DIFFERENT SHADES OF LOVE SEASON 2 – CHAPTER 5

“Aadit. What’s happening? We are so confused. I came to know from Aaru that you could not tolerate your mom’s tantrums. But there is something beyond it. I know. You were jealous right?” Vishal asked me. I smiled. A real one after ages. I am weird that I smile during such hard situation. We are here, in the lake side. I don’t know why I agreed to come with Vishal. Probably for Aaru. I don’t want to be a bad brother. Again. “Reply please” Vishal said, bringing my mind to reality. “He is not jealous Vishy. He is posessive.” I heard a very familiar voice. We both turned to look who it was. Well, it was Sujithra. As I looked dumbfounded at her, she continued. “He is guilty. Guilty of being a bad brother. The guilt of neglecting her feelings. Am I right, Aadit?” She said. Damn!! WTH??!! How the hell did she find out? Duh!!

I took a deep breath. “Do you know mind reading?” I asked her stupidly. Hearing that both of them laughed hard. “It is not about mind reading, Aadit. It is about understanding your dear ones. You are my younger brother and I can understand you” She said. “Are you mad? How could you figure out? You had met me for the first time here. How is this possible?” I roared. “Who said that I am meeting you for the first time? I have seen you and Aaru when you were both infants. You both were with us for almost three months here. And it doesn’t require months to know about a person. Even spending a few minutes can reveal their full self.” She said. “Ok now. Hold on. Don’t start your lectures. I am in no mood to hear them.” I told her with a scorn. “Ok, I am stopping here. But before that, answer me. Why do you hate us? Why?” She asked me looking straight into my eyes. Anger rose inside me. “You are speaking as if you don’t know.” I told her. “I know. That’s why, I am asking you. The mistake is Paati’s. What did we do? Reply Aadit!! What did we do??” She shouted in anger. I looked at her unable to answer. I searched for words but in vain. She held my collar and shook it.

“You know Aadit, We were desperately waiting for you guys to come here. We wanted to have you both in our gang. You guys are punishing us for a mistake, which we didn’t commit. Aaru wanted to talk to us and I noticed that on the very first day. I know that you restricted her. It feels so horrible Aadit. Try to understand us. We all love you from the core of our hearts. Do give us a chance. Please. For once. We will be together.” She said as she wiped off her tears. She is right. I am punishing them for the mistake which they didn’t do. Vishal suddenly pulled me into a hug. I didn’t respond. ” Addu, never ever try to cut off relations in your life. How ever you try to cut them off, they end up dangling in your neck. Some times, they will bring happiness and sometimes they may trouble you as well. But that doesn’t make it all.

It gives you the complete feeling of your life. And Siblings relationships are the most beautiful ones. They may be your own or even your cousins. They trouble you, make you laugh, make you cry, lend their shoulders to carry you and they will shower you the love of a friend, mom, dad and that of a sibling. Don’t ever cut them off Addu.” Mom saying this to me as a teen, flashed in my mind. At that age, I never took that seriously. But now, I could feel that. May be, she is right. I should not let my cousins go. How stupid I was? Why did I hate them for the mistakes which Mrs. Suryanarayan did? I hugged him back. As soon as I did, he lifted me in air and squealed. “Welcome to fab 4!!!” “Not fab 4, rajmata. Super Six!!” I told him for which Sujithra sprang on me. “Addu, what’s this rajmata and all?” Vishal asked me angrily. “Nice name addu!!” Suji said as she

gave a HiFi to me. “This is not fair ya!” He said frowning. “Everything is fair, rajmata!!” Suji and I shouted together. We 3 laughed. Life is so quaint. It just places you in situations which you have never dreamt of. I love this.

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“Why are you laughing?” She asked me narrowing her eyes. I couldn’t control grinning. “You are so funny mahn!!” I said panting. Never did I laugh like this in my entire life. She is like so different. I have never opened up this soon to anyone in my life. She glared at me. “Sorry” I said returning back to my self. “It’s ok” she said. “Are you new here?” She asked me and I nodded. “Well, can I ask you one thing?” I asked her sceptically. She nodded in yes. “Why did you push that guy into the lake? If I am right, he is your twin right?” I managed to ask her. Actually, yesterday I saw her pushing that so called “nasty cologne wala guy” into the lake. I was shocked. That added on my curiosity about her. She is really interesting. “Well, I punish him like that” she said shortly.

She is sceptical to reveal it to me perhaps. I left it at that point not wanting her to think me as a desperate guy. Then, I noticed her looking constantly towards the direction behind me. I looked back to find her twin along with a guy and a girl. “Who’s that? Your boyfriend?” She asked me looking at her twin. I choked. “What??!! Boyfriend??!!” I jerked. “Are you mad?” I told her. “He was constantly checking out at you. I noticed that.” She said. I could find mischief in her tone. I don’t know what she is up to. “Hey baby elephant!! I don’t have a yuck taste like you!” That twin of her said. I couldn’t help smiling. Baby elephant sounds funny. “Waise, baby elephant, what are you doing here near the lake? To drink water and have bath with your mighty trunk?” He continued. That guy and girl started to laugh.

I tried my level best not to laugh. “Shut up, you lazy buffalo!” She yelled and she dragged him along with her. Now she is gonna push him into the lake, I guess. But I was wrong. She took a stick in her hand and started to beat him. Gosh!! Total crazy she is!! The other guy, girl and me watched that with our mouths open. Her twin ran but she chased him and pushed him onto the ground. “Will you ever leave me alone? I will kill you idiot!! You know how difficult was it for me without you? How much ever you tease me, trouble me or even throw tantrums, you are the BEST EVER BROTHER IN THIS ENTIRE WORLD.” She said as she threw the stick on the ground. I felt strange looking at them. In today’s scenario, such siblings are rare. Even we 3 brothers never ever were like this. A feeling of envy, arose in my heart seeing them. They are sibling goals. Seriously, they are. I slowly left the place leaving those 4 alone there to settle their issues.

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“Oho! Aayush, tu toh bade kamaal lag rahe ho!” That idiot virat said as he saw me getting off the car. Here, I am, in the sangeet of our client’s daughter. Virat and Sush have already come here ahead of me. I hate weddings. Uff! Introducing people and gossiping, Gosh! “Chup kar, Virat!!” I told him. “Where is Sush?” I asked him. “Lo, he is there with his girlfriend” He said sarcastically. Yes, there he was, Sush, so immersed in his book, while the other girls there were busy looking at him. I laughed. “How was the meeting yesterday?” I asked him. “Wah, bhai! You are asking it so soon!” He mocked. I glared at him. “It was good. And I got new friends. Shabbir and Sujithra. Both are professionals. Shabbir is little shy. But Sujithra is confident, independent and a nice girl. Our company has signed a new deal with them. Their industries are successful till date. So this will help ours too.” Virat said. “Gosh!! I just asked you about the meeting. And you are telling everything man!!” I said. “Bhaijaan! Bade ho mujhse, batana toh padega hi” He said cheerfully. I know about my Virat. Though he looks naughty from outside, he is mature from inside. He has shared everything with me till date. I smiled. “Arey wah! Look who’s here!” Virat suddenly exclaimed. I turned back. There she was, dressed in an orange gown, looking ready to kill me with her looks.

I couldn’t take my eyes off from her. She was talking non stop with another guy, who looked like her brother. I kept staring at her unaware of my surroundings.
“Bhaiiii!!” Virat’s voice brought me back to reality. I brushed my hair and smiled meekly at him. “Tadaang! I will definitely send this to Mom now. She will get happy seeing this.” He squealed as he showed the photo of me staring her. Damn!! What did I do? Now she will run behind me for marriage. Duh!!! “Virat!! Delete that right now!!” I yelled. “No, I will not” He yelled back. “Give me the phone” I started to chase him. He ran swiftly escaping from my clutches. But poor boy! He didn’t see a girl coming behind him and he clashed with her in an extraordinary manner. And Mr. Romeo caught her from falling. Now, time stood still for him as he continued seeing her in that position. “Ahem ahem!” I cleared my throat which brought them back to senses. “Suji akka! Are you ok?” Gayu said as she went towards them. So, this girl is Gayu’s sister. It was my turn to mock him now. “Virat! Who’s that? You didn’t tell me about this. So bad yaar!” I said with a chuckle. “Calm down. Nothing like that. She is Sujithra.” He said pointing towards her. I looked at her and waved a hi. She waved back with a smile. “This is my elder brother, Aayush” Virat said. “And this is my younger sister Gayatri aka Gayu” She said. Hmm… My guess was right. Gayu looked at me and I wantedly waved her a hi with a quirky expression. She looked at me angrily. “Yeah, we already know her. In fact, we met her on the railway station that day” Virat said. “Your sister is a very good singer!” I told Sujithra for which Gayu glared at me and stomped her feet and went away. I laughed while Virat and Sujithra looked at me suspiciously.
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Finally. We are TOGETHER. Initially, I had the same hatred towards my cousins like Addu had. Later on, staying with them made me realise that they weren’t that bad. And on that day, when Addu went missing, the way my each and every cousin panicked made me realise their affection for us. Today, I am so glad that Addu has reconciled with them. Now, we are Super Six as Addu calls. But, I haven’t forgiven that idiot till now. He has to realise how I suffered. Though, we both had a mock session and a beating session at the lake side, today morning, I didn’t forgive him totally. Now, I am in a sangeet function Suji’s friend.

I was not ready to attend this at first, but later on Suji and the others made me agree. I am wearing a pink anarkali, gifted by Suji. It was really beautiful. “Hey owl! Why are you rolling your eyes like this? There are small kids here. You will scare them.” Addu’s voice broke my trance. “Ha ha… So funny!” I yelled sarcastically. I turned my face and walked away from him. He followed me back like a puppy. I smiled to myself. Brothers should be punished like this. Then suddenly, HE caught the sight of my eye.

What’s he doing here? Till now we have met twice but I don’t know his name. HE is weird. Really. Who reads book during Sangeet functions? Is he mad? I walked towards him and as I neared him, I slowly patted his shoulder. He turned back and looked at me. “Hello” I said. “Hi” he said back smiling. “What are you doing here?” He asked me. “I have come here to burst crackers .” I said sarcastically. “What?! You are crazy!” He said. “Not more than you! Who reads a book during sangeet functions?” I asked him. He didn’t respond and continued his reading. I sighed and as I was about to move from there, someone pushed me and I fell on the lap of HIM while HE looked shocked.
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