First Date… At last…

From the time when you, my dear readers, logged off leaving me and Nithya at CCD, I have been thinking hard how not to mess up our first coffee. And more I think the more I mess up, just like the Engineering exams, the more we try to remember the right answer, the more we end up scribbling some nonsense!

As I took my seat and looked at her, she was holding her glass of coffee, even if it is labeled Iced Eskimo, it is still a coffee back at its heart, and slowly lifted it to her mouth and cautiously sipped it. As soon as she sipped the coffee, her eyes closed and she grinned in surprise. Her face looked so cute with that innocent grin and her tangling earrings; I almost forgot the glass in my hand. Opening her eyes, she kept down her glass and looked at me; suddenly surprised by the way I was staring at her she raised her eyebrows questioning me. I just nodded my head and sipped the coffee and looked back at her. She was still looking at me, may be awaiting the same reaction she had given.

“This is very cold” I said foolishly.

“Obviously it will be cold, it’s Iced Eskimo” she said giggling.

I too joined in giggling with her, but there was a difference. She was giggling at my innocence, while I knew it was my foolishness. When she finished her giggling, she took another sip from her glass and smiled again.

“You don’t like this?” she asked.

“I like this. Why?”

“You are not drinking, just looking at me finish my glass. So I wondered if you dint like and got to order this just because I ordered”

“Ah. No. I like this. Just drinking slower” I said and thought if only she could understand I was staring at her cute reactions and giggles. Or what if she caught me doing that and is asking me this only to warn me indirectly.

I have had to stop staring at her, but how could you resist looking at the nature’s most beautiful creation. God might have been the best chess player; he gives checkmate when we are out of strength and desperately in need of help. But I was not going to be the loser this time. I even had the queen sitting right in front of me smiling at me.

Woow! Chess! What a topic! Thank you my Lord!

“Hey! What are your hobbies?” I asked her suddenly getting out of my thoughts.

She was taken aback by sudden question but smiled again sipping her cold coffee.

“I love reading books, I listen to music, in fact everyone at my home listen to music. My mom plays old songs while she is cooking and I sit in kitchen with her reading books. I also do help her in cooking but I don’t cook that well. You know what, once I was so involved in reading a story, she asked me for something, I went to the other room, got the box out from the closet but sat there itself on the chair. After about half hour mom called me for dinner and then I went out with that box still in my hand. She started scolding me but seeing my surprised face she laughed out till I understood what had happened and I too joined her”

I was looking at her smiling, the way she was explaining, the way she enjoyed those little things, the way she saw sunshine in the darkest room, her way of enjoying simple things in life. There was something about her, her smile.

“I also like playing carom. I used to play carom for my school. What are your hobbies?”

“Oh that’s really cool. I just like roaming around in my bike. Yeah... I am not much of a hobby guy”

“I have heard you write short poems. Is that true?”

“Oh no. No. No. Who told you that?”

“It’s all over the college. Everyone knows it. Most of the girls from our class are curious to read your poems.”

Now it was my turn to blush and act a bit. But who the hell was spy spreading my secrets. May be Sid or Raunak or Naveen. Are they girls? Can’t they keep their mouth shut? Or wait, were they using my poems to impress girls? Or were they really helping me with a free advertisement?

“Come on, don’t be so modest” she said holding her glass in right hand and slowly moving back the loosened hair with her left hand. As she moved all of the hair that had come out and fallen freely covering her ears, the little earing shone again brightly. I could stand the power of that sparkle but not the twinkle of her curious eyes.

I silently picked up my glass and sipped in the coffee. I tried to steal a look at her but she was still looking at me.

“Its ok if you want to keep it a secret, but yes everyone in the class knows about it” she smiled again.

“It’s not something secret but also it is true I don’t write much. Only once in a while I sit down and write few bits.”

“That’s really nice.”

I just smiled and she joined too. We bent down our heads to drink our coffees. Just few seconds passed and the silence prevailed over us. Both of us, or atleast me, were trying to break the ice, the literal ice, not the ice in the Iced Eskimo.

“Nithya, you want to eat something? I am feeling hungry” I said, out of honesty.

“No. not now. I had my lunch an hour back.”

“Lucky, you stay at home. I had breakfast in morning and half a glass of Iced Eskimo now. Feeling damn hungry.”

“Oh that’s really bad for your health. You shouldn’t be doing that.”

“Yeah true. But this is how Bachelors live” I tried to smile but looking at her innocence I stopped.

“Let me order something to eat, what about you? What will you take?”

“I am fine. I am not hungry.”

“No Nithya. You will have to take something. Atleast another Iced Eskimo? Till I eat? Please… If I promise you a surprise…”

“Ok. I will have one more. I like this so much I cannot say no” she smiled closing her eyes.

I got up, walked inside the CCD and got a piece of chocolate cake for me and ordered another Iced Eskimo for her.

We then talked again and talked a lot. The ice that had to be broken had melted by now and we now spoke without any hitch or any pause. She kept on explaining about every simple thing, about the class, how she felt about the subjects, the practical labs, her home, her likes and dislikes. And I kept on listening to her every word and kept on enjoying her cute smile and the twinkle in her eyes every time she exclaimed about something like a small little girl.

I too shared with her many of the things that were part of my life. My home, my native, my friends, our trips, and the things we did back at school.

We even shared our numbers, though I had her number from the second day of the college, now I had it formally and also got the information that the cell always remains with her and, my dear readers, she even said “It is absolutely fine if you message me Viz. In fact I myself will keep bugging you”

When she sipped the last drop of coffee from her glass, she asked, “Viz, now this is not fair”

“What?” I asked in surprised thinking what foolishness I had done now.

“You had promised me a surprise. What’s that?” she asked smiling and raising her eyebrows twice and thrice. Her eyebrows neatly shaped as a bow, danced over her eyes and gave out little lines on her plain little fair forehead every time she raised her eyebrows.

“Ah that. Leave it yaar, it was nothing.”

“No Viz. Please no cheating. You had promised me” she now sounded like small kid and her voice itself gave me enough courage.

“Ok. But on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You will have to close your eyes”

She suddenly closed her eyes and said, “Ok I closed my eyes. Now the surprise please. Please Viz. I can’t stay away from surprises longer. Please.”

“This is for you Nithya…

When Sun rises as a bright Orange ball

A new day is in giving us a new call

Cute little flowers start blooming

The early rising birds start singing

A new opportunity runs in for all

To mend our yesterday's fall

The fresh air kissing our face

Reminds us of our half run race

It’s time to double our speed

Remembering our true deed

For there's a new chance from God

Who is watching us from his Abode

Let’s all happily join our hands

In tying together the peace bands

Making this earth more beautiful today

Than what it really was yesterday”

She opened up her eyes and they twinkled again. After a silence of few seconds, she said, “That was sooooo very nice Viz. I really liked the surprise.”

“Thank you” I said and smiled back.

As I dropped her on my bike near the corner of the road of her home, she said, “Thank you for the drop, the Iced Eskimo, the sweet poem and a wonderful evening Viz”

She closed her eyes and smiled.

Her smile seemed so true that I felt only two of us standing in middle of the road, holding our hands. She is blushing and looking down, her head against my shoulder. I am trying to look at her but see only the freely flowing hair. We take a few steps for a tune flowing in from somewhere far away. The trees standing tall, start showering their flowers filling the air with their pure scent. We keep dancing and the trees keep showering the flowers, the untiring music is filling the air and the love is rising high as we go on getting lost in ourselves… At last…

Vishal...

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First Date - Part 2

Last time when I left you readers, my ass was right on my bike seat, my brain full of confusions, heart racing faster than my bike. Even now I was in the same situation just that I was now sitting on the ladder back wooden chair outside the CCD under their red colored umbrella that was protecting me from the angry Sun.

I had reached the CCD well before time and had been sipping water looking at my watch all the time. I had finished reading the menu for an unknown number of times. Only if I had read my text books, half of that time, I would have scored a distinction. But my textbooks were never so mouthwatering! Finally my mobile vibrated for an incoming message. The first thought that came to my mind was horrible. I thought she had messaged to tell she would not be coming for some reason. May be her dad would have stopped her. Or may be her mother would have asked her for some help in kitchen. Or may be her friends would have taken her out. Or maybe she had decided herself not to come. Ah! That was scary!

Taking mobile out of my Jeans pocket I opened the message. Damn it was from Sid and read

Dude, I guess the blue stripped shrt will suit u bttr.. Come to room and change..

That drove me crazy and now I was angrier and hotter than Sun. I thought of replying back but then decided to control my temper and blow it out on him when I go back. Just then I got another message. It was Raunak and read

Dude, I guess the brown stripped shrt suits u bttr.. Come to room and change..

I took an oath to take my revenge before I ate my dinner that night. I again looked around to check if Nithya was coming. It was almost 6:11 PM. Eleven minutes had passed and she had not come. I thought of messaging her or calling her but the same thoughts that had stopped me chat with her or call her stopped me again. I had her number since months, but never messaged her thinking what if she felt I am flirting with her, what if I call her and someone at her home picks up and scolds me, what if she feels uncomfortable. Luckily three days back, I helped her in one of the Technical Presentations and she herself talked to me and then we ended up to coffee.

While I was rewinding the moment we talked for the first time, I felt a shadow on me. Moving my eyes from the water bottle towards the person standing between angry Sun and angry me, I saw Nithya. There she had come and was standing right in front me with her cute smile on! She looked gorgeous in her light blue Salwar Suit. It was simple plain Suit and she looked super cute in that. It just added to her modest character.

As I looked at her, her smile widened and I sat lost. I turned numb. She waved her hand smiling again and saying a big hello to me.

I had to reply something, but what?

She waited few more seconds, but I was still stupidly watching her smile without even wishing her a hi or a hello. Then her smile slowly faded from her face just like bright sun sets down on the farthest end of ocean. The brightness suddenly vanishes, taking away the light, the activeness, the energy with it. It felt exactly the same way as her lips straightened and her eyes turned doubtful and fearful. Once her smile vanished, I came back to earth and realized I hadn’t yet wished her.

I then smiled meekly at her and tried to stand up. By that time she had almost stepped ahead and was pulling up chair. I had spread out my legs below the table and when trying to pull them back to standup I hit my leg to the table. She stopped pulling the chair at that moment. I looked at her but she was trying to figure out something.

“That’s my leg” I said

“What?” she asked in surprise.

“The noise which just came now”

“Noise? I was just trying to pull this chair and it was not coming so I was just looking where it is stuck” she replied forcing out a smile.

“Oh ok” I said and thought how dumb I was, I felt the pain and even the sound was not that big to reach her ears.

I again tried to stand up but this time I was more careful and kept my concentration on my legs, neatly checked and pulled them back and then pushed back my chair and finally got up. Then I thought of wishing her and help her sit down, but was shocked when I saw in front of me. She was already sitting and again looking at me in surprise.

My brain blacked out again. I yelled to myself, “What the hell are you doing? Why are you acting so stupid?”

I quickly sat down and smiled at her. She smiled back at me but waited for me to speak.

“Hi” I finally said, thankfully without mumbling.

I could see her smile trying to return back as she wished me back.

She looked really cute with her face carrying the expression of a surprised look and a small cute smile trying to replace that and in all this her loose hair neatly and freely falling down to her shoulders and her right earing twinkling in between the hair at times.

“You want some water?”

“Yes Please. It’s so hot today” she said wiping the small beads of sweat on her forehead from her hankie.

Whoop! Finally I talked something sense.

She smiled at me after drinking the water and caught me looking at her. I tried acting by suddenly looking down at the menu, which I had been looking at for almost past fifteen minutes before she walked in. After reading the menu for one more time, I looked up at her and asked, “What will you take?”

“Anything is fine for me”

“No please decide. Have a look” I said pushing the menu towards her.

She took a look at the menu and decided to go for Iced Eskimo saying that was her all time favorite. I smiled and happily ordered two Iced Eskimos an again looked at her.

I was lucky, her smile was back.

“You too ordered Eskimo?”

“Yes, I like it too”

“You came by your bike?”

“Ha yes. That’s the one standing there. Black in color” I said pointing at my bike standing right at the corner of the CCD fence.

“How did you come?” I asked her.

“By bus. Thank God today is Sunday, the buses are little free and I got a seat. Else it is so rush. Very hard to travel. Lucky you got a bike!" she said smiling widely in excitement.

It felt childish when she was so excited for getting a seat but also it was cute. How she found happiness in small things and smiled happily. Her smile made me happy!

After few minutes of silence I started thinking again, what to ask or what to talk. I begged for some help from God, but he was busy smiling wickedly at my situation.

“How was your day?” she asked.

I thought it was good she asked, I had already run out of topics. By the way I had spent whole night in practicing today’s scene and byhearting the topics, the questions, the answers to few probable questions. True, it sounds like a Viva preparation but this was my most important Viva.

While I was thinking without even responding back to her question, she again started growing surprised. What an Idiot was I? Why was I acting so dumb?

“It was good. I took rest the whole day without doing anything. Especially books, dint even touch them! How was your day?” I asked with a blank expression.

While she was explaining her day, with what she prepared for breakfast and what all assignments she completed, I was simply looking at her face and how her eyes twinkled brightly in excitement.

The whole scene was spoiled when our order number was called. I had to get up go and collect our order. I came back and handed her, her favorite Iced Eskimo and moved to my chair.  As I was about to sit, I thought not to do any mistakes and avoid any fun being thrown at me by the God and placed the glass in my hand on the table and then cautiously sat down on the chair.

To Be Continued…

Vishal…

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First Date !

Woow! What a topic to write on! And I hope even to read on…

“Dude, it’s the best shirt you have got” Raunak screamed in anger.

I just frowned at him and said, “But I was thinking of wearing a T-Shirt”

“You just said you would better go with a Shirt”

“After checking my shirts I decided to wear a T-Shirt”

He bent down his head and started playing Highway Rider in his mobile.

I moved aside the shirts to the end of the bed and took out the neatly ironed T-Shirts and spread them one after another. The blue one with a saying on it got rejected because it seemed too plain, the red and white stripes went aside because it had collar and I thought of going out without collar. I just thought that would look more bold and stylish.

“Finally I have these three, which one should I wear?” I asked him again.

He did not even raise his head. I hit him on his shoulder.

“What the hell is your problem? Why don’t you just pick anyone? You wasted my 20 minutes in selecting a shirt and now you want to select a T-Shirt. Wear anything and go” he yelled at me with his eyebrows furrowed. He was literally staring at me in anger.

“Dude, it’s my first date”

“So what? Why the hell are you eating my time?”

“Just get lost. I have Sid to help me.”

Raunak laughed for a whole minute and said, still laughing in bits, “That guy will help you in selecting a shirt? He never knows and never cares what he himself is wearing.”

The T-Shirts were still spread out on the bed, with the best three on top of everything. The shirts had been piled up in one corner of the bed while Raunak was sitting engrossed in his game on the other end of the bed when Sid walked in with the TV Remote still in his hand.

“Dude, you are leaving?” Sid asked me.

“Not now I will leave at 6 PM. Still four hours to go” I replied back.

“No, I meant you are leaving room? By the way you have cleaned out your closet it seems like you are packing. All the best for your future buddy. We will miss you” he said looking at Raunak.

Both the rascals starting laughing loudly, even rolling on the bed, spoiling the neatly spread T-Shirts. I dint feel bad because they were laughing at me, I felt bad because they again spoiled my selection and put me in doubt.

How would they know what a First Date is? What romance is? How it feels when the heart beats softly but loudly? How it feels to present yourself the best in front of someone special?

They only knew making fun of lecturer in class and messing up the instruments in our Electronics labs. Ofcourse I too was involved in all of their pranks but at least we need to get serious at times. I still remember when we three had finished our experiment in one of the lab and were just chit chatting sitting at our table. Sid started collecting the IC’s from everywhere he could reach out and started his creativity. Raunak and I were fully immersed in some irrelevant discussion until he shook us out. What we saw a design of four legged animal with a long tail, all neatly designed on the table with the help of the IC’s. He said that was a Lion and it resembled our lecturer and now that would attack us. In front it he had placed three IC’s and said those three IC’s were us. Then we started playing with that, each one of us holding an IC and circling around the lion trying to tease it. We were so merrily playing with that until the same lecturer standing behind us since past few minutes finally said, “Please for college name’s sake stop playing like kids. This is Electronics Lab, not Kindergarten. I am even ashamed to punish you guys for this.”

The only thing which we said in mind at that time was, “Thank IC’s, he won’t punish us!”

But now, we were in our room and at the least when your friend needs your advice badly. After all he is in love, with the most beautiful girl in the college.

Yes, she was the most beautiful girl in the college. We had decided to go out that Sunday for a cup of coffee. Being summer, the longer days helped us meet in the evening.

I had started sweating, sitting on the bed still thinking of what to wear when both the rascals had run of the room just because some song started playing on the TV and both of them were diehard fan of the steps of beautiful heroine dancing for the first time in her Saree!

They both walked in when the song finished and stared at me.

“You still have not finalized your shirt?” Sid asked.

“He is wearing T-Shirt, not shirt” Raunak told him.

“Just get out. You guys are not my friends, you both are my enemies.”

They laughed again and started selecting shirts for me but both selecting different ones everytime and arguing with each other that the one they selected was better.

The time was running and I had spent 50 minutes in just trying to select a shirt. Finally with a big frown, I left them and went to take a bath. After spending for a complete 30 minutes under shower when I walked out, I asked myself, “Why don’t I take such a clean shower every day?”

Even those rascals were shocked to see me in bathroom for such a long time. One out of the bathroom, I sprayed half the bottle of Deo on my body, almost wetting myself again, but this time with the deo instead of water. I suddenly picked up the red and white stripped T-Shirt and wore it.

“Dude, that is not good. It just doesn’t suit you” Sid said

I looked at him and then turned, bit tensed, towards Raunak.

“I feel its ok, but you have got lot better options. I still feel you should go in a shirt rather T-Shirt.”

I started looking at the shirts again when Sid said, picking up all my shirts, “This is fine now. Don’t started getting confused. Just go with this or else you will end up spending the whole evening in room just selecting a shirt.”

“He is right, just go with anything buddy. She is from our college and has been seeing you since a year. She is not seeing you for the first time, doesn’t matter what you wear, she knows you get thrown out of class every day” Saying this, Raunak winked at me crookedly.

Finally after thinking for a whole of three and half minutes, I decided to go as myself, just go in the dress I wear normally and go plainly. I felt much relieved but in some corner of my heart there still was a small thought running continuously. Everytime my heart beat, the thought echoed, “Am I looking handsome enough to go out for a cup of coffee with her? Should I change my T-Shirt?”

I looked at the time and it was still 3:10 PM. I was ready exactly two hours twenty minutes! Never in my life was I ready before time. Scolding myself for that, I removed my T-Shirt again neatly folded it and rolled on the bed. The hot water bath and the heavy breakfast from the Darshini were slowly showing the effect. My eyes were being forced to close and take a short nap. Before I thought of something else, I fell asleep.

I smelled coffee. I raised my head from the coffee cup and saw her face. She looked as cute as ever. But suddenly she started shouting my name. I panicked in confusion. The smell of coffee grew stringer as her scream loudened. But wait, why is her voice like a boys voice? Something was wrong. I tried my best to get my brain to work. It needed more caffeine. I smelled the coffee again and tried my best to concentrate on what was happening.

“Viz, Viz, get up man” Raunak was shouting holding two cups of coffee.

Shocked to my nerves, I got up, sat upright and checked the time in my watch. I thanked God million times as it was still 4 PM. I was happy as I hadn’t missed my first date and I was happier because her voice was still cute and not as bad as Raunak’s scream!

“Dude you saved me. I was asleep. Would have missed the coffee also.”

“That’s why I got you this coffee. This is the proof man, a friend’s coffee saves you and a girlfriend’s coffee costs you!” he winked at me handing me the coffee cup and went out to watch the TV.

“You bathed in hot shower then that Deo and slept. Just like working on somethin the whole day and then throwing that into dustbin! Why the hell you wanted to get ready so early? You have grown mad or desperate?” Sid asked sipping the coffee.

I just looked at him blankly rubbing my eyes and sipping coffee. It took the whole coffee to wake me up from my sleep. After finishing the coffee, I left the two buggers with their TV and their discussion on if Heroine of the film should be beautiful to attract the crowd or if she should be talented to make sure the crowd comes back for next movie.

Washed my face, put on the same red plus white striped T-Shirt, tucked it in neatly, saw myself in the mirror, not much happy, tucked the T-Shirt out, took the deo, shook it well and sprayed the remaining half all over my T-Shirt.  Neatly put on my Red Tape shoes, polished them, held my helmet, took my bike keys and looked at both the rascals. They were still busy in their discussion, not even bothered to wish me luck. I waited for another two minutes hoping they would look at me and say something, atleast a kind feedback that would boost my confidence. But they were more bothered about films than their friend!

I walked out of the room, banging the door loudly that was loud enough to disturb their discussion and stepped to my bike. Sat on it, put on my helmet, checked the time again, it was 5:15 PM, adjusted my ass on the bike seat, kick started the bike!

To be continued…

Vishal…

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Holi – The Festival of Colors!

Argument was heating up. The environment around them had drastically changed. It seemed like the four walls of the room were running closer to hug each other and would crash the four guys into microscopic pieces.

“Enough is enough. You both are taking it to heights. Now please stop the nonsense” Sunil shouted not able to bear the irritation he was having with the ongoing argument.

“You first tell him” Rakesh yelled back.

“Yeah, as if I started it all. Right?” Mohan shouted even before Rakesh could complete his sentence and gulp in the saliva to sooth his dried up throat.

“Yes. That’s right.” Rakesh shouted back looking at bulb that was silently smiling on their foolish quarrel.

“Kishan atleast you tell them” Sunil said, turning at Kishan who was quietly sitting on the corner chair watching the whole scene.

He chose to remain silent. When he saw Sunil staring at him with some genuine expectation he just shifted his eyes onto a book which lay open in front of him.

No one spoke for around 5 minutes and the experience of silence was so ghastly that each of them could hear each other’s heartbeats. It seemed like they were lost in the forest and hit a dead end. Finally Sunil opened his mouth and tried explaining Rakesh and Mohan but then something stopped him. Kishan was still looking at the same page of the same book. He was not reading it but he was pretending to escape the scene.

Mohan stood up and said, “Kishan I am leaving. If you want you can walk with me. Good Night Sunil”

“Dude, Mohan, why are you so angry? Please don’t act childish. Forget all this.” Sunil said again.

“Good Night Sunil” Saying this, Mohan just walked out of the room.

“I will call you later” Kishan said to Sunil and quietly walked behind Mohan.

“Atleast you try to understand Rakesh. We are such a great team. Why suddenly this entire quarrel. You are the matured one. Just give it a skip.” Sunil tried again to persuade Rakesh.

“Sunil, you were here the entire evening and you know it’s not my mistake. Please don’t try explaining me anything.” Rakesh said closing his eyes tight and bending his lips at the end.

Sunil was much more disappointed than anyone could guess. He was even getting angry with Kishan who dint even try to patch up the two idiots who argued whole evening and walked away as if they were never going to see each other. But deep in his mind he thought, hard, that if Kishan was silent then he had something running in his mind. As he kept thinking more, his thirst for knowing what was running in Kishan’s mind started growing.

He lifted his head and looked at Rakesh who was just scrolling screens blankly in his mobile. He felt bad for both of them. The three of them had grown in the same colony since their birth. Their gang of three was the most famous and notorious gang in their childhood. As they grew up into high school a new member joined in, Kishan. He had moved into the colony when they were in their high school and also he was the only one who got into their group. There were many other boys of the same age but none could get along with them, not because they dint allow but no one other than these four pals were special and honest enough to share that special bond.

It had been two years since Kishan had joined and these four friends and their group were well known in the colony for their friendship, togetherness and helpfulness. Their day started together and ended together.

The whole colony would say, “There can be a night when we may see all those stars dispersed apart but there can never be a day when we can see these four friends apart”

The same thought was revolving inside Kishan’s head as he silently walked to his home along with Mohan. He knew what happened was very bad and it had to be mended. But how? The more he thought, darker the night grew.

That night, though the food was equally tastier, the four friends couldn’t gulp it down. All four of them were equally hurt and disturbed. As the time passed by leaving them behind, the weight of the dispute, carried by Rakesh and Mohan multiplied. Just as Sunil returned back to his room after forcing some food through is throat, he received a message on his mobile. It was from Kishan.

What happened today was bad. But I am sure we will fix it.

Suddenly there was a ray of hope in Sunil’s eyes. He smiled a little but before that he replied back to Kishan.

You have any idea? I am sure you have one.

His mobile beeped well before he could lock it. Kishan had replied back.

Yep! 

Sunil - Awesome dude... You rock!

Kishan - Let’s meet tomorrow 30 mins before school... GN

Sunil - Done... GN

Though Sunil and Kishan slept peacefully, it was not the same scene in the other two homes. Rakesh and Mohan had started feeling guilty of what they had done but were still equally raged. They felt guilty when they remember they no longer had the same friendly feeling towards each other but their anger rose when they imaged how the other person had argued.

As per me, anger and hatred are the two fastest growing weeds in the world. Give them a drop of thought and they grow heights. They can even grow till such a point wherein you can shape them but can never remove them along with their roots. They are best when uprooted before they grow out of control.

The same happened with Rakesh and Mohan. The more they kept thinking the more happily the weed of hatred grew in their hearts. It even grew so much that they started feeling happy over their argument and even vowed to take revenge.

A friendship of which the whole colony spoke about had now come down to revenge!

What a pity. Suddenly in hours the evil had won over the good and the return journey seemed blocked for the whole life. The whole night Rakesh and Mohan slept, but with eyes wide open!

“What’s the idea?” Sunil asked Kishan as soon as he met him in front of their school’s main gate.

Both of them smiled after Kishan explained the whole idea to Sunil and they happily walked into their classrooms. 

Two days passed with no progress on the return journey.

It was the brightest day of the year. The Sun was as bright as the people of Sai Colony were active. They were happy active and all geared up with their colors. Yes, it was the day of Holi Festival. Everyone carried colors in their hands and smiles on their faces. Wherever your sight could travel, you could see only two things, color and happiness.

Children were on the top of their activeness, throwing colors, shooting water, throwing the water balloons, screaming, running all around. All of them drenched in water but none of them shivered with cold. Even the adults had come out enjoying themselves with the colors and games.

The roads had all turned colorful, even difficult to identify the color. Even the faces of kids were difficult to identify. If Chintu’s face was colored red, Bantu’s face was colored blue, Tinu’s face was colored yellow while Monu’s face was colored green. Pintu’s shirt which was originally grey in color had turned colorful, a dark green patch at his right shoulder, a greasy patch of black color on his tummy, red patch at his waist and yellow scattered spots all over that only because his best friend Rolu had just thrown dry yellow color on him.

There was such a variety of colors soothing the eyes that it was very difficult for every eye to choose the best and the most attractive color. People watching the kids playing on the roads were getting confused in choosing their favorite color. At every sudden gap the air would be filled with one color and the next second itself one or the other kid would spray the colored water at another using his Holi Gun.

When Kishan came out of his home in his simple T-Shirt and Pants he was as enthusiastic as he was when he played Holi for the first time. He smiled widely looking at the blue sky and stepped out onto the road. As soon as he stepped out, two more of his friends along with Mohan dragged him to the middle of the road and poured a bucket full of green colored water. Not only his dress turned light green but each of the hair on the back of his neck stood up because of the cold water. He started shivering, but anyone could bet it was because of his happiness than because of that cold water. He screamed and the other three fellows joined with him. Then they ran towards the North part of the Colony where other friends would be waiting and then the whole group would march towards the Center Park of the Colony where they would make a human pyramid and break the Handi tied at the top with the help of a rope tied between two tall trees. It was a challenge for all the boys of colony to successfully break the Handi and all the girls would try to stop the boys by spraying water.

The whole Sai Colony would float on the ship of happiness for the whole day on Holi. As Kishan and Mohan marched towards the Center Park playing Holi, cheering, screaming, spraying colored water, throwing color on everyone they saw.

Meanwhile a group of other six friends were screaming, playing and running merrily towards the Center Park. In this group were Sunil and Rakesh. On another way one more group was running towards the Center Park.

Each of the kid had turned unrecognizable due to the color. It was as difficult to identify the face of any kid as difficult to identify the true color of the shirt worn by them. Only the teeth and the eyes glowed up white but the rest of the body showed all the colors. Each child looked like a painter’s pallet, smeared up with all colors.

It was 11:30 AM when finally the whole colony gathered in the Center Park. The boys were dancing in fun, while the girls were playing around with colors. Adults had gathered to watch the great event of breaking the Handi, while small kids were running around with their Holi Guns.

Finally the stage was set for the event and all the boys lined up for making the pyramid. Kishan looked around and without much difficulty found Sunil who was looking at him. Both winked at each other and then positioned themselves.

The ground floor was made by a circle of strongest of the boys. Then the first floor was made as the next group of boys climbed the boys circled in ground floor and locked their arms together around the necks and made a stronger circle. It was now the turn of the boys standing in next line to climb the ground floor and then the first floor and make the second floor. It was a challenge, climbing above two floors without breaking the circles and then position themselves tightly making a strong second floor.

In this line, were Rakesh and Mohan standing at the ends. Between them were standing two other boys. None of them knew that both were in same line except Kishan and Sunil who had planned all this two days back. As the four climbed the two floors slowly and cautiously, everyone started cheering and the whole air was mixed with the cheering sounds and the colors of Holi.

The happiness and the fun had reached the sky. Even God was happily smiling how his creations had joined together and celebrating together forgetting all their worries, hatred, anger, tension. He thought if only he could make the festival of Holi every month.

As the four boys in the second floor climbed and joined hands, Rakesh and Mohan were shocked to see each other. Their hatred suddenly rose above everything and they frowned at each other. But the fun which had spread in the air overtook their hatred and they held each other’s hand.  Then tightly put hands over each other’s neck and made a strong circle. As strong their hold grew, the weaker their hatred grew. The next line of boys started climbing the pyramid and slowly with everyone, Rakesh and Mohan too started cheering and screaming.  The moment a boy put his leg on their shoulders, their hold grew stronger and they came closer. The determination and the team player in them popped above everything else. As the pyramid went high, their hatred and their memories of that sour argument started dying.

Finally the last boy climbed the three floors of human pyramid and was ready to break the Handi. He shouted loudly “Bharat Maata Ki Jai” and hit the Handi with a coconut. The whole colony screamed loudly and clapped in happiness. The girls danced merrily. Kids jumped high.

Boys had won the challenge in only one attempt. Even Rakesh and Mohan were screaming in happiness. Slowly the pyramid started coming down and then suddenly it came down with a loud scream.

When finally everyone had come down to ground, Rakesh and Mohan each other stood together looking at each other. They felt shameful for their silly act three days back. But they dint had any hatred or anger against the other. It all had been uprooted. They smiled at each other, when Sunil and Kishan walked at them.

Kishan said, “Happy Holi guys we did it.”

Slowly the yellow color spread on the face of Mohan gave way for a drop of tear. As the tear flowed down from his right eye, it made a line clearly visible between that yellow color. As he stared Rakesh, the line grew thicker. Rakesh slowly smiled as tears appeared in his eyes too. They hugged suddenly without saying a word and the air already filled with happiness was now celebrating with the win of goodness over the evil and hatred. That one hug solved their entire quarrel.

Then they smeared color again on each other’s faces which wiped off the line that had not fully but slightly washed off the color. All the fantastic four applied color to each other and hugged again. Their smile proved that nothing again would come in between them. Their friendship was now again just as the colors; all separate but could come together any time just to make up a beautiful painting!

Colors have always made people happier; have always been most mesmerizing creations of God. And the Festival of Colors, Holi, has just been doing the same. Bringing people together, kicking off the tension away, spreading happiness, binding hearts, strengthening the bonds and revising the humanity!

There would be no need to explain this festival after the wonderful rejoining of Rakesh and Mohan. Holi is a festival, a festival of colors, it is as pious and as enjoyable as attractive each color is. And we all are very lucky to have played Holi and to play Holi till the end!

Vishal…

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