Smriti

Chapter-4

The three sisters, Smriti, Saadhvi and Tvisha had decided to stroll in a park nearby at dawn. The elders at home were chit-chatting, and they knew that the girls were now older to go out on their own, so they let them go. The girls had lazily tied their hair with flower bands and ventured out of the house.

"Wow! This park is so big!" Smriti exclaimed. "The flower bushes are lovely too." She touched a rose and ruffled its soft petals.

Tvisha picked a jasmine flower from the ground and placed it on her hair. "This is my favourite place to spend my time, especially for my writing work. I get a good flow of ideas and words here. Sometimes you get to witness," she moved her eyes to the left towards a couple, "lovers who are way too deep in passion to care about the rest of the world."

Smriti giggled at the sight of the lovers who had concealed themselves behind a thick bush and vines. "Do you think all those romantic poets wrote those pretty poems after watching couples like them accidentally?"

"Who knows, they might have made love in these parks at night or nearby a river. You often write what you experience," said, Saadhvi, pulling a giggling Smriti away from looking at the couple. "You are too young for this."

A huffing, Smriti replied, "Oh really? What if I have a secret lover back in school, and I may have done-"

Tvisha slapped her palm on her mouth. "Shiva Shiva, you are still a little baby in my eyes. What lover boy are you talking about?"

A small smile made its way on Smriti's lips as the image of a young boy holding paintbrushes came into her view. Furiously blinking her eyes at the sight, she uttered mentally, 'Oh god, no, not him. I just met him a few days ago.'

Saadhvi looped her arms with both of her fingers and marched ahead. "We are not here to talk about lovers and romance. Look, the sun looks so pretty."

"Beautifully red like the lips of a woman, ready to be kissed."

"Smriti, no."

The trio took seven rounds of the park. It was constructed as a circle with flower beds and bushes in the middle and by the sides. Neat stone pavements were laid after the bushes to allow people to walk through. There was a separate play area for children and large swings for older people. The swings were a favourite of lovebirds who visited the park in the evenings. A small pond was constructed too near the central flower bed, which hosted a few swans that made the area look even more beautiful.

The sun had transformed from its red shade to golden yellow. A light, pleasant breeze blew through the park, which emitted a sweet fragrance from the various flowers planted. Smriti agreed with Tvisha. The park was indeed a nice place to spend time in.

Saadhvi was braiding Tvisha's hair, who had turned her face to the sun to get some warm sunshine on her. Smriti had engaged herself in hopping over diagonal squares. She was about to trip on a pebble but held a tree trunk to prevent the fall when her eyes caught a flash of black and wavy hair that eerily resembled Ekaksh's hair. She saw a little girl walking beside him.

"I am going to the pond, okay," Smriti said and followed the boy.

The boy wore a yellow uttariya and a white dhoti. The girl beside him was dressed in a pink blouse and skirt. Her small fingers were dyed in alta and her feet were adorned with anklets. Smriti had a gut feeling that the boy was none other than Ekaksh.

She followed the duo until they reached the park exit. A little run to them finally let Smriti confirm her guess. Tapping the boy's wet shoulder, she asked, "You are Ekaksh, right?"

The boy turned back. Smriti gasped in surprise. It was him. His wet hair moved in the air and stuck to his forehead. A few droplets trickled down his neck, which made her gulp. She looked up at his eyes, but quickly averted them. "You have come from a bath I see."