Lot Like Love: A Bengal Romance ✔

Chapter 12

We reach at the large white painted house which is decorated with many clothes and lights even the tiny plastic flowers. It's 1p.m. and the sun blazes above our heads.

"Wow! That was fast," Agni says as I halt the car in our parking area without answering her. There is something weird going on in me which I can't decipher myself. It never mattered when some girl I liked, touched other guys but with Agni, it feels like someone pouring extra hot cheese on my heart. It's damn sticky.

I bring myself out of the car and see my mom and Aunt Laxmi is heading toward us. I groan inwardly. As my mood is already sour and I have to face the consequences, I decide I'll just take every scolding that's coming my way.

"You both men!" My mom shouts while rest of our family members comes out to see the drama, including our neighbors. Bengali neighbours love to see dramas. It'll make their topics more intriguing to hear then they add spices on it to make it irresistible.

"Is Bratati fine?" Agni asks interrupting my mom's next speech which I'm sure, she has prepared already for me.

"Oh! Agni! Yes, yes. She's fine. But..." she glares at me, "they shouldn't have send them on a bike!"

"It's wasn't their idea. It was mine and Bratati's as we didn't want you guys to have bad omen for one year," she says which earns a perplexed face from my mom and Aunt Laxmi.

Both of our mom's are very ritualistic and will not let any harm come when it comes to good omen of the household.

"Err... That's quite a good idea. They have reached on perfect timing and the rest of the rituals are completed as well."

"That's great! Now, aunty, I'm hungry. Let's have lunch." Agni grabs them and goes inside which saves us from our lectures. Dev sighs beside me while a smile tugs on my lips.

However, the images of her holding Daud's arms flash before my eyes and the smile vanishes.

*****

The whole family and guests are only talking about Batati's mind blowing entrance. They haven't expected it and they had no idea, Bratati is as cool as her elder sister. Both of the sisters are surrounded by everyone and engaged in various topics.

Dev and I enter while Dev goes up to have lunch, I decide I'll just take a shower.

A few of the guests are having lunch on the roof where we have arranged a pandal with chairs and tables for this purpose. Rest of them have gone to their homes and our family members are in their rooms.

My room is on the second wing on the left side of the house. I go there to change my sweat stricken serwani.

Unfortunately, this house hasn't personal bathrooms attached to their rooms like I have in my apartment in Mumbai. I take my clothes and go to the bathroom, taking my time in the hot shower to wash off the stickiness. Huffing, I try to wash off the images which are bothering me for a while when a clicking sound reaches me.

I freeze as the clicking sound isn't of a door but of a certain door.

I look behind and see Agni is entering the bathroom while headphones on her ears.

Have I forgotten to lock the door?

She looks up, our gazes meet, then her eyes fell down on a certain area and her headphones fell on the tarmac with a thud before the plugs coming out of her phone and the song echoes 'Baar baar dekho, hazaar baar dekho, ye dekhne ki chiz hai, hamara dilruba.'¹ and a gasp escapes from her mouth before turning it into a scream.

I jump toward her and place my hands on her mouth to refrain her from screaming. Her scream comes in muffled voices as I press my hands further. The house is full with people and I don't know who are near us. It will get complicated and I don't have any desire to make my life complicated when it already is.