Holiday sounds quite fascinating, and to kids like Jatin it’s even great. He just longed for this holiday only the last holiday ended and it brings a great opportunity for him to explore different parts of the world once again. Shruti , Jatin and Golu were great friends and had stood by the other in every undertakings. At the dinner table , Shruti had placed her seat beside Jatin, and it was very usual as they had most of their meals together; for they were not just friends, but had an extraordinary family relations too. With the spoon in his mouth, Jatin tried to say something but Shruti couldn’t really understand. Her eyebrows lowered in a quest, following what, he pulled out the spoon and whispered to Shruti's ears – ‘how about going to the Mussoorie palace this holiday’, Shruti turned excited and stretching herself screamed enthusiastically – ‘yes ! I’ve heard, the palace is a great place to visit but . . .’
‘but what?’, Jatin interrupted;
Shruti hummed and added – ‘well, that house is quite haunted I’ve heard . . . and I don’t think our parents would anyway allow us to go there . . . ‘, she whispered with a broad eye. Reena, Jatin’s mother, was scuffling with the cutleries , serving the gravy, but her hands paused all of a sudden and her big round face turned to Jatin’s side. Pointing the spoon out a him, bereted with grinding teeth – ‘ Beware you, thinking of going there even’.
‘where, what are you saying aunt . . .? ’, Shruti interrupted wincing .
Reena forbade rebuking before Shruti so realising her presence she paused, but Jatin turned stunted at his place.
It was past the sleeping time – almost eleven o'clock. Her mother Geeta, came twice to call her back home, but she kept imposing to let her be with Jatin. Feeling lost and defeated, she walked away, thus letting Shruti and Jatin all by themselves for the necessary discussions tonight.
Around the lit lamp they sat crouched and bundled in the shawl as the night fell, it turned piercing cold, further spices of the compelling discussion had brought in coldness down their spine for sure. Shruti’s face lowered and her cute bubbly round cheeks glew in the bright lamp light.
‘now what . . .?’, she asked and gazed him with a raised eyebrow for the answer. Jatin still shivered with the voice of his mother; nodded lustily and continued in his persuasion to quit going for the holiday as his mother wouldn’t allow him to, once she’d smelled something fishy rooting around.
Failing to come to any conclusion. Shruti stared Jatin oddly and slid her hand to grab hold of the telephone over his study desk – a three feet high, easily accessible to her soft round hands.
‘what’re you doing . . . whom do you call . . . at least see the time, whom are you disturbing so late a night . . .please stop! Stop ! stop !’, Jatin continued but ignoring him, tipped on the keys, held the grip tight and over to her ears, gesturing him to shut up with her fingers.
Golu was still not asleep, he was too shuffling in the ideas of visiting exciting new places. The phone ring at this late a night first startled him, with a bleak eyes he gaped at the clock and it was a perfect twelve. At first he hesitated going closer to it, later picked it up in a scratch. His buttoned bright eyes dilated hearing Shruti’s voice, such late in the night. Getting further into the discussion, he too apprised her of his will, that was definite go there as it would come out as a perfect night adventure for sure, but Jatin kept on with his disillusionment – which was not quite welcomed by Shruti.
‘well, if you don’t want to go, let it be . . . you stay home and wrap yourself around your mother for sure . . . Golu and I are definitely going and that’s final if you’ve heard it . . .’.
Golu interrupted – ‘ and you think Shruti he’ll let us go and not tell our parents; is he so innocent?’ –
‘what to do now, if he’s ready to go along; I’ve no problem hanging out with him for sure‘, Shruti said strikingly and looked at Jatin through the corner of her eyes – who was now busy scraping his nails over the tile pieces on the floor. Sharp wind were beating onto the window panes and there was no shawl that could resist the shrill whistle of the icy wind piercing through the narrow slit along sides of the glass window pane.
‘ well, what you think or do is not my problem. I’ve a two – fold plan – first is to ask for a permission for some pleasant place and run over to there with the help of some elderly person . . .’, Golu interrupted sarcastically – ‘ and you think they’d let go fourteen year kids, all by themselves:’- -'for sure . . . ‘, Shruti added sharply.
Meanwhile, a soft mumble came from the side – ‘will that be safe. If you can think over it once!’, it was Jatin almost doubled in the terror of his mother.
‘and what’s the second plan . . . let me check that too for the security?’, Golu asked and chuckled simultaneously.
‘well, the second plan's definitely going...