"I will miss you so much! Oh, my love where are you going leaving me behind?" Aradhya said dramatically. Which earned laughter from all the other brothers, even Dhairya. All except Parth. Even Prishati had to struggle to keep that smile from showing. But when Madhav locked her eyes with her, his face also contorted they burst out in laughter.

"Very mature." Parth said folding his hands.

"Come on Parth, it was just a joke!" Prishati said keeping her hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, brother your beloved is saying so she must be right!" Abhay said mirth twinkling in his eyes.

"Jeshtha, come on stop with it already!" Prishati replied. The past few weeks had been excruciating. The jabs though all in goodwill had become unbearable. Parth and Prishati had made it very clear that they did not like each other in the way others were assuming. But apparently, their word didn't count.

"Yes, I agree with Prishati. Teasing merrily to an extent is justifiable but when the other person begins to get offended you should halt." Dhairya said sternly.

"Anyway, you have to go to practice!" Parth said trying to not get irritated. 

"I won't go if you want so!" Prishati said softly, as it was visible Parth, wasn't in a very great state.

"Yes, please don't go!" Aradhya murmured from the back.

"I can't live a moment without you!" Abhay joined in.

"Enough. This is getting out of hand! We have made it very explicit it is not what you think it is between us! I accept your yesterday night's bet that I can't stay away from Prishati fora total of 12 hours." Parth said unquestionably fuming.

Abhay and Aradhya were taken aback. They didn't know their teasing affected their brother so much. But Parth knew that it wasn't only that. Even he thought it would be impossible to stay away from Prishati and that was why he was more irritated. Parth looked at Prishati and she saw his eyes they were filled with determination. She knew she couldn't talk him out of this. She just gave him a tight-lipped smile as affirmation and Parth stormed away.

"Madhav could you-" Prsihati started.

"You don't have to say anything. I will make sure he is fine." Madhav said scurrying after the boy.

"He will be fine!" Prishati responded sympathetically to the guilt-stricken Abhay and Aradhya.

"Jiji you will be late for practice!" Gyanav said breaking the tension. Prishati just nodded and broke into a run.

-:-

"I am sorry I am late!" Prishati said panting.

"Well doesn't really matter as practice will be delayed for about half an hour." Charvik said shrugging sitting under the shade of an apple tree.

"What! Why?" Prishati asked sitting beside her.

"The knives are being used by Guruji for something I don't know!" Charvik said deflated.

"It is okay we will wait." Prishati said resting her head on the back of the trunk.

"Yo- You won't go?" Charvik asked shocked.

"No." Prishati replied smiling. She knew she would have left if it wasn't for what happened today. She had nowhere to go to. And she needed to divert her mind.

"Cool. What do you want to do? What about a race?" Charvik said excitedly.

"Can't we do something else? I am a little tired." Prishati asked.

"Of course why not? We could just sit here eat apples and talk." Charvik said with the same excitement. Prishati just nodded in affirmation. Charvik got up and plucked two apples from the lowest branch. He sat back down handing the juicer one to Prishati without a second thought.

"So first clear my doubt. Why are you here?" Charvik asked biting into his apple.

"Umm... it's that... actually..." Prishati struggled she knew the truth would hurt his feeling and she couldn't make up lies. Her twin had that speciality.

"It is okay you don't have to answer. I am just glad you are here." Charvik said with a tight-lipped smile.

-:-

"You won't survive for even an hour." Madhav stated.

"You think so too?" Parth said irritated.

"I know so. And I am not mocking you for that. It is useless to prove something you shouldn't." Madhav replied.

"Bu-" Parth started only to be cut by Madhav.

"I know you won't understand what I am saying right now because you have made up your mind. But just think it over okay?" Madhav said.

-:-

They indulged into casual talk Charvik earning a laugh or two from Prishati. For about 40 minutes or so they just chatted with several awkward minutes of silence. When the knives were available they did vigorous practice Prishati doing exceedingly better than Charvik now. But even though her reflexes were fast and her hits firm Charvik could make out that her heart was not in it today. But as always he kept his quiet.

"I think this is enough for today." Prishati said panting.

"Sure! Do you have anything to do right now?" Charvik asked finally mustering up the courage.

"Umm... Why?" Prishati asked befuddled.

"I wanted you to see this place I go when I want to take my mind off things. It is near the forest not too far fro-" Charvik stopped as he saw the expression on her face, "Prishati are you fine?" Charvik asked concerned.

"I need to go. I am sorry." she said softly and then suddenly her jaw clenched, "I have to knock some sense into an idiot." Charvik just nodded not sure of what was happening. He saw her brisk walk initially and then break into a run.

-:-

"Madhav!" Parth called. 

The former had left him to sulk in his own absurdity. Madhav had tried talking him out of it but as assumed Parth didn't listen. But it had already been two hours and he couldn't wait. But before he did anything he had to consult with Madhav.

"Madh-" Parth started to call him again but halted as he saw a petite girl coming from behind the tree. It was Veera. He remembered his conversation with Prishati this morning very acutely, so he wasn't very keen to talk to her he knew he would be undeniably shy and clumsy.

"Umm... Hi, do you know where Madhav would be?" Parth asked her as he knew she was close to Madhav. Veera just shook her head.

"Coul-" Parth stopped in between as he saw a scripture in her hand whose strings had come undone and the pages were jumbled. If Parth hated something more than the cold it was jumbled papers, "Let me help you!" he said offering his hand. Wordlessly she just gave him the pages. After a few minutes, he had returned to her a firmly bound and unjumbled stack of pages.

"So, I will take your leave and could you tell Madhav that I was looking for him if you see him?" Parth asked a little annoyed by her silence. Again, the girl just nodded. As he was turning to leave he heard a melodious voice almost inaudible.

"Bye Parth." she would be around 14 years old but her voice sounded like she was 12. But this wasn't what Parth was thinking about. This was Prishati's voice when he had first heard her except she had more fire in her's. Parth just gave Veera a tight-lipped smile and scurried away he didn't need to consult with Madhav now he knew what he needed to do. He had to correct a mistake.

-:-

Prishati ran to the only place she could think Parth could be, the creek and somehow she knew he would be there waiting for her. And he was. 

His cream angavastram was cast aside giving view to his tanned muscular torso. If one saw closely they could make out nicks, the result of the vigorous practices. His hair was tied in a practical bun atop his head, miraculously every stand in place. His hands were kept by his side parallel to his body and he had rested his weight on them resulting in his biceps and back muscles bulge out. His beige dhoti was mostly wet as his legs were submerged knee-deep in the clear water. The wet piece of cloth now sticking to his body outlined his muscular calves. 

He was an archer after all and Prishati had no intention of not letting her arrival be known. He twisted his body halfway, his legs still submerged but his grinning face turned towards the advancing Prishati. Prishati purposefully didn't return the grin. Wordlessly she just went and sat beside him hissing when the cold water collided with her feet. But after a minute or so her body temperature adjusted. There was complete silence except the miniature waves crashing into their legs. Prishtai finally thought she would say something.

"You are stupid." 

"I am your stupid."

प्रेम की होली खेली जा रही है

कैसे रह सकते है दोनों बेरंग

जेष्ठ ने बहुत समझाया पर

पार्थ को तो मान्य नहीं

माधव भी बोल रहे है 

पर प्रिशति को सुनना नहीं

प्रेम तो अनंत है दर्मिया

पर रिश्ते का कोई नाम नहीं