STORIZEN CONTRIBUTE between Shiv and Nandini ; things had gone really silent . Shiv mostly hung out with his friends in the evening and rarely any of his friends visited at home . But when Nandini was coming , Shiv would stay in at home and make a ruckus and invite all his friends home . It was always short trips and though Shiv never accepted , he really missed his kid sister and wanted to make most of the time they had together .
Shiv bounded out of the garden , “ OiGutkha you are home !” Nandini stopped smiling and scowled at her brother . She hated when Shiv called her Gutkha . She didn ’ t like the name . She looked around , found few pebbles and grabbed them . She then broke into a run after her brother and threw the stones at him . Shiv laughed his head off maniacally . All the elders smiled as the children ran around . *** Finally , the family settled down as many cups of tea and snacks were made and the children and the elders chomped away . “ When are your friends coming ?” asked Shiv . “ By evening ”, chirped Nandini , “ To think we were away for almost a decade .” “ Yeah , we know you four ”, nodded the Grandmother . After lunch , Shiv and Nandini sat with grandmother as she started on the story of young Prahlad . Nandini cuddled with Shiv and they both sat listening raptly to her . The story or the narration hadn ’ t changed in many years . Nandini liked it this way . Some things should never change . They lose their meaning in life . As the story drew to a close , Nandini closed her eyes and decided to take a nap . There was time until Anoushka , Kartik , and Rishi arrived – her childhood friends . She had a pleasant smile on her face ; the one that of a contented human . She couldn ’ t ask for more . She had a perfect life .
And when evening arrived , it was mayhem . All four got into a group hug and all spoke together , ran around in circles – it was the perfect cacophony . The parents looked and smiled as the children yapped around like mad things . It was going to be a difficult time trying to get them to settle . It had been eight and a half years now . To know that they still shared the same love and friendship was good enough for the family . Nobody could separate them . “ Let ’ s go buy colors and water-bombs ”, suggested Kartik . Everybody liked the idea and as they set to wear shoes to set out , Nandini ’ s dad came to them and handed each a 500 Hundred rupee note , smiling . “ Dad , we earn now . You don ’ t have to burden yourselves with our merrymaking ”, said Nandini , smiling back . “ You can earn all the money that is there to earn . But I still pay for your Holi colors and waterbombs ”, said Nandini ’ s dad . All four laughed as they accepted the money with thanks and gratitude . The market had expanded in so many years of development . It had become a huge place . Shops crammed and cluttered into a single area and there were women and their young children playing in rags . Some of them were tiny tots and infants . The four walked around the market and for some weird reason , none of them were speaking with each other . In many years that they had celebrated Holi , they had never had seen what they saw today . The people who were selling the colors and other accessories for the celebrations were the ones who could barely afford a time ’ s meal .
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