Clean Bowled

Chapter 6

*Aslesha*

"College me competitions honge na Aashi? Kab tak apna talent chhupaaogi tum. Mujhe lagta hai iss baar tumhe jarur participate karna chahiye. Tumhare nritya me pehle se bahot jyada improvement aayi hai. Aur yahi toh wakt hai duniya ko apna asli talent dikhane ka" Tai suggests after my riyaaz is done as I am removing my ghungroos.

"Stage fright hai mujhe Tai, aapko toh pata hi hai. Aur mai Kathak khud ke liye karti hu kisi aur ke liye nahi. Aur mujhe khud pe utna confidence bhi nahi hai" I tell her and she shakes her head.

"Fir bhi soch ke dekho. Tumhare andar bahot potential hai aur tum ek bahot khoobsurat nartiki ho" she says and I smile feeling happy for her compliment.

"Mai sochungi Tai pakka. Ab Mai chalti hu papa intezaar kar rahe honge. Agle hafte milte hai" I say and leave.

There is no way am gonna participate in any competition. I know I'll get really nervous and just go blank on the stage. Or worse I'll trip and fall. Or sabse worst log mujhpe ande aur tamaatar fekenge.

The thought of hundreds of people staring at me makes me shiver and I erase those thoughts and get inside my house.

I can hear squealing and shouting in my house and I know Dhruv is here. "Hey Aashi kab se rukaa hu mai. Chal jaldi aa ludo laaya hu mai" he says and I smile at him. "Uncle ko 3 baar haraya maine" he says and I look at my dad who looks messed up.

"Cheating kar ke. You handle him Aashu. He got me tired in just 10 minutes" he says and goes inside his bedroom.

"Mai fresh ho ke aati hu tab tak tu set kar" I say and go inside my room when he shouts "Mai blue ha.. I'm blue". I laugh.

Dhruv is my 5 year old neighbour and the craziest person I know. I love spending time with him.

I go and sit in front of him and we start playing. 

After ten minutes, my one piece has already gone home with two on the way and he has just one blue piece out because I hit the other two.

"Aashi chips vagera laa na kuch bhuk lagi hai" he says and I go to the kitchen and bring banana chips for him in a plate. I go and take my seat again and he looks at me sheepishly.

Kuch toh golmaal kiya hai ye.

I look down at the board and just as expected he has changed the position of my ludo pieces.

"Oye cheater! Mera ye piece ghar jaane aaya tha, tu change kiya" I say removing it and placing it where it was.

"Nahi nahi andar hi tha" he argues. "Liar Dhruv. Cheater hai tu" I shout at him.

Paanch saal ke bachhe ki chaalaaki toh dekho.

He keeps denying it and I start chanting 'cheater cheater cheater cheater cheater cheater..' when he finally screams on top of his voice and turns the ludo upside down making all the pieces fall everywhere.

Great.

I fold me hands and give him a blank look. "Mai cheater nahi hu Aashi" he whines making a guilty face. He comes in front of me and pulls my cheek.

"Isme teri bhi galti hai, bachhe ko jeetne dena chahiye na" he say folding his hands.

He is so adorable. I suppress my smile.

"Achha? Tu bachha kaha hai lekin. Tu toh cheater hai" I say and he starts whining again. "Nahi naa.."

"Achha thike thike. Nahi hai tu cheater bass" I say and his face lights up.