Page 36

My heart leapt into my throat, and my head spun in complete embarrassment.

Seeing the ornament in her hands, memories of the previous night flashed in my mind, sending a wave of shock through me.

The moans and sensations made me shiver slightly, as I could almost feel them again.

My eyes widened as I looked at Rudra.

He, too, seemed nervous...

maybe even embarrassed.

I quickly reached out to take the ornament from Daadi-sa’s hand, but she pulled it back, narrowing her eyes at me.

“Haath me se kyun cheen rahi ho, ? Hai kya ye?”

(Why are you snatching it, ? What is this?)

I squirmed in my place, sweat beads trailed down my back as I didn't know what to say.

“Daadisa, ye...

wo...umm...

ye...aaa... ye…”

(Daadisa, this...

that...

this...

this…) My wobbly lips couldn’t even blabber.

I wanted to come up with something sensible, something that would sound good.

“Ye...

vo...

kya laga rakha hai? Itna ghabra kyun rahi ho ? Kahi tumhaara swasthya punah to nahi bigad raha?”

(This...

that...

What is all this? And why are you looking so anxious, ? Are you not feeling good again?) I shook my head like it would undo the moment and tried to laugh.

“Nahi, Daadisa, nahi, aisa kuch nahi hai, sach mein, humein kuch nahi hua isse,”

(No, Daadisa, no, it’s not like that, really, I have felt anything with this.) It almost slipped off my tongue, and when I glanced at Rudra, he was already rubbing his forehead, pressing his finger into it at my words.

“To, batati kyu nahi kuch.

kitna sunder hai ye, humein bhi aisa aabhushan chaahiye, kintu pata to chale isse pehente kaise hai,”

(Then, why don't you tell me, this is so beautiful, I too want this ornament, but where do I wear this,) She said, her gaze sharpening on the ornament—then suddenly added, “Chalo, abhi ke liye hum rakh lete hain.

Raj ko dikhaaenge aur kahenge ki humaare liye aisi koi anghuthi banwa de, uske baad tum humse le lena,”

(I’ll keep this for now and ask Raj to make something similar to this ring for me, and then I will return this to you,) she said.

“Nahi, Daadisa, nahi..

Aapko humaari saugandh.

Aap aisa kuch nahi karengi, Daadisa.

Aapke liye...

hum banwa denge... ye humaara nahi hai,”

(No, Daadi-sa, no.

Swear on me that you would do no such thing.

I will get one for you, Daadisa.

I will...

this is not mine,) I babbled, waving my hands like that would help.

I immediately took it from her hand and handed it to him.

“Ye...

ye to Ranaji...

humaara matlab, Daadi-sa, ye to Ranaji ka hai, inka hai, ye lekar aaye the...

humein nahi pata, hume kuch nahi pata...

isse kuch nahi hota,”

(Th-this belongs to Ranaji...

I mean—Daadi-sa, this is Ranaji’s, it’s his, he brought it...

I don’t know, I know nothing...

it—I don’t know what it does!) I blabbered, feeling myself sink deeper into the well of shame.

Rudra immediately clenched it in his fist, holding it tightly in his hand.

“Ji...

Ji, Daadi-sa, ...

ye...

ye humaara hai,”

(Yes,...

Yes, Daadisa, this is mine.) He kept it aside and smiled, hiding the awkwardness of our situation.

“Parantu ye kis kaam aata hai? Humne to aisa kuch pehle kabhi nahi dekha,”

(But what is it even used for? I’ve never seen anything like this before.) She asked, intrigued, as if it were something truly important and as if it would impart some valuable knowledge.

He gulped nervously, looking at her, and chuckled, “Ye...

Daadisa, ye peeda mitaata hai,”

(This...

Daadisa, this relieves pain.) He managed to say, and I looked at him, dumbfounded.

“What?”

I asked, but instantly shut my mouth and plastered a smile when Daadi-sa turned to look at me.

“What? Hehe…”

I laughed uneasily.

“What? Wow!!!”

I tried to cover up.

She turned back to him and asked, “Kis prakaar ki peeda?”

(What kind of pain?)

He gulped and scratched his forehead with the nail of his finger and exclaimed, “Umm, Daadisa jaise nasoan ki peeda, kabhi-kabhi adhik kaarya karne ke baad humaari hatheli mein peeda hoti hai to hum isko haath mein lekar dabaate hain.

Isse kam hoti hai peeda,”

(Ummm, Daadisa, this relieves muscle pain.

Sometimes after working for long, I get cramps in my palms, so when I press it in my hand, it reduces that pain.) he said, and she smiled, looking convinced.

But before she could ask anything else, he quickly added, “Daadisa, kshama kijiye, kintu aaj holi hai or humne aapko badhaai bhi nahi di,”

(Pardon me, Daadisa, it's Holi today and I didn’t wish you yet.)

And then she suddenly laughed.

“Hahahaha, yes, even I forgot!”

I stared in disbelief.

How smartly he changed the topic.

I’d never been able to pull that off in front of my sharp and all-knowing Daadisa.

She always caught me.

Every time.

But him? He did it so effortlessly.

What the hell?

“A very happy Holi, Daadisa,”

he said, smiling at her.

She placed her hand on his head and replied, “A very happy Holi to you, too.”

“Raaj mata44,”

Suddenly, an attendant interrupted us, and we all turned to see her standing at the door.

“Ranisa is asking for you,”

she politely informed.

Daadisa clicked her tongue in mild irritation.

“Ye Abhi bhi na, humaare bina kuch nahi kar paati.

Hum aate hain, unke kaan kheech kar,”

(God, this Abhi, she can’t do anything without my help...

I’ll come back after scolding her.) She spoke, and we both stood as she began to rise.

I stepped forward to help her stand and walked her to the door.

“You stay here.

I’ll manage,”

she said and stepped out of the chamber.

As soon as she left, I closed the door behind her and leaned against it, trying to calm my horse-riding heartbeats.

“Oh my God,”

I whispered, exhaling shakily.

When I looked up, he was already looking at me.

Silence fell for a few long moments.

I could hear nothing but my wild heart, my uneven breaths, and I felt my knees trembling.

And when our eyes met, we burst into laughter.

I nearly rolled onto the floor, clutching my stomach, while he collapsed onto the couch, laughing uncontrollably.

My insides ached, my cheeks hurt, and tears streamed down my face from laughing so insanely.

“Oh, , I love her,”

he said between laughs.

And mine disappeared.

Because at that moment, I realised...

This was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh like that.

So freely. So genuinely.

I walked over to him as he wiped away his tears, still smiling.

He looked so happy.

So incredibly cute.

And I… I couldn’t stop myself from saying it.

“Aap haste hue bahut pyaare lagte hain, Rudra,”

(You look really good when laughing, Rudra.) He looked at me, and slowly, his laughter faded.

Straightening himself, he gazed at me as I stepped closer—our eyes locked in silence.

Then, in one swift move, he pulled me and shifted me beneath him.

I gasped, caught off guard, and stared up at him, stunned by the sudden movement.

“Humaari Ranisa ko pehli Holi ki bahut-bahut shubkaamnayein,”

(Many heartfelt wishes to my Ranisa on her first Holi.) He said and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.

A small smile tugged at my lips as I looked into his eyes.

I could feel his feet brushing against mine, our chests gently pressed together, and his body perfectly caging me under him.

“Aapko bhi Ranaji,”

(You too, Ranaji.)

Suddenly, I shivered when a loud knock echoed against the door.

He frowned, his eyebrows narrowing at the sudden interruption.

The knocking grew louder, more urgent.

He quickly moved off me, and I slipped out from under him, standing up and straightening my clothes in a hurry.

As I walked toward the door, I could feel his eyes watching me silently from the couch.

A soft smile lingered on my lips, as this was my first Holi with him.

I gently touched the lock, twisting it open, then reached for the handles.

And just as I began to pull the door open—before I could even register what was happening—a plateful of powdered colours came flying at me.

In an instant, I was covered from head to toe in a cloud of dry pink.

“HAPPY HOLI, BHABHI SA…”

Agastya’s voice, bubbling with excitement and mischief, reached my ears, and I started coughing like crazy.

I waved my hands frantically to clear the cloud of colour, dusting off my clothes as best as I could, and glared at him.

“Agastya!”

I shouted.

He burst into laughter, so loud and lively.

Anger shot through me.

I hadn’t expected it at all.

“I’m not sparing you now!”

I warned, taking a step forward to grab him.

But he turned on his heel and bolted, and I ran after him.

“Just wait and watch! I’ll teach you a lesson!”

I yelled, chasing him through the corridors.

Holding up my skirt, barefoot, I ran, determined and furious, yet laughing somewhere deep inside.

“Hum aapke haath aane se rahe, Bhabhisa,”

(You won’t catch me so easily, Bhabhisa!) He laughed loudly, his voice echoing through the garden.

My eyes briefly caught sight of the table set with plates piled high with Holi colours nearby, surrounded by vibrant decorations in the palace.

I grabbed a plate of colour and kept running after him.

I spotted Suman standing right in my path, and he looked back at me once, still laughing, when he crashed straight into her.

I burst into laughter, raising the plate high, ready to throw the colour at him.

But he was too quick to turn Suman towards me and duck behind her.

I looked at her, frozen, completely coated in pink, coughing and blinking through the dust.

“!”

she yelled, and I winced, gritting my teeth.

While behind her, he laughed even louder, enjoying the chaos.

“Hahaha… Bhabhisa yadi aapne humein pakad liya to agle ek varsh tak hum aapki har baat maanenge,”

(Hahaha, Bhabhisa, if you catch me today, I will obey all your orders for the next one year.) he said.

Still, I was too focused on Suman, who was coughing even more intensely.

“! What did you do?”

she complained, and I shot him a furious glare.

“Suman, catch him!”

Before she could even react to what I said, he ran away from there.

I ran after him.

“Agastya!”

I called out as I saw him slipping through another corridor.

But he abruptly paused, and my eyes caught him grabbing a pot filled with water.

And before I could even raise a hand or shout—

A wave of water hit me in the face, splashing down my body, turning me into a dripping mess.

“Agastya!!”

I yelled, absolutely stunned.

“Chhodenge nahi hum aapko,”

(I will not leave you.) I screamed in utter frustration and ran after him again.

“Pehle pakadiye to sahi,”

(First catch me.) He said with a grin, then took off again, sprinting straight into the open garden where the grand Holi celebrations were happening.

Tables were lined with plates of vibrant colours, trays of sweets and festive drinks.

Drums echoed through the air as musicians played and people danced joyfully.

Hundreds of people were celebrating—laughing, chasing, and smearing colour over one another.

The sky was drenched in hues of pink, yellow, green, and blue, filled with joy and laughter.

I saw him slow down for just a moment, and taking the chance, I hurled the colour at him.

But he managed to shield his face, but the rest of his white kurta was utterly ruined.

He burst into laughter.

And before I could even blink, he tossed an entire plate of yellow right at me, covering me from head to toe.

“Again?!”

I gritted, wiping my face, and charged after him once more.

Suddenly, my sight fell on my father, behind whom Agastya hid smugly.

“Humein bachaaiye Raja ji,”

(Please save me, Raja ji).

He said, grinning behind my father, and I narrowed my eyes.

Holding a pot of water in my hands, I stepped forward.

“Baapusa, please move aside.

I swear, I’m not sparing him today.”

My father raised his brows and tried to speak, “, this is our gu—”

But before he could finish, I raised the pot, but—Agastya shifted at the ending moment, and my father stepped to the side, causing the water to splash straight onto my father.

“Agastya!”

I screamed, and he laughed uncontrollably.

I looked at Baapusa, wiping the water off his face, a small smile tugged at his lips.

“, playing like this early in the morning...

at least have breakfast first,”

he said, and Agastya laughed even louder.

“Bhabhi-sa, you’ll never catch me!”

he taunted.

I narrowed my eyes, ready to launch at him again, before my eyes landed on Ranaji and Ranvijay, standing beside my father.

Rudra gave me a blank look, while Ranvijay looked utterly shocked, his mouth slightly open.

Oh no! I wasn’t a child anymore.

I was the queen.

I quickly pulled my dupatta over my head, which had slipped off during my chaotic chase, and stood there, shy, shrinking into the moment.

But suddenly.

“Bhabhisa, pakad liye humne, aap lagaiye inhe rang,”

(Bhabhisa, I have caught him, now colour him.)

I looked at Ranvijay, who had caught Agastya by the hand from behind, and Agastya yelled, “Bhaisa, this is all cheating!”

A wide smile spread across my face instantly, and I ran to the table and grabbed two plates of different colors.

Without wasting a second, I hurled the yellow colour at him, covering him from head to toe.

Trying to escape, he almost crouched to the floor, but I was faster.

I emptied another plate of green colour right onto his head, turning all his hair bright green, and laughed loudly.

“Ek varsh tak saari baatein maanenge ab aap humaari,”

(Now, you will obey everything I will say for one year.) I said, and he looked at Ranvijay.

“Bhaisa, Aap bhi na,”

(Bhaisa, you.) he whined and stood up to dust the colour off his white kurta.

I smiled, but suddenly the voice of my grandmother caught my attention.

“Ye kya , sawere-sawere shuru ho gayi…”

(, what is this? You started early in the morning…) She scolded, making a face at me.

I looked at her and my mother, standing beside him and said, “Daadi-sa, hum nahi ye Abhinan…”

(Daadi-sa, it’s not me, it’s Abhinan…) I stopped midway, realising what I had said.

My heart instantly sank the moment I realized it wasn’t Abhinandan.

He wasn’t here, and my smile vanished at once.

Tears welled in my eyes, and I tried not to let them fall.

Baapusa stepped closer and immediately pulled me into a tight hug.

“Prince Agastya is also like our Abhinandan, ,”

he said, trying to comfort me, and I closed my eyes, hiding my face in his chest.

“He’s okay.

He’s doing well.

I’m keeping an eye on him through our secret agents,”

he assured me gently.

I nodded faintly.

“Don’t worry.

He’ll soon understand everything,”

he said, patting my head softly.

“Abhinandan ki chinta mat karo , wo theek hai.

Humein patra likhta rehta hai, (Don’t worry about Abhinandan, , he is doing well.

He keeps writing me letters.) Daadisa said, walking closer, and I released the hug.

“Lekin humaari chinta to karni padegi,”

(But you have to worry about me.) She said dramatically and brought her colour-filled hands to me, rubbing them against my cheeks gently.

I chuckled weakly and exclaimed, “Daadisa! You too!”

She laughed, and suddenly, my father threw colour at me.

“And me as well!”

he said, laughing with joy, and I burst into laughter.

“A very happy Holi, ,”

he said warmly, his eyes twinkling.

I looked at myself, all covered in colours, and he smiled at me, then added gently, “You all must enjoy.

Rudra and I have something to talk about.”

I looked at Rudra, who was looking at me.

A small smile played on his lips, and I instinctively lowered my gaze, suddenly shy.

I gave a slight nod and watched them both walk away.

***