Chapter 43: The Holi Celebrations-1"

The episode starts with the next day of Holi. VR Mansion was beautifully decorated with colorful lighting, flowers, kites, umbrella and the most important with Holi colors. Even the lawn was all set up to play holi. The colourful water pools were also made. Dadi and Ajay were doing morning aarti in the house temple.
Dadi: Ajay! Where are these kids? Its holi today and no one has yet came. Have they forgotten the event in all their never ending daily tantrums?
Ajay: Ma! They will be here any minute. You know na this young generation takes so much time to get ready.
Dadi: Yeah you are right!
Ajay and Dadi were discussing the youngsters when they saw Riddhima in her gym suit coming from the entrance. Ajay received Vansh's call. He picked it up but seeing Riddhima approaching them, he didn't speak anything. Riddhima approached both of them.
Riddhima: Good Morning Dad! Good morning Dadi!
Dadi:(looking at her gym suit) Riddhima! Haven't you got ready till now? Its Holi today Beta!
Riddhima: Dadi! Actually I went for my jogging and there I got call from office so, I directly went there. And......
Ajay(cutting her): No Lame excuses Riddhima! (Looking at Dadi) Ma! Riddhima doesn't like to play holi. Infact, she avoids every festival making excuses of her work. That's why, I specially invited her yesterday. Because I knew that she wouldn't come otherwise.
Dadi: But Riddhima! Why is that? Last night, You were telling Sia and Ishani so much about Holi preparations and its importance and now you yourself are behaving like this.
R(smiling to hide pain): Its not like that Dadi! I just haven't celebrated any festival for the past 7 years. As I am an Intelligence officer, I never got time too.
Dadi felt a little guilty as it somehow happened because of them. Riddhima noticed her sad face,
R: Its not a big deal Dadi! We officers play holi everyday with criminals blood. That's my holi!
She said giving her best smile.
Ajay: What is the big deal for you then darling????
Rid(making a face): Okay. Stop teasing me Dad! Look! I came at once when you had called me. I didn't make any excuse.
Ajay: That was because Vansh was with you. Otherwise, you would've definitely made some excuse.
Dadi: So, when you all went for shopping yesterday, Did you buy something for yourself or you also made excuses there.
Riddhima didn't reply. She hadn't bought anything for herself. Dadi was right.
R: Dadi! I.....
Dadi: Now, Will you play holi in this gym suit?
R(politely): Dadi! I am here na. Isn't it enough? Playing Holi is not my thing!
Vansh who was listening to all this, cuts the call and thinks,
V: I promise Riddhima! I will make this Holi really special for you. You always end up hiding so much pain in your heart but it cannot remain hidden from me. This holi will be the best day of your life! This is your Vansh's promise.

The scene again shifts to the hall where Dadi and Ajay were persuading Riddhima for Holi when they saw three beautiful princess coming downstairs. It was Ishani, Sejal and Sia who all were wearing White deep neck sleeveless shirts with printed flappers and colourful dopatta. They all were looking simply elegant and graceful. Ajay and Dadi were smiling looking at them.
ISS: Good Morning Everyone! Happy Holi!
Ajay: My three princesses!
He kissed their forhead turn by turn.
Dadi: Evil eyes off three of you!
ISS took Dadi and Ajay's blessing. Ishani looked at Riddhima,
I: Riddhima! When are you going to get ready?
R: Aaaa....
Sej: Don't say that you haven't selected your clothes yet. (To Ajay) You know what Dad! She didn't buy any dress yesterday saying that she got 5 brand new dresses and she will wear one from them. And now, I am sure she hadn't selected one as she always remain busy in her work.
Sia: Come! Let me help you in selection!
R: No No. I will do it myself.
She said that because she had lied to them about dresses. She never had any dress like that as she never celebrated holi in all these years. She stole glances of Ajay who knew that she was lying. Ajay was glaring at her and She was embarrassed. Not upsetting him anymore, she decided to join all of them for Holi.
R: I will find something to wear and be here after sometime.
Ajay: No need for that. I knew you would do this. Go in your room. A dress is waiting there for you.
R(teary eyes): Did you?
Ajay: If daughters are stubborn then fathers should be super stubborn!
Everyone smiles.
R: I should get ready.
Sejal(herself): Where are these boys by the way?
All the girls got side at a corner,
Sejal: Where are these boys?
Sia: I think they are upset from us.
Ishani: Its called Tit for tat. If they are upset then let them be. (To Riddhima) But Riddhima! Your idea was superb. Everyone of them was dying to seek attention.
Sia: How much jealous they were! I really enjoyed it!
R: Ofcourse, they should be! I just played the master stroke at the right moment. Next time, if they do something like this, do tell me.
Sejal: Now, they all would have got a good lesson of what it means to ignore the girls. There was not even a single day when these boys had not gone out for partying and ignored us.
Sia: They have got a good lesson. They have no idea that we were giving so much attention to Aditya just to make them all realize the importance of us.
Ishani: I was not able to control my laugh when they were throwing so many tantrums to get attention. (To Riddhima) But I pity for Vansh bhai! Why did you make him suffer so much. He was with you all the time. He didn't ignore you.
R: Yes! I know! And Vansh also knows very well that I consider Aditya my brother so if he is jealous from him then its his problem not mine. He should have thought of this before joining the three of them. He himself chosen the wrong company. And apart from all, I was loving to see him jealous.
ISS: Awwwwww!
R(serious): Shut up

They all were laughing and discussing how they had fooled the boys and made them all jealous. Riddhima's eyes caught sight of the stairs and she was surprised,
R(smiling): There comes the reaction of jealousy!
All the girls look towards the stairs and their jaws dropped.
Aryan, Angre and Kabir were coming downstairs wearing white kurtas and shalwars. The front buttons were opened revealing their chest. What was the most surprising was there face,
THEY ALL HAD SHOVED THEIR BEARDS.
The girls except Riddhima was standing there stunned. The boys approached the girls,
KAA: Hey!
The girls were standing still.
KAA(confused): Are you all fine? Sia? Sejal? Ishani?
And soon, the three girls bursts into laughters.
Sejal(laughing): You look like......
Sia(laughing): You all are.......
Ishani(laughing): Peeled off potatoes!!!!!!!
Sejal and Sia: Even Aditya looks much better than you!
Ishani: Much Much better!
They all burst into laughters and the boys were shocked that again their hardwork got wasted. Actually, the girls were really impressed by their act but not wanted to show it so they turn their shocking reaction into a hilarious one.
The boys had enough. Aryan spoke,
A: Come on Yar! We are doing so much for all of you! But you can't even look at us happily.
K: But that Aditya even takes breath, you all get impressed by him.
Ang: Were you all just passing time with us? Are you all just playing with our feelings?
The girls become angry and spoke together,
ISS(angry): You should have thought of all this before ignoring us and partying all night. We don't do "Time Pass" with anyone!
Saying so, the girls left from there towards the lawn. And now the boys understood where this all started. The girls were taking revenge on them for ignorance and now making them all jealous.
Riddhima comes to the three of them and said,
R: Now you know what you have to do next! Specially you Angre and Kabir!
She winks and goes out.
KAA: So, it was a revenge! Now we need to apologize.
Saying so, the boys also go out.
Everyone was in the lawn and Riddhima was also there looking at the arrangements. She completely forgot about changing her suit. She was sitting on a table and drinking water from a bottle closing her eyes. Vansh comes in the lawn and everyone was shocked to see him. He went towards Riddhima and stood in front of her with a smirk on his face. She was gulping water. Her eyes were closed. When she felt someone standing in front of her, she opened her eyes while drinking water. Looking at the scene in front of her, her eyes widenand and she spit out all the water filled in her mouth on Vansh's face. She was shocked looking at Vansh standing in front of us...BEARDLESS!!!
Vansh's was completely wet and water was dripping of his chin. And Riddhima started choking out of shock.

Everyone present there started laughing.
ISS: Vansh Bhaiya!! Happy water Holi!!!
Riddhima calmed herself but still was speechless. Vansh was trying to figure out what just happened. Afterall, his sweetheart had just gargled out all the water in her mouth on his face.
R: Vansh?????
V(making a face): Yes I am the same Vansh Riddhima!
R: Why did you???
V: You said to do something creative to bring a reaction out of you. But I didn't expected this reaction!
R(controlling her smile): Creative??? Seriously??? You call this (encircling his face) creative??
She started laughing uncontrollably and Vansh was stunned as he saw her laughing wholeheartedly for the first time after years. She was continuously laughing and even Ajay got tears in his eyes seeing her so much happy. Infact, everyone was happy and Vansh....Well, he was on cloud nine!
Riddhima noticed everyone staring at her and then she realized that she was laughing. She stopped being a little shied and embarrassed but covered up both. She said,
R: I should get changed before I receive any scolding.
She started going in when Vansh held her wrist. With extreme grace and politeness, he asked,
V: So, Am I forgiven now? For whatever I did? And If not, still I will try more to earn it.
Riddhima craned her neck towards him with proud in his eyes,
R: Not just my face, today you made my heart laugh wholeheartedly. And not just today, You have always proven yourself more and more Vansh! How can I not forgive you?
V(happy but teary eyes): So Am I really forgiven?
Riddhima smiles and nods in yes. And saying so, she hurriedly goes in to avoid other questions. Vansh was super duper happy and others were too.
The boys looked towards the gurls but they were so much angry that the boys couldn't gear up courage to apologise. Both the boys and girls were enjoying themselves posing as if nothing happened. Everyone was laughing together and discussing how they should start. They were waiting for Riddhima.
V: I want this holi to be really special for Riddhima.
Ajay: You are right Vansh.
V: I listened to that conversation.
Ishani: Which conversation?
Vansh told them everything that he had listened on call. Ajay adds to it further and then they all decided this event to be full of fun and joy.