Entangled Lives

Chapter XX

"No, it is yours now," Pragya said, trying to unclasp it, but Rhea held her hand stopping her try efficiently.

"And you are mine too," Rhea said, "And when my friends will see it on your wrist, I'll proudly say that it was my mother's that I had with me, but now that she is back, I don't need a bracelet as her memory when I have her with me herself." She beamed as Pragya kissed her forehead and caressed her hair.

Prachi looked up at Abhi when she felt his hold on her tighten a bit, unintentionally, and he had a wide grin, and she smiled. Her family was coming together it seemed.

"So, who's going next?" Pragya asked as Rhea sat beside her, keeping the boxes she just brought on the side table.

"We will," Aaliya announced and picked up a chit. "Something you hate and something you love to eat." She turned over to Aryan, looking at him for answer. 

"I hate to eat marshmallows and I love eating that thing that Prachi force fed me that day." Aryan replied, carefully leaving Shahana's name out.

"What kind of answer is that?" Purab asked, and looked over to Prachi who had her eyebrows furrowed.

"That thing that had horns on one side." Aryan tried to explain, and Prachi and Shahana broke out laughing, understanding what he meant.

"Huh?" Ranbir asked, "A dinosaur?" 

"What?" Rhea asked, suddenly very interested.

"No, that sweet thing." Aryan tried again.

"Gujiya?" Pragya guessed, and Aryan looked at her with a calculating expression, "Half circle thing with sweet stuffing and one side is twisted to lock." She explained and Aryan nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, that thing. I came to Saritaji's house to pick Prachi as we had to go to college early for a class and Shahana and Ranbir were still hogging the beds," They both shot him a glare, "And I missed breakfast so Prachi gave me one. It looked quite dangerous at first, but it was so yum." He completed and everyone chuckled.

"What's your guilty pleasure?" Abhi asked Prachi, taking there turn and a soft colour touched her cheeks as she answered "Ice cream." With a glint in her eyes and ranbir's lips turned up on their own accord.

It was Aarav and Vikram's turn next and the elder Kohli picked a chit out of the bowl. "Would you get a tattoo? If yes what would it be?" 

"I already have one," Aarav answered and took off his unbuttoned shirt, leaving just the green tee-shirt he was wearing under it. He pulled up the short sleeve to reveal his bicep, crazily built bicep, showing a libra constellation tattooed on his arm, the stars joined with tiny dots.

"It's the zodiac of my lives." He explained as Piyush smiled at him. "I love you bhai." He said, softly touching the tattoo with his pinky finger.

Aarav laughed at his hesitation, "It doesn't hurt now." 

"Can I?" Shahana asked, her hand inches from his arm and he nodded.

"Thank you." she muttered softly, tentatively running his fingers over the stars.

"Our turn now," Pallavi said picking up the question while Aarav pulled up his shirt back.

"I might now the Answer to Ranbir's question already." Pallavi flaunted while opening the chit.

"Favourite weather. Easy, winters." Pallavi said in one go and Ranbir just smiled at her. 

Monsoon, he thought and numerous memories of Prachi enjoying the rain like a small child barged into his mind. Him accompanying her. Them dancing, running, chasing each other in the rain. He almost let out a laugh as he remembered how Saritaji had caught in a not so decent pose in the rain.