Trisha was laughing out loud clutching her stomach as if she had heard the funniest thing in the whole world. She found it funny that her introverted best friend had decided to argue once with one stranger.
The same person who couldn't even ask her money back from a conductor had once just once argued and to her luck, he turned out to be her professor.
"Behen teri zindagi pe mereko taras aaraha hai" Trisha's eyes brimmed with tears of laughter.
(I pity your life)
"Lele maze tu bhi meri kismat ki" Advika said pressing her mouth into a thin line.
(Fine, be entertained from my bad luck)
"Achha baba, gussa mat ho. Kya hua bata ab" Trisha asked, her curiosity piqued as she knew her best friend's luck.
(Okay babe, don't get angry. Tell me what happened)
"Actually mein naa, college jaate hi uss makkhi se takra gayi thii" Advika started
(As soon as I reached the college, I collided with that house fly)
"Shuruwat hi jhand nikla" Trisha said teasing Advika.
(The start itself turned out to be bad)
"Tujhe yaad hai diwali wala din? Tum dono ko ladte hue dekhke toh mujhe mazee aarhe the" she added.
(Do you remember that day of diwali? I was having fun while you guys were fighting)
The same topic was being discussed in Singh's mansion. Daivik had gone to visit the Singh's mansion for agreements related to the next proposal in order to expand their 'Art Network'.
"Kyaa wohi disaster??" Reevaan was the first one to shout.
(Whom? The same disaster??)
"She again argued with you?" Ishaan asked, curious to know about the new encounter in his brother's life.
"Jo bhi ho, uske saath wali ladki haste hue kitnii pyaari lagrahi thi naa." Daivik muttered under his breath.
(Whatever, the girl beside her looked cute while laughing)
The three siblings shot him a death glare.
FLASHBACK
(6 Months ago, diwali wala din; Dehradun)
"Sunn kyu nahi rahi, chal naa, patakhe jalate hai."
(Why aren't you listening, let's go and fire the fireworks)
Advika was chatting with Trisha about how she wanted to crack fire crackers on diwali and was complaining that her only friend isn't cooperating with her.
"Tujhe pata hai mein jaan boojhke unsoona karrahi hun tereko" Trisha said while placing the pooja thali on the table beside them.
(You know that I'm deliberately ignoring you)
"Yaawrr laxmi pooja bhi krliya, ab toh maze karte hai naa chall" Advika pleaded pouting.
(Girlll, we've already worshipped the goddess laxmi, now let's go and have some fun)
"Aye aye, tune kiya pooja? Behen tu mandir ke saamne bhi nahi gayi, mandir chhod tune mandir ka gajur bhi nhi dekha hoga." Trisha said as a matter of factly.
(Ohhooo, you worshipped?? You didn't even get to the temple. Leave the temple, you didn't even glance at the gajur?
(Gajur is the pointed end of the temple roof)
"Thik hai naa, aadhe rashte to saath gayi na tere saath. Chalnaaaa." Advika whined exaggerating the syllable like a cranky child who just woke up from a deep slumber and couldn't find her mother.
(Okay, I accompanied you half way through, let's goo pleasee)
"Okay chal but we've to come back fast, tujhe pata hai mumma papa don't allow patakha." Trisha made a plan to sneak from the backdoor and return back soon.
"Okieeee, I love youuu" Advika jumped in excitement.
"Chal, chal thik hai, ab jala lete hai. Waise kitne laayi hai?" Trisha asked peeking through the bag Advika was holding.
(Okay, okay, let's fire them faster. By the way, how many of them do you have?)
Trisha's JAW DROPPED.
Her best friend was taking out firecrackers like a school child distributing their birthday toffees, each of different flavours.
"Behen, mummy papa khatam kardenge hum dono ke astitwa" Trisha fake cried. "Ye itnee patakhe phodne mein do din lag jaayenge aur humare paas mushkil se 1 ghanta hai" Trisha added.
(Girll mom and dad will remove our existence.
It'll take an eternity to fire all the fireworks and we barely have an hour)
Why wouldn't she react like that though? Advika took out firecrackers, of different colours, shape and type.
She was taking out each firecracker with care, like it was some rare treasure she'd found. Fuljhadi, anaar, aalu bomb, charkhi, gamala, skyrocket and some she herself couldn't name.
"Chal na mazaa aayega, uncle aunty ko mein mana lungi." Advika bubbled with the excitement of cracking the firecrackers. She didn't like festivals anymore, but this fun part was something she didn't wanna miss. At least this year.
(Let's go, we'll have fun, I'll convince uncle aunty)
Trisha looked at her, actually looked. Her best friend was finally enjoying a festival after this long, "be it in the form of firecrackers." She thought to herself.
They were almost done cracking all the firecrackers and firing all the fireworks Advika had brought. Advika had a child-like charm while cracking those and Trisha, she was adoring her like the light of her life had finally found joy in lighting firecrackers after all those years.
Oblivious to emotions whirling inside Trisha, Advika said "maza aaya naa?" "Haan itne saalon baad tujhe kisi cheez ko enjoy karte dekha" Trisha muttered under her breath.
(We had fun right?)
(Of course, I saw you enjoying something after so many years)
"Kya bol rhi hai?" Advika snapped. "Haan bhaii, maza aaya" Trisha said as she didn't want Advika's long found happiness to fade.
(What are you mumbling?)
(Yes girl, it was fun)
"Chal ab last charkhi phodte hai aaja." Advika said with child-like excitement.
(C'mon let's fire the last charkhi)
"Kya aur bhi bache hai?" Trisha snapped in horror. "2 ghante hochuke, maarenge mumma papa."
(Whattt! There are more??)
"Last 2 pleaaaaseee" Advika said exaggerating the syllables pleading with puppy eyes.
Those eyes of course, how could Trisha resist them? "Chal thik hai jaldi karte hai." She gave in and anyway, Advika was finally actually enjoying life after so long.
(Okayu, let's get it done fast.)
"YAYYYYYY, I love youu." Advika jumped telling Trisha how much she loved her.
Little did they know something bigger was coming up. They fired all the fireworks and turned to return to Trisha's home.
"Bhaag Advi, aaj toh jhaadu se upar wali maar padega" Trisha said panting heavily. They'd been running for a while now.
(Advii Runn! We'll get some serious punishment today)
"Bhaag hi toh rahi hun, waise bhi aane hi wala hai ghar." Advika chimed in.
(I'm running already. Anyway, we're approaching the house)
As they were running blindly without even caring about passerbys, Advika collided with a tall, masculine figure.
"Andhi ho kyaa?" The masculine figure spoke.
(Are you blind?)
Advika had to bend her head upwards in order to look him in the eyes. Godd!! He was hawtttt. "Shutup! Advi, this man just called you blind." Advika yelled at herself internally.
"Sirf andhi nahi, bairi bhi ho shayad. Hi ms.andhi bairi, merese door hat sakti ho kya aap." Ivaan said mocking her silence.
(Not just blind, I guess you're deaf as well. Hii ms. Blinddeaf, can you get away from me?)
"Ha.Ha. So funny mr. Aap toh boht hi zyada funny nikle. And whom did you call andhi bairi haan? I'm Advika Rawal." Advika snapped at him.
(You turned out to be so funny. And whom did you just call blinddeaf?)
"Ab jo nahi dekh aur sunsakta, usko andha aur baira respectively, yahi kaha jaata naa?" Ivaan mocked her as if asking her the question.
(What do we call the ones who can't see and hear?)
"Tum hoge andha, tumhara khandan... Khandan ko kyu kahun, tumhare aankh, tumhare kaan, tumhare haat sab honge andha" Advika practically screamed at him.
(You are blind, your fam... Why would I say something to your family. You eyes, your ears, your hands, all those might be blind)
"Adviii! We're already late, jaldi kar, argue karna chhod aur bhaagg, wrna dusri baar argue karneke liye zinda nhi bachenge hum dono." Trisha reminded her best friend of their mission 'back home.'
(Run fast, stop arguing. Otherwise, we won't be able to argue with anyone ever again)
As soon as they reached the main gate of the house
"Kaha gaye the tum dono, ghar ke laxmi pooja karte hi bhaag gayi dono." Vedika scolded them in a motherly tone.
"W-wo h-um yuhiparkgayethetehelne" both Trisha and Advika said in unison in one single breath.
(W-we we wenttotheoarkforstrolling)
"Ohh jai-veeru ki jodii, patakha jalaneko mana kiya tha naa, humari toh sunti nahi ho dono." Vedika said, firmness evident in her voice.
"Betaa, patakha mat jalanaa kaha tha naa humne. Bado ki baat sunliya karo." Rishabh spoke sweetly contrasting to the tone his wife was using.
"Sorry papa/uncle, abse nahi karenge." Both the friends held a sheepish grin.
"Haan tumne kaha aur humne maanliya, jao ye rangoli banake bachi hui extra gobar aur laal mitti fenk ke aao" Vedika ordered her children to do the work.
"Kaha jaayein ab?" Trisha asked not knowing where to dispose the things they were asked to dispose 'cow dung' and 'red clay'.
"Abhi jaha se aaye, waha wapis jao. Park mein." Vedika said firmly.
"Tu gobar uthayegi"
"Nahi tu"
The two of them started arguing about who would pick up cow dung to throw in the park.
"Last year meine dono cheezein phenka tha iss saal gobar to tu hi phekegi" Trisha said, leaving no room for argument.
"Achha... Ohk chal tu bhi kya yaad rakhegi" Advika winked at her.
Advika held the pot with dung as if it was the most disgusting thing to ever exist. She first threw her hand as long as she could and picked the pot from one of its edges with one hand and clutched her nose with the free hand.
Trisha laughed at Advika's antiques. Advika carried the pot in the same manner till they reached the bridge below which the park was located.
As cow dung would work as a compost fertilizer, they decided to throw it all the way down from upwards and the red mud to the floor of the bridge as it was harmless.
To throw the cow dung, Advika had to catch the pot with both of her hands and throw it away. As she was already disgusted, she wanted to get rid of the cow dung as soon as possible.
"She clutched the pot at the edges with both of her hands, raised it, flung it in the air still catching the edges and the cow dung went flying in the garden. To her horror, it landed on a person's head. ON THE HEAD.
Trisha, who was laughing just a few seconds ago, her jaw froze. "ADVI! tujhse kuchh kaam dhangse kyun nahi hota" she yelped, her lips curled down as if she was about to cry.
"Chal neeche jaldii" Advika chimed in and as soon as she spoke, they walked down the bridge.
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
Ivaan, his siblings and Daivik were strolling in the park as the park was lit up with LED lights on benches, trees and the brightest, that added more to the decorations, laughter of people. Families gathered to fire the fireworks and the festival was playing the role of an unifier, uniting families and friends. Laughters were bubbling throughout the park.
"Kitna pyaara maahol hainaa." He put his thoughts into words, admiring the beauty of the festive.
"Haan, chal naa udhar kitne pyaare pyaare flowers dikh rahe, chall" Daivik said and they all started walking along the road side that led to the flower garden.
Ivaan's eyes were fixated on the lights that brightened the whole place like a sunshine peeking through the dark. It was overwhelming, the joy was overwhelming, the lights were overwhelming.
He was lost in the beauty of diwali, the way it brightened something among each and every person. The festival of lights which seemed to bring joy amongst people. He was lost in the festival, swallowed by the crowd’s laughter and the kaleidoscope of colours.
Something snapped him out of his reverie. What was it? It came flying.
'SPLASH'
It was cow shit.
"What the heck." He screamed. His mind? Cauldron of fury. Anger built inside him.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry. It wasn't intentional, please forgive me" Advika apologised sincerely, guilt clearly visible in the way she spoke, her eyes lowered and her voice slowed down.
"TUM? Sahi mein andhi hi ho tum toh." Ivaan roared. Well who wouldn't?
HIS HEAD WAS COVERED WITH COW SHIT.
"Achha ye tum the, I take back my sorry." Advika said as if she hadn't just made the biggest mistake of her life.
"Paagal vagal ho kya." He asked, staring at her in disbelief. How could she be so nonchalant when she'd just ruined a person's diwali?
"Tum hoge paagal. Ganji chudail ke hare sir hote tumhare gobar se kaala hogaya, harkatein toh same to same. Ganji chudail ka male version kahin ka." She smirked.
"KYA? Khud galti karo aur apologise karne ki jagah argue karo?? Kaha se seekhti hai aap ye?" Ivaan asked her. She was the craziest among all the people he'd ever met in his life.
Oh he'd bet his life on that.
"Chup karo, ye tumhe saza mila hai, tumne hi andha kaha tha na mujhe" Advika blamed it all on him as if calling her blind for colliding with him was a heinous crime and he was given punishment for that.
Seeing them argue was an entertainment for Trisha, Daivik and Ivaan's siblings. They were laughing at Advika and Ivaan's antiques. They were on the verge of rolling down on the ground.
"Kitna patar patar karti ho, chatter box kahin ki" Ivaan roared, frustration building up inside him each passing second.
"Tum suar ki tatti jiske sir mein gaiyn ka gobar hai. Tumse toh mujhe muh bhi nahi lagna, bye" Advika snapped, grabbed Trisha's hands and literally dragged her from the spot.
"Empty vessels sound much, huh?" Ivaan countered her dialogue.
"Advika Rawal. Interesting." He said to himself and walked with the same head having cow dung.
The three others were still laughing at their brother's luck--- the one whose excitement of diwali turned into an unforgettable, unfortunate adventure which he might never forget, even in his dreams.
Flashback Ends.
They met again, what'll this new encounter unfold??
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