Radha ki leela

Bhaiya

Monica was out of her economics class earlier than expected . As she came out of her college, she opened a letter she had recieved from Shivansh. She had recieved it just that morning and had quietly sneaked it into her purse. She took it out and on a nearby bench, she opened it.
"Moni,
I am fine Here and my internship will be over this month. Then I will come back and we will enjoy together. The colleague I told you about, who was flirting with me, I was over her and let her know that I don't wish to do anything with her. I love you and I hope your mother doesn't catch this letter."
There was no salutations or appropriate punctuation, but the letter touched her heart, and just then, something touched her shoulder. A monkey was sitting on it and pulling her ear. She screamed and tried running away. The monkey didn't bite her, but it sure left nail marks on her.
Just then, a boy, with a water bottle came upto her and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yes i-" Monica stopped at the sight of Tejpal.
"Here" Tejpal extended the water bottle to her.
"You always find you in such situations don't I?" Monica giggled.
"Hmm" Tejpal replied and went on with his friends up the road.

"Oh no aunty. Its fine" Radha said as she declined Surjit's offer.
"Why beta? Have some water." Surjit Said.
"Oh no ko aunty. I'm fasting today." Radha replied .
"Its fine beta. You can drink water. Here, have some fruits." Surjit offered.
"No aunty. I don't drink or eat anything on Shivratri." Radha replied.
"Don't even try buaji. She won't even eat the vrat ke chawal (barnyard millets )." Namita said as she showed up.
"Arre, its not karvachauth" Surjit implied.
"Its not that auntyji. I just break the fast at night only." Radha answered.
"Wow beta. What a dedication. I didn't know you were so religious." Surjit answered.
"No no aunty. I'm not that religious either. Its just that I think the whole purpose of a fast is to stay away from materialistic needs like food and water and to remember him and thank him for everything. Not anything religious." Radha commented while staring at Namita from the corner of her eye. continuing, she asked Surjit for some Belpatr (wood apple's leaf) for the occasion of Mahashivratri.

" I was just about to send Eklavya to get some and fetch some other things for the puja tonight. He will be down in a minute. He can bring you your belpatra.
Eklavya was descending the stairs as he was running his fingers through his hair, his sight fell on an awaiting Radha. All decked up wearing a white and red saree and her wet hair making her skin seem shiny and glamorous.
"I didn't know you were going to be here."
"neither did I. But what to do your sister is taking so long to get ready." Radha replied.
"its 8'o clock in the morning, where are the two of you headed off to?" Eklavya asked adjusting his belt.
"to the temple. It is customary to offer water to the Shivlinga before noon. And I know for a reason that it would be flushed with people today. So we might have to wait a little. So I thought we should get going as early as possible." Radha answered.
"well guess what. That's where I am headed. Come, I will give you a ride." Eklavya smiled at Radha. It would not be good for the both of them if their aunt got to know about this little scheme. Radha declined the offer saying that a bike doesn't have enough space for three people, soiling Eklavya's little plan.
"Why are you even taking Nami? She doesn't even believe in all this."Eklavya sounded upset.
"that's why. It is bad enough that she doesn't believe in god as such. Me taking her to the temple today may give the sense to believe in at least some god." Radha smiled, cleverly.
"you are crazy- I- I didn't mean to say that-" Eklavya forgot that his level of comfort with had not reached a level to which they could playfully take shots at each other. Radha also didn't react to the comment and Eklavya went out.

Namita was walking out of the temple waiting for Radha, her eyes awaiting to see someone special. She had an eye out on the premises of the temple for Shubham. She had expected he would be here for shivratri and so, this was main reason as to why she came there along with Radha. Radha came out of the mandir, looking like a typical Indian woman, Namita thought, the pallu of her saree on her head and a Tika on her forehead.
"He isn't here" Namita mumbled
"Who?" Radha managed to hear her.
"Don't make me spell it our for you." Namita answered.
"Is that why you came here in the first place? To see that Shubham. We would see him outside the dance class anyways." Radha added. (Shubham had a habit of waiting outside Namita and Radha's dance class, every Sunday, on his bicycle, with a gulab Jamun in his hand. He would offer it to both of them and drink the chasni (syrup) himself.
"Its Friday today. We won't see him." Namita snarked moving out if the temple.
"Prem is coming to my house today." Radha mentioned.
"What?... are you..?" Namita paused giving a weird expression.
"For tutoring. I'm going to finish my tutoring with him today and then it will all be over." Radha mentioned as she smiled a bit.
"Do you want it to be over?" Namita asked with a rather plain expression.
"No- I mean not yet. Okay I have to agree, I'm not not attracted to him. He is very good looking and also the sports head, but.." Radha seemed hesitant.
"But what?" Namita asked impatiently.
"He failed the third year Nami. I really-"
"So what? Are you going to judge him for failing?" Namita asked again.
"Well, no but, you know what I mean Nami, don't you?" Radha said
"No I don't know what you mean?" Namita spoke out as she payed stress on each and every word she uttered.
"Oh please, its not like you didn't ignore Shivam." Radha added.
"He was stalking me ! Its a far cry from failing one class." Namita said.
"Why are we even discussing this Nami?" Radha made an irritated face.
"Fine. Anyways. What do you want for your birthday tomorrow?" Namita asked
"Let me see. I want a necklace." Radha paused. "Come on, I don't need anything. Also I have college tomorrow." Radha said.
"I didn't mean a gift i meant what do you want to do tomorrow? Like plans" Namita answered and just then she pointed to a nearby cane juice stall.
"Uncle, two glasses." Namita spoke out looking in her purse for money.
"No no, not me."
"Oh come on, you can have juice." Namita said.
"Bhaiya, just make one for her." Radha replied.
"Well, if you're not having it, I won't have it either." Namita flipped her hair.
"Who are you threatening. Don't drink it. You've been stuffing your mouth the whole day with your sabudana and water in the name of 'vrat ka khana' Radha pointed out using the air quotes.
"Someone is irritated." Namita took a sip of the juice.
"Get lost" Radha said and ironically, started walking away.

Shivansh was in the temple that day on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. He was standing in the waiting line since the morning, and he saw the most unexpected sight at the temple. That girl. He came back to his uncle's house and informed Shubham about what he saw.
"Guess what I saw at the temple today."
"the colleague at your internship, whom you led into darkness and uncertainty." Shubham answered with his utmost sincerity.
"you made a mistake by not coming along. I saw that girl there. The hot one, the one you like, with her friend." Shivansh added.
"Shivi bhai, I'm not going after that girl anymore. She isn't succumbing. I have wasted so much time every weekend waiting outside her dance class." Shubham sighed.
"I was not talking about that Radha. I meant her friend, the one with the curly hair." This comment suddenly gathered Shubham's attention.
"sh-she was there too? Namita-"
"Namita, yeah that was her name huh." Shivansh threw his dirty sock at Shubham's face saying," Shapeshifter."
"shapeshifter is someone who can-"Shivansh threw another sock at him to shut his snob mouth. After staying with him for nearly three months, Shivansh realized as to why Shubham was the least liked cousin.

Back in Shimla, things were getting a little heated between Radha's brother and his wife, Ratna. Rajesh wanted to visit his sister in Delhi, for her birthday, which was the next day, on the 8th. Ratna however suggested the opposite. They were arguing right before going off to school.
"What is your problem, if I want to go and meet my sister?" Rajesh slightly raised his voice.
Ratna just sat on the bed, staring into a wall. Irritated, Rajesh breathed heavily and walked out of the room. They both used to sleep in one of the rooms Rajesh's father had kept in the downstairs for rentals on the floor below. This was only till, the new room on the same floor as the rest of the family was being constructed. Rajesh took out a cigarette and lighting it up he tried to smoke away his problems. Ratna inside, grabbed her purse and went off straight to work.

Eklavya was working on college assignment, when a thought suddenly distracted him. Radha had asked him to come over and and practice with her on the tabla. He checked the clock. It was almost three in the afternoon. He got straight up and went outside with his tabla, his assignment still left incomplete. As he reached her home, he saw her sitting inside, tending to the leg of another boy. She was putting band-aid on the guy's leg. His slight smile turned upside-down, and so did his footsteps. He went back as he did not want to disturb their little 'moment'. As he stepped in, Anil bumped into him, which made him yell at him,"DUMB DOG.LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING", earning, a gasp from everyone nearby. Paying no heed to anyone, he raced upstairs and shut his door and sat on his table. Ravi stepped in and asked him,"why are you acting so crazy today?"
"just get lost" Eklavya spoke with an extra bass in his voice.
"im your brother-"
"GET OUT!" Eklavya spoke out
"Eklavya you just yelled Anil and I need to- ah!" Ravi stopped because Eklavya punched him in the gut.
Eklavya hit him again on his head and kicked him making Ravi fall on the bed. Seeing his brother hold his stomach and squeak., the sibling guilt caught on Eklavya. He came near Ravi with a softened attitude,"why were you bothering me?"
"I was just asking what happened? You ran out with your tabla and came back pissed off. " ravi spoke out as Eklavya tried to reach out for his head.
"okay, stop crying now." Eklavya asked him
"you-" Ravi hit Eklavya on his stomach with full force making him hold his stomach in pain.
"oww" Eklavya cried out but didn't hit him back. Ravi got up and was about to go out and just then Eklavya told him,"I am upset because of-" and he stopped at Ravi gave him a surprised stare.
"I am upset because of that girl."
"why? What did Nami do?"
"I meant, uhh, R-A-D-H-A" Eklavya spelled out her name.
"huh? Oh, OH? OH!" Ravi replied back. "don't tell me you hit her."
"I didn't hit on- huh? Why would I hit her? I just saw her at her house with another guy."
"I didn't know she was one of those kind." Ravi made a disgusted expression.
"no she was caressing his leg." Eklavya replied
"must be some kind if foreplay then. Wait? Did you see the entire thing!" Ravi said
"Shut up. She was giving that guy some kind of first-aid." Eklavya exclaimed.
"why does it bother you?" Ravi asked him
"don't ask me bro." Eklavya sighed as he got up.
"aha"
"what?"
"nothing" Ravi smirked.
"I think I need to hit you again." Eklavya said
"tomorrow is her birthday."
"when? I mean,why?" Eklavya replied not looking up
"that, you should ask her parents when you meet them." Ravi smirked.
"just talk normally." Eklavya answered.
"get her something nice." Ravi dropped the bomb and went out of the room leaving Eklavya all flushed, and still holding his stomach. Ravi really hit him really hard.

Its was three in the afternoon the next day, that is, the 8th of march, it was Radha's birthday. Eklavya was standing on the other side of the door with a red rose, ready to pour his heart out to Radha. He rang the bell and the door was opened. Radha looking, beautiful as ever, opened the door. Eklavya looked down, since she was a bit shorter, and smiled at her. He pulled out the rose to her and as he was about to say, he choked, not because of Radha, but because of her brother, who was standing behind her.