PART 2:
AROHI & MUSKAAN, 9, RAHUL 11 & ARJUN, 13:
"Mama….main aur Rahul jheel par jaa rahe hain," Arjun informed Naina. He walked out in his shorts and a towel wrapped around his shoulders.
"Arre puttar…..zara dhyaan se jaana….kal pataa hai na Mehra sahib ka beta jheel mein phisal kar gir gaya tha…..shukr hai vaahe guru ka ki wo dooba nahin," Naina came out and warned her boys, "ARRE HARIRAM!" she yelled for their servant, "zara bacchon ke saath jheel par chala jaa….nazar rakhna in par."
"Jee maalkin," Hariram, a frail looking 40 year old man came out from the kitchen.
Arjun smirked, "yeh kya dhyaan rakhega….yeh tho khud jheel mein phisal jaayega mama."
Rudra heard Arjun's comment, "zuban par kaboo rakh Arjun puttar…..aisa nahin kehte…Hariram tum se umar mein badhe hain."
"Chal Rahul…..Arohi aur Muskaan ko bhi le lete hain," Arjun ignored his dad and walked out with Rahul.
"Yeh Arohi aur Muskaan ke saath hi kyun chipke rehte hain?" Naina said scornfully, "aur badhe gharon ke bacche bhi tho hain yahan…..har waqt dekho Arohi Muskaan….Arohi, Muskaan!"
Arjun heard his mom and came back, "mama…..humein Arohi aur Muskaan ke saath zyaada mazaa aata hai…..unhein chidhaa jo sakte hain," he laughed and ran out with Rahul.
Rudra smiled and looked at Naina, "rehne do tussi……bachhe hain…..khelne do jinke saath khelna chaahte hain…..jawaani mein sab bhool jaayenge…..phir tho wo hi karenge jo hum chaahte hain."
Naina smirked, "kahin aisa na ho yeh bachpan ki dosti jawaani mein bhi pareshaan na kare?"
"Chhodo bhi Naina…..abhi bahut saal hain….aage ki kisne dekhi hai?" Rudra walked out shaking his head. He knew it was no point arguing with his status-conscious wife.
Arjun and Rahul barged into Arohi's house. Muskaan was at Arohi's house too as Muskaan's mother worked at a local store till 6 in the evening. Amrit usually picked the girls from school and brought them home. The girls were doing their homework on the dining table.
"Chal Arohi….aur Muskaan……chal jheel par chalte hain," Arjun ordered as he picked an apple from the fruit basket.
Amrit smiled, "beta….yeh homework kar rahi hain….aaj nahin aayengi….aur waise bhi jheel par akele nahin bhejoongi inhey…pata hai na Mehra sahib ke beta doobte doobte bach gaya kal."
"Kaaki….aap fikr na karo…..main hoon na….Arohi ka dhyaan main rakhoonga aur Muskaan ka Rahul," Arjun said confidently.
Rahul added meekly, "aur Hariram bhi hai kaaki," he crossed his fingers as he really wanted the girls to come along. Rahul liked the company of the girls as Arjun would then shift his attention to them and order them around rather than his younger brother.
"Mummyji…yeh division ke sawaal samajh nahin aa rahe," Arohi whined; her mind was already wandering at the stream. She loved the water and was dying to swim with the boys.
Arjun looked at her work, "kya samajh nahin aa raha? Chal main samjhaa ta hoon! Chidiya ka dimmag hai tera!" he pulled a chair and pulled Arohi onto his lap. Within minutes, he explained how to do long division in a simplified manner to Arohi. Arohi sat on his lap comfortably and finished her problems quickly. Rahul helped Muskaan finish her work too, but they sat across from each other at the table, unlike Arjun and Arohi; Arohi being light and petite had gotten into the habit of sitting on people's laps, especially Arjun's. Arjun never gave a second thought to her habit and just assumed it was a done thing between the two of them. He finished the apples from the fruit basket as Arohi completed her work, still on his lap.
After homework, the four of them went to the nearby stream along with Hariram. They enjoyed splashing and swimming in the water. The boys wore their shorts, as the girls stayed in their salwaar kameez. They left their dupattas at the bank with Hariram. Arohi had long braided hair and Muskaan wore her's short to her shoulders.
Arjun loved scaring and teasing the girls by suddenly splashing water on them or jumping out of the water when the girls were distracted elsewhere. Rahul rescued Muskaan and took her to a Side where they threw pebbles and watched the rings in the stream. Arjun pulled Arohi by her braids if she did not listen to him or walked away from him, "chal is patthar se mere peeth ki maalish kar de!" he ordered.
Arohi looked at the flat stone and then at his back, "nahin lag jaayegi….main nahin karoongi."
"Arre….nahin lagti….Punjabi munda hoon main…..kuch nahin hoga mujhey," he insisted.
"Nahin karoongi main!" Arohi said stubbornly.
"Mera kehna nahin maanegi tu?" Arjun asked angrily
"Nahin chhot lag jaayegi is patthar se…..nahin karoongi," she threw the stone away and walked out of the stream. Arjun followed her and saw tears in her eyes, "yeh kudiyon ki tarah kyun roti rehti hai…..accha baba….patthar se nahin….apne haathon se maalish kar de….bas ab khush?"
She nodded and wiped her tears. Arjun sat down on the steps and enjoyed the little back rub with Arohi's tiny hands, "kuch roti-shoti khaayakar chidiya….bilkul dum nahin hai tere haathon mein…..kitni kamzor hai tu!"
Arohi was offended; she did not mind being called chidiya by him, but hated being called 'kamzor.' She dug her tiny nails into his back and scratched him till he yelled, "MAR GAYA! MAR GAYA!" He got up and gave her a dirty look, "maalish karne ko kahi thi….kharonch ne ko nahin…abhi dekhta hoon tujhey!" Arohi was quick and jumped back into the water. Arjun saw her dupatta lying on the steps; he picked it up and wiped his muddy feet with it. Arohi was aghast; she swam back and yelled, "mera dupatta! Saara maila kar diya!"
Arjun grinned and pushed her back into the water, "mujhey chhot pahunchayegi tho yahi haal karoonga tera!" and jumped in right after her. He kept laughing and teasing her as they both swam towards Rahul and Muskaan.
In a couple of hours, they were back at Arohi's house, exhausted and drenched from the swimming. The girls ran into Arohi's room and changed into clean, dry clothes. The boys just dried themselves with the towels and hung around in their shorts. Amrit made halwa poori for all the kids, as swimming had made them hungry. Arjun and Rahul polished off at least a dozen, if not more pooris and two bowls full off halwa between the two of them. Arohi, as usual ate a poori and a few bites of halwa.
After their snack, Arjun ran out into the backyard and climbed the mango tree. He threw some mangoes down on the ground and slid down the tree.
Arohi ran after him, "yeh chori hai Arjun…..mummyji kehti hain ki chori karna paap hai…..tumne bina poonchey hamare aam kyun thode?"
Arjun grinned and started peeling the mangoes, "meri marzi!"
"nahin….yeh chori hai!" she insisted
Arjun looked down at her arrogantly, "chidiya raani….jaanti ho yeh tumhara ghar….yeh bagicha…..yeh aam ka pedh….. sab hamari amaanat hai……tum sirf kiraaydaar ho…….main jab chaahoon yahan se kuch bhi le sakta hoon...samjhi?" he started sucking on the juicy mango.
Arohi looked at him tearfully, "tho kya sab kuch tumhari amaanat hai yahan?"
Arjun was too busy suckling on his mango, "aur kya! Sab kuch!"
"Main bhi?" she asked innocently.
Arjun gave her a funny look and then laughed out loud, "aur kya…..tu bhi meri amaanat hai! Chal Rahul….ghar chalte hain…..mama intezaar kar rahi hongi….mera kal science ka test bhi hai…..chal ab!" he ran out the gate as Rahul and Hariram followed him with towels in their hands.
Arohi stood there with tears in her eyes; she turned around and went back inside. Arjun had a habit of saying hurtful things to her; she usually took it in stride as long as she was getting his attention, but what he said outside hurt her pride just a little. Of course, neither of them knew what he really meant by "tu bhi meri amaanat hai," but Arohi felt belittled by his comment today……or did she really believe what he said……may be he was right? Her 9 year old brain was confused as she did not really understand what he meant. Muskaan was playing with her dolls on the living room floor. Arohi forgot about what Arjun had just said and joined Muskaan in their little make-believe game.
Posted part2...will post atleast 1 part each day😃
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