Shrishti Reborn

Chapter 36. Monastery and the Tea Estate

Once the lecture was done, the guide led them around and Shrishti had to grab Raghav's hand again to avoid tumbling down due to some of the even roads.

'How are these ladies easily walking through these paths?', she asked with wonder.

'They are locals. They grew up doing this.', Raghav replied.

Soon they reached a shed where people were renting outfits. The outfits were designed just for tourists to be worn and removed easily over their clothes. They were in different colours and made out of velvet. It was clearly made for tourists as the material used by locals were not costly fabrics like velvet. But the get up seemed fascinating and Shrishti could not help but want to try it. She tugged her hand which was still in Raghav's hand.

'I want to try the outfits.', she whispered to him once he leaned towards her.

Raghav nodded just as Megha bounced over. 'Bhaiyya! I want to try those dresses and take photos. Can I?'

Arpit came up behind her, making a face. 'I am not interested.'

'Lets do it.', Raghav replied, 'We should have the full experience, now that we are here.'

Arpit made a face but gave in once Megha grabbed him by his arm and shook it while begging non stop.

They went to rent outfits and began to wear them over their clothes. They only had to remove their jackets and scarves and leave it with their guide. Once dressed up, Shrishti and Megha were given imitation jewelry to wear, the jewelry looking like the ones North Eastern girls in Indian movies wore, and off they went to the tea plantations to pose. Megha and Shrishti were given a big basket, hung from their head down their back and Shrishti was surprised by its weight. To know that the women wear such baskets on their head daily and collected tea leaves was shocking for Shrishti.

Then it was time for photo session. First all four of them took individual photos and then it was Megha and Shrishti's time to shine. Megha had chosen a pink outfit while Shrishti chose red and together they made a pretty pictures. Shrishti asked Arpit to take some photos on their phones too. The photos taken by the store would be physical ones. Shrishti wanted to post some digital ones online right away on her social media.

Then it was time for some group photos. First was the three siblings and then all four of them posed. Then it was just two brothers and then Megha ordered to have one photo with each of her brother. Then Arpit claimed to be wanting a photo with his close friend and dragged Shrishti into a photo with him. While the duo took one photo posing properly for the photographer, when it was Raghav's turn to take photos, both of them turned into goofballs making silly faces to the point that even Raghav began to chuckle. After that, somehow someway, Shrishti ended up standing next to Raghav, posing with him for a photo. It did not help that the man looked lovely in violet. Did the man have to look good in every colour? Shrishti would have been annoyed about it if she wasn't nervous to be standing so close to him. The photographer took the photo but now Arpit harassed them to stand closer to take a photo. Arpit's expression was full of mischief and Shrishti felt extra nervous at the thought that maybe Arpit knew about her crush now. Hence, in the photos, she was looking spooked. Arpit had to take many photos to get one good photo of Shrishti and Raghav.

'You took look so stiff and formal. It took me God knows how many pictures to get one right photo.', Arpit grumbled before turning to Megha and huffing. 'They are posing like those old wedding pictures of couples in arrange marriage who met each other for the first time on the wedding day!' he threw his hands up before glaring at them, 'Even if you two are going to pose like couple in arranged marriage, you two know each other already. Surely, that could translate into the pics.' He shook his head in disbelief and stormed away to the store leaving behind two red faced young adults.