chapter 23

The sound of dhol beats and laughter echoed through the apartment complex as the vibrant colors of Holi filled the air. Aarti stood on her balcony, watching the celebrations below. People were drenched in hues of red, pink, and yellow, dancing to the festive beats.  Riya stood beside her, arms crossed. “You’re seriously not going down?”  Aarti shook her head. “It's too messy. You know I don’t like colors all over me.”  Before Riya could argue, Kabir appeared at his own balcony, already covered in shades of blue and green. His grin was mischievous. “Mehta, don’t tell me you’re hiding up here like an old lady?”  Aarti glared at him. “I just don’t like the mess.”  Kabir gasped dramatically. “Mess? Holi isn’t a mess, it’s an experience! It’s joy, tradition, fun—”  “It’s people chasing you with cold water and smearing color all over your face,” Aarti interrupted.  Kabir smirked. “Exactly! And guess what?”  Aarti narrowed her eyes. “What?”  Before she could react, Kabir dipped his fingers into a plate of red gulal and gently smeared it across her cheek.  Aarti gasped. “Kabir!”  Riya burst out laughing. “Oh, this is golden.”  Aarti wiped her cheek, glaring at him. “You did not just do that.”  Kabir grinned, completely unbothered. “Happy Holi, Aarti.”  Aarti huffed. “You know what? Fine.”  Before Kabir could dodge, Aarti grabbed a handful of yellow color from Riya’s bowl and smacked it onto his face.  Kabir froze, stunned. Riya let out a loud whoop.  “Oh, it’s on now,” Kabir said, eyes twinkling with challenge.  Aarti tried to step back, but he grabbed a plate of blue and smeared it across her forehead. She shrieked, laughing as she reached for more color, and within seconds, they were both covered in bright hues, laughing and chasing each other around the balcony.  Their neighbors, watching from below, started clapping and cheering. Someone even shouted, “Bohot achi jodi hai!”  Riya smirked. “Ohhh, people are shipping you guys.”  Aarti wiped color from her nose, panting. “Kabir Singh, you are the worst.”  Kabir, completely drenched in colors, winked. “And yet, you’re smiling.”  Aarti opened her mouth to argue, but she couldn’t. She was smiling—wide and carefree.  Maybe Holi wasn’t so bad after all.. To be continue...