Come...Fall In Love!

27: Diwali

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Dedicated to: vanessamolina17

Chapter 27:
Lights... There were lights everywhere!
The houses looked bright with sparkling diyas, windows were all lit, and most entrances welcomed one with a very beautiful and colorful rangoli. There were people out on the street burning different type of crackers; fireworks left behind a great view up in the sky...
A few were mere spectators. Kids ran across the empty spaces enjoying every bit of the celebration and their parents ran behind them to see if they were safe. It was a vacation time for kids and most adults had a break on occasion of Diwali too.
Kathy looked out of the window with a smile and a child like excitement. Her eyes gleamed at the scene before her eyes and then sighed as she was still alone. She got up and started decorating her house with scented candles in the living room and bedrooms. She used fancy electric lighting to highlight the windows and the entrance. She then sat down at the space outside her door and started making an outline for the rangoli she was going to design. She enjoyed all this so much and was really lost in it. In midst of filling the designs with colors, she heard someone clear their throat. She smiled and lifted her head up.
"Wow. This looks really nice and our house....it’s so beautiful! You do love everything about life, don't you?" he smiled as he sat down next to her.
"Want to help me?" she asked him.
"Me? Are you crazy? I'll spoil it all!" he said.
"Come on, join me... I'll teach you!" she pressed.
"Okay but don't blame me if things go wrong." he smiled.
"Come here and take a pinch of color in between your fingers and fill in the petal with it...the one in the far corner." she told him and he did as told. His hands shivered as he picked up the color and he slowly made way towards the petal. She saw him lean down and focus as he started giving an outline with the color inside the already made white colored design. He started off well but the shiver of his hands made the design a little out of shape. He looked at Kathy with a sad face and then back at the now spoilt design and tried to fix it somehow, making her giggle.
Suddenly Kathy's hands were on his hands, guiding and helping him do it perfectly. She sat close to him and her hairs tingled his cheeks as she guided him with coloring the pattern. He could listen to her steady breathing and he looked at her and observed how focused she was while doing this.
He found her pretty stunning in the red and green colored traditional dress and the extra ordinary dupatta she was wearing. Long, heavy earrings were securely placed on her delicate ears and her face had traces of little makeup on it. He noticed this small strand of hair falling on her face creating difficulty for her and he blew it away making her shiver a little. He smiled at that and heard a small voice come from the bangles she wore as she moved her hand along the curve of the design. They sat there for quite some time with Kathy coloring and doing the outline and Ronnie's occasional 'help' and staring.
Finally, she lifted her head up from the design and smiled at him and he smiled back at her, feeling warm and tingly in the inside. His eyes radiated light and his smile glowed like those diyas outside their neighbor’s door.
"I'll go get some diyas and then we'll place two over here and the remaining on all the windows, balcony and the terrace!" she said and he snapped out of his paradise.
"Hmm" he answered, feeling weird suddenly; she got up to get the tray filled with different shaped diyas and a lit candle. She placed two diyas on the rangoli and lit them.
"Come on now, we'll decorate our windows, balcony and the terrace." she said making her way towards his room. She started placing the diyas as he began lighting the candles.
"I never thought that I'd enjoy all this so much!" he said looking at her.
"You only needed someone who'd celebrate it with you!" she answered and he couldn't agree anymore.
"I hate them!" he said after a while. It took her a few seconds to understand his meaning.
"Maybe they did all of this to give you a better life?" she said.
"A better life? I wish they'd been there for me when I needed the most...I wish even they'd have lived in their present then. They took away my childhood...they weren't there when I was sick or when I fought or during festivals or when I thought I was in love. They weren't there to guide me...they didn't care when I slept around; they didn't want to see me settled! How can I love them?" he asked, choking a bit. She rubbed his back to calm him down.
"Maybe they can't forgive themselves either. Maybe they don't like to see this hatred in your eyes. Maybe they want you to love them!" she said quietly.
"You know, you will never understand how it is to enter an empty house everyday; you will never know how it is when you know there's no one waiting for you!" he said and she sighed.
"Aye, you've me now. Stop complaining and crying!" she tried to lighten up the situation.
"Yeah. I've you for at least 6months!" he replied.
"Aww...this is for you!" she said as she placed the last diyas in her room and turned towards the table where she'd kept the gift box. She handed it to Ronnie with a huge smile.
"Open it!" she ordered and he obliged. She saw his eyes widen and a ghost of a smile covered his face when he looked at it.
"What? Do you expect me to wear this?" he asked her amused.
"Yes. Do it, right now! I don't want to see you in your boring office wear. This kurta-pajama suits for the occasion and it contrasts with the dress I'm wearing." she ordered.
"Haha...alright ma'am!" he laughed and she walked out.
Slowly, guests started coming to their place. She'd invited her family, friends, cousins, Ronnie's parents, Mrs. Patel and his cousins. The house was suddenly filled with a lot of people and she got busy welcoming everyone.
"Thanks a lot Kathy! You have no idea how happy you make me. This is the first time his house is decorated like this. I don't think he has ever celebrated Diwali... I'm glad we found you!" Ronnie's mom told her. She was happy and a little teary. A mother's heart longed for his son's love.
"It’s no big deal. You know I can be quite dominating too!" laughed Kathy.
"He lets you dominate like this?" his mother asked, truly shocked.
"I've my ways!" she laughed and his mother joined her.
"Where is he?" she asked after a while.
"I don't know I'll find him." she said and walked towards his room where she'd last left him.
She knocked the door twice and entered when he called her in.
"You take so much time to get ready Mr. Shenoy!" she said.
"No I got ready early but I was trying to set my hairs properly in a quiff!" he said sheepishly.
"Quiff? Really now?" she said and walked towards him. She raised her hands and placed her fingers in his messy hairs and set them properly. She let some hairs fall on his forehead, making them reach his eyes. He closed his eyes with a smile and weirdly enjoyed that feeling.
"This...you look cute now!" she said after a while.
"Cute?" he asked her, an amused look on his face.
"Yes. Now come on, we've visitors outside!" she said and pulled him towards the door.
He followed her but stopped when they reached the door. She frowned and looked at him and he stood there looking at the number of people that were outside. His grip on her hands tightened and he gritted his teeth. Anger filled his eyes soon.
"Why did you invite them?" he said pulling her inside and pushing her towards a wall.
"Because they're your parents?" she said but it sounded like a question. One thing she didn't like about him was his anger.
"Parents? Parents are like Mr. and Mrs. Dutta not them! Why did you have to ruin Diwali? I hate them and you know that!" he said, frustration clear in his voice. She took a deep breath.
"No you don't. You love them...you really do! You're what every ideal son should be like! You aced your exams, you participated in almost every sport, you opted for a career that they chose for you and you look after his business now. You've earned a Young Achievers Award this year! You don't hate them!" she stated and he stared at her. She'd left him speechless. Once again!
"You...-no it’s...-I hate...-why...-you...!" he mumbled and she gave him a look.
"You don't necessarily have to bond with them...just wish them, talk a bit and then it’s done! You've no idea of how much they regret ignoring you in your childhood. What’s done is done. You can't change that but you don't have to take revenge for that!" she tried to make him understand. He kept quiet, stared at the floor.
"Come on Mr. Shenoy...come, let’s go. You don't have to spoil your Diwali...-our Diwali for this!" she said and he followed her quietly.
Rest of the night went on smoothly. He talked to his parents for a few minutes. Not once he was rude to his parents that night making them grin ear to ear. He then remained in his comfort zone that was with Kathy's family and friends though he noticed how well she looked after his parents and how welcomed they felt because of her. He did feel a little guilty at that time but he couldn’t stand close to them with feeling anger.

They all talked, ate and played cards that night. Later, everyone made their way towards the open area where everyone busted various kinds of crackers. Kathy pulled Ronnie with her and informed him more about the crackers and they played with a lot of them. On lookers found them cute, when they saw them playing with the ‘fuljharis’ and laughing like kids. Kathy teased him a bit, he pulled her leg, and they pulled pranks on each other forming teams with Kathy's friends and both the set of cousins. There were times when Monish would come close to Kathy, making Ronnie alert and protective of her and Kathy would give him a thankful look at times like that. Sometimes, he’d feel pissed seeing how Monish still affected her.
There was no love yet but things were going really well. There were times when Kathy made Ronnie feel strange things that scared him but he was still happy...happy that he decided to loosen up a bit, happy that he allowed her to make her way in his life...there was something he felt deep inside as he looked at her that night, he felt something change in him, he felt warm and tingly sometimes. He was learning and was learning fast the art of living life for the moment.
"You can sleep on the same bed Mr. Shenoy, its okay with me!" Kathy told him later that night. Apparently his parents and relatives stayed the night at their place as it got very late and so they had to share a room.
"Thank you. That couch doesn't allow me to sleep properly!" he said and lay down on his side of bed. They remained quiet until Ronnie decided to speak something.
"Thanks a lot Kathy...you've changed my life, my attitude, my way of taking things badly...you've changed me! I thought I couldn't stand you but now I'm afraid that I'll lose you one day; which will happen eventually...Yes, I'm scared but I can't do anything because all good things have to come to an end and I’ve learnt to accept it! You've become a very important part of my life...someone who I cherish and admire. I never thought that you’d become so important to me. I feel my lips curve in to a smile when I see you smile. I feel angry when someone hurts you knowingly or unknowingly, especially him!" he said not daring to look at her while saying. He waited for her to say something but he heard nothing. He dared to look at her after a few minutes and saw her sleeping peacefully. Her face looked tired but still pretty. She looked like an angel to him then...a girl who was the queen of the devils just a few months back!
"Good night." He said kissing her forehead.

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-Hemii :)