Confected Castles : Of Cards and Dreams

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓢𝓲𝔁

The walls of Thakur Badi could witness the soft hums that evening. The sun was about to bid goodbye to the earth, painting the sky with its last orange strokes. The birds were returning back to their nests in groups and the air was cooling itself down, into a peaceful soul. The trees swayed gently, as if joining the realms of nature's farewell.

"Paagla haawar badolo-dine
Paagol aamar mon jege otthe" She hummed.
(On a rainy day with crazy winds
my whimsical mind wakes up from its slumber)

The swing swayed gently, as she pushed the ground to make it sway in rhythm. Her orbs were still reading the book that was carefully held by her. It's been two days of her encounter with the guy in library. And now her heart was all musky and minty. The breeze teased her hair, distracting her from reading. But she was still there, sitting on the beautiful iron swing with crossed ankles. She was no more than an angel in her light blue sari, whose veil was perfectly wrapped around her left wrist.

"Didi (Sister)!"

Priyala raised her gaze from the book she was reading. She was elated the moment she saw Mishika sitting on the green grass, her legs stretched forward and a bright smile adorning her face.

"Mishiii! Do you need something?" Priyala asked, getting down from the swing. She felt the cool tickling travelling up from her feet the moment she laid her step on the grass. She walked few steps and sat beside her sister, staring the sky.

"Didi! You look happy these days." She stated, without leaving her gaze from the sky.

Priyala could feel the sudden heat rising up to her cheeks. She mentally thanked Durga maa for engaging her cousin in sky gazing, who would have otherwise pointed out the sudden tinge of pink forming on her face.

"I am always happy Mishi." She replied.

"You sound different these days. The chirpy one!"

"Do I?"

Priyala sensed Mishika turning her face towards her. A smile formed on her lips seeing those innocent eyes of her little sister, which gleamed like the pearls.

"Stop blushing Didi!"

"No-I... I am not blushing." She stammered.

"Yeah I do believe you." Mishika nodded.

The calm silence enveloped between the two girls who were staring at the sky which was slowly sprinkling the dark blue above. Priyala staggered when she saw her cousin getting up and walking towards the rose shrubs.

"Didi!" She called her, giving the toothy smile.

"What?" Priyala furrowed her gaze.

"What if someone gives you a rose?"

"Then he needs to see all my thorns first!" She replied dreamily.

"What?"

"Just like to smell the roses, you need to accept its thorns. The same way, he needs to accept my flaws if he really wants to love me."

She looked at the little girl, who was now flabbergasted with her reply. She knew it went all tangent over her sister's head. Definitely she was too small to understand these things. She could see Mishika immediately dusting her confused look and plucking a rose from the bush. She returned towards Priyala, sitting beside and gently tugging the rose in her loose braid.

"Perfect!!" she uttered to which Priyala responded with a smile.

"Paagla haawar badolo-dine
Paagol aamar mon jege otthe"
(On a rainy day with crazy winds
my whimsical mind wakes up from its slumber)