Bairi Sanam: The hate of a lover

Chapter XIX: Hassi

Tejasvin

My body was all smeared with soil and sweat now under the heat of sun, which only intensified my energy. Our team was scoring one after the other and I could feel the hype in the crowd. Their cheers were fueling my energy more. Amid all the cheer, I heard someone whistling and all the noise died down. My eyes moved in the direction of the sound, and I spotted Ketaki, the only person standing in between everyone. Of course it had to be her. I found her act so amusing that it made me chuckle. Feeling embarrassed, she slowly dipped down taking her place and we resumed the match.

"Ye ek aur patka," the commentator spoke as I threw one of them over my shoulder, making them taste the soil of our village. I scored the winning point and the crowd stood up cheering and applauding.

(Another one reduced to the ground.)

I moved back to the stage and patting off the soil from my skin, I picked the kurta from the sofa and wore it. Then I awarded all the team members with the medals.

The games continued till the evening time and when the sun started to set, everyone began returning to their homes. Smriti came running towards me as I got off the stage and hugged me.

"Dau you were so good today," she said cheerfully, and I patted her head. We began moving towards the house when I found Ketaki helping Subodh kaka with wrapping everything up.

She looked tired now and the flowers that previously adorned her braid were all gone. Even her braid had loosened up now, but all the loose strands of hair just added to her grace. I started moving towards her and I wasn't able to understand why my feet always turned in her direction senselessly whenever I saw her. She was busy packing everything in a bag behind the stall when I neared her, and she looked up.

"Do you need help kaka?" I asked Subodh kaka but my eyes were on her when I said that.

"No, we don't," she replied and busied herself again.

"Sarkaar you made us win today," Subodh kaka spoke so I moved towards him.

"I did nothin—"

"Haan haan, if he wasn't there, how could we have won?" Ketaki said in a mocking tone making me roll my eyes. She scanned me from top to bottom and said, "at least this time your kurta didn't get dirty because of me."

I looked at my lower that was covered in dust from the match, and she broke into laughter. My eyes stopped on her as this was the first time I was looking at her laughing so freely in front of me. My lips curved into a smile unknowingly looking at her laugh like this. She again busied herself in putting more boxes into another bag and I saw Smriti move behind the booth to help her.

"Jiji, let me help you," she said to Ketaki, and she smiled softly in return while handing her the bag.

(Sister)

Ketaki

"Jiji, let me help you," this girl spoke and my heart bloomed listening to her sweet voice, which made me smile. She called me jiji with such respect that I couldn't help but wonder who she was, so I asked.

"What's your name?"

"Smriti, and yours?" She asked as I was filling up the bag with boxes and she was doing the same. 

"Ketaki. Are you related to him?" I asked pointing towards sahib as I saw her come with him earlier.

"He's my older brother," she said, and I dropped the bag that I was holding that made all the boxes scatter on the ground. I palmed my mouth in astonishment not believing whatever she said. I knew Rajwant had a daughter but I had never seen her before today.

"WHAT? This kadwa karela is your brother? How is this even possible?" I blurted out not realising that he was still standing there listening to all of this. She broke into laughter hearing my words and it made me laugh too.

"What did you call dau? Kadwa karela?" She said between her laughter, and I held my stomach laughing more as it began to hurt.

"You know no one has the audacity to say such things to him jiji, but I must say you are so fearless for saying this to his face." We laughed for some time before my eyes landed on his angry face and my laughter died down instantly.

"Who did you call kadwa karela huh?" I heard his loud voice.

"You, who else?" I said and saw Smriti from the corner of my eye trying really hard to control her laughter.

"Dau, I think that's enough for you today. Let's go home," she said nearing him and holding his hand, she began dragging him behind her.

"I'll see you Ketaki," he fake threatened me, and I just laughed it off.

After packing everything up, I reached home as the night sky took over. I sat on the window sill and peeped outside. Bringing my braid to the front that was half open already, I began undoing it slowly. A soft smile was lingering on my face as I replayed today's events. I enjoyed the samaroh more than I ever have in the past years and for some reason it was him who made it better. There was something about our banters that I had started to enjoy, and I think he was equally enjoying it too.

My hands were slowly moving on the length of my hair as I smoothened them out after opening my braid entirely. I spotted amma and bauji twinkling in the night sky and it gave me some sort of reassurance.

Tejasvin

Reaching home, I quickly showered freeing my body of all the dust and sweat it had collected today. I changed into grey sweats and came out of the shower rubbing my hair with a towel. I fell in my bed and tossed for some time not being able to sleep. Giving up, I placed my arm underneath my head and just stared at the roof. I smiled inadvertently as I remembered her. Her laughing face came in front of my eyes and trust me when I say that I haven't felt more captivated by anyone's laughter before but hers.

Her fearlessness, her ability to speak her mind, and her fake anger suited her. She is like a fierce lioness. I was becoming habitual of her fights without my own knowledge. I was finding it amusing to annoy her now. Every time she scrunched her small nose out of anger, it made her look adorable rather than frightening.

I rolled onto my side as my eyes fell on the night sky visible through the balcony of the room. The stars appeared to be twinkling brighter than other days, providing me a sense of serenity.