me, but are you twins?”

Taught never to talk to strangers, we were on the defensive. “Um… No…”

The gentleman laughed, embarrassed. “You see, my wife and I see you from our balcony everyday, and we’ve been wondering…”

We found the episode more than a little weird, but there was another more recent and more direct incident that made us laugh out loud.

Particularly when we are dressed similarly, people are struck by the resemblance. At a wedding a few years ago, we were both decked up in saris. A small girl, probably about four years old, was staring at us. After gazing at us unblinkingly for a few seconds, she pulled her mother by the arm and pointed up to us, “Mamma, look, two same faces!”