FIRST LOVE?
"Of course, after all she is my daughter." Pragya chimed, her own eyes moist seeing her daughter finally getting the love of her father.
Though she had given her best to fulfil Prachi's every need since the beginning, she knew that she could never fill the void she had in her life that was her father's absence. Pragya knew that Prachi had always felt that void, but she never showed it. Prachi had always put up her strong face to hide her pain, and as much as it had hurt Pragya, she knew that Prachi do it only to support her. That was the reason that she never talked to her about it, she knew that there was a happiness Prachi got by hiding it. She was happy to be her mother's support and Pragya so very needed it.
"Let's continue the game." Rhea said, breaking the moment with her inconsiderate nature.
"Yeah, let's continue." Pallavi said, breaking Ranbir's trance by putting her hand on his arm.
"You go next Rhea." Abhi said, never removing his arm from around Prachi's shoulders.
"Mom?" Rhea said, holding the bowl in front of her and Pragya picked one.
"What is your favorite accessory?" Pragya asked with genuine curiosity shining in her eyes.
"Oh, my favorite accessory? Umm, haan," Rhea stood and dashed to her room.
"Will she bring out her whole dressing table?" Shahana asked when Rhea didn't return for a couple of minutes.
"Don't think so, her table is inbuilt." Aryan answered innocently.
Couple of minutes more passed, everyone were and returned with a couple of rectangular boxes and about three square wide pallets. She placed them on the table, in front of Pragya and started opening them one by one, letting everyone see her large collection. She opened every pellet that showcased different types of bracelets, of different colors, different designs, sizes, materials, metals, leathers, even cloth in some twisted designs.
"I love bracelets, or wrist accessories." Rhea said and scooted the pallets towards her mother, a never flattering smile on her lips and a childlike excitement in eyes.
"Of course, can see it from the collection you have." Pragya smiled, going over the accessories her daughter pointed to, mentioning how, when or from where she got them from.
"These are my favourites," Rhea said, picking up the two, kinda expensive looking rectangular boxes.
"This is the one Ranbir gifted me on my birthday," She said, opening the box and picking up the vine like bracelet with plain and diamond leaves alternately. She held it high for everyone to be able to have a look, even though they had already on the birthday.
"It is really pretty and quite my type, Ranbir knows me so well." She smiled sweetly at the boy and he reciprocated with an uplift of his mouth corners, much resembling a grimace.
"And this one, dad gave me long ago." She said, showing the other box. She lifted it the same way as the previous one and showcased a silver one this time, quite old school.
"It even have a 'For my love' quoted-" "on the back of it, but upside down?" Pragya completed and Rhea looked at her surprised and then slowly nodded her head in confusion. "How do you know? I never showed it to you." She asked.
"Because it is mine." Pragya smiled. And Rhea's eyes widened. "Really?" She looked over to her father who nodded with a smile.
"So all along, I had a piece of you with me?" Rhea said more than asked, in amazement and Pragya smiled widely. She instantly adorned her mother's wrist with it and kissed Pragya's hand. "There, it got where it is supposed to be." Rhea said, smiling though her eyes turned a bit glassy.
"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.
"Our turn again." Mitali said, picking one chits after selecting and rejecting numerous, this time as well.
"Who was your first crush?" Mitali asked and for the first time ever, Piyush blushed.
Like actually blushed. His cheeks were aflame and he bent his head down in hopes of hiding them behind his long curly hair.
"Are you blushing?" Shahana asked and everyone sniggered.
"No I'm not." Piyush snapped, his voice two octave higher than believable, rubbing his hands on his face in hopes of setting them off.
"Come on, we won't do anything. You can tell us." Pragya encouraged. Piyush opened his mouth to say something but the teasing look on Shahana's face made him snap it shut right back, the redness of his face darkening, almost giving a competition to the Weasely's hair.
Here Aryan was looking to and fro between the red faced 'Corkscrew haired boy', as he call him, and Shahana. He closely resembled a lost puppy and was totally oblivious to the teasing look everyone was giving him.
Purab, Abhi and Vikram shared a knowing look and smirked at him. Ranbir was looking at him, controlling his smile and Praying to god to not give his best mate the same fate as he was provided.
Shahana was a sister to him and Aryan was his best buddy. He would never in his worst nightmare want them to even stray close to what Prachi and he went through. Never. They were too innocent and pure.
Aryan, however, was frowning, and though he would never admit it, pouting a bit too. His mind conjuring up a lot of wild thoughts and then proceeding to either terminate them or shudder on them.
Why, in the name of the entire population of corkskrew haired people, is he blushing? And why, in the name of the sweet desert that Prachi fed me, is Sahana laughing like she had heard the most funny joke in the world.
This is even worse than that Rishi. At least he was boring. Well he was no match to me for sure. But this, this person is getting on my nerves. Look at his bright eyes.
Do Sahana like blue eyes instead of dark browns? He squinted at Shahana to comprehend any emotion on her face.
And what kind of combination is it? Black hair with light eyes? his eyebrows furrowed.
"The one like Greek gods. Percy Jackson maybe." Ranbir muttered from his left.
He whipped his head to the side, eyes wide, almost getting a whiplash. And then slowly to the other side to make sure his mother didn't hear the last thought that he had unknowingly said out loud. Thankfully, his days on this planet was not over yet as Aliya was busy on her phone.
He turned back to glare at Ranbir who just shrugged, grinning stupidly.
"Will you say something, if you have done being shy, that is." Prachi said in a teasing yet soft tone, afraid of breaking the moment by talking a bit louder.
"Ummm, Who wrote these questions?" Piyush asked in a small voice, still looking down.
"I did." Abhi replied, "Personally, with my own two hands. No, with one hand. I'm no Einstein."
"Here." Piyush sighed, and put his mobile on the table, sliding it over to his elder brother. To say that everyone were shocked would be an understatement.
Aarav picked up the mobile, rotating it in his hands. "Just think it through, there might be some much more embarrassing things on your mobile." He asked but the boy just shrugged.
"Will be better than saying the name and conforming it." The younger boy muttered under his breath.
"Okay, will see it after this game ends." Aarav put the mobile on the table.
"Shahana, you next."
She nodded and forwarded the bowl towards Purab. "Which is your favourite movie?"
"Oh, that's simple, Percy Jackson series." Shahana answered in a beat and Aryan's heart dropped to his stomach.
"My life has been doomed." He muttered and it took all Ranbir had not to burst out laughing in that moment.
Without any word being said, Pragya picked out another chit, "What's your favorite color Rhea?" She looked over and nodded when answered with "Royal blue."
"Most despised fictional character?" Aaliya asked and though being in no mood to answer, Aryan grunted out something inaudible that was awfully similar to 'Percy Jackson' and Ranbir covered up saying some Italian name and everyone nodded taking it to be some unknown character.
"Favourite Book?" Abhi asked and Prachi's smile flattered, She looked down at her hands, left ring finger to be precise, where once the ring sat at her hand. She unknowingly rubbed her thumb over her finger and looked up again, straight in the chocolate pools.
She averted her gaze and looked back at her father, "The Fault In Our Stars." She answered.
"Isn't it's ending sad?" Vikram asked, and Prachi smiled lightly. "Everything we want don't come to us." Everyone nodded and moved on.
Vikram picked out a chit and read out loud, "First time being drunk."
Aarav smiled a bit and answered, "Umm, I don't drink." He threw a look at Prachi and she smiled slightly.
Ranbir scoffed, "I don't drink." He mimicked in low voice.
His brooding was interrupted when Pallavi took her turn and asked him about his favourite quote. He pondered over his thoughts for a few seconds, closely observing Prachi who had glued her gaze to her hands and said in an emotionless tone.
"The world is not a wish-granting factory. Augustus Waters. The Fault in Our Stars." He said in a monotonous tone and looked down when he say his vision getting blurred, blinking back the tears.
The look on his face confused some, but those who knew what he was going through felt a jab at their heart. Arhana shared a look, their eyes showcasing same emotion of helplessness and hurt for their friends' condition. Vikram and dida's heart shattered seeing their once 'the life of the house' son loosing his own life slowly. And the evil trio just glared at them, praying to god to manage this, that was, maybe making Pranbir forget each other, but well even god can't do it.
Aarav just stared at them, his eyes narrowed and flickering in between them.
"Our turn next." The oblivious Mitali jumped like the joker from the prank box. Startling poor Piyush and getting a glare from Aaliya.
"No, aunty, we are out of this game now." Piyush responded and Mitali sat back, dejected.
"Shahana.." Purab tried but she was still busy in 'expression talking' with Aryan. Purab just chuckled when Prachi nudged Shahana, breaking her trance.
"What?" She asked Prachi, who inturn muttered something in her ear that made her blush. (A/N:- what do you think she said?)
"Oh.." Shahana muttered, forwarding the bowl towards Purab, her eyes trained on the bowl in hand to avoid everyone's teasing and Aaliya's furious gaze.
Purab laughed out loud reading the chit and shot Aryan a sympathetic look. "Have you ever got an anonymous love letter or card?" he asked and Shahana's face, that was returning to normal, heated again, more profound than before.
She just nodded lightly and Aryan looked like he will faint any second. His eyes were so wide that Ranbir thought he would have to catch them when they popped out of his head.
"Moooving ooon, Maasi, your turn." Shahana swiftly changed the topic, saving a great deal of embarrassment her sister's brother might have caused himself.
Pragya giggled but took another chit non the less. After everyone had their turn, there was just two chit's remaining and Ranbir and Pallavi had the last turn.
Pallavi took a chit and frowned, looking at Prachi, who was looking at her hands like last two of Ranbir's turns.
"What is it Pallo?" Vikram asked.
"First love." Pallavi stated and Prachi's head snapped up.
Ranbir looked from her mother to the chit to Prachi and let out a long sigh. He stayed still for a few moments before putting his mobile on the table.
If everyone were shocked at Piyush's withdrawal, that was an ant in comparison to this elephant. Prachi was biting down her lower lip painfully tight while Ranbir was just glaring a hole in the ground.
He didn't stayed mum because he doubt his love for her, or her love for him, No, he stayed quite because he knew that if he said anything, she will shatter. She was lying that she didn't loved him, that was sure, but he knew that there was a huge reason behind it. He knew his Prachi, his ray of hope in the dark would never in her dream do something that will hurt him, and if she is doing something of such sort, there must be something big.
It was the sole reason that he did not claimed his love for her. That and the reaction that will be directed towards her by the family. They will for sure blame her and speak ill about her character. As unfortunately, her 'sister' claims to love him. Though he did wonder what Prachi's reaction would have been if he had told the truth. Would she have still refused?
To say that Prachi was shocked, would be a lie. She knew, even if it kill him, Ranbir would never take her name. For he knew how questions will be raised on their love and how crushed her parents will be by knowing that that she and Ranbir love each other and they were marring him off to Rhea without his consent.
Prachi scolded herself as for a selfish second she wanted him to say her name. If he had, she would have filled with so much joy that she was sure she might have burst. She was so sure that if he had uttered her name, she would not have contained herself from tackling him in a hug. She wouldn't have, couldn't have, stopped herself from confessing her feelings for him.
She was glad that he didn't, but she was equally hurt, if not more.
"So Rhea isn't your first love?" Abhi asked Ranbir but he didn't moved a muscle. He was in so much pain to be unable to confess his love for the only girl he love and ever will that he was completely detached from his surrounding.
"Sorry Rhea," Abhi said to her and Rhea's face paled.
"Why-Why dad? Why are you saying sorry?" Rhea panicked thinking that he might break her alliance with Ranbir.
"It might hurt, but I'm telling you, if Ranbir loved that girl truly, you might never get his full heart." Abhi said and that was the last thing Prachi heard before rushing to her room, excusing herself by saying that she forgot to take her medicine. Tears blurring her vision.
A/N:- Hey sweethearts, sorry for another late update but I'm trying my best to get my lazy self back on track. Please Vote and comment if you liked this chapter, please tell what you think of it. Please, make sure to comment, it might help me get back to update on time.
Lots of Love,
Simran