Reshimbandh~Silken Threads

5. Happy Holi

A week later,

The day of Holi,

Rawte mansion,

Early in the morning,

Rahul went in Arjun's room, "Bhai!" Arjun quickly opened his eyes, "Yes Rahul"

Rahul wished and applied gulaal on his face, "Happy Holi, bhai!" Arjun wished him back and also applied some gulaal on his cheeks. "Bhai, I've got a plan!"

"What?"

Rahul revealed his devious plan and both brothers high-fived each-other, "Wonderful, this time dollie will know how it feels upon getting tricked."

"Come."

Both stood outside Neha's room with fistful of colours in their hands and stock kept ready behind. Arjun called out in the sweetest possible voice, "Neha!"

Inside the room, Neha had been in her sweet sleep which was disturbed, she voiced out sleepily, "What?"

They could barely hear her voice, so Rahul called her again, "Teddy-bear, you sleeping?"

Neha chided him mentally, No, I'm playing football!' She slowly got up from her bed, gently slipped her feet in soft furry white slippers, put on her silk robe, and rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked towards the door in half sleepy and half drunk manner. She looked at the clock which showed 5:30 a.m. "What's wrong early in the morning?" She spoke in drowsy voice.

They heard her and took their positions leaning across the walls on each side. She opened the door and came out and before she could even breathe, Arjun and Rahul smeared her in gulaal and screamed, "Happy Holi!!"

She pressed her ears tight, "Please don't shout in my ears! And what's this?" She looked at her robe which had turned all red-pink instead of pristine white. Both of them almost squeezed her into a hug, "Let me breathe!"

Rahul said parting, "Come on."

Neha asked unaware, "Where to?"

Arjun held her hand and led, "Just come!"

They both almost dragged her towards the lawn and played all the pranks that they had planned, and stopped only when she had almost began to cry. Rahul rebuked her, "Teddy! Stop making fuss, it's Holi today and we've just played a few pranks, which you always did. Don't cry for it now!"

She looked at them angrily, "I hate you!"

"But we love you!" Both of them said unanimously.

~

At the cricket ground, a Holi party had been organised by the Home Minister. There were tight security arrangements as a bomb threat' was issued and the city was on high-alert, ETF team was given the responsibility for the safety. The bomb squad, dog squad, local police and backup forces were in action.

Everything was going smooth until noon, when some suspicious activities were noted near the stalls of colours. Neha had been keeping a close watch on the stalls when she noticed familiar eyes and immediately recognised them, but the face was smeared with colours so she still doubted her suspicions. Those eyes spotted her and then turned to other way then looked back at her and the same place again. She tried to understand what he was trying to convey and suddenly realised it.

She reached the place which those eyes had signalled to and called the dog squad and bomb squad after finding a bomb planted under a table in the stall. Neha searched for those eyes again but couldn't spot them. She felt restless and went out to search him, the owner of those deep brown eyes.

She followed his trail and reached a deserted area, everyone from that area had been in the ground, busy playing Holi. She looked in all directions but lost him, "Bhau!" She called out, but in vain.