A Prankster Brother and the Colours of Love

Draupadi woke up with her body dripping with ice-cold water. At first, shock overcame her and then realization hit.

"You are going to regret this!" Draupadi said angrily and just as she turned around to face him she was met with her brother holding a plate of green powdered colour and before Draupadi could shield herself green specks stuck to her wet body. 

After wiping the colours near her eyes when she opened them the prince knew he was in trouble. Interested to live a decade or two more he broke into a run. He had a head start but he knew his sister would catch up to him in no time and, unfortunately, he was right. She was inches away from him carrying a plate full of saffron powdered colour made by pulverizing flowers of Palash.

-:-

Arjun was forced to wake up from his sleep because of the voice of his persistent brother. He groaned and rubbed his eyes to send sleep away. But then he conscious reminded him that it was Holi and he was sitting beside Nakul. As if sleep had never touched him Arjun recoiled, getting as far as he could get from his mischievous brother.

"Jeshtha, are you fine? It's like you have seen a ghost! I am not that bad looking now am I?" Nakul said his face not giving away anything. And that is what intrigued Arjun. 

"Nothing, It's just that you haven't mutilated me with colours and water yet." Arjun said nonchalantly, his eyes never leaving Nakul, vary of sudden movements.

"Oh, well we aren't in Hastinapur are we? Imagine if word got out that the greatest archer of the time was tricked by a mere boy of 20! You may not care about your reputation Jeshtha but I do!" Nakul replied casually. 

"Right!" Arjun said sarcastically he could have been more cautious but he was in a good mood. After all, he was going to see Prishati. He still couldn't digest the fact that now she was not only in her dreams but when he woke up from them she would be there. And he couldn't help feeling giddy. Smiling he got up from his bed. Well, not actually his. He wished he was in Hastinapura but not really. With a smile playing on his face he got up to go to the lavatory to freshen up and as he was about to enter he noticed something strange on the floor. Before he could help it, his foot had touched what Arjun had already figured was some sort of trigger. Generally, Arjun would e more than happy that he was right about something but now, not so much. Within a matter of seconds, he was drenched in ice-cold water. Moreover, powdered colour had been infused with it resulting in a wet Arjun with red-stained clothes. He was used to it because this happened every Holi. But it was never boring because Nakul took time to make innovative plans to main his brother with colours. But just because he was it coming didn't mean he wasn't infuriated. 

"Oh no, you didn't little brother!" Arjun said turning towards Nakul menacingly.

Nakul had already pulled up his dhoti so that it didn't deescalate his speed while running because he knew he may be good at pranks but once Arjun got his hands on him Nakul was done for. And within no time Nakul ran for his life and Arjun followed. His hands were full of powdered colour some of which plummeted to the floor as he ran after the younger prince. 

-:-

Draupadi had taken a bath and replaced her wet and colour stained clothes with a cotton sky blue lehenga and blouse which had no embroidery in them except the gold border making it lightweight. Her net angavastram though of the same colour had clusters of gold beads sewn into them at intervals making each cluster appear as a small flower. One end of the angavastram went up to her right shoulder and the other put in place with a simple gold kamarbandh was attached to her lehenga's back. A dupatta made of similar fabric and design as to that of the angavastram was attached to her hair with pins. Her hair not fully dry were braided to protect them from damage in the exuberant festival. Her head was adorned with a simple gold maangteeka with a sole gem. Her ears were adorned with miniature gold earrings one of which reached her nose to appear as a nose ring. She never thought of how she looked because that was her twin's job but today she felt beautiful, for the first in well, forever she felt like twirling around. 

Drishtdyumna was wearing a lavender cotton dhoti with minimal embroidery which was put in place with a minimalistic silver kamarbandh and there was no angavastram in sight which made Draupadi remember him as a chubby five-year-old.

"What? Do I look bad?" Drishtdyumna asked and Draupadi realised she was smiling weirdly.

"No, not at all! You look great! Nice touch of not wearing jewellery I think I should remove mine!" Draupadi said reaching her nath. 

"No! Don't! It suits the outfit. You know what something is missing actually!" Drishtdyumna said walking to her dresser and kindling with her jewellery. 

"Ah hah!" he exclaimed picking up a heavy gold crown with an abundance of jewels on it.

"I am not wearing that." Draupadi stated.

"Relax sister! I am never going to let you wear that! it's hideous why is it even here? This one's more you, try it on!" Drishtdyumna said handing her a slight crown which was made up of gold wires which were twisted in form of leaves and at unequal intervals small pearls were attached. Moreover, it was small so Draupadi didn't mind. When she attached it to her hair she realised what Drishdyumna was saying. It was alluring. 

"Now that you are looking splendid let's go to get attacked!" Drishtdyumna exclaimed clapping his hands.

-:-

Arjun was irritated by that one strand of hair that was continuously refusing to be in its rightful place. His hair had dried magically in the hot air and was tied in a bun and because his hair was even curlier when they had just been washed it gave a look that he tied them recklessly and somehow it went with his outfit. He was wearing a white cotton dhoti which was put in place with a silver kamarbandh. A cream net angavastram was loosely placed over his shoulders, ready to discarded once the game of colours started. He had kept his clothes light and simple today as after hell broke loose people won't even be identifiable. But as he turned to see his younger brother he saw he didn't believe the same.

"What are you wearing?" Arjun screeched with disgust.

"I believe that this drape of dusty blue cloth is known as dhoti and this piece of maroon cloth is called an angavastram and-" Nakul started.

"But who wears dark clothes on Holi?" Arjun said his soul recoiling from seeing the abundance of colours on his brother's frame.

"I am Nakul. I don't do the same as others." Nakul said puffing his chest. 

"But that is an astonishing angavastram you are going to let it ruin?" Arjun asked pained.

"Who cares?" Nakul said shrugging.

"Who cares? I ca-" Arjun started but was interrupted by the sound of conch shells indicating the festival had begun.

"Don't want to be late, now do we?" Nakul said hurriedly leaving the room not wanting to hear his brother's fashion rant.

-:-

The twins had already greeted their father and sister during their little chase in the morning so they decided to go straight towards the arena where the festival in the palace was to take place. The dimensions were no less than celestial! The arena was circular in shape and towards the perimeter, it was roofed but as one neared the centre the sky smiled. The doors of the palace were kept open for anyone who wished to celebrate. Under the roof on one side were all sorts of delicacies one could name. But everyone knew no one could think about food until late noon. On the other side where the people were swarmed were lines of stalls containing powdered colours, pastes and coloured water. 

Draupadi felt a touch on her elbow and without turning she knew that it was her brother indicating that he was leaving from her side. She saw him rush to meet some boys who were clustered near a paste stall. She turned away from him scanning the area for Parth. She still called him Parth. Parth and Arjun were so different but so same. It scared her but then sometimes she felt Draupadi and Prishati were two different entities altogether. 

She broke her line of thoughts as she spotted Nakul in a capricious outfit surrounded by at least half a dozen girls. She had started to walk towards him when she sensed a movement in her peripheral vision. Within a flip second, she had turned around and with a flick of her wrist, she had made colour spill from the hand of the swarthy man standing in front of her she knew too well.

"You know you can't sneak up on me Parth!" she said with a smirk.

"I know that! I thought I would just give it a try!" Arjun said shrugging and leaning on the pillar beside him, his eyes never leaving Draupadi.

 He reached towards her with his empty but red coloured hand and touched delicately on her left cheek. Though the powder was cool it felt like she was burning where he had touched her. No, she burned wherever he hadn't. The ever-competitive Draupadi didn't feel like fighting today. She wouldn't run from him. She would let him colour her all over because she was his and nothing else mattered. And as if on cue Arjun stepped closer and with his other stained hand he traced along her right cheek and he didn't stop until he had coloured her lips. It was her turn now she took a fistful of colour from a plate lying near and turned towards Arjun she saw he had closed his eyes. He was as gone as she was. She was about to stain his cheek but her mind swayed towards his lush lips and without giving much of a thought. She flicked her wrist mid-air covering them from the abundance of people around if only for a moment and without wasting a second she planted a kiss on him, short and gentle. She broke it and saw Arjun's eyes wide open his lips now stained with the colour of her love. 

Arjun took a few moments to realise that Draupadi wasn't even in front of him anymore now and had blended with the masses of dancing bodies. He could have lost sight of her if she wasn't the only one he saw in a room full of people. For a few moments, he just saw her dancing with the crowd but somehow she still stood apart. She had always been the better dancer of the two. He couldn't move as she did. But something was similar. Her expression mirrored his - of pure bliss. The knowledge that they had found someone. Not able to pull himself away anymore he jogged toward the dancing masses and came to a stop just behind her and tried his best to mirror her steps and when she sensed him behind her she slowed the pace of her steps, making it easy for him to follow. And no one knew for how long they danced to the tune, content wit the presence of the other.

रंगो का त्यौहार है

उत्सव ये है प्रेम का

सबके दिलो में

होली का है रंग चढ़ा

सुधबुध खो बैठे है

सब है खोया ज़रा

पर फिर भी एक वो है

जिनके चारो ओर है संसार बसा

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