Chapter 3: The Many Colors of Life

Prickling silence echoed in the corners of the Parekh Mansion with a menacing stillness. All was silent. Too silent to be real. And then... Crack... thump! A low yelp was followed. Then a strangulating noise was heard. 

"Baa, please!" Ishaani 's quivering voice answered, hardly able to break the series of the whiplashes tormenting her friend. "Don't do this, please. It wasn't his fault!" It was hers. Maybe Gauri's fault. Maybe Pranav's fault. Not Ranveer's. 

But her voice was too little to be heard amidst the bestial lashes of the brutal whisk gashing his back. The whip refused to recede in numbers as Baa's experienced hands continued their job. Ishaani 's eyes helplessly remained fixed at Ranveer. She couldn't even close them to avoid being the witness of his torment, for his low voice still reached her. 

"Don't tell her anything," Ranveer had said before he was dragged in front of the old woman for the overdue and promised punishment of two days. Ishaani 's requests were proven powerless against the tenacious determination of two people blind in their pledge. One in her cruelty and another in his loyalty. 

It felt like the rest house around them had frozen to a certain degree, forbidding even a single soul to stir. Ishaani spoke again, motioning herself toward him, but a firm grip around her wrist prevented her from moving. She looked back. Falguni held her hand, and glared at her. 

"Maa, let me go, please!" Ishaani said, but to no avail. Falguni tightened her grip, riveting her on her place. 

"Stay quiet!" she whispered.

Ishaani stared on helplessly, as she saw Baa torment Ranveer and eviscerate the life out of him until everything felt helpless. She saw her cousins who shook their heads in disapproval.

It wasn't until a voice echoed out which suddenly placated Baa's hostility, her hand hanging midair. All eyes turned to the voice and there stood Ishaani's father, Harshad Parekh. His gaze followed everyone, his eyes secretly scoffing the cowardice and cruelty of the people gathered. 

"What's all this, Baa?" he said. "And, Ranveer, what are you doing? Falguni? What on earth is going on here?" He glanced at every face and Ishaani rushed to help Ranveer stand at his feet. Devarsh and Pratiek supported him along. "Baa, I told you not to do any of this anymore!" Harshad Parekh's voice frayed the little courage Baa pretended to express through her eyes and then cleared her throat.

"Harshad," she spoke, her voice laced with disdain, "your love for this servant will destroy you one day! They can never be loyal to anyone. Not me. Not you. No one! Mark my words."

Harshad ignored Baa's statement and gesticulated Devarsh and Pratiek to carry Ranveer in his room before he left for his own. Ishaani walked by Ranveer's side, letting no one else take her place as they scuffled together towards the servant quarters. Ishaani noticed a trickle of blood oozed out of Ranveer's forehead and a red mark burned right above his jaw line. Ishaani hissed at the sight but remained silent for the rest of the journey. Little late did she realize Ranveer's father had followed them as well, his head bowed low.

Ishaani turned back and looked at the old man. "Kaka, I'll get some ointment for Ranveer," she said, unable to look him in the eyes.

"No, Ishaani ," Kailash said. "I'll manage it for him. Don't worry."

Without looking up, Ishaani nodded and left, her heart heavy. 

Ranveer eyed his father who showed no sign of emotions. Then slowly, it darkened with a slight hint of worry. 

"Baba, it... was... just..." Ranveer stuttered but fell silent at the helpless look on his father's face.

"Why don't you get it, Ranveer?" his father said, his voice too low for Ranveer to comfort after the dreadful morning hours. It was the third time this month he had been the victim of Baa's cruelty for having done nothing but trying to protect the kids of the family, this time the object being Ishaani .

Ranveer lowered his head and stared out of the rickety window frame, revealing the bright afternoon sun.

"You remember Raghav?" his father asked and Ranveer could sense a little change in his father's tone that was far from anger. And when Ranveer did not look back, he continued. "He'd been working here for last 12 years, but was humiliated and fired for something as simple as the sweets costing only 1200 rupees before Gauri's marriage."

Ranveer suddenly glanced back, the tone of his father's voice capturing his attention, but did not say anything. The cue was enough for his father to continue.

"Their donated clothes do not make you a big man, Ranveer. Nor does Mota Bhai valuing you over everyone else among us. Half the kids of this family don't even know the names of our children. And most people here still regard me as the driver of this family." A sad chuckle left Kailash's lips and he sighed. Now, when he returned back to the present, he realized Ranveer was already looking at him.

"It's not bad trying to help your friend, but we have seen the world, Ranveer, and it's not pretty. One day they will crush you, not because they are strong, but because you aren't as strong as them. Emotions are petty. They make you do everything you must not."

Ranveer still stared at his father, wordlessly, unsure to form any words and then nodded.

Without waiting for any answer from Ranveer, his father stood up and pulled out the bowl of the aloe gel from the drawer and mixed it with a little amount of honey before the ointment was ready.

"It will hurt a little, alright? Just bear with me, Ranveer. Your mother always applied it on the wounds to cure them quickly."

Ranveer nodded. But before his father said anything, a knock at the door interrupted him. Over there, stood Ishaani , her eyes teary and pleading.

"Kaka," she said and trudged inside the room, not glancing at Ranveer. "Papa wanted to see you. It's urgent." She looked at Ranveer and continued. 

"Don't worry. I'll look after him."

"Alright, Ishaani ." Kailash smiled weakly and left, leaving the two friends in solitude.

Ishaani eyed Ranveer, unblinking, and gulped. He could see she struggled with her desire to scold him but remained silent, tears speaking the rest for her. Ranveer adjusted himself up and wiped her tears as she sat beside him.

"I'm fine, Ishaani . Look? I'm alright." He tried to sound cheerful, but his low voice was the answer to his suppressed pain. Ishaani refused to look up, tears still wedging out of her eyes.

"I'll apply the ointment on your back," she said, as though she was jolted into reality. She hurried to the table Kailash had placed the bowl, and fetched it to the bed.

"No, no, Ishaani . I will do it myself!" Ranveer almost shrieked and Ishaani twitched her eyebrow in question.

"I'm not a monster," she emphasized. "You had no problem until Baa thrashed you for 20 whole minutes, right? It's now all your morals come into picture, isn't it?" Ishaani huffed and shook her head before she began applying the ointment, slowly. Ranveer hissed at the sensation but remained silent until Ishaani was finished. "Now, don't you dare getting out of this room until you are completely fine, alright?"

Ranveer shrugged his shoulders. "Unless you want me to get fired, I won't. Surely."

"I'll talk to Papa. He'll understand, and anyway, you've been working overtime due to marriage preparations, so you deserve a two days break."

"Hello!" Ranveer tried to sit up but groaned as the injured muscles stretched.

"Look! This? You need to take care of yourself!" Ishaani shouted, her grim figure towering over him while Ranveer recoiled.

"What am I supposed to do when I'm at home anyway?" he said.

"I want to take you somewhere tomorrow. I hope you won't have a problem."

"Hypocrisy much?"

"No, that you won't regret." Ishaani smiled, and a flicker in her eyes gave Ranveer a hint of lurking mischief that she could not hide.

"Alright. But when?"

"You need to take rest for today. I'll let you know when we leave. It's tomorrow anyway, and I need to think something too."

"Think about what?"

Ishaani sighed. "I suppose you should take rest. Papa lectured Baa. Maybe she'll come to apologize to you in a while."

"No, no. It's all fine..."

"Papa asked her to, Ranveer. Not I."

Ranveer stayed silent.

"It hurts still." Ishaani took a final look at his back as her eyes relapsed back to being teary.

"No, I'm fine. Baa's whips aren't new and I'm more than used to them now. Thankfully the bruises aren't deep this time."

"Didn't you feel afraid? Suffering for no fault of yours?"

Ranveer shook his head. "When you can fight for me with Baa. When you can go against Falguni Maa for my sake, why should I be afraid of ever doing anything for you?"

"What I do for you is different, Ranveer. Baa doesn't go on torturing me for standing up for you. Maa doesn't misunderstand our friendship like society does. But what you do for me gives you these." She ran an imaginary outline over one of the injured texture of his back. "And do you even know what people often talk about you?"

"Ishaani ," Ranveer said, smiling as he felt his spirit lift up. This was what she always did: make him happy. "The people around us don't matter, do they? We're here for Mota Babuji. Both of us. Your love and my loyalty. It's with him only. Why should we bother what others think of our friendship or our love for him?"

Ishaani smiled, briefly surprised by the tears on her face that Ranveer gently wiped away. "As long as it concerns you and Mota Babuji, I will do anything to protect you both. Anything." There was an impetus determination in his tone that made Ishaani withdraw a little as she stared at him, shocked.

She shook her head and laughed slowly, making Ranveer snap into reality. He blushed as Ishaani smiled at him. "You are crazy!" she said, uttering her usual mantra before she marched away.

The sun had gone down and Ranveer still struggled with the ache in his back. At times the pain grew unbearable as he moved. Ranveer tried to get to his feet, his eyes wandering from one corner to another in hope to find something suitable to engage himself into but to no avail. His father still had long hours to return, for Harshad Parekh had left for another town and would return late at night. Slowly, Ranveer stood up, stifling an anguished whimper and walked towards the window, thankful the wounds didn't hurt too much anymore – or he was used to them. A ruffled pattern of the glittering stars graced the hazy black sky. There was a silence he loved in these hours of twilight, for they reflected a part of him in weird ways he never bothered to comprehend. The trees hiding away the vista of the sea yielded the view as they gently swayed with the evening breeze, weather little bearable from the last night's rain.

He couldn't help but imagine a life, an impossible dream that visited him awake as he stared out towards the ever flowing water carrying the burden with fierce quietness on its surface. Hadn't the poets and philosophers talked about this quietness in their texts of old?

Philosophy, he realized, as a smile crossed his face. It was very well his very own refugee from the maddening truths of the world and a way to keep himself going on, which connected him to Ishaani . Ishaani . What could the girl be planning? She wouldn't let him know until she was done with it, and he knew better. Not to expect anything from Ishaani Parekh, because her plans mostly ended in disasters. Only if she could see him right now, laughing in his head at her stupidities, he thought, Ishaani would end up becoming another terrifying version of Baa.

However, amidst his thoughts, the phone on the table vibrated and Ranveer looked back. Ma, the realization dawned and the brightest smile crossed his face.

"Ma!"

The voice on the other side giggled at first before it settled into silence.

"Maa? Why are you so silent?"

His mother sighed. "It's been so long we talked, Ranveer, and yet you knew it was me? It's a different STD booth from which I called you today."

Ranveer chuckled. "I don't have to see a name to know it's you. You are my mother."

"How are you?"

"I'm fine," he answered, not wanting to elaborate. The silence answered more questions to his mother than he intended to, for the next question startled him.

"Did Baa say anything?"

"Baa – Baa... no, Ma. She didn't." He tried to sound convincing but the attempt was futile.

"You don't have to tell the truth to let me know you aren't fine, Ranveer," his mother said. Her voice was soothing like the sound of a distant river and Ranveer shook his head, amused.

"Ma, you can't protect your Ranveer from the wrath of the world all the time, right? And don't worry, he isn't weak either... He's a fighter."

A voice, contrary to her laughter – or chuckle – was heard that Ranveer was sure was of her sobs. "Just realized you've grown up too quickly."

"Why do you women keep crying, Ma? Ishaani had the same reaction just a while ago." He chuckled but stopped immediately at the sight of Ishaani at the door who stood there with a bowl in her hand.

"That maybe you will never understand!"

"I'll talk to you later, Maa. Need to go right now." Ranveer disconnected the phone call, and turned his attention towards Ishaani . Ishaani walked in, her steps heavy. She raised an eyebrow and Ranveer gaped at her.

"What?"

"What did you just tell Kaki?"

"It's a personal matter between Maa and me. Keep yourself out of it."

"As long as it concerns me, I won't." She placed the bowl on the table and scowled. "Why is it so messy here, Ranveer? What have you been doing since this afternoon? Last time I left, the room was in better state!"

"I was getting bored!"

"So you threw everything out?"

"No, tried to find something useful to do."

"Anyway," she said, her tone serious, "Ranveer, you shouldn't have lied to Kaki. It's not good."

Ranveer could see a twinge of guilt colour her eyes and he struggled to keep himself steady. "Ishaani , it's alright. Maa will overreact if she ever finds out about these incidents. It's better she knows as little of these things as possible."

"You know, you should ask her to stay here, Ranveer. It's been too long you met Kaki."

Ranveer nodded. "Maa says she has some issues in the business running at home. Last time when Baba went there, he tried to help. But she can't leave home right now. Also, there's the case of the land. Maa has to attend the hearings too."

Ishaani moved towards Ranveer and took him in a gentle embrace, trying not to hurt him as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. A sigh left her lips while Ranveer was as stunned as he was minutes ago at her sudden appearance in his room. In a moment Ishaani separated away, her eyes teary. Looking at him she wiped the wet traces from her face and smiled.

"Ice-cream that I brought for you is melting, Ranveer." She smiled.

Long after Ishaani had left Ranveer remained awake, unsettling thoughts scanting away as he remembered the events since morning. The suffocating heat of July began to creep in as the evening descended into the quietness of the night. He couldn't sleep. There was still time for Baba to return home, and he had prepared the dinner enough for the two people. It would only be a few more moments when his father would arrive.

The night wore on, revealing a man whom the world refused to see, or possibly, he concealed the part meticulously in his everyday attempts to go on. If Ishaani saw him now, perhaps she wouldn't joke with him tomorrow. For this was not her best friend that she witnessed every day and sought his shoulder to cry on. This was the man who loved her dearly and as intensely as a woman would desire to be loved. The agitation of a day before had subsided, and left in its wake a soul that was ready to face another day.

Ranveer looked at the open box that kept the relics of his and Ishaani 's fifteen years old friendship, and smiled. The realization made him twitch his lips in a wider smile. Fifteen years. Her bag which she carried her school the very first day and had refused to enter the class unless he agreed to come along her to the class, stared at him warmly. He still remembered her question. "Why? Why can't you accompany me, Ranveer?"

"I can't," he had answered in the most obvious way, and there were tears in her eyes. She shook her head.

"Please?"

Her stubbornness had led him to her classroom as the teachers were obliged to follow the instructions of Ishaani Parekh, the daughter of the renowned Mr. Harshad Parekh.

The day had been the most embarrassing one of Ranveer's life. It wasn't until the next one week that the lecture from her father had appeased her misery and Ishaani had let him go. Ranveer smiled at the thought of how fast the time seemed to fly away.

The small box stored their hundreds of precious memories. How much of them Ishaani remembered today, though, he wondered. They were all the souvenirs of their smallest moments that meant the world to him, consoling him in the bleak hours like this. The hours when he would ultimately fall too weak to remain strong anymore.

She wasn't meant to be his. Ever.

However true, the fact never stopped stinging, prickling, and tormenting. But wasn't it how his story was meant to be? The memories would suffice for this lifetime and he would find a way to go on in the future.

Little was he aware of the turn his fate was going to take.