A glorious golden morning it was. I sat up, slightly stretching my arms to find my bedside empty. Where was Randheer?! I looked around in confusion. Climbing out of the bed, I proceeded to look outside in the other rooms. Carefully checking the top of each door, I searched in the study and store-room. Buckets of coloured water could be hidden or placed over them to fall on unsuspecting people. Gladly there weren't any buckets here but I didn't have luck in finding him either.
I went upstairs on the terrace.
'Randheer?', I called out, craning my neck. No answer. Cautiously, I searched the whole of terrace but no luck.
Colours of Holi fought each other in the cloudless sky everywhere. Squeals and shouts of merry-making could be heard all around. Delight gushed through me as I looked down the railing. Coloured people were flocked at different spots throwing colour on each other. But where was Randheer?
'Kitthe chale gaye subah subah?! Sabse pehle rang lagaane ko kaha tha! Yoon gayab hone thode hi!', I fretted with a frown. I decided to go and get dressed. 'Aa hi jaayenge kuch der mein', I thought to myself.

After a while of consideration, I decided on a white-pink dyed georgette saree with a ruby pink blouse.

*

I popped my head out of the bathroom, warily. The coast was clear. I was about to put a foot out when I realized numerous thaals of gulaal were placed on the floor right outside the door. With a chuckle, I knelt down and pushed them out of my way and walked out.

I rushed downstairs calling out 'Mummyji? Bauji? Neero Bhaiya?'. No one answered. Where was everybody?!
I skipped a step which had a rope tied across it from end to end, with a triumphant smile. However I kept looking around skeptically, not sure, which moment I would be bombarded with color and from where.

Just then Jijaji rushed into the house with a bucket in his hands and flung its contents towards me.
'Nai mainu Randheer rangenge!!', I cried out, shielding myself with my hands, shutting my eyes.
Nothing.
I slightly opened one eye and then looked down at myself. There was no colour on me.
Jijaji burst out laughing. 'Khaali thi baalti!'
I was looked at him, widening my eyes and then chuckled a bit. He had given me such a scare.
'Is khaali baalti ko dikha ke aaj sabko itna daudaaya hai na maine! Kya batau! Aur tumhaari jiji ko toh sabse zyaada!'
I shook my head with a smile. But then I took two steps back. Just in case.

'Kuch nahi hai mere paas!', he reassured, turning out his pockets, which was empty.
'Randheer ne saare rang hi chhupa diye hain! 'Tumhe rangega na woh!' ', he said cheekily.
'Tumhaari badaulat hum sab tab se sookhe sookhe ghoom rahe hai!'
Already bubbling with excitement, I suppressed a sparkling smile which was struggling to rise.
With crossed arms, Jijaji said 'Haan haan hum yaahan aise berang ghoom rahe hain Holi waale din aur tum jee bhar ke muskuraalo, sharmalo!'
I looked down, biting my lip.
'Par hai kahaan sab ?!' I asked.
'Chalo Prem Niwas. Wahin hai sab! Jaldi chaloo! Maidaan mein bhi sab mohalle waale ikathha ho chuke hain! Zoro-shoro se rang bhi hone laga hai! Chaloo ', he babbled impatiently. 
We hid behind the main door, as a crowd of shouting, color-stained people passed by.
Carefully we crossed the road to Prem Niwaas. As we were about to enter, a pail of colored water splashed on the road behind me. I skipped ahead instinctively. It had missed me by inches.
Jijaji clapped a hand to his head. 'Yahan bhi bach gayi tum!'
I chuckled and looked around. Here too the baithak was empty.
'Yahan bhi koi nahi hai!', I grumbled.
'Jiski aapko talash hai voh yahin hai', came Randheer's voice from my left.
As I turned, I saw him almost at the bottom of the steps, running towards me with a thaali in his hands which surely had gulaal. He was dressed in a white kurti pyjaama with a deep-pink bandhani dupatta draped around his neck.
He swung the thaali tossing all the gulaal at me, but I stooped behind Jijaji right at the moment. Jijaji stood there like a scarecrow, eyes shut, all pink with an annoyed expression on his face but we were least bothered. I ran for my life and he took off behind me, picking up thaalis of colour from God-knows-where and hurling fists full of gulaal at me. I ducked here and there, coming out of one room, going in another, laughing and successfully saved myself from getting stained.
As we came running out of one room, Mummyji Bauji, Vashma, Veerji, Radha Jiji and Kabir all walked down the stairs chattering merrily. Taking the opportunity I rushed to them. Randheer staggered and stop on seeing them.
'Holi Mubarak!', Vashma exclaimed, rushing forward and embracing me tight.
'Tainu vi!', I embraced her back.

Withdrawing, I went ahead and touched Mummyji-Bauji's feet. Mummyji had a braas thaali with small heaps of colours placed on it. I applied some on both of their feet.
'Holi ki dheron badhaayi beta! Humesha khush raho!', Mummyji said, stroking my head.
'Vadhaaiyaan puttar vadhaaiyan!', Bauji exclaimed happily, making me stand.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Randheer standing cross-armed, tapping his feet impatiently. I smiled to myself and met each and every one at a leisurely pace.

'Holi Mubarak!!', Radha chachi chirpily wished me with an embrace. Veerji hugged me and at the same time, Kabir pulled the end of my sari, making my kneel infront of him.
'Tuhaanu pata hain aaj main fufaji ki toli mein hoon!', he exclaimed, bubbling with excitement. 'Aur ohne mainu nayi pichkaari bhi laake di!', he said, revealing a small copper pichkaari from behind him.
'Arey waah! Kinni pyaari hai!', I replied happily and turned to look at Randheer.
He smiled for a second but then looked at me miffily. I averted my eyes with a mischievous smile and stood beside Vashma.
'Poora ghar gulaal-gulaal kar diya tune aur ek chutki rang bhi nahi hai tujhpar!', Vashma whispered with an amused smile.
'Inni asaani se kaise rangne doon', I whispered back.
'Oye hoye hoye hoye hoye hoye hoye!', she grabbed my arm. 'Dekh toh unko! Kaise besabr khade hain!', we turned towards him. He kept looking at me every now and then.
'Hone do', I said haughtily.
She looked at me with raised eyebrows. I chuckled.

'Milna-milaana ho gaya ho bahaar chaein?!', Jijaaji fretted.
'Madhukar bhaiya bhi do baar bulaa gaye! Kitni der aur?!', Vashma asked.
'Ab tak toh utthe sabne rang khelna vi shuru kar diya hona hai!', Radha jiji complained with furrowed eyebrows.
'Ammi! Mainu awaaz aa rahi hai!', came Kabir's voice from the door, who was looking out eagerly.
'Haan haan! Chalo chalo chalte hain!', I chimed in.
'Chalo fir deri kaisi?!', Bauji said with a wave of his hand.
Randheer stared at me open-mouthed as I grabbed Vashma and Radha jiji's arms on either side and hurried out of the house, before he could hold me back.
The three of us sprinted down the lane along with everybody. Randheer was close at my heels.

The maidaan were the holi celebrations were taking place for our neighbourhood was not a maidan in the strictest of terms. It was rather an empty plot of land in our locality, earmarked for the community celebrations of any festival. It was just a couple of houses away from ours. It was enclosed by houses on three sides.
On one side of the maidaan the elders were greeting each other with gulaal tilaks on forehead and warm embraces. On the other side was a cluster of copper buckets along with a heap of copper pichkaaris. Jute baskets and thaals of colours lay all around. Some people were carrying baskets or thaalis of gulaal and while others only had gulaal in their hands. Some had pichkaaris in hand, others had entire buckets of coloured water. Some were dancing around merrily, others were playing dholak, dafli or mridang in exuberance. People could be seen playing holi on their terraces. People even sat at the windows of their house and on the terrace hand-rails and tossed gulaal up in the air and down on everyone. The air was all pink-purple-blue-green-red-yellow-orange in gaiety. A hubbub of laughter and shouting reverberated around.

As soon as we reached the maidaan, everyone busied themselves in meeting and greeting. I had thought probably I would have stay for a while for pleasantries too but everyone was so immersed in playing colours, anyone hardly cared. I made a run for it.
I mingled in the crowd and bobbing up and down and made my way to where people were sparse. I was on a continuous run and so was able to dodge colours easily. Turning around I jumped a couple of times to spot Randheer in the stream of people. Turns out, he was having a difficult time, escaping from the colours, making all sorts of excuses, while searching for and pursuing me. With a puckish chuckle I ran away again.
The next time I turned around, I couldn't locate him in the crowd. Craning my neck, I looked around for a while. As I turned again to run, I bumped into him. Taking me by surprise, he almost caught me. However startled, I escaped yet again, darting away towards an alleyway nearby.

Amid the chase he reached out and caught my wrist. I gulped and stopped dead. We were halfway down the alley, somewhat hidden from the public eye but anyone could walk in any moment. Slowly moving forward, he wrapped his hand along with mine over my waist, pulling me back against him.
'Pakdi gayi aap', he said, catching his breath.
I did not reply, breathing heavily. 
'Ab nahi bhaag paayengi', he remarked.
'Shayad... aur bhaagna bhi nahi chaahti', I said meekly. 

I half-turned, looking up at him as he gently smeared red gulaal on my cheek. I could feel heat rising up my neck as he put some more on my other cheek. He brought down his arm, smudging the entire length of my arms one after the other with colour.
Taking another fistful, he smeared it right across my neck at a snail's pace. I looked slightly down, my breath hitched, still half-turned. He moved his face closer, our noses touching yet not touching.
Another fistful and a painfully slow smear across my waist.

He made me turn towards him in a flash, holding my waist in his arms. I took a deep breath, looking away.
A pause.
Looking up at him, I softly asked, 'Holi... ek tarfi toh nahi hoti?'
With a twinkle in his eyes, he said
'Sajni ki aankhon mein chhup kar jab jhaanka...'
He ran his fingers down my cheek
'...bin holi khele hi saajan bheeg gaya'†
Blood rushed to my face.

I grasped his collar along with the dupatta and pulled him with a slight jerk. He looked at me with widened eyes. I stood my tiptoes and brushed my cheek against his.
As I pulled back, I saw him dumbstruck, that smile wiped off his face.
I brushed my other cheek against his. I stayed so for a while, breathing his air.
'Ab range gaye saajan...', I whispered looking up.
I backed slowly away while he stood there, still. I did not break eye contact. Not even for a breath. Then blowing him a kiss, I frisked out of the alleyway. 


Outside, I searched around for our kinsmen. Randheer to had come out. Out of nowhere Vashma, Veerji, Radha chachi jijaji closed in around us and, they drenched us with coloured water, with a loud cry of 'HOLI HAI!'.
Rubbing my eyes open, I grabbed a bucket of water and threw it towards Vashma and Radha Chachi.

Randheer and Jijaji were in a scuffle – who could colour each other harder.
Veerji walked down Randheer, hands behind his back and tapped on his shoulder. 'Randheer Sahab...', he started off courteously, then startling him, tossed all the gulaal at him. 'HOLI HAI!!'
'Uday!?', Randheer exclaimed with an amused laugh and ran after him, grabbing a thaali full of gulaal.

Kabir sprayed us with colour from his pichkaari turn by turn. I caged him in my arms, kneeling down. And Vashma covered him with colour all over. Just then, Radha jiji overturned a bucket of coloured water upon both of us. Before we could retaliate, Jijaaji threw a thaali full of gulaal on her. The other neighbours too joined us. We sprayed each other with pichkaaris and played gulaal with each one. Radha jiji came and smeared me with gulaal from behind. With a laugh, I ran after her.

In the middle of the celebration, somewhere amongst the people, I caught Randheer's eye, standing half-a-dozen feet away, who too looked like he had abruptly stopped amid a chase.
The cascade of colours, the sprays of water and the landscape of people behind – known and unknown, showering each other with gulaal- all seemed blurred for a while. I was watching him as he watched me but only aware of the blinking of eyes and the beating of my heart.

After what seemed like minutes, someone hit me on my other arm. Startled, I turned around rubbing it with a blush. With widened eyes, Vashma pulled me along by an arm.
I caught Radha Jiji and pulled her along too.
All the young men and women had assembled themselves in two clusters. Everyone swayed and whirled at the tune of dholak, mridang and dafli .

'Tann rang lo ji aaj man rang lo
Tann rang lo
Tann rang lo ji aaj man rang lo
Tann rang lo,
Khelo
Khelo umang bhare rang pyar ke
Le lo rang lo
Tann rang lo ji aaj mann rang lo
Tann rang lo'

Our men found their way to us, amongst the performers.

'Aaj nagari me rang hai bahar hai
gali gali dekho ras ki fuhar hai
oh gali gali dekho ras ki fuhar hai'

Randheer caught my wrist.

'Pichakariyo me rang bhara pyar hai
Ho, pichakariyo me rang bhara pyar hai'

With a sly smile, he gave me a twirl and made off.

'Isi rang me jivan rang lo
Ho tann rang lo, mann rang lo, khelo'

Vashma and Jijaaji crossed over bumping their shoulders against mine with teasing smiles, one after the other. I shied away. 

'Khelo umang bhare rang pyar ke
Le lo rang lo
Tann rang lo ji aaj man rang lo
Tann rang lo'

Radha Jiji Vashma and I held hands, criss-crossing them one another, moving round in kikkli, so did all the other women around.

Nacho nacho ri sakhi ri
Holi aayi re sakhi ri holi aayi re
Ghar ghar me rangeeli rut chhayi re
Ghar ghar me rangeeli rut chhayi
Aaj duniya ne masti lutayi re,

We all danced in jollity and enjoyment. 

Aashao ka daman rang lo
Ho tann rang lo, mann rang lo, khelo
Khelo umang bhare rang pyar ke
Le lo rang lo
Tann rang lo ji aaj mann rang lo
Tann rang lo

Jijaaji took over, coming forward dramatically. Randheer and Veerji backed him.

Aaj mukhade se ghungata hata lo ji
Ho zara sajna se ankhiya mila lo ji
Ho zara sajna se ankhiya mila lo ji

Radha jiji promptly came stepped ahead, hands on hips.

Rang jhute more tan pe na dalo ji
Ho, rang jhute more tan pe na dalo ji
Man pyar me sajan rang lo
Ho tan rang lo, man rang lo, khelo
Khelo umang bhare rang pyar ke
Le lo rang lo

Tan rang lo ji aaj man rang lo
Tan rang lo


While every one of us was dancing, I lifted up a plate of Gulaal kept closeby, tossed all the colour at Randheer's face and ran away. He caught me by my middle in two seconds and smeared me with gulaal while I laughed. A few moments both of us realised we were being reckless. He withdrew abruptly and I looked around for people who would have noticed us. This was a public place. We ought to keep distance. Par Holi ke ho-halle mein kisiko hosh hi kahaan tha?!

Stroking the back of his neck sheepishly, he walked away. But out of nowhere , a hand grasped mine and pinned me against the wall.
'Kuch zyaada hi "holi holi" nahi ho rahi teri?!', Vashma demanded with piercing eyes.
'Vashma!', I exclaimed. She had given me a jolt.
'Kab se dekh rahi hoon. Pehle haath nahi chhoot'te fir nazar nahi fir'ti. Aur aaj toh chhod hi do!'
'Tainu kyun itni jalan ho rahi hai?! Jaa tu bhi manaale "holi holi" ', I said promptly.
'Amritt!!', she said, widening her eyes. I hid my face behind my hands sheepishly.
'Amrit! Vashma!!', came Jijaji's voice from some distance.
'Aaaye!', I replied, taking the opportunity and escaped, Vashma following me.

Taiyaari ho gayi?!', Vashma asked Jijaaji, catching her breath as we both stopped before him.
'Haan Bilkul!', he said with a notorious smile, standing cross-legged against the wall with some sacks of colours and buckets at his feet.
'Kya ho raha hai?', Randheer appeared from behind us.
'Sookhe logon ko rangne ki taiyaari!', Jijaaji said rubbing his palms together.
I and Vashma to exchanged mischeivious smiles.
Randheer gave the three of us skeptical looks.
'Jo jo yahaan ab tak bach ke ghoom raha hai, unhe ab humse koi nahi bacha paayega!', I exclaimed excitedly.
'Amrit? Par ? Kyun?', Randheer panicked.
'Arey isme kyun se kya matlab hai!?', Vashma demanded. 'Ye humaari zimmedaari banti hai ki yaahan se sab aise jaaiye ki sheeshe mein khudko ek baar toh na pehchan paaye!'
'Aur hum ye zimmedaari poori shiddat se nibhaayenge!', Mukund Jijaaji said seriously raising a fist in the air.
'Haan!', Vashma and I nodded in agreement.
'Kisiko saaf-soothra nahi jaane denge!', Jijaaji added.
'Haan!', we agreed yet again.
'Amrit Vashma aap kyun iski baaton mein aa rahi hai-', Randheer turned to us worriedly.
'Matlab kya hai tera?!', Jijaji fumed.
'Hum aapko kisiki baaton mein aane waale lagte hain ?!', Vashma further questioned. 'Ye hum teeno ki mili bhagat hai!'. She said haughtily. 'Aur kyunki ab aap yahaan hai isiliye aapko humaara saath dena hoga!'
She handed him as bucket while he looked on cluelessly.
'Dekhiye! Main nahi kar sakta ye! Ye khel-kulel mujhe nahi aate. Mujhe baksh dijiye!', he requested.
'Kyun? Saari shararat meri saheli ki saath hi karenge aap', she asked cheekily.
'Ji?!', he exclaimed innocently.
'Ji ji kuch nahi! Aap'par hukm hai ki aapko humaara saath dena padega!' Turning to me she hit my arm, 'Amrit tu kuch kehti kyun nahi inko!?'
'Main kya kahu?', I said meekly.
'Acha Uday aur Radha Bhaabhi kahan hai? Unko toh aapne majboor nahi kiya aapke in masoobon mein shaamil hone ke liye?!', Randheer asked with cross arms.
'Unko shaamil karte toh saare khel paani mein!', Jijaaji said with palm on his forehead.
'Rangne kisiko jaate aur rangke kisi aur ko aate!', Vashma replied. 'Aur usse pehle sabko 'Namaste Satsriaakal' aur karke aate! Hmph!'
I suppressed a giggle.
'Aur aapko yakeen hai ki main bohot ache se sabko bewakoof bana lunga?!', he asked.
'Vo sab tainu nahi karna hai!', Jijaaji said with a wave of his hand. 'Tujhe toh bas baalti leke Amrit ke peeche peeche ghoomna hai. Itna toh tu kar hi lega! Baaki Amrit samhaal legi!', he said placing an arm on Randheer's shoulder.
Randheer looked at him with narrowed eyes. I and Vashma exchanged giggles.

That's when Kabir made his way to the middle of our assemble. 'Hato hato hato'
'Chhote Bakhurdar bhi shaamil hain?', Randheer mumbled.
'Ae to sabse ahem hissa hai is gut da !', I whispered back to him.
'Kya khabar laaya hai?!', Vashma asked urgently, pretending as if we were spies on the border.
In an equally dramatic way, Kabir said, 'Prabh kaka bilkul saaf-suthre khade hain. Bas thoda sa rang hai unpar. Sukhi chacha bhi wahaan us kone mein chhupe hai. Gulaal poora hai lekin bilkul sukhe hain! Gurni chaachi vi otthe hi hai, ohde naal. Ashu didi bhi bheegi nahi hai. Sookhi sookhi hain.' Further he named a few people more from the neighbourhood.
'Bohot ache!', Jijaji stroked his head with a serious expression and Kabir puffed up proudly.

Turning to us Jijaji said, 'Tum dono udhar jao, main aur Vashma is taraf jaate hain!'
'Arey par-?!', Randheer protested yet again but no one listened to him.
'Saathiyon! Halla-Bol!!', Jijaaji gave a short low cry which we repeated and split up.

'Amrit !!', he hissed urgently.
'Kahiye?', I asked, looking out for the people Kabir had named.
'Agar unhone hume rang daalte waqt pakad liya toh?', he asked innocently.
'Toh voh humpe rang daal denge aur kya!', I replied casually. 'Bas inni si baat hai!'
He thought for a while and then said, 'Haan... baat toh sahi hai. Rang hi toh daalenge'
'Wahi toh!', I said, smacking my head with a hand. 'Ab chaliye!',

I hunted for the neighbours who were relatively clean. I drenched them in colored water. Randheer was literally just assisting me with holding the bucket, unsure whether this should be done. But when I would drench someone successfully , he would give me a proud smile and refill the bucket quickly. Some of the neighbours seemed like they were just waiting for someone to come and drench them. Some of the neighbours tried to run but we caught them soon. I drenched one particularly dangerous chaachiji and hid away quickly. Poor Randheer didn't realize that I had escaped. He stood there cluelessly with a bucket in his hand when she turned. From behind her, I gestured him to run. Par bhaagna inhone seekha nahi tha. He just held out the bucket and said, 'Holi Mubarak ji', nervously.

She considered him for a while and then with a smile said, 'Holi Mubarak Puttar' sweetly and applied colour on his cheek. I looked at them with an amazed smile.

Sukhi Bhai, one more of our neighbours was still not found yet. We searched and searched and finally found him hiding in one corner. We tip-toed behind him. He probably sensed us and turned quickly to drench us in turn. I ducked sideways to avoid the water. Randheer would have been the victim, but I pulled him aside right on time and tossed a thaal of gulaal at Sukhi Bhai. While he got distracted, Randheer just stood there. I urgently pointed him to pour the coloured water on him – a hint which he took after one whole minute and poured the water on his head. Our last target too drenched.

'Amrit ye pehli baar thi na isilye mujhse ache se nahi hua. Aap dekhiyega agli baar aap hasar jaayengi mujhse', he clarified as we searched around for Vashma and Jijaaji. 
'Ab toh agle saal hi dekhenge! Bas hum haar na gaye ho is baar', I said worriedly.
'Agar hum hare toh pehle se hi maafi maangta hoon aapse! Kitna anaadi jodidaar mila aapko!', he said with a frown.
I looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows. 'Haar bhi gaye toh Jijaaji aur meri saheli hi jeetenge na. Koi baat nahi! Aur aap anaadi nahi hai! Seekh jaayenge!'
He nodded with a sweet smile.
I and Randheer came together with Vashma and Jijaaji to count the number people we had duped. Turns out we had won by just one person. I jumped a bit excitedly.
But Vashma dramatically said, 'Randheer aap kya baalti pakdi thi! Waah!'
I looked at her with a confused expression. 
'Aur kitni jaldi jaldi paani bhar rahe the aap! Aap hi ki wajah se toh jeeti hai Amrit! Warna yeh aur mujhse jeet'ti?! Hmph!'
I crossed my arms. Here Randheer gave her a pleased and me a haughty smile. Turning to her again he said, 'Thank you Vashma! Aur kisse bhigaana hai bataao! Main abhi band-o-bast karta hoon.'
I looked at them in disbelief.
Jijaaji placed on hand on his shoulder and said, 'Voh tujhe chane ke jhaad pe chhadha rahi hai aur tu chaddh bhi raha hai! Dekha maine! Ek insaan ko bhi nahi bhigaa paaya aur "Amrit jeeti teri wajah se hai!". Bada aaya!'
All of us chuckled.

*

It was almost noon. We were almost done playing holi. People were leaving slowly. We too were about to leave. Veerji had lifted up a tired Kabir in his arms. He was engaged in a conversation with Randheer. I, Vashma, Radha Chachiji and Mummyji were chirpily discussing the day and the event.
'Amrit zara theharna!', Jijaaji called out from behind.
I turned and taking a leave from them all, I went behind to him.
'Ek kaam hai tumse', he said with a wicked glint in his eyes. I had no idea what he was upto.

† This sher was written by Musavvir Sabzwari.