Rakshan grumbled in his sleep when he heard a knock on the door. Stirring his blankets aside, he rubbed his eyes and took his watch to look at the time. 11:45 it displayed. Realization dawned upon him, last night he witnessed his elder brother's crow screeching singing atrocities. Fearing his ears would start to bleed, he shouted at Harshan who finally pitied his younger brother and closed his mouth at midnight but not before warning Rakshan about the revenge he would be taking the next morning. Unfortunately, Rakshan closed his eyes only at the crack of dawn. He huffed and jumped out of the bed to open the door as the knock resounded.
"Good morning!"Aditi greeted dressed in a blue t-shirt paired with white capris who was trying badly to keep up a straight face.
"Good morning." Rakshan frowned at her whose eyes were dancing in amusement. Unable to withstand any more, Aditi cracked up laughing. Rakshan scowled and passed her a displeasing look. Sensing his frustration, Aditi decided to reply in between her giggles.
"That's not the look you carry with your make-up."
"What?"Rakshan asked in confusion.
Aditi pointed towards the mirror. He moved aside to the dressing table and looked at a red nose, dark blue shaded eyes with a white coloured face more precisely a clown in the mirror. He stood aghast seeing his reflection, he didn't expect his brother to take such a reprisal. Awkwardly he glanced at Aditi who immediately stopped her laughter.
"Suchitra dadi asked me to wake you up for lunch. Be down soon." Aditi blurted and rushed out of the room.
"Mr Fireball: The clown!"Aditi laughed to herself on the way downstairs.
Rakshan stared at the mirror with a small smile remembering his childhood where Harshan and he pulled this prank on their father. With Harshan speaking face to face with him, he only wished the misunderstandings between them gets sorted. After cleaning up, he scrutinized his face for any trace marks in the mirror. He decided to take a short nap after lunch seeing his sleep deprived face and marched towards the dining room.
"Good afternoon, Rakshan!" He heard the loud voice of his brother who had a smug grin plastered on his face as soon as he reached the dinning room.
"Good afternoon everyone. I'm sorry for the-"
"Relax son, you're on a vacation. Sit down." Malini hushed him. The dining table was a ten seater with Amitosh siting at the head while to his left sat the Arya's and his family on the other side. Throughout the lunch Rakshan kept looking at his plate too embarrassed to look at Aditi who was sitting opposite to him. Aditi and Harshan were having a tough time in controlling their smiles.
******
After lunch all the elders and Rakshan left to their rooms to have a short nap. Rachna was bored as Aditi and Ayushi had gone to the market to buy groceries and other essential stuffs. She had called her office to know about the work progress but her employees refused to divulge any information as her uncle had strictly forbidden them from doing so. Rachna whose mind was programmed even to work on Sunday was finding it hard to adapt to the new change. Deciding to watch television, she walked to the living room.
"Okay guys, keep me updated with further work and in case of any doubts message or mail me." Harshan spoke to his staff in the video conference and passed a smile to Rachna on seeing her in the living room.
"Lucky he." Rachna thought to herself giving him a tight lipped smile and began watching business news in mute. Ending the call after ten minutes, Harshan joined her on the sofa.
"Don't tell me you're watching news at afternoon." Harshan asked in amusement.
"Why is there any specified time to watch news?"Rachna retorted back.
"No, not like that. Well, today is the finals between Liverpool FC and Manchester United" Harshan replied excitedly.
"What are those?"
"OMG! Don't tell me you don't know the two best football teams in the kingdom?"
"Oh! Do you want to watch the match?"
"I would rather like to spend time with you, beautiful." Harshan replied smiling after thinking for a minute. Rachna rolled her eyes as what was with people and giving her time.
"Don't call me beautiful. And dare you flirt with me." Rachna said sharply.
"Hey! beauty should be appreciated and I'm currently not flirting with you. I'm trying to know about the people I'm going to stay with for a month." Harshan said genuinely.
"Okay, what do you want to know about me?"
"You can tell me what you do in your free time.....like your hobbies."
"Work." Rachna uttered absently.
"What! In your free time you do work out....Well I can see that." Rachna had a shapely figure which she carried out in a graceful manner.
"No, silly. I meant wo-" She paused momentarily thinking working in an office was not a hobby. Then what was her hobby?
"Where are you lost?"Harshan interrupted her thoughts.
"Dance...I used to." Rachna mumbled.
"Used to" Harshan dragged.
"Di, we are back home." Ayushi declared entering home along with her sister holding bags.
******
"I don't understand little devil why do you want to sleep in our room. When you have your own room."
"I missed you both last night, butterfingers."
"Just admit that you're afraid of the ghosts in your room."Aditi teased. Apparently, Ayushi after watching a ghost movie in the evening was scared to sleep alone.
"Rachu di, tell her I'm not afraid of ghosts." Ayushi looked at her elder cousin for help.
Rachna was busy musing about the afternoon encounter. She loved dancing and had won many awards in dance competitions held in her school and college. After joining work, she did not had time to dance. Perhaps she did not make time for it.
"Di, tell her to go to her room."
"Rachu di, are you listening to us?" Ayushi shaked her cousin.
"Yeah, let's dance." Rachna said looking at her.
"Dance" Both the sisters shouted.
"I mean let's dance." Rachna realized her blunder and corrected it.
"Perfect Rachu di! Come on. I will turn on the music." Ayushi yelled excitedly.
"You both dance I will play the music." Aditi excused herself as she was a terrible dancer.
"Of course butterfingers. We know how you turn a dance show into a comedy circus."Ayushi mocked her sister. Aditi stamped her sister's foot in return and switched on the stereo.
"Ouch! I'm not little devil. It's you who is a big devil."Ayushi groaned.
"Rachu di, for a change I will also sit with this butterfingers."Ayushi sat along with Aditi as she was excited to see her cousin's performance.
As the soft off beat music played in the background, Rachna's body swayed to the rhythm effortlessly. Picking up pace, she moved her elbows gracefully in the air syncing with her feet movements allowing her body to rejoice with her lost love, dance.
As the song ended, she was greeted with a thunderous round of applause from her cousins. She smiled wholeheartedly at them realizing how much she missed dancing. May be this vacation may change her for good.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hi guys!!
IPL has started : ) Which team do you support?
Drop out your comments in the box below.
Till then, bye!
Stay safe and healthy!