"Owww!! grandma it stings", I groaned slightly in pain as my granny was massaging my hairs with oil.

"Your hairs are tattered and lusterless,
sit quite and let me apply the oil peacefully", she rebuked me.

"Oh, yes Ira, your hairs have lost their shine, sit quite like a good girl and let her do her work", bella taunted me smirking,knowing I didn't like the gross feeling that came after applying oil.

I hate oiling my hair, now I officially hate Bella.

I glared at her, which added onto her joy.

We were all sitting in the large living room in the afternoon chatting and making fun of each other.

Well everyone except grandpa as he had some meeting related to temple.

Today marks the third day of festival.
I remember the meet-up we had with the oldman, a day before.

"Will he be able to find out the place?" I ask myself and decide to meet up with him later today, for any progress.

"Well, your hairs are worser than Ira's, come here let me oil your hairs", grandma calls her out, eyeing her hairs distastefully. "see they have become frosty like snow", she jabs at her slightly white dyed hair.

We all snicker at her, seeing her once cheerfull face getting paled due to granny's lack of knowledge regarding her dyed hairs.

"Mom, that is fashion now-a-days, her hairs are not white, they are dyed", mom came to Bella's aid,  for her relief.

"Yes, granny. This is the trendy and costliest hair-dye I have got, my hairs are still black", bella deadpans, touching her ultra-glossy blonde hair.

"Well your head still looks like a sheep's head from afar", she says scrunching
her eyebrows, not yet satisified with her explanation and massaging bellas blonde hairs, rather harshly while oiling.

After some time bella was sitting beside granny, sharing some hilarious high-school experiences she had, both laughing hysterically, as if they were long-lost siblings.

That's bella for you guys!!!

she can even make a rock laugh.

Otto and I were left gaping at her antics that made grandma to fall into her trap.

"My teacher still didn't believe me, when I showed her the live recording of my doggy eating up my homework pages", she continued.

"She even suspended me for a week, doubting that I shoved blank pages into poor dogs mouth and recorded it", she told granny.

There is no doubt she shoved the papers into the dog's mouth.

"Oh, you poor child", grandma slightly touched her forearms as if consoling her, and the next minute they both let out a loud laugh knowing clearly, that it was Bella's deed.

Very poor!!!.......indeed.
That poor dog..........

"Oh, now I'm fully convinced, that you never graduated high-school", Otto jested at her causing me to laugh.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't blame you for your lack of information, that I'm a Stanford graduate, because now, even I'm fully convinced that you are completely insane", bella retorted to Ottos jab.

"I know,  isn't it great?" , Otto smirked at her clearly directing those words at her.

She opened and closed her mouth like a fish to retort, but nothing came out.

"We laughed loudly, connecting our fists, celebrating our small verbal-battle victory against her.

Her cheeks flamed up, scrunching her nose in fury, she stomped her foot on the carpeted floor and left for her room.

The whole room was reverberating with giggles and laughter. I felt light-
hearted for once; but it didn't last long
as I saw Stuti sitting on a faraway couch, with dazed look as if she was lost somewhere.

I silently walked towards her and sat beside her, holding her hands. There was no reaction as if she had lost all her senses.

"Sis".......I called her softly, touching her cheeks and turning her towards me.
No response...

"Sis",... I called her again loudly tapping her cheeks little harshly, which made her to come out of her daze.

"Hmm"..., she replied softly gazing at my eyes.

"Are you fine?   You were lost somewhere", I asked her gently.

"Hmm"........, she replied the same way she did earlier.

"No, You are thinking about something deeply", I expressed my concern over her unusual behavior.

"you can share it with me, sis", I further nudged her to speak up her thoughts.

She suddenly jerked her hands away from me and stood up, glaring at me.

"I'm telling you, that I'm fine, right? can't you stop pestering me", she screamed silencing every one and left towards her room.

There was a pin-drop silence in the hall. Everyone were stunned by her behavior. Finally mom spoke up.

"Ira, don't worry darling. She might be worried about marriage", she hugged me rubbing my back.

Tears pricked my eyes, my sister never raised her voice against me. She is a very sweet girl unlike me.

"Mom, that's still not an excuse for her behavior", I whimpered out controlling my tears.

"Don't worry child, I will speak out with her", Briju uncle who witnessed everything left towards her room.

"Come, let's go and rest", Otto dragged me to my room.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

To speak up the truth, I was worried about stuti's behavior more than the hurt her words caused me.

She was always the cheerful girl of our home. A ray of sunshine.

She was not being her true-self this afternoon, she was lost. Her tone held a edge unlike her sweet, gentle voice.

My chest tightened, worry settling my mind.

"Ira, I have a request for you", bellas oh-so angelic voice, made me to come out of my thoughts.

"No, you better stay away from me. You smell like a headache and danger combined together, knocking at my door steps", I said.

"Girl, why don't you agree to my words peacefully", she rolled her eyes heavenwards and climbed on my bed, jumping like a kid and singing loudly in her horrific voice.

"You are messing with my bed, bella", I screamed at her closing my ears.

"OK, girl. Im agreeing to your request, just stop that broken voice- recorder,
I'm getting headache already", I huffed out.

"Yes !!!!!!!!!"  .she put her hands up cheering,  as if she achieved some great feat like , climbing on the Mount Everest.

"Now, tell me. What crazy thing do you have in your pea-sized brain". I asked .

"We are going out for a farm-house. By the way u promised Otto that you will show us around", she reminded me.

"Why? So eager to meet up with the chickens and hens"?, I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh, not those creatures. But cute little rabbits and horses", she replied clapping her hands dreamily.

"Well we don't have horses in our farm", I replied in confusion.

"Well, we are not visiting your farm", she continued, "granddad told that, there are renovation going on in your farm, so flirty-guy will be taking us to one of your grandpa's friends farm", she told.

"Who? that Darsh", I asked her.

"Unfortunately, yes. He is the one". she told rolling her eyes at Darsh's name.

Darsh Kulkarni, is uncle Briju's only son and not to forget a big flirt. His only job is to flirt with every girl in the village.

"Another head-ache now, I huffed out. I swear if that guy pesters me again, I will shove a knife down his throat", I told her.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's almost night and here we are walking towards the farm enjoying the evening chilly wind with constant blabbering of Darsh about himself.

Me acting like i'm listening. He suddenly stops walking and turn backward to see me behind him. He takes few steps back so that he can walk with me.

"What are you doing"? I asked him.

"A gentle-man always walks beside his woman", he tells almost blushing and looking at the ground.

Not again, dear lord, not again...

"I'm not your woman Darsh", I reply sharply, which makes him to stand rooted at his place.

"Of course, you are. You can take your time, but you are going to marry me at the end", he replies, his voice deep.
His whole demeanour changes, a look of danger taking over his features.

I grit my teeth, trying to control my fury.

The nerve of this guy. He has not seen my anger completely. he thinks I'm an innocent meek girl, who will shut up and listens to him. Well it's time to prove this bastard wrong.

I open my mouth to show him, his place but Otto's voice stops me.

"It's enough guys, we are almost there, let's go", he nudges me forward.

"Don't touch my girlfriend", he shouts behind us.

"Leave my hand Otto, I will surely kill this asshole", I shout trying to get out of his firm hold.

"Shh!! calm down, we are in others property", he tells me to shut my mouth.

"Well, his possesiveness is getting out of hands now", bella whispers worriedly, still holding onto my hands.

"Ira, is that you?" I hear a faraway voice, only to see Adi walking towards us with a German dobermann.

"Oh, Mr.captain of the farm!!!", bella exclaims and greets him.

"Was that you shouting so loudly"?, he asks worriedly.

I take several deep breaths and finally calm down.

"Oh, some random dog was bothering me", I said gazing towards darsh, who was coming towards us hastily.

I held Adi's hand and dragged him away, advising my friends to enjoy the farm.

We came towards the small pond in farm. I huffed out a sigh of relief.

"Was he bothering you?", he asked.

"Well, I'm not a theif to runaway from him without a reason now, Am I?", I asked him sarcastically. "Ofcourse he was troubling me", I said.

He just kept gazing at me without replying, which made goosebumps to flicker on my skin, rising my heartbeat.

"What?", I asked him slowly, affected by his gaze.

"Ira", he said my name in his brittle tone, which sent shiver down my spine.

Oh great heaven's!!!! my name couldn't be any more beautiful.

"You are still holding my hands", his smug tone made me to come out of my thoughts.

I withdrew my hand suddenly, realizing what I was doing.

"Sorry, I didn't realize it". I told him apologetically.

"Of course", he smirked my way.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

We decided to visit the oldman to verify if he has got any reliable information regarding the place,as it was almost night.

We walked towards his house,but the terrifying sight greeted us.
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The oldman was lying lifeless, with his eyes open.

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