Chronicles Of My Darling Husband

25. Uditi (Part 5)

"Bhaiyya, why are you so hesitant to meet her?"

Jagdish swiveled in his chair, greeted by the melodious voice that interrupted his work.

His dear sister, Subhadra, flung her cards on the table while Krishna smiled wide. They were engrossed in some card game, a pastime that held little interest for Jagdish. He had always been drawn to the great outdoors, reveling in activities like cricket, badminton, and tennis, where physical exertion was part of the enjoyment. He loved the rush of bodily activity—the strain and the sweat. The idea of sitting indoors, simply shuffling cards and abiding by arbitrary rules, failed to capture his imagination.

"You're cheating!" Subhadra accused Krishna, her frustration evident. "There's no way you're winning for the fourth time. Where are you hiding the cards? Show me!"

Krishna, living up to his name and reputation as the cleverest of them all, simply shrugged. "Why would I bother to cheat?" he retorted, a smirk playing on his lips. "You suck so bad in the game that I could play blindfolded and still emerge victorious."

Snatching the cards from his hand, she gathered every one of them and flung them at Krishna in a flash. "Lies!" she screamed. "You're fucking lying!"

"Choti, mind your language!" Jagdish admonished. "Maa will be upset if she hears you cursing like this."

She let out an exasperated huff. "And what about Krish?" she demanded, her tone laced with anger. "What about his skill for slyly fibbing and getting under my skin?"

The middle child of Singh's family let out a hearty chuckle. "I don't even have to try to get under your skin. Anyone could do it effortlessly!" Krishna teased, relishing her response. "I pity the guy who ends up marrying you. He'll have to endure your arrogance like a slave! Hope, he doesn't leave you and run."

Subhadra's expression twisted into a scowl, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Jagdish, sensing her distress, sighed softly and rose from his seat, crossing the room to envelop Subhadra in a warm, comforting hug. "Krishna, ease up," he intervened, his tone tinged with concern. "What's the point of making her upset?"

She clung tightly to Jagdish, her voice trembling with emotion. "Bhaiyya, please ask Krish to leave for Kamptee. I want to be alone with you."

Krishna, refusing to back down, made a move to pry Subhadra from Jagdish's hold. "Now who's instigating whom?" he shot back, a hint of defiance in his tone. "He's my brother too, and I'll stick around for as long as I please," his voice rose as he continued, "Understand, Bhaiyya's Princess!?"

Pushing Krishna's hand away, Jagdish narrowed his eyes. "Krishna, she's still a kid. Stop being immature!"

"Oh, she's twenty now, not a child, Bhaiyya," Krishna scoffed as he stared at Jagdish. "Stop pampering her. She already has a god complex!"

Subhadra hit his arm, followed by a torrent of tears as she broke down.

Krishna halted, his expression morphing into one of regret as he observed his sister crying like a child. His conscience weighed heavily on him, his face displaying his inner turmoil. Meanwhile, Jagdish, accustomed to their banter and familiar with their sibling dynamic, shook his head slowly. Serving as the constant mediator between them, he recognized the need to diffuse the situation once again.

He glanced at Krishna and nodded, silently urging him to apologize. Krishna complied.

"Okay, I apologize for being rude," he said, his tone contrite. "I went a bit too far. But... You should watch your language. If Maa listens, she'll feel hurt, and that's not what we want, right?" He pulled Subhadra into a hug. "We don't want to upset her, do we?"

"But you... you cheated me," Subhadra stammered amid her tears.

Krishna let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, yes, I did," he admitted, kneeling in front of her and gently pulling on his own ears. "I am sorry."

Glaring at him, she spat out, "Fine. But I hope whoever ends up marrying you gives you enough grief before she permits you to even lay a finger on her!"

Krishna flared. "You!"

"Choti..." Jagdish began wearily, casting a pleading glance at his siblings. "Could you both please calm down? Work's been relentless lately, and I just haven't been able to find the time to meet—"

"It's not work, you're just avoiding the chance to meet this girl... what was her name?" Krishna paused, trying to recall. "Ah, yes, Nishita... Why are you so afraid?"

Because... Because...

Jagdish had no immediate answer.

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A/N

Spoiler alert for other books in the series-

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Krishna's joke about someone marrying and leaving Subhadra brought tears to my eyes (technically, he didn't leave her, but yeah). Even though I'm the author and I am the one writing all these dialogues and plots, it's hard to detach my emotions from Subhadra. As I've mentioned before, Subhadra and Satya are deeply personal to me, inspired by a blend of myself and my closest friends. While I wish I hadn't filled their lives with so much tragedy, their characters are just too precious to me... Sorry, I tend to get emotional and ramble on.

Btw, it's 2011 and Krishna has already met the woman who would make him grieve XD

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What's with Jagdish being afraid of Nishita?

Also, if I don't dedicate the classic "Phoolon Ka Taaro Ka" to Subhadra from Jagdish, then what am I even writing for?

P. S. I have published a short story "Love Fritters", it's life story of Mukesh and Sonali (Samiksha's Parents). It'll comprise of five chapters, out of which two are already updated. Do read to get insights of their cute love story :)

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