Once we ensured that Papa was comfortable with Snake's Dad – who had introduced himself as Varun Saxena – the three of us joined the others who were playing. Initially, it was all fun and frolic, until I recognized one of the two elder women who were playing with us. At first, I couldn't believe my eyes – Rohini Aunty! The same woman who had attended my Parent-Teacher meeting on Papa's behalf in school. 'HARSH'S MOM' screamed my inner voice to me.
Still running, I decided to take a closer look at the girl who was the Den. Without a doubt, I could see the soft features of Deeksha Bhalla half hidden under the crumples of the cloth used as her blindfold. I would have been busy admiring her when I saw the little girl trip and fall a couple of feet away from where Deeksha was. Her fall itself wasn't harsh, but blindfolded, Deeksha would fall on her if someone didn't stop her.
Just as I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed this, I saw Deeksha trip over a stone and if she fell, the little girl would be terribly hurt. Before I could think my actions through, I found myself in the way of Deeksha, stopping her fall.
Of course, on seeing this, all the others came rushing to aid the child while Deeksha stood frozen in my arms. For a minute I just stood there, unsure of what to do – my palm, big enough to span wider than her red and white sun-dress with one of those... umm.. hot shoulders? The one with a hole in the fabric where the shoulder should be. Before I could let myself think any further, I left Deeksha standing and went to check on the child.
Diya, I found her name to be – and she had only scraped her knee. Vish was waiting while the two elder women tended to her and I suggested that we go get our food and drinks from the car.
By the time we got back, Snake's family was seated in a circle and Deeksha was sitting next to someone in a white t-shirt. For a second, I felt uneasy and I had no idea why – but the thought that Harsh could be here, never occurred to me. Deeksha and the guy next to her, who looked around the same age as the rest of us, were seated with their backs to us. Which meant she didn't know I was here yet.
Even when Snake and Vish stepped up and introduced themselves, more Vish than Snake, she seemed happy and absorbed in what was going on. All was well, until Vishwas took my name and asked me to step forward.
I couldn't move slowly, but I did catch the sudden jump Deeksha made in her seat and gasped "Dev!!" while seated next to her, the boy didn't even look up. In any other situation, I would have joked or pulled her leg about the gasp accompanied with my name – but before I knew it, one by one, the family had begun introducing themselves.
Snake's stepmother had just introduced herself when I heard a voice out of the blue that made my blood run cold. "Welcome Back, Dev Sanghvi", it said – and I looked up, into the eyes of the boy whom I would have once given up my life for. My once best friend – Harsh Bhalla.
This, was not good.
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Above is what Dee looks like to Dev.
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