Soul Swap!

Mahi bhai and Phenol

"What's up, Kuliya?" asked Mahi bhai, when Kuldeep entered his room, looking miserable.

"I don't like this soul swap thing much, Mahi bhai," complained Kuldeep.

"Neither do any of us, kiddo," said Mahi bhai, amused.

He pulled Kuldeep against him as the latter settled down on the bed.

"I didn't mind a lot when it started," admitted Kuldeep. "But I miss Virat bhai."

Mahi bhai could relate to that perfectly.

"And I miss Jinks bhai, too, you know, the way he always kept things normal," added Kuldeep.

"I know."

"It was really weird; one day Virat bhai was perfectly ok, doing heaps of paperwork, and telling us to stay away. He sounded exactly like Virat bhai then," said Kuldeep earnestly. "Then from that evening, since Aarya came, everything became weird."

Mahi bhai perked up a little.

"Cheeku was doing paperwork?" he asked suspiciously.

Cheeku never did paperwork.

"Yes, and he was really engrossed in them too," said Kuldeep.

"And then what happened?"

Kuldeep narrated all the events of that night and the next day, how they went to pick up Aarya without Virat bhai, and how--

"Wait," said Mahi. "Did he seem upset when you guys came back?"

"A bit," said Kuldeep. "But Jinks bhai spoke to him and he wasn't upset anymore."

"Hm," said Mahi bhai, his eyes narrowed. "Hmmm..."

"What?" asked Kuldeep, quite alarmed at Mahi bhai's hmm's.

"There's definitely something fishy here," said Mahi bhai, frowning. "Cheeku told you to keep everyone away--then Cheeku got upset at being left behind--and most importantly, Jinks cheered him up...
hmmm..."

The door opened a crack and Phenol peeped in, asking for permission to enter.

"Oh, Phenol--come in, come in," said Mahi bhai warmly. "I haven't caught up with you properly yet!"

Phenol patted Kuldeep on the head on his way to Mahi bhai's other side, and Kuldeep said in a subdued voice, "Yes, nice to see you too, Phenol."

"Are you hungry?" asked Mahi bhai.

Phenol nodded eagerly, and Mahi bhai at once produced a small heap of chocolate out of nowhere from his cabinet.

"So what brings you here?" asked Mahi bhai.

"Jaddu bhai called him to investigate Virat bhai and Jinks bhai's states," offered Kuldeep.

"Oh," said Mahi bhai. "Well, Phenol? Are their souls really swapped?"

Phenol hesitated. On one hand, he was an honourable ghost, and valued bribed promises highly. But this was Mahi bhai, after all--his favourite human being and his best friend.

Mahi bhai's shrewd eyes caught the hesitation.

"Virat convinced you to lie for him," he said on impulse.

Phenol looked horrified for a moment and then his shoulders dropped.

He did, Phenol told Mahi bhai and Kuldeep.

"What?" said Kuldeep stupidly. "They bribed you? I mean--Virat bhai bribed you?"

Phenol half shook his head.