- ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ ᴛʏᴘᴏs ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴀᴍᴍᴀᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ᴇʀʀᴏʀs -

Both the families were in the living room of the Rathore house, sipping their evening teas. It was a Sunday before a hectic Monday could arrive, again. While the rest of them were discussing something that pertained to Abir's career, now that he was to get over with his twelfth standard as well, Nisha silently got up and limped to the kitchen with the help of her walking stick to get herself some water. Kabir, who was descending the stairs just then, smirked a bit seeing her in the kitchen and finding himself unnoticed by anyone, he carefully tiptoed into the kitchen. Nisha was having water and Sonu was setting things up in the shelves. Kabir silently stood behind Nisha and waited for her to keep the glass in the sink and just as she did, he hugged her from behind and she gasped in horror, seeing him be close to her while their families were around. She smacked him on his arm and chided, making him move away.

Nisha blushed when he pouted, asking her for a kiss in gestures. She slapped him playfully across his cheek when he acted a bit desperate. She gestured him to look at Sonu who was still doing his own work; unaware of what all was going on behind him. He was still adamant; he placed his hands over her waist and pecked her, anyway, and even before Sonu could turn, Kabir lifted Nisha's feet off the floor and took her into his arms, while she laughed and attacked him on his chest as she wouldn't let her go. He chuckled and quickly walked out of the kitchen and ascended the stairs, before anyone could see them. Sonu could only see Kabir leaving with Nisha when he turned; his eyes bulged out as he quickly walked out of the kitchen to see Kabir take Nisha into his room without anyone knowing. He had known of something going on between them, but seeing them like this, it was new.

Kabir kicked the door, closing it behind him as he entered his room with her in his arms. She smiled as he made her sit down on his bed and walked away to return with a bowl of popcorn and his laptop he had already arranged in his room. His idea had always been to lure her into his room, it was just that it only got easier for him finding her in the kitchen. He exactly knew how to make up for the mistakes that he makes; specially, with her. Kabir was rarely fond of people, but the people he really cared about, he would go to any extent for them. Though he behaved like a teenager in love, sometimes, it was only that he feared losing her. He loved her, but more than anything, she was his best-friend; she mattered. He had never felt this kind of feelings that he had for Nisha; she made him happy, she made him feel - she was his soulmate in every sense.

He had never known Viraj personally except from what she had spoken about him; his knowledge about her dance partner had always been secondary, but it was enough for him to loathe him; he had hurt Nisha once, and that was seriously enough. He had no patience more than seeing it happen once and letting his best-friend get hurt.

"Side ho," Kabir uttered as he playfully pushed her a little, making place for himself beside her on the bed. She opened her mouth and gasped as a reaction of his antic, only to be pulled by him to lie down beside him in his bed. He placed the laptop before them and hugged her from behind as they lay facing the screen of the laptop. They covered themselves in the quilt, as they lay cuddling on the bed. He played an Avengers film; it would be his choice over the romcom stuff she watches, any day. He was a sucker for a thriller or an action movie.

On the other hand, a discussion other than what they had imagined was going on in the living room, unknown to them. Had they been sitting with the family right now, they would've either laughed it out or created a whole messy scene in front of them. It could've left them embarrassed before their families. What was being talked in the living room was what Abir would've ever thought of or would even approve of, knowing how he has a major crush on his brother's girlfriend, though he wouldn't accept; he fears having to set his standards low. Cheekoo was an idiot to him, but still special, but the acceptance of the same was what he would never let happen. Howsoever, he was still not done contemplating about who the new character, Viraj, in the story was.

"Jojo and Cheekoo da college khatam hone wala hai. Tussi un dono de maa baap ho, aage kya socha hai?"

Nani asked Kabir's and Nisha's parents, as she sipped her tea. Abir was more than curious when the topic was raised and he, who had been playing on his mobile, stopped and moved his attention to what the elders of the family talked about.

"Kis baare mein, aunty ji?"

Ramesh asked, not knowing the context Nani referred to.

"Jojo aur Cheekoo di shaadi, hor ki?"

The topic was a blow to everyone sitting in the room; though Vasu had been waiting for the topic to be raised, her younger son spit his milkshake as soon as the topic was even hinted. Nani frowned looking at him and cursing him briefly, as he quickly apologised, cleaning himself with the tissues lying over the table. His eyes widened and he shook his head, as he sat down again holding his disbelief within himself, forcefully, as the conversation continued.

"Kabir aur Cheekoo ki shaadi?"

Ramesh questioned, utterly confused.

"Haan, tuhaddi kudi aur mere nathe da vyaah; tuhannu koyi problem si?"

Nani asked, but Ramesh was dumbfounded. He has never given it a thought.

"Nisha aur Kabir shaadi kyu karenge? Wo to sirf dost hain na?"

Arjun chipped in, while Ramesh still found only words to speak.

"Damad ji, waise to tussi humesha act karde rehnde ho jaise tussi sab jaante ho, par is baar tuhadde naak de neeche inna kuch horiya si, aur tuhannu khabar hi nahi hai?"

Nani taunted him left and right, while he still wondered that what it was that he did not know.

"Wo sirf dost to nahi hai."

Ramesh and Vasu spoke at once and shook their heads, agreeing with each other. Both had witnessed something or the other about Nisha and Kabir.

"Matlab, I am not sure."

Ramesh quickly added in, as the rest of them looked at him, curiously.

"See, damadji? Main ik matchmaker ha. Sadda kaam hai jodiyaan banana; meri umar zaroor ho chuki hai, par mera dimag ek dum perfect si. Mennu sab dikhta hai. Wo khottey da puttar, Ramesh di kudi nu pasand karda hai."

Nani's words were an eye-opener for Arjun and Ramesh.

"Vasu, why didn't you tell me if you knew?"

Arjun asked Vasu, who chuckled nervously.

"I could see it, but I wasn't sure, either."

Vasu replied. Abir only wished if he could speak in between. Whatever was going on in the room, was going above his head. For him, it was utter nonsense; why would his brother marry Nisha? 'Nisha?', out of every other woman in the world. His brother loved Nisha? he had never felt so. His brother had a classy taste; it would not even be the last thing that he would do - he thought, totally unaware of the fact how his brother was totally head-over-heels for his best-friend.

"Find out karlete hai. Kaunsi badi problem hai?"

Nani spoke, answering the doubts of the rest of them.

"But who will ask them?"

Arjun asked.

"Cheekoo kahan hai? She went to drink water."

Ramesh asked, as he looked around for her daughter.

"Kabir bhaiyya ke kamre mein. Abhi wo unko upar leke gaye hain. 'Utha ke'."

Sonu, who came to serve the snacks, spoke, pressurising on the words that he spoke at end. The four elders looked at each other in curiosity. A lot more than they had thought was happening in the house, under their noses. Nani kept her cup back on the table and got up, silently making her way upstairs, while the rest of them followed. Abir couldn't believe what was going on in front of him; it was straight up unbelievable. Even if they were let believe what they wanted to, spying was the least expected out of them, and that too, on their own family.

Nisha shut the screen, getting bored for the umpteenth time, while he was still intrigued. She stirred on the bed to face him. It was not that she didn't like the movie; but when with him, her mind wants romance. He was not her first love; but her first boyfriend. Her first love was dance. She wanted it to be slow, but she loved him, she wanted him, and she did have desires for him. The thing about Viraj, the thing even she wasn't sure of, she didn't know if she should let it come between them. If she needed Viraj, she needed Kabir too. If Viraj meant a significant part in her passion, Kabir was a part of her life she never wanted to be away from. Even though she knew that Kabir understood her better than anyone else; he made her happy; he made her believe in love, but sometimes he was difficult too. She had never wanted to lie to Kabir, but she couldn't help but cheat a little, when it was about her dreams; although she knew he only cared. Her life was important for her too.

He groaned as she shut the screen; this was for the sixth time in the last half an hour. He frowned looking at her, but sighed, pushing his laptop away seeing her bored, puppy face. She smiled, grabbing his collar, and pulling him closer, peering at him mischievously, pouting and squeezing her nose a bit.

"You look like Voldemort when you make such faces."

He commented and she frowned, touching her nose. She slapped him on his chest and moved closer to him as he threw his arm around her waist and quickly apologised in a tone as husky as possible, as he pulled her even closer until there was no space left between them for even the air to pass. They liked being close to each other; it assured them of each other's presence. It was their happy space, within which they fought, loved, and existed as each other's confidants and best friends; no third person was allowed into the space. The summer was here after a long winter and the air conditioner running in the room made it super cold, leaving them warm and cosy, close to each other, as they cuddled on the bed.

"Sorry about yesterday. I behaved childish. I shouldn't have done that."

Kabir spoke, as Nisha listened. He still avoided the topic of Viraj; it somehow instilled a sense of fear and insecurity in him. On the other hand, Nisha had other fears; Kabir talking and thinking this way was forcing her to choose which she didn't want to do. She needed him, and she needed Viraj too; they were different aspects of her life. Her fear was having to choose between two important parts of her life; she couldn't afford leaving any one thing for the other. Earlier, it was different; she feared committing to something; she feared letting her dreams tarnish because of something else. It wasn't easy for her, but, with Kabir she knew she could do it, as she explored with him. He helped her understand that she could do it too when it was with a person as him.

She smiled and snuggled into him, inhaling his soothing scent; he always made sure that he smelt good. It was something he did compulsively; he couldn't avoid this part of his routine. He would always feel a sense of euphoria when he could hold her so close to himself and cocoon in her warmth. She was his comfort; he felt himself unwind, when with her.

She squirmed and moaned a little as she felt his cold fingers touch the warmth of her skin beneath her loose tee-shirt. His touch was sensitive as he glided the tips of his fingers back and forth on her smooth skin. His touch was solace to her; it felt like the warmth of the sun on a freezing day.

He pecked on the top of her head as she cutely struggled to be even closer to him; the struggle seemed endless as she writhed in his arms like a baby animal, trying to find a comfortable position. Kabir chuckled as it tickled him when she recklessly ran her fingers up his abdomen underneath his shirt; he felt his muscles tighten at her touch. She was carelessly teasing his senses while he only tried not to melt to her touches; he couldn't afford losing his senses.

He moved face to face to her resting his head parallelly on the pillow and pulled the quilt up covering themselves till the necks. He smiled as he slowly drifted his hand onto hers which lay on the pillow between them and intertwined hers fingers with his. She kissed on the back of his palm as she closed her hand while keeping her fingers intertwined with his.

The moment was soaked in fragile emotions; they were the most vulnerable forms of themselves, as they lay close, lost in each other's eyes, lost in the naked emotion called love.

The elders were agitated seeing them hold each other so close, as they peeped in, head-over-head, wide eyed, from the little gap available to them from the door opened ajar. While Vasu and Nani did a victory dance in their heads, the fathers were only a brink away from losing it. Abir who stood behind the crowd gathered at the door, was slowly losing his cool seeing the elders behave like nosey aunties. Although he couldn't see what was going on inside, he was sure that it wouldn't be what that was being discussed in the living room.

Nani high-fived with Vasundhara seeing the scene before them; it had always been their plan, while Ramesh and Arjun were no less than shocked. Abir was in utter disbelief; he frowned as he lifted himself on his toes and tried to know what so amusing was happening. but getting exhausted of repeatedly failing at it, he pushed the spectators at the door aside and opened the door with a thud, as he forced his way into the room. Kabir and Nisha were startled at the sudden movement and he pulled himself apart from her, stumbling onto the floor, while she fixed her clothes as she sat up on the bed.

Kabir and Nisha were baffled. They gaped at the confused faces of their parents not knowing what to do; for sure, they were dead, today. They always knew getting proximate in the house was a risky business, they could get caught; but they never cared. But finally, the day came, unforeseen by either of them. Abir who walked in onto them was still blindly sure that what was visible to their eyes was false; he believed that what they saw was something else.

"Erm, mom, dad, Nani, what's wrong?"

Kabir asked behaving utterly innocent.

"Kuch nahi beta; we just came to see if everything's alright. Sab theek hai na?"

Arjun managed, though he was nervous.

"Sab theek hai, dad."

Kabir nodded and spoke in confusion, not knowing the reference.

"Cheekoo, let's go. We need to go the doctor too."

Ramesh called his daughter, and she quickly got off the bed, scared, not knowing how her father would react at what she saw. She almost tripped while she climbed off the bed but was caught hold of at the nick of the moment. Everyone looked on as he scolded her while giving her, her walking stick, and helped her walk till the door, until Ramesh held her. Kabir peered at his parents in confusion as if nothing happened, when they wouldn't leave, even when Nisha left with Ramesh.

"Kya chal raha tha?"

Arjun asked, frowning a bit.

"Kya chal raha tha?"

Kabir asked, innocently.

"What were you two doing, Kabir?"

His father asked.

"We were just watching a movie. Kyun? Kuch hua, Dad?"

Kabir suggestively asked, trying to bring it out of his father.

"Nahi. Kuch bhi to nahi. Kya hoga?"

Arjun couldn't speak further. Kabir nodded as his father spoke. Arjun shook his head as he turned to leave with Vasu and Nani, who tried hard to hold in their laughter which could burst out any moment. Kabir pursed his lips stifling his smile as he slowly closed the door seeing his parents leave. He blushed as he turned around, closing the door, but it faded, as soon as he saw his brother standing before him. Kabir controlled his smile and sat on the bed, as his brother looked at him.

"What was happening?"

Kabir asked his brother who seemed to know everything.

"They were planning your wedding with Cheekoo."

Abir spoke and snorted, shaking his head in disbelief as Kabir chuckled.

"Zaroor nani ka idea hoga na?"

Kabir asked as Abir chortled and nodded.

"Do you like her?"

Kabir asked, casually, as Abir was dumbfounded for a moment.

"Bhai... me? I mean..."

The words even barely escaped Abir's mouth. He fumbled.

"With me, Abu? Like your Bhabhi?"

It was no less than a shock for Abir seeing his brother blush even saying it.

"Bhabhi, bhai?"

The thought seemed as weird to Abir as the expression on his face was. The conversation he was having with his brother, it was indigestible, and somewhat pukeworthy. It was a weird, weird combination, and not at all a good decision. What his brother spoke was too hard for him to register in his head; it was too difficult a task.

"Do you like her?"

Abir asked gently, not racking his own brain.

"Abu, I wanted to tell you this before, but didn't know how you'd react. Cheekoo and I, we recently started dating. And, I am quite serious for her. In fact, I love her."

Kabir told Abir, lowering his gaze, as he smiled, wondering about it.

"You love her?"

Abir asked, stunned, and Kabir nodded.

"And if everything goes well, I wish to marry her too, once we get settled in our careers."

Kabir spoke and smiled, as he gazed at his brother.

"Why do you want to marry her?"

Abir asked, out of sheer curiosity.

"Perhaps because I think she's the one for me."

Kabir spoke and Abir knew that his brother was gone, because the Kabir he knew, would do drugs that he hated the most, but fall in love. Abir narrowed his eyes and smiled sheepishly, as he looked at his totally in love, foolish brother.

"Wow."

Abir spoke out of disgust, disbelief, amusement, and helplessness, as they kicked their way out of him all at once. It was only puke that was left behind. He was in a thought-coma for a moment.

"I'll marry her someday."

Kabir repeated, assuring himself.

"Of course, if you do not strangle each other to death before that."

Abir muttered under his breath, scratching the back of his neck, which though unheard by Kabir, raised some suspicions in his head. He narrowed his eyes and looked at his brother sharply, at which Abir gave a foolish smile, yet again.

#

Childhood crushes are like those sweet orangey popsicles on a hot summer day; they form a beautiful part of your memories. Crushes are not love, but a refreshing feeling that makes you learn the requisites of love: you are high on feelings, you are emotional, even a glance of them with someone else makes you jealous; you want to have them though you know that was the last possible thing on the planet earth to happen. Crushes are the prelims stage of love - basically.

It hadn't been different for Nisha and Kabir either. They too had their series of infinite crushes.

He had been a bully to her since childhood. She was that little girl with those round glasses and two pigtails hanging on the sides of her head. From him stealing her chocolates, and her, crying, and him bullying her, but not