New Beginnings

43- The More, The Merrier

Samar and I soon parted our ways, knowing that Aunt would have been waiting for me.

Being a school teacher, Aunt took great interest in our studies and exams. After every exam, we went through the paper and discussed everything. Though she got fully involved, she never criticized us if we made mistakes and always encouraged us to do well. That was one of the many things, I loved about her. She didn't sugarcoat things and always told us where we went wrong but at the same time, she never put our morales down.

Reaching home, I freshened up while Aunt waited for me in the living room.

We finally managed to go through my whole paper even with the background noise of twins shouting at each other while playing games on the playstation in their room.

"What should I do with these boys? They haven't left their room since morning. They started playing games, the moment you left the house for your exams", Aunt spoke in frustration.

"Looks like they are going to play all the games in one go", I said laughing.

I could still remember their grumbling faces when they couldn't play games even though they had vacation because of my exams.

I think that was the time they detested living in the joint room the most.

Shaking our heads at their behaviour Aunt and I stood up. While Aunt went to kitchen, I joined the twins in their game.

~~~•~~~

I decided to wait until after dinner, to ask permission for the camp, knowing that I would lose my appetite if they responded negatively.

Not eating dinner would have been classified as emotional blackmail for them to agree and I didn't want them to think like that. Plus today Aunt made my favourite dishes, there was no way I could allow myself to get upset while eating.

Looks like my fear came true. Uncle and Aunt said no, without even thinking about it for a second.

"It's too far away dear, we can't let you go there alone", Uncle turned down my request.

I so knew that this would be the main factor for their rejection.

"But it's not like we are going without an adult. Samar's Mom is going to come", I reasoned, trying to change their decision.

"She would be busy taking care of Samar", Uncle dismissed my point, waving his hands in a nonchalant manner.

Seeing my fallen face, Aunt came up with an alternative.

"You can go if you take Raghav with you", saying this Uncle and Aunt retired to their room, leaving me to ponder on their suggestion.

To say I was angry was an understatement. Seeing my anger, Raghav got the wrong impression.

"Is the idea of me accompanying so bad?" he asked in a hurt voice, looking like a kicked puppy.

I sighed at his assumptions. Shaking my head in negative, I explained the reason behind my anger.

"It's not that. I don't have any problem with you coming. But I didn't like Aunt's biased behaviour. You are just an year older than me, then how going with you on the trip makes it automatically safe when it was not ok for me to go so far away, alone?"

"It's not only for you. She has always sent Raghav with me whenever I had a match in neighbouring towns. Mom thinks Raghav is the most responsible one", Rishi informed me chuckling, enjoying my wrong interpretation of the whole thing.

"Oh!" I responded dumbly not, knowing what to say at that.

"So, when are we going to this trip?" Rishi asked in excitement.

"We? Are you coming too? What about your football practice?" I asked with raised eyebrows, knowing how busy he was during vacations.

He looked here and there uncomfortably. He looked like he was gathering courage.

Finally taking a deep breathe, he answered.

"I am not joining the team this year. Everyone has been either making fun of me or shying away from me after they came to know that I am gay".

"How can they do this to you? I will teach them a lesson. You are not going to stop playing on their account", Raghav lost his temper.

"Let be Raghav. What is the use if they are forced to play with me? No one will enjoy the game. And its not like I want to make it my career. I played because I enjoyed it. Now I don't", Rishi tried to calm his twin down, who was ready to kill someone just for looking at Rishi in a wrong way.

Calming Raghav down, Rishi turned towards me.

"Trisha, you don't have any problem with me joining you in this trip do you?" Rishi asked, looking both scared and hopeful for the answer.

I shrugged and replied with a smile.

"Why not? The More, The Merrier".

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