Rakshabandhan_A Chavan Parivar TS (Completed)

Rakshabandhan_A Chavan Parivar TS_Part 2

In the dark room, rocking to and fro on the bed as she hugged her knees to her chest with her ever usual poker face, Patralekha was emanating an eerie sight. The speeding vehicles sounded beyond the window, their swooshes and swishes  mingling with the ghostly music playing in the distance as they reached her ears. Her face, illuminated by the faint sunlight, though, was utterly expressionless yet a storm raged within her that the face couldn't do justice to, ever. She prolonged her restless rocking, moving in sync with her racing heartbeat.

The scene, if the author's opinion be asked, was well-suited in a horror movie - with a face with better expressions and a darker period of the day, of course.

Today was Rakshabandhan, the day of brothers and sisters. That was not the problem. The problem was that today was Rakshabandhan and she was in Chavan Niwas. The previous night, from her dearest Badi Mami, Patralekha had learned that ever since Karishma had come to this house, she had been tying Rakhis on Samrat and Virat's wrists, whenever they were available. It had just slipped from Bhavani's mouth nonchalantly amidst conversation with her dearest daughter-in-law, but Patralekha had been horrified. What if they asked her to do the same? She meant - what if they asked her to tie Rakhis on Mohit and Virat's wrists? Mohit, she would never mind, but Virat? She loved him!* How could she agree to that? And how would she refuse? Wouldn't the Chavans find it absurd? What if they ask the reason of her refusal? What would she say, then?

So to escape any trouble, any inquiry, she had decided to stay within the four walls of her bedroom. She had heard the doorbell ring, the arrival of Devyani and the Deshpandes, the family's joyous cries, but not once was she enticed towards the celebrations. These celebrations - it was her strong will-power that shall be praised - couldn't ever lure her into joining them, because that could mean living into one of her worst nightmares. She wouldn't let that happen, she wouldn't let Sai win.

But when she heard no sound travel upwards from the living room of the Chavans, it was then that her curiosity awoke. She quietly stepped down from the bed and tip-toed to the door. Pressing her ear against the wood, she tried to listen any sound that might indicate the ongoing celebrations, yet none came. This fueled her curiosity, and she turned the handle on the door, unlocking it. But don't they say? Curiosity killed the cat.

Just then, she saw a cheerful Virat trod towards her. Swinging his arms, he beamed at her as he never had. She was stupid, she admitted, but not so stupid as to take pleasure from that. Something was wrong. As he stepped up and up, from behind him, she saw the whole family marching towards her. Sai brought the rear, in her hands, Patralekha's worst fear: Rakhis!

The Chavan-Deshpande band marched further, some excited, some visibly least interested, though the most exuberant face was of the leader of the band: Virat.

Disrupting the flow, Harini came running towards her, calling for her badi mami (that was Patralekha), but she couldn't care less. Whilst the little girl held her hand, trying to draw her attention, her eyes were reserved only and only for the band that was now in front of her.

Now, had she controlled her curiosity and kept the door locked, feigning ill health, she might have gotten away from it, but now that they were all before her open door, no excuse could have worked. And soon enough, without even seeking permission, they all marched within, leaving her to gape at the stairs from which they had come.

"Aao, Patralekha. Andar toh aao, bahar kyun khadi ho? Tumhara hi kamra hai," Ashwini said, pulling her inside. She made her sit on the bed, where she remained still alongside her poker face, until Bhavani decided to speak. She sat down beside her - the rest forming a ring around them, as though it was circus and they were about to perform some unusual trick just now - and placed a hand on her shoulder. The older woman spoke, breaking the younger's flow of thoughts.