A Sew Through Time [Banbudh And Budbak]

26: Braids and ribbons

One egg shot down a corpulent rat near the gutter, another rat skidded away from the flying thing. Khushi continued throwing her army of eggs on them when Badri pulled her forward for her impetuous act. The frenzied rodents almost brushed near their angles, the rough textures making them shriek. One pounced over Jeeva's back, trying to nibble his hair,

"MUMMYYYYYYY!!!"

Budh hit it away with his palm, already grossed from the sight behind. He noticed a building door opened on their right and yelled,

"Uss taraf!"

Jeeva continued hitting his own head to throw the rats away, screaming and praying for his life. Khushi tossed the empty carton away and pulled him inside the building. With one strong push, they locked the door and leaned on it with their backs, panting profusely.

The rats began piling on top of one another, scratching and gnawing the wood.

"ARRE!" Budh pushed the trembling door further, "Are they piling up to break dahi handi or what?!"

"Our dahi handi of course!" Badri forced his weight on the door, "They ate all that food and now they'll eat us!"

"Look!" Khushi pointed at a concussion of stairs spiraling upstairs, "Let's go up! There's no mercy down!"

They climbed up the stairs one by one, pushing each other into a large vintage balcony. The mosaic tiles and curled iron parapet enclosed them in. Peering below, they discovered an ocean of grey banging on the door below.

"Even after eating so much, how do they have space left in their tummies?" Budh breathed, holding the parapet tightly.

Badri added, "They have bigger appetite than Jeeva!"

"Let's distract them with Parle G!" Khushi advised.

Something crashed downstairs. Jumping up, they skimmed past the balcony door and peeked into the stairs.

"Alle don't leave me alone!" Squirmed Jeeva.

Picking a dirty smell, they noticed the door damaged with unfathomable holes pricked into it. Light penetrated through as the pesky animals pushed harder.

"They're gonna destroy the door!" Panicked Budh, "How do we escape?!"

Hearing this, Badri dashed into the opposite end of the balcony, noticing a rooftop not too far away. Leaning over the parapet, he turned halfway and declared,

"We're gonna jump!"

Snarling grew louder in the stairs.

"Ready?!"

"No need to count!" Jeeva cried out, "Bhagwan ka naam lo aul kud dao!"

"Utpatang kudenge toh seedha upar chale jayenge!" Budh yelled and held Khushi's hand, Badri's hand in another. In one long leap, the trio landed over the other side with their backs curling from impact.

Rolling over the roof, they jumped up and yelled,

"Aja Jeeva!"

He glanced below.

"Don't look down!" Khushi warned, "Jump already!"

Closing his eyes shut, he took a few steps behind and plunged into the air. He floated for a second before rolling down the roof with chaotic frenzy.

"Lallantap mere sher!" Badri picked him up, "Looks like you're really apt for gym one day!"

"Look over there!" Khushi pointed at a trail adjacent the wired fence, "That path leads somewhere else!"