Sach hote Khwaab

Rang

A glorious golden morning it was. I sat up, slightly stretching my arms to find my bedside empty. Where was Randheer?! I looked around in confusion. Climbing out of the bed, I proceeded to look outside in the other rooms. Carefully checking the top of each door, I searched in the study and store-room. Buckets of coloured water could be hidden or placed over them to fall on unsuspecting people. Gladly there weren't any buckets here but I didn't have luck in finding him either.
I went upstairs on the terrace.
'Randheer?', I called out, craning my neck. No answer. Cautiously, I searched the whole of terrace but no luck.
Colours of Holi fought each other in the cloudless sky everywhere. Squeals and shouts of merry-making could be heard all around. Delight gushed through me as I looked down the railing. Coloured people were flocked at different spots throwing colour on each other. But where was Randheer?
'Kitthe chale gaye subah subah?! Sabse pehle rang lagaane ko kaha tha! Yoon gayab hone thode hi!', I fretted with a frown. I decided to go and get dressed. 'Aa hi jaayenge kuch der mein', I thought to myself.

After a while of consideration, I decided on a white-pink dyed georgette saree with a ruby pink blouse.

*

I popped my head out of the bathroom, warily. The coast was clear. I was about to put a foot out when I realized numerous thaals of gulaal were placed on the floor right outside the door. With a chuckle, I knelt down and pushed them out of my way and walked out.

I rushed downstairs calling out 'Mummyji? Bauji? Neero Bhaiya?'. No one answered. Where was everybody?!
I skipped a step which had a rope tied across it from end to end, with a triumphant smile. However I kept looking around skeptically, not sure, which moment I would be bombarded with color and from where.

Just then Jijaji rushed into the house with a bucket in his hands and flung its contents towards me.
'Nai mainu Randheer rangenge!!', I cried out, shielding myself with my hands, shutting my eyes.
Nothing.
I slightly opened one eye and then looked down at myself. There was no colour on me.
Jijaji burst out laughing. 'Khaali thi baalti!'
I was looked at him, widening my eyes and then chuckled a bit. He had given me such a scare.
'Is khaali baalti ko dikha ke aaj sabko itna daudaaya hai na maine! Kya batau! Aur tumhaari jiji ko toh sabse zyaada!'
I shook my head with a smile. But then I took two steps back. Just in case.

'Kuch nahi hai mere paas!', he reassured, turning out his pockets, which was empty.
'Randheer ne saare rang hi chhupa diye hain! 'Tumhe rangega na woh!' ', he said cheekily.
'Tumhaari badaulat hum sab tab se sookhe sookhe ghoom rahe hai!'
Already bubbling with excitement, I suppressed a sparkling smile which was struggling to rise.
With crossed arms, Jijaji said 'Haan haan hum yaahan aise berang ghoom rahe hain Holi waale din aur tum jee bhar ke muskuraalo, sharmalo!'
I looked down, biting my lip.
'Par hai kahaan sab ?!' I asked.
'Chalo Prem Niwas. Wahin hai sab! Jaldi chaloo! Maidaan mein bhi sab mohalle waale ikathha ho chuke hain! Zoro-shoro se rang bhi hone laga hai! Chaloo ', he babbled impatiently. 
We hid behind the main door, as a crowd of shouting, color-stained people passed by.
Carefully we crossed the road to Prem Niwaas. As we were about to enter, a pail of colored water splashed on the road behind me. I skipped ahead instinctively. It had missed me by inches.
Jijaji clapped a hand to his head. 'Yahan bhi bach gayi tum!'
I chuckled and looked around. Here too the baithak was empty.
'Yahan bhi koi nahi hai!', I grumbled.
'Jiski aapko talash hai voh yahin hai', came Randheer's voice from my left.
As I turned, I saw him almost at the bottom of the steps, running towards me with a thaali in his hands which surely had gulaal. He was dressed in a white kurti pyjaama with a deep-pink bandhani dupatta draped around his neck.
He swung the thaali tossing all the gulaal at me, but I stooped behind Jijaji right at the moment. Jijaji stood there like a scarecrow, eyes shut, all pink with an annoyed expression on his face but we were least bothered. I ran for my life and he took off behind me, picking up thaalis of colour from God-knows-where and hurling fists full of gulaal at me. I ducked here and there, coming out of one room, going in another, laughing and successfully saved myself from getting stained.
As we came running out of one room, Mummyji Bauji, Vashma, Veerji, Radha Jiji and Kabir all walked down the stairs chattering merrily. Taking the opportunity I rushed to them. Randheer staggered and stop on seeing them.
'Holi Mubarak!', Vashma exclaimed, rushing forward and embracing me tight.
'Tainu vi!', I embraced her back.