Diwali-Wali

Shimmer!

Yezhil's POV

"But Amma! He started it!" I protested.

"I know, baby. But just try to stay away from him."

"Tell that to the jerk himself!" I screamed, frustrated.

"I did. Well, to be specific I told his Mom. Anyways, all you have to do is just stick to your brother." Amma said massaging my shoulders in an attempt to calm me down.

"Urrrrghhh!" I stormed off to the room where Murali was lying down with pop-corn and a blaring playlist of Hindi and Tamil songs. He held out an arm onto which I crashed, in frustration.

"For once, you're the one in trouble." He mused.

"I know, right?" I whined, feeling somewhere in between exasperation and amusement as turned the right way around.

"Well, no one is really mad at you, Kadugu. Don't worry about it too much."

"I'm not mad at Amma either, stick-head." I scoffed. "It's that stupid idiot Vikas and his annoying squawking hen of a mother- Valli Aunty!"

He hissed for me to shut up, lest Amma or Appa hear and we get into sauce. No matter how annoying the neighbors were, Amma and Appa were very strict about respecting the elders. But he snickered in approval of my insulting names.

After a moment of quiet, he snickered again.
" To think; you like him."

I shut my eyes and clasped my hands over my face, hoping to escape from the embarrassment of it all. "I don't like him anymore." I cleared hotly. "I despise him.", I spat, viciously.

Murali bonked my head with a thumbs up and then proceeded to gently ruffle my hair. The combination of that and the excitement and exhaustion that had preluded, was perfect for drowsiness to hit me like a tide gushing in.

Chinks of memories of the day blurred through my dropping lids…. Maybe staying among the loud noises which exploded in my ears every five seconds had gotten me used to the loud noises….Or maybe Raja's encouragement gave me confidence...Or the thirst for revenge on Vikas had rendered me fearless….Or maybe all of these had  combined to enthuse me to burst crackers….In any case, Diwali back here in the home town wasn't so bad, after all; maybe I'll tell Appa so....My dropping lids blurred back to the present...Murali was playing with my hair, watching me fall asleep with a thoughtful expression on his face... Awwwwww….. he really does care….I managed to smirk through overpowering sleep, remembering that I must have slammed into his poor stomach at least 5 times for those entire 5 hours.
"Thanks, ya big softie."

He gently smacked my head and yawned, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure", I said, giving him a hug and then, dream-land hit.

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Murali's POV

That evening Appa showed us the giant pack of Ariel displays that he had gotten for us and man, he was excited and proud to see Sasive's enthusiasm.
"Here Murali," he said, handing me a box with a conspiratorial grin. "You know what this is."

I was confused for a moment until the sudden wave of realisation hit me.
"Is it? Is it?" I asked my eyes growing into Kala jamuns and Appa nodded.

"What is it? What is it?" Kadugu jumped on me, yanking me by the shirt.

I unentangled myself from her grip and ripped open the package; I guessed right.

"Sweet Sixteen Ariel display." Kadugu read, curiously. "What's that?"

"This, little Kadugu, is da big bombs, I tell you! Da big bombs." I roared in what I knew to be my wierdest and wildest voice, shaking her vigorously. (Revenge is sweet, ain't it?)

To be honest, I too was happy to see Kadugu enjoying the crackers. She still hid in my stomach at the sound of the Ariel displays but, her face reflected the bright and colourful spattering of sparks that bloomed open and lit up the inky night sky.

She nodded her head for a long time in approval when the Sweet Sixteen hit the clouds. Each of the sixteen bursts of colour (one for each year of my life) left her more and more impressed.

"I think I'm too scared to do one, just yet. But I definitely want to do one when I'm sixteen." I heard her say to Appa. I couldn't help but laugh at that.

Later, when we were clearing up all the garbage and waste from the crackers, I was happy to see her with the pentat from this morning. Ever since we had moved, she had been quite the loner but, I watched her now; beaming and laughing with her new friends. Her smile reflected on my lips. She was having a good time. I didn't have to worry about her being alone anymore...