A Promise : To You For You

Chapter 36

The cool breeze slapped against my face as I watched her build her castle at the seashore. She was determined to make it on her own. Her stubborn self refused to take a helping hand from me. Meanwhile, I stood by her side, as she worked, watching how the world dissolved into oblivion for her as she intently immersed herself in the creative bubble around her.

The expression of joy had started becoming increasingly prominent on her face, making it evident that she was inching closer to completing her task. The crease lines on her forehead had slowly smoothened into nothingness, and her lips had started curving up into a big, full-blown smile. Her castle was shaping up nicely.

"Rhee! I did it!" She exclaimed loudly, springing up in her place.

I looked at her in amusement as she joyfully danced and jumped up and down in excitement, celebrating her success. Her laugh resonated with the waves crashing at the coast, her face glowed with sheer happiness, and her eyes gleamed in the crimson sunshine as the sun sank below the horizon. This was my Aahi, full of life.

"Yes, you did it Aahi! It's so beautiful." I replied with the same zeal as her, my eyes momentarily moving towards the craft she had crafted in the sand.

She stopped her happy dance and looked at me intently, anticipating the authenticity of my compliment. "Do you think so, Rhee?" She asked in a low voice, suppressing her excitement for the moment. Her eyes locked on mine.

"Trust me, I do, Aahi." I replied with a comforting smile, which she accepted, and didn't suppress her excitement thereafter.

Her previous act of celebration had caught some attention around us. I noticed Mom and Aunt Arpita looking in our direction from afar. They smiled upon seeing Ahana dance around her castle in celebration. I smiled back when their smiling eyes settled on me. My eyes drifted to Nikhil, who was walking towards us, taking long strides, with his grumpy face, signalling that some girl refused to fall for his charming act. In less than a minute, he was standing close to us.

"I am going to head back to the hotel. Are you guys coming along?" He asked in his grumpy voice the moment he reached us. His irksome tone dampened Aahi's excitement.

The sun was setting, and the wind had started to become cooler. From a side glance, I noticed a shiver ran through Aahi's body with the temperature change, and the thin layer of her clothing wasn't helping her much. I looked at her, quirking my eyebrows to ask her wish, and she shrugged in response.

Nikhil glanced at his sister and noticed the sand castle she had made. "This looks nice." He commented, looking approvingly at his sister's craft. "Finally, the art and craft classes are paying off." He added afterwards.

Aahi's forehead crinkled at the comment, but she gave her brother a small smile and walked off toward the hotel. Nikhil looked at me in confusion, and I pursed my lips to hide their uplifted corners whilst shaking my head at his failed attempt at appreciation. Coiling my arm around his shoulder, I nudged him to walk, and we followed Ahana to the hotel.

After returning to the hotel, we retired to our rooms to clean up and prepare for the final meal of the trip. I took a long shower and wore casual shorts and a T-shirt as I didn't intend to indulge in any activity after dinner. Placing the mobile and the room key in my pocket, I left the room.

Dad had arrived at the Hotel's restaurant before the rest of us. Dressed in casuals just like me, he sat at the table reserved for us. His eyes focused on the restaurant's menu as they skimmed through its content. We exchanged a knowing smile when he noticed my presence as I took a seat across him. His eyes reflected the same victorious gleam as always. He had yet again beaten me in the race of punctuality, a trait I had inherited from him.