Kashmir [BxB]

Chapter 16 - Blessings

I remember when I was younger and all of Mum's family would gather to celebrate Diwali. We used to go over to grandma and grandpa's house until Mum and Dad bought our current, larger house, and now our family often acted as the hosts. Ravi and I were the eldest of our cousins by far, even though Mum was a middle child, and I loved being the eldest kid at a family gathering.

Angel was the closest in age, three years my junior, and one hell of a troublemaker. He and I would sneak around the house and cause a ruckus until Akira, his younger sister told on us. They were mums older sister Shetals kids, and aunty Shetal was just as badass as her sister. She and her wife Achlas had fought to get to adopt Akira permanently, and I wouldn't have had it any other way - Akira was the sweetest girl to ever walk the Earth.

Except for my cousin Noah, middle child of my uncle Pura and his wife Rhea. Noah and his brother Isaac were seven and eight years old, and stuck to each other like glue. The youngest of the family was Becky, a four-year-old girl with an appetite bigger than both her brothers'.

And they were all coming here.

"Ravi! Get off your phone and start on the porch!", dad instructs, the stress of handling several pots and pans at the same time showing through his voice. He didn't unusually get so stressed, being used to the stress of the restaurant, but it was different cooking for his extended family. He'd already prepared plates of chakli, peda, barfi, and laddoo, but none of the actual food was anywhere near done.

"You know everyone brings something to eat, calm down sweetheart.", Mum says, patting his shoulder as she comes up behind him, "Why don't I watch over the stove and you can go change, hm?"

I meet Mum's eye and smile at Dad huffing, to which she rolls her eyes.

"Have you set up for puja yet, Kashmir?"

"I'm on my way..."

Lakshmi Puja was one of few explicitly religious things that had lived on in our family. Setting up the small altar with a red cloth, some seeds and the figurine (Mum always got mad at me for calling it that, but in my mind it was) portraying Goddess Lakshmi. I didn't consider myself a particularly religious person, but this always made me feel peaceful.

Preparing the kalash and adorning the altar with flowers didn't mean anything in of itself, but it made me feel reverence, and like I was in tune with the people who came before me. Before I know it, our house is packed and colored clothes and bright lights fill my view.

"Your clothes look nice. Did Ravi help you?"

"Rude, but thank you. And no, I'd be looking like him if he did."

I point to Ravi, watching with a smile as Angel takes in his yellow lehenga and choli. Grandma always said that Hindu teachings state that every human is made up of varying degrees of both feminine and masculine traits, and I was glad that was the case. I'd seen strangers comment on Ravi's looks, even shout at him in public when he wore women's clothing, but at least in our family, nobody cared.

"If you take a picture it'll last longer.", Ravi taunts when he spots us.

"Yes, and I could send it to your discount guy as well. What was he called again?"

Ravi sticks his tongue out, a replacement for giving me the finger, before he struts over to the living room table and sits down with us.

"Who's up for Teen Patti?"

Ah, the renowned card game that never ceased to create conflict. Mum had banned us from betting money, saying it escalated the tension, so we usually played with snacks as a kind of poker markers.

"I'm in. Angel?"

Angel nods and waves to Shetal who comes over to join us, dragging grandpa with her as well. Noah, Isaac and Betty seem to be having an ongoing war in the kitchen, and most others are engrossed in food and conversation. No doubt they'd start their own games, or watch ours soon enough though.