Kyon Nahi ✓ || (neirohi)

37. Love, war and haldi

did not proof read.

37. love, war and haldi

"Bhai, aaj toh aapko haldi main nehlane waale hai hum," Neil rubbed his hands in evil despair and Abhimanyu who sat in the little mandap looked at his mother, to get a little assurance that this was not going to happen. He did not want to look like a pale ghost on his wedding, which was the day after, "Maa ki taraf naa dekho bhai, aaj koi aapko bacha nahi sakta." 

"Maa, Tai-ji," Abhimanyu pleaded cutely at his mother and aunt, "please, kuch bolo iss shaitan ko, mujhe peela nahi padna shaadi ke dinn."

"Peela, neela aur rangeela kar denge, don't you worry." Parth and Shefali laughed, Nishta all ready with the paste to be poured on Abhimanyu.

Both Manjari and Mahima shrugged, hands raised in surrender and Abhimanyu sighed, sitting back on the little wooden stool and awaited for the cousins' of his to disfigure his handsome face completely by the yellow paste. The elders had already applied a little paste on his face, and on his arms and feet, but he was worried on what the younger clan would do to them. 

"Jo bhi karna hai, jaldi karo, phir Abhi ki utri hui haldi Akshara ke yaha le jaani hai, usse bhi toh haldi lagani hai!" 

"Sun," Abhimanyu ushered his brother to come closer, "Aarohi se milna hai?" He asked, and the moment he did, the happy color off Neil's face washed off completely and Abhimanyu took complete advantage of the same. 

"K..K..Kya... Kya baat kar rahe ho bhai," Neil hesitated, and Abhimanyu smirked, whispering to his brother so the others' could not hear them speak. The rest of the Birlas' were anyway busy with the arrangements and paste making.

"Accha," Abhimanyu held his brother's neck, "Maa aur Tai-ji Akshara ke yaha jaane wale hai, haldi lekar, tujhe agar unke saath jaana hai, toh make everyone apply only a little haldi on my face."

Neil gulped, as he looked at the cousins' who were gawking at them trying to know what was their secretive conversation, but Abhimanyu only cheekily smiled at them. Neil frowned, he really wanted to see his chipkali, but he also wanted to have some fun on his brother's haldi. What was he supposed to do, ladki ya bhai? 

Ladki toh aati jaati rahegi, he shook his head, bhai is forever.

But Aarohi, his heart added, Aarohi! 

"Bhai, this is unfair."

"Everything is fair in love, war and haldi." 

Neil chuckled, and dipped his hands in the yellow paste, asking his mother if he could go ahead with the ceremony and she nodded. "Toh phir, haldi is greater than everything else," And with that Neil rubbed the entire haldi paste on Abhimanyu's face entirely and the rest of the cousins yelled in pure chaos, joining in as they rubbed Abhimanyu's neck, back, chest, arms, leg and any skin exposed with the yellow paste while Abhimanyu shut his eyes, letting his family have some fun and laugh at the same time. 

"Tujhe dekh lunga, Neil ke bacche." Abhimanyu yelled at his brother who was laughing hysterically, while he was basically caked up with layers of the paste.

"Pehle aap theek se dekh toh lo, phir mujhe dekh lena!" 

They all laughed and Abhimanyu wiped the paste off his eyes, and his face, "I hate you guys!" 

Manjari and Mahima slightly removed the haldii off him and collected it in a bowl, just a tad bit to start Akshara's haldi ceremony and Neil smiled at his brother, happy to see this day at last. 

"Abhimanyu, you take a bath after the pictures, meanwhile we ladies will go to the other lawn, the Goenkas' must be waiting for us!" 

Neil obediently stood besides his brother, ready to help him get out off the yellow thing, like he promised and Abhimanyu smiled. "Maa," He called out to his mother, and she turned, "Neil ko leke jaao, isse apni bhabhi ko haldi lagani hai." He winked at Neil who smiled widely at him, "jaa mere cheete, acche se haldi lagana Akshara ko, aur haan, humari saali ko bhi."