Dare Trilogy | Book 3 Editing | ✓

1.17 | At The Temple + For One Day

Two days later, the weekend arrived and Kripa informed when I was in the kitchen getting water, "We're all going to celebrate Makar Sankranti at the temple grounds, if you're interested."

I carefully asked, "Still mad at me?"

She sighed, leaning against the counter, "I wasn't mad, Khushi. Just... worried about Arnav. But he's being himself... or atleast putting on a good enough show. So, whatever."

"Yeah," I murmured recalling his message again and him kissing that girl.

"So, should we wait for you or leave?"

I opened my mouth to ask them to carry on when I changed my mind, "Actually, give me five minutes?"

She smiled, surprised at my answer. "Sure."

Even if not to celebrate the festival, I figured I shouldn't pass up the opportunity to visit temple. It used to be a daily routine in Shimla on our way to school in the morning. But it had been almost half a year in Australia and I'd only been to the temple here twice. Once on Diwali and once on Navratri.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

I walked inside the temple and as I reached the front, I noticed a lady on her knees and a little boy in front of her as she was trying to get him to join his hands and teach him how to pray. I smiled at the scene of an innocent child, far away from the monstrosity of the world, and a mother teaching him faith and religion.

The child, however, turned and instead of bowing his head to the idol like the mother was trying to teach him, he bowed his head in front of her mother.

"Aarav!" The lady said his name in frustration though a smile adorned her lips as well for it was utterly adorable. She couldn't ignore that any more than I could.

He'd rather put his mother at the top in his life rather than God himself.

Somehow, I felt a glimpse of humanity... and rightfully so. Why shouldn't a child give that position to a mother? She did, after all, give birth to him.

His mother turned him around to teach him again and yet, again, he did the same thing. She gave up for the time being, "Oh, alright. We'll leave but if you turn like your dad and refuse to pray to God as you grow up, I am going to be disappointed in both of you."

He responded by using his tiny hands to cup her cheeks and then, he sloppily kissed her forehead perhaps the way he must have seen his father do so. "Lub you, di."

He couldn't say 'love' properly but I was surprised to find out she wasn't his mother but his sister. She looked old enough to be his mother, certainly. I had heard of couples having late children but I wonder, how old must his parents be for her to be his sister?

She glanced at me and politely smiled before she carried him and stood up. Before they left, his eyes met mine and he repeated the praying gesture to me, causing me and the lady to laugh. Shaking her head, she walked away and that's when I realized how preoccupied I'd become with glimpsing into their lives.

Shaking my head and scolding myself, I close my eyes and prayed.

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| . . . C H A P T E R . . . 1. 1 7 . 2 : F O R - O N E - D A Y . . . |

I met up with Abhi, Riddhima, and Kripa in the grass clearing around the temple where Abhi was already flying a kite, but failing to get it higher, while Riddhima held the spool and tried to teach him.