Ceasefire Of Senses (under editing)

c h a p t e r s e v e n t e e n

Song : Sauda Khara Khara from Good Newzz

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The late November cold winds hit my face as Naina and I walked along Juhu Beach barefoot letting the sand between our toes.

"Where's bro?" I asked.

"He'll be a little late."

"The last time you said that, Waffles turned up at our door." I said.

"And I am sure, Waffles will not be having company for quite some time." She said smiling as Waffles, our shitzu licked her face.

"I want her now." I said extending my arms to take Waffles in them.
Taking the 3 month old soft bundle of joy in my arms, I sat down on the blanket, staring at the wide sea separating India from the Western world.

Waffles yawned and snuggled into my arms like a baby.
"So, we leave day after tomorrow." I said.

"Yeah. Kriti and Rishi are turning up day after tomorrow." Naina said.

"I got a month off. Your catering business is catering for your wedding and Aarav's taking off two weeks."

"Yeah." Naina said handing me a kala khatta she just bought.

"And another week for your honeymoon." I said wiggling my eyebrows.

"Shut up. Roshni will manage the cafe. Saira and Manish will be able to do the cooking." Naina said referring to our cashier and assistant chefs.

"So, mostly everything is set."

"Hello there. Talking about the wedding, are we?" Aarav came and sat beside us.

"Can she talk about anything else?" I said pointing at Naina.

Aarav took the kala khatta from my hand and started sipping on it.

"Speaking of the wedding, mom just called to tell me that three rooms of Mukherjee Bari have been cleaned and tidied for us to stay." He said.
"Three rooms for us by which I mean the three of us plus our darling aunt, uncle and niece."

"The guest rooms?" I asked.

Aarav nodded in affirmative.

"What happened to your room?" Naina asked.

"We haven't been to our ancestral home since we were in 10th grade." Aarav said.

"We used to fit in one room with mom and dad. I don't think they'll be comfortable with two 26 year olds between them." I said.

"Kriti, Rishi and Krishi in one room, S-you can take one and Naina and I take the third." Aarav said.

"You do realise that you are getting married and won't be allowed to even see Naina after the sangeet." I said.

"You can't stop me."

"Try me. "

"I don't know how I have been handling the two of you under the same roof for the past 4 years!" Naina said.
"Kahin bhi larai shuru kar dete ho."

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A few days later I woke up in a very unfamiliar setting of the guest house of our ancestral home in Darjeeling, a hill station in West Bengal, for those who don't know.
With curses in my mind directed towards my brother because of his 'wish' to get married at our ancestral house. I was glad to come back to Darjeeling after years, but this cold was killing me.