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Many might call me stupid for being so hyped for an old-school game like dumb charades. But then, I've always been an old-school soul. Although what makes this game even more special are the people I'm playing it with.

It was now the final round of the game and our team was all set to win it. Somu Di whispered the title of the movie to Mr. Puri while Keshu and I waited avidly to get into action.

"All right! Let's end this stupid game up after we win," he announced enthusiastically while punching his fist in the air. His action seemed so childish yet adorable; it boosted up my confidence.

Keshu and I copied him as we proclaimed, "Let's do it!" in unison.

He began to enact, giving us hints about the movie being Hindi i.e., Bollywood, its title consist of four words. Immediately my mind searched up for all the four-word movies. He outstretched his index finger signalling the first word. I paid close attention to his very actions and for some reason, he seemed pretty tense while enacting this one.

Is the name tricky?

I glanced at Somu di who had a sinister smirk on her face, Samar jij was just enjoying the entire thing.

"Baatein?" I asked as he acted for the first word.

He shook his head signalling me to think of other words.

"Bolna?"

He frowned in disapproval.

"Ahh.. aur kuch try karo!" I told him as we were running out of time. He proceeded and now curled his fingers together joining with the tips of his thumbs, forming a heart. "Dil? Dil toh pagal hai?" I guessed quickly. He clutched his head out of frustration, completely losing his composure. "At least give us a hint about the hero!" I whined.

He thought about it for a moment but then appeared hesitant. He looked at me in the eye almost beggingly as if he didn't want to do it.

"All right guys, 10 seconds now. One... two..." Somu di began the final countdown.

Now even I began to panic. I asked Keshu if he could guess it but he seemed more clueless than I was. Out of urgency to win the game I scolded him unintentionally, "Mr. Puri it's not the time to hold back. Just trust me for god's sake and do it!"

"Four.." She continued although a bit taken back by my outburst.

He heaved a defeated sigh turning slightly to his left, outstretching his hands in front, the left one somewhat ahead of the right one.

Wait, I know this pose!

My eyes widened in bewilderment when he began enacting the famous, Hrithik Roshan hook step from the song Ek Pal Ka Jeena.

"Eight. ." a laughing Soumya Puri said.

"Kaho Na Pyaar Hai!" I squealed out loud, my heart thumping like a drum against my chest in anticipation. My palms went over covering my mouth when I looked at him waiting for his response. Our eyes locked in for a moment and I saw his face glowing with pure joy.

Please say yes?!

"YES!" He rejoiced. And before we could realize it, we were already jumping around holding hands like children. It hit me like a brick on my head when I heard Somu Di laughing at us while Samar jij was smiling merrily at the scene whereas Keshu sat awkwardly silent on his chair.

We let go of each other and stood maintaining a decent distance, Mr. Puri cleared his throat turning his head away from me, "That's it, we won. Game over." He spoke monotonously.

Am I hallucinating or. . . Is he blushing for real?!

I wondered as I got a glimpse of his glowing red ears.

"Ow man! We almost got you there", Somu Di whined. "I was so sure Sanam would shy away and quit but to do the hook step? Caught me completely off guard!"

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" said her dearest brother in law.

"It's called payback, sweetheart" she winked. "After all, you made fun of my husband. How could I let it slide?" a victorious smirk playing on her lips. "But I must say, Aaru and you make a really good team." Now that smirk took the form of a genuine smile.

With that being said, he looked back at me, his lips curled up, "I know right?" He spoke gently, his eyes seemed so tender just like the soft curves of his lips which made my heart thump hard against my chest.

Don't look at me like that. . . My stupid heart might get the wrong idea!

~~~~~

Lying idly on the bed I stared at the ceiling silently, Keshu was sleeping soundly beside me while my mind kept levitating back and forth replaying the same thoughts over and over again.

It was certainly a long day now that I think about it but even so, now when it has come to an end, I can't help but feel partly disheartened 'cause we all had so much fun today.

I got up when couldn't sleep even after trying for almost two hours. When I left the room I realized that Arpita wasn't in her's either as I found the next door open.

I walked downstairs looking for her in the living area but there weren't any signs of her. I heard the sound of the refrigerator's door closing so I went to check in the kitchen and finally found her. Sitting on the kitchen counter sipping water, completely unaware of my presence.

"Couldn't sleep?"

She flinched after hearing my voice out of nowhere. "You scared me" a breath of relief left out from her mouth.

I beside her leaning against the counter, "It's all right, no one's gonna scold you for drinking water." I giggled.

She blushed and shook her head, "It's not that.. I was talking with my sister on call for almost an hour and then I realised there wasn't any water in the jug so I came down." She gave me a sheepish smile. I nodded smiling back.

"Why are you awake tho?" She asked.

"Couldn't sleep either." I shrugged answering right back.

"Wanna eat something?" She asked.

I shook my head, "Wanna go out for a walk?"

"Now?"

"Yeah, kinda need some fresh air."

"So you would rather eat air than food.. Hmm.. Got it!" She nodded with a serious look while I broke into silent laughter. "Fine with me, " she shrugged agreeing to my offer.

We walked barefoot on the soft grass, silently admiring the night sky. The atmosphere was relaxed and soothing and not to forget, chilly. "It's certainly pretty cold tonight" I spoke shoving my hands in the pockets of my hoodie. "How are you fine with just a shawl?"

She laughed, "Delhi ki thand dekhi h na? This temperature is still bearable."

I shook my head in disbelief, "What metal are you made of?"

"Meri Chemistry kharab hai, sorry." She joked casually making me laugh.

We strolled around for a while, I kept stealing glances at her from the corner of my eye. Several questions and thoughts were juggling in my mind which I wanted to ask her but I also felt hesitant, not wanting to pry or offend her.

" Is there something going on in your mind?"

There she goes, reading me correct effortlessly!

"Uh.. N-no.." I looked away.

I could feel her shooting daggers at me, "Fine, you win, Ms. Know-it-all." I sighed giving up. "There were just too many thoughts in my mind and I can't quite figure them out on my own." I began.

"What kind of thoughts?"

"Well, half of them. . . Were about you-"

She started coughing badly making me stop abruptly in my tracks, "Wh-what happened? Are you okay?" I panicked.

She took a deep breath calming down finally, "Yeah.. Sorry about that. . . W-what were you saying? About me?" she looked at me, her almond-shaped innocent eyes making me forget everything that was formerly brewing in my head.

I felt my ears heat up as I looked away from her, "Uhh. . . Let's sit and talk?" I suggested pointing towards the shed to which she agreed.

We sat comfortably on the couch in the wavering silence. She broke the uneasiness by speaking first, "You... were saying something?"

"Ohh.. Yes, " I spoke in an attempt to not creep her out by my nervous conduct, "Actually, I've been thinking it for a while that you know so much about me, while I hardly know anything about you."

I turned to her, "We are friends now, right?"

She offered me the most generous smile I've witnessed, "Of course, we are." My lips curled up hearing her say that. "So what do you wanna know?" She asked.

"Everything!" came up my instant reply. "Every. Single. Thing."

She giggled lightly, "Okay, but don't blame me if you get bored!" She warned me playfully.

"I won't, I know it's going to be interesting" I smiled cheekily.

"Positive much," she nodded in approval, "So let's begin from the very start... As you know my sister and I are twins so obviously we were born on the same day. I'm five minutes older. Not like that matters tho, " she chuckled.

She breathed out a soft sigh before continuing, "I was. . . kinda weak when I was born so the doctor's said I might not survive if not kept under observation. So, I was in the NICU for 21 days after birth."

"What?!" I was startled, "But why? And what about your sister?"

"They said such kind of complications arises with twins, one baby consumes more nutrition and space in the mother's womb as compared to the other one. The same happened in our case." she shrugged, "Not like it was anyone's fault, it just happened. Probably because I was slim doctors were able to get me out without any trouble. Hehehe."

"Your parents must have had a hard time."

"They did. Even though they had Bhumi, they were sick worried about me, basically, scared. They didn't want to lose me, although they would've had my sister, I was their first child, well technically." She chuckled at the bitter memory. "But I fought hard and here I am, sitting with you, sharing my story." She smiled at me.

"Wow. Tum to sherni nikli yarr", I said teasingly making her laugh. "Then?" I propped my face on my hand as I shifted facing her completely Resting my elbow on the couch's crest.

"My childhood was pretty normal actually, I faced everything, from praises to criticism that almost every middle-class Indian child faces. I don't surely have any specific childhood memory I'm too fond of. Although," she paused for a moment, "the only good part about my childhood was my parents. I was very close to my father", she had a sad smile as she spoke about her late father.

"My sister was mumma's favourite, I know that parents love their children equally but I was kinda rebellious back then so she used to scold me a lot hence, I always thought she liked Bhumi more 'cause she always listened to her while I wouldn't", chuckling softly at the bittersweet memories her dark hair blocked my view as they rested cupping her face. "It was summertime, we were only twelve back then. Our school vacations were on and I urged on going to Bua's house. Mom didn't want me to and it pissed me off. We had a very nasty argument that night..." she sucked in a sharp breath, "I-" her voice broke. Reflexively, my hands held hers, "I told her.. that I- I hate her", a lone tear fell off her eye on my hand.

She immediately turned away hiding those glassy eyes from me. She wiped them off quickly and mumbled a quiet 'sorry'. I could feel the depth of her trauma and her suffering as it felt familiar. It did hurt to watch her like this but I psyched myself to stay strong enough to console her when she needed it the most this time.

"Arpita", I called her name as I kept my hand on her shoulder reassuring her that I'm there for her and that she isn't alone.

She faced me timidly, fighting the tears that threatened her eyes and forcing a smile which was obviously a fake one. I cupped her cheeks, stroking them gently with my thumbs as I stared at her, "'It's okay to cry.' You were the one to tell me that, remember?" She nodded quietly. "I know you're brave but even a lioness is allowed to shed tears if she's hurting."

Her eyes were tearing up, she gulped down a dry lump braving up before she burst into tears. She hugged me right hiding her face against my chest, her voice broke as she spoke, "Bhumi and I, w-we had no i-idea about her health.. T-that she had a t-umour.. our parents kept it hidden from us.. after that fight... Bua took us to her place. I didn't talk to mum, didn't even say 'Goodbye' before leaving. And that's my life's biggest regret!" she cried.

I held her close 'cause that's all I could honestly do for her. She sniffled telling me everything that she caged in her heart for so long, "The next day... Dad called Bua and-", she sobbed when she couldn't continue it anymore.

I stroked her back to comfort her, "Shhh".

"I was such a horrible daughter!" she cursed herself.

"You weren't, Arpita. Her soul knows you loved her dearly. Even if you didn't make it feel obvious but I'm sure she wasn't unaware of it." It was so heartbreaking for me to see her like this. The person who gave me courage was suffering too and I couldn't even see it 'cause of my selfishness.

I could feel her pain. So much that it physically hurt me to see her like this. But I knew I should let her cry. Just like the time she let me. She needed to clear up these emotions too. I want to help her the same way she helped me.

She held onto me for a while, her ragged breaths slowly started getting back to normal. I continued to stroke her head tenderly until she spoke faintly and tried moving back unwrapping her hands around my waist, "Sorry, I didn't mean to cry like this-"

I didn't let go of her which probably took her off guard, "You don't need to apologize for anything", interrupting her, I spoke gently, "And. . . I don't mind staying like this for a little while more." Tilting her head, she stared at me with a puzzled look, "It's comforting, isn't it?" I arched a brow.

And that's when she blessed me with that beautiful smile of hers, "It sure is", she rested her head back on my chest. I smiled softly without realising it. "You know, after Mumma left us, I understood the true value of mental health. It left me shattered. Completely. I felt life would never be the same ever again. Bhumi was so close to her yet she didn't mourn for her like me. I knew she was grieving but then, everyone grieves differently. She freed her emotions all at once and moved past them unlike me. I took a very long time to cope with the reality. If I'm a psychologist today, it's thanks to my sister who handled me with so much care and affection."

I listened calmly to every word she said, "I'm glad you have a person like her in your life. She kinda like Samar, don't you think?"

I heard her chuckle softly, "Please no! She is nothing like him. Jij remind me of my father."

"Is that so?" I laughed quietly.

She nodded, "My dad was a quiet simple man, he didn't like complicating things and the same was his relationship with mum."

"Was it a love marriage?"

"No," she shook her head, "It was arranged. You know, Bua told me that when they went to see Mumma for the first time, Mumma already told everyone that if her would-be husband doesn't have a voice like her favourite Rafi Sahab, she wouldn't marry him." She laughed wholeheartedly and I joined. "And guess what? My father didn't even know the 'S' of singing. When mum realised it, she was so heartbroken but my Paa made a vow to her instead."

"A vow?"

"That he would bring her all the cassettes of Mohammed Rafi songs and play each of them for the rest of their lives. Mummy maan gayi and Paa kept his promise to her." My lips tucked up as I listened to the cute love story of her parents, "Every morning he used to play 'Ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar' as it was the song that was playing at mumma's radio when they met for the first time."

"Your father was a gem of a man." It was such a sweet gesture for a man to do for his beloved

"I know," she smiled faintly, " that didn't change even after Mumma left us. His days began with Ehsaan tera and ended with Abhi na jao chhod kar, when I asked him why he listened to the same song every night, he told me that it was the last song he played for mum before she closed her eyes, forever." heaving a sigh with a gentle smile.

"What a pure form of love, " it slipped out of my mouth unknowingly.

Looking up at me with a wry smile she asked, "Can you sing it? Please?"

The soft moonlight inclining through the shed lightening up her face. It seemed like it wasn't the moon shining onto her but she was the moon personified herself. My heart quivered when I glanced at her moonlit face.

The cold breeze tossed her hair as if shielding her beauty, brushing those loose strands off her face I stole this opportunity from the wind tucking them behind her ear. I began humming -

" Tumne mujhko hasna sikhaaya, ho,

Tumne mujhko hasna sikhaaya,

Rone kahoge ro lenge ab.."

Tears filled her eyes as she looked up, at me, when a silent tear trickledown her eye. Wiping it off with my fingers I continued -

"Aansoo ka hamaare gham na karo

woh behte hai to behne do"

Leaning her head on my shoulder she closed her eyes, while mine drove back to the gleaming moon -

"Mujhe tumse mohabbat ho gayi hai

mujhe palko ki chaav mein rehne do,

Ehsaan tera hoga mujh par.."

I know there are still many aspects in your life that I'm unknown of. But I'm gonna wait for the time when you won't hold yourself back anymore.

😭

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