Chapter 30

Part 31- Holi Hai!!
N: Manthan, really! I have a lot of chemistry home work to do! I have 3 assignments to finish and I have physics…

     Nisha and Manthan were walked towards Shantineketan. After Nisha's continual refusal, Manthan had still decided that Nisha would play Holi with the Virani parivar. However, Nisha hadn't given up at all. She had been talking non-stop about her homework since they got off Manthan's bike.

N: And I have to do this project for-
Manthan turned around so fast that Nisha was taken aback.
M: (Plcing a finger on Nisha's lips) There is no homework, assignments, tests, projects or anything to do with college today, ok? Today is Holi, Nisha! Lighten up a bit!
N: (Biting her lip) Yeah, I guess…
M: Good, come on, I'll get changed and you meet me by the pool ok? I'll call Eklavya bhaiya and Isha here to, alright?

     "That won't be necessary, bhaiya. We're already here!" Eklavya and Isha appeared behind Manthan and Nisha.

M: Perfect, timing, Eklavya! Ok, you girls go change and we'll meet you by the pool

     After they were in Archita's bedroom, Archita, Nisha, Isha and KT changed into white clothes. Isha and Nisha looked completely identical except for the fact that Nisha was wearing a white salwar kurta while Isha was wearing white pants and a white top.

A: Ok, listen up, girls. We need to win today's holi water fight!
N: Water fight?
A: It's a tradition in the Virani parivar. We have a huge water fight – girls vs. guys – and whoever wins gets a prize.
I: And what's the prize?
A: Well, if we win, the boys have to do whatever we say and if we lose, which won't happen, then we have to do whatever the guys tell us to do.
N: That's so childish, I can't –
I: Di, you're playing Holi no matter what you say! You can't back away or else I will tell Manthan –
N: Ok, ok, I 'll play! So what do we have to do to win?
KT: See here(points to a bucket) we have 5 buckets full of water ballons and so do the guys. We also have rang and water guns. Whoever finishes their supplies by using on the opposing team the fastest, wins.
N: Do I really have to do this, Isha?
I: (Sarcastically) Of course not, di! I'll just go and tell Mant-
N: No, I play! Ok? Happy?

     Isha smiled at her sister. They hadn't played holi since they were little kids. Now after all these years, Isha knew her sister was scared of the idea of Holi.

A: Ok then, let's meet them at the poolside.

     After they arrived at the poolside, Isha saw Eklavya, Manthan, and Joydeep waiting for them at the poolside also dressed in white. There was something wrong here, KT thought. Where was Lakshya?

M: Kitni dhair laga di! We sent you to change not to gossip!
KT: (whispering to Archita and Isha) something's fishy…Lakshya not here.
I: Manthan, apki pyaari si dost, Nisha, didn't want to play Holi! So we were persuading her to come.
M: Really? Nisha didn't I tell you I have to get revenge on you?
N: We'll see who gets revenge on whom…

     KT walked over to the pool side beside Joydeep.

KT: Joydeep, yeh Lakshya nahin nazaar aa-AHHHHH

     KT couldn't finish her sentence as Lakshya suddenly appearing from inside the pool came and pulled KT's hand to make her fall into the pool with him.

KT: Lakshya!!
L: HOLI HAI!!

     Lakshya swam away from her and got out from the pool. KT followed him, perfectly sure that she wasn't going to let her team down. As if their little performance had triggered the fact that they were all here to play Holi, everyone grabbed their buckets and water balloons and started throwing it at each other. Nisha, who was standing quietly at the side, trying hard not to be noticed, got hit with a water balloon. She felt her back; it was all wet from the water balloon. She turned around to face a grinning Manthan.

M: Revenge is sweet!
N: Manthan? You wait! Just wait! I'm going to get you back!

     Manthan smiled at himself. Now he had got Nisha in the revenge mode. Now this was going to be fun. Nisha went and grabbed a handful of gulal and threw it at Manthan. Manthan snapping back to reality grabbed another water balloon and slowly walked towards Nisha.

N: No, Manthan. The balloons hurt! Please, Manthan!
Archita: Bhaiya (tapping him on the shoulder from behind)
Manthan (turns around) Kya?
A: Holi hai! (throws a handful of gulal on his shirt)

     Nisha took the opportunity to run away from Manthan again. Manthan was right, revenge was sweet! While Nisha was having fun, Isha was now tired of looking around for Eklavya. She saw Joydeep and asked him if he knew where Eklavya was. Joydeep told her that Eklavya had some emergency conference to go to so he had to go and change. Emergency conference, Isha thought. She ran inside and up the stairs to Eklavya's bedroom. After she knocked several times, nobody replied. She pushed the door open and went in anyway. She was shocked as a hand pulled her in briskly.

E: Emergency conference? You know I wouldn't leave you!
I: So this was a trick? Not fair, Eklavya! That's called cheating!
E: Everything's fair in love and war!

     Isha smiled at him. She had to agree his idea to get her up here was good. She had fallen into his trap. Eklavya extended a hand and got a handful of gulal from a thali on his bed. Isha moved backwards realizing what he was doing.

I: No, Eklavya, don't –

     But it was too late. Eklavya threw the handful of gulal on her and ran out of his room. Isha grabbed the thali when suddenly she saw her reflection on Eklavya's mirror. She reached up and touched her forehead. Eklavya had accidentally filled her mang. Before she met Eklavya, she didn't care that much about rituals and festivals and other things. Now seeing her mang filled somehow brought tears to her eyes. If only her mother had been alive to see her right now…She would have been so happy. Isha quickly wiped away her tears and wiped off the gulal on her mang. She was on her way back downstairs when she heard someone.

I: KT?
KT: Oh! Isha! You scared me!
I: What are you doing here? Holi is downstairs.
KT: I'm going to get Lakshya all wet! Can you do me a favour? Tell Lakshya that I'm is hurt or something.
I: God, Eklavya did the same thing to me! Ok, fine, everything's fair in love and war, I suppose. Ok, I'll tell him.
KT: Thanks!

     Isha went downstairs back to the pool and did as she was told. Sure enough, Lakshya ran inside to see KT. Once he got to KT's door, he knocked twice. Nobody answered. Odd, maybe she was in Archita's room. He was just about to leave when he heard stifled sobs from inside KT's room. KT was crying?

L: KT, open the door! (Knock, knock!) KT!

     Clearly KT wasn't going to open the door. Lakshya backed off a few steps and pushed the door open with all his strength. Once inside he was drenched head to toe in red gulal water. He looked ahead and saw KT giggling. She wasn't crying, she was giggling! As he looked up and saw an empty, tilted bucket, he realized what she had done. She had put the bucket on such an angle that anyone who opened the door would get themselves drenched by the water inside it.
L: KT!
KT: Sorry Lakshya! You pulled me into the swimming pool, I put water on you! Kya kare? Holi hai!

     KT grabbed a thali of gulal and threw it all at Lakshya. As Lakshya stood there stunned, she ran down the staris and back by the poolside. After a long afternoon of playing Holi, everyone was tired and wet. Unfortunately for the girls, the guys had won. They all went to change and bathe. Nisha finished cleaning up the gulal and other rangs first. She looked around Shantiniketan and saw nobody around. Everyone's probably still taking a shower, she thought. She took the towel out of her wet hair and put on a nice pink salwar kameez. Seeing that there was nothing to do, she went by the poolside again. It looked so beautiful outside. The moon was out and its light danced on the water in the pool, making the water glisten. She stood by the edge of the pool and looked up at the moon. She was so lost in deep thought that she didn't notice Manthan come behind her. She turned around.

M: Boo!
N: AHHH!

     Nisha was so shocked by Manthan that she fell right into the pool. The cold water gave her chills.

N: Manthan! I just took a shower!
M: Sorry! It was so tempting. I didn't know you'd get that scared.
N: It's ok…Give me your hand, please
M: (Lean down and give her his hand) Here.

     Nisha grinned mischievously and pulled Manthan into the pool with her. She laughed at him as he stood there shocked.

M: Nisha!
N: Sorry, Manthan! It was tempting!

     Manthan swam after Nisha. Today seemed to be the day of revenge. Once close enough to her he splashed her with a lot of water. "Ahh!" Nisha screamed giggling. She tried to block out the water but couldn't do it as Manthan was splashing so much water. She splashed some water back and swam ahead to the edge of the swimming pool. Once she got there, she realized that she was stuck. She turned around and saw Manthan grinning at her. He advanced closer to her. Nisha couldn't go back anymore; she was on the edge of the pool. Manthan moved until he was a foot away from Nisha. He placed one hand on her right and one on her left.

M: Stuck?

     Manthan looked at Nisha and smiled. He moved a few steps more so their faces were just inches away. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her towards him. Nisha's insides were doing back flips and summersaults and who knows what else. She looked up at him. Manthan put and hand under her chin and raised her head to face him. He leaned his head in and –

Arcita: Bhaiya!! Nisha!! Come on! It's getting late! Holi is done! Come on!!

     Manthan looked back down and smiled at his kismet. He was always so close. He let Nisha go and they both went inside the mansion to change yet again.

This part is tooooo long...So if you don't want to read it all, I understand...

                 Sorry.

                               Pooja