A Sew Through Time [Banbudh And Budbak]

8: My yellow flower

Budh noticed Khushi standing in front of the school with hands in her pockets.
He halted Rockit and instructed her to sit behind him. Staying silent in the first half, the boy started talking about how he had developed a liking for peanut butter that morning.

It took roughly ten minutes to reach Badri's house. Parking Rockit inside the garage, they ran up the stairs, hands running across the iron railings. The doorbell at the second floor rang, a sound of a tweeting bird. They heard loud thumping of footsteps growing and halting at the other side. It opened with a faint creak as Badri invited them in.

Khushi observed the interiors of the house. The living room had a peculiar
amount of porcelain stuff, a tiny Ganesh statue rested near the television. Vases filled with plastic flowers caught dust in the shelves. The walls were creamy yellow, marked with coloured crayons at some places. The lines in the veranda held dry socks and napkins; Badri had forgotten to take them off.

The guests washed their hands and plomped on the soft sofa. Their bodies sank into it. Budh crossed his legs, placed his hands behind his head and inquired,

"Where's aunty?"

"Outside to get Khushi from playschool"

"But today is Sunday na?"

"They celebrated fruits and vegetables day today" he spoke while handing two cans of mirinda to them.

"What did Khushi dress as?" Budh opened it.

"A mango" He chuckled, "Last night, me and mummy were up till three finalizing the costume. But then  we ran out of hair pins to attach the green leaves on her hair, so in the morning, I went to the stores, made her hair and sent her"

"Woah, too much work!"

Finishing their soda, Badri hinted them to go inside. Khushi stood up and walked into his room, her head bobbed out of the door to call them in.

"Oye!" Badri grew surprised, "How did you know that's my room?"

Her head jerked in as she clicked her tongue. Walking out, she replied,

"Of course! I mean, this surely looks like a boy's room to me!"

He stared at her, finding it hilariously amusing. Running inside with his friend, he settled on the stool in front of the computer screen and turned it on. 

Khushi followed, eyes darting at the cursor clicking the video game.

"Khushi, sit here" He instructed, leaving the stool for her.

"Alright" she mumbled, noticing an enormous Mega Robot poster on the wall. It was slightly ripped off at one edge. A blue guitar rested near the bedside, several comics underneath the table. His schoolbag was on the bed, pencils were scattered on the shelves and computer desk.

Picking up the maroon crayon beside the mouse, she observed it.

"You online Badri?" Budh inquired, a blue console was in his hands.

"Yes. Ready Khushi?"

There was no answer.

"Hey smugface!"

"YEAH!"

"Ready?"

"Yes I am!"

"Let's start!"

The game begun. The boys flew too far away from Khushi who started slow, her spacecraft continued wobbling on the screen. The aliens shot lasers in the purple sky and they began attacking them fiercely. The boys grew excited, yelling and screaming with their fingers hitting the keys hard.