Parivara: Story of a Family

12 : Holi

"Hurry!" Aditi squealed to her maids so they could finish tucking in her dupatta. Amidst all the confusion in her mind the last couple days, she'd forgotten Holi (Festival of Colors) was today. The ladies quickly finished dressing her and Aditi ran out of her room, her anklets chiming as she ran. In the gardens below, she could hear the band playing a lively beat as everyone danced and threw colors on each other. Aditi quickly made her way through halls and down staircases.

As soon as she made it down to the party, red color was splashed in her face. Aditi shrank away, then quickly looked up to see her culprit, Payal, giggling.

"Payal!" Aditi squealed, and then she began chasing her older sister around the courtyard to spray colors onto her in revenge.

Hidden behind pillars of jugs holding colors, Divya was wrapped in Rakesh's arms, their colored hands leaving prints where they touched each other. Their lips were locked passionately together before Rakesh began a slow trail down her chin and neck.

Divya giggled and whispered, "And if someone catches us back here?"

"You weren't so worried when I visited your bedchambers every night. Why worry now?" Rakesh whispered against her neck, his words tingling on her skin.

"I'm not worried." Divya tugged on his hair so he looked up to meet her eyes. "But we are surrounded by people..."

"Fikar mat karo (don't worry)," Rakesh told her before kissing her cheek, so close to her lips. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know," Divya replied. She kissed him again, savoring his warm arms around her. She bit his lip mid-kiss, and Rakesh yelped. Divya giggled and ran away, going into the courtyard. She ran to the center and joined the circle of dancers. Rakesh followed, joining as her partner in the dance.

Payal was able to lose Aditi in the crowd, diving into clouds of color and twirling to the music. She felt a spray from above her and turned around to see Abhay a level above the courtyard, looking down onto the celebration. As she turned to look at him, Abhay could see she was still wearing the earrings, and he smiled brilliantly down onto her. She smiled back as he made his way downstairs.

He slowly sauntered up to her, his eyes burning into hers. Payal could feel the intensity between them, and looked out of the corners of her eyes to see if anyone was watching. Abhay made it to a stop right in front of her, and looked down at her with a smirk. He was slowly going to step further forward, so their bodies would be pressing against each other, but Payal quickly wiped her hand on his cheek, leaving a red streak, and ran away. Abhay gave a stunned expression and then began to follow her. She quickly joined the dancers, and so did he.

Aditi also joined the dance, Vishu joining from the other end. The three couples danced around in the circle, clapping and twirling as the drum beats permitted. Colors sprayed all around, staining their clothes and skin, and the merriment of the festival allowed everyone a release of tension. It was as if the joyous occasion relieved them of any pressures or worries.

The drum players slowly finished their song and all the dancers and guests turned to see the king standing above them on a balcony, his arms outstretched to get their attention.

"Welcome all, and happy Holi!" Papa announced with his strong voice. "I have several announcements to make on this happy day, and I believe the news will only continue to add to the happiness!"

Everyone clapped, all awaiting the surprises. No one knew what he was going to announce, not even the sisters.

"First off, I want to welcome my son-in-law and eldest daughter back home. It is our greatest pleasure to host them during their holidays." Papa smiled widely and said, "Please lend them your blessings so the gods may bestow a son upon them!"

The clapping continued, but Divya and Rakesh's was a little slower. Payal looked over to Abhay out of the corner of her eyes as she clapped, noting his stiff jaw and smirking a little.

"Second, I wanted to inform everyone of some business I've been dealing with that no one had knowledge of," Papa continued. "As you all know, in my palace I have two young men living with me who also serve me proudly: my right-hand man, Rakesh, and my ward, Vishakh." Rakesh and Vishu bowed their heads. "For the past month, I have assigned these two men to overlook one of the smaller provinces in our kingdom, an up-and-coming province that has been having some problems revolving around a civil war within itself. The two men I mentioned have been visiting the province, trying to solve its issues, and running it as I run the rest of my kingdom. I am proud to ask them to continue their work, as I see great potential in their ideas. It will mean some time away from home, but they deserve it."

The crowds clapped again, Rakesh and Vishu still bowing their heads in coyness. Divya looked at Rakesh, smiling proudly at her father's words. She saw Abhay in the background, his face as stern as always, but she didn't let it bother her this time. She kept clapping and smiling. Aditi also smiled at Vishu, but her father's words about Vishu having to be away from home resonated with her. Their relationship, whatever it was, was just starting, and now he'd be busy all the time.

"And before we go back to playing Holi, I just want to ask for a few more blessings from you all," Papa said. "Don't just bless my eldest daughter so she could bear heirs. Bless my other daughters, as well, so they could find kings as wonderful as King Abhay to wed! Thank you all!"

Now everyone felt uncomfortable, the three couples standing awkwardly with each other. Music started playing again, but suddenly they didn't feel much like dancing.