Bani's PoV
"Everyone, come quickly....we're about to start Puja." Radha aunty calls us.

It's the Sankranti morning and we're holding the puja in our hall room. All the Singhanias including Ahana and Mishty bhabi's paternal members are here for the puja. Even some of our neighbours are having puja with us this time.

I come down with Bella and see almost everyone has sat for the puja. Pandit Ji places the Baayna perch in front of the idol of Surya God. The seats are already made earlier. Bella and I go there and sit at the back row. The house is beautifully decorated with Rangolis making flower pattern at the entrance and a garland of flowers and mango leaves is hanged in the doorways. Meanwhile Mahir comes and sits beside Bella smiling at us. I don't say anything. What's the point anyway when my own sister is still wearing the ring he gave her that night. All this time there is no sign of Ms Chuhi Bose and her Veeer.

After that football incident we, both twins and the males of my family have been practically grounded for the last two days, can you believe that!!! Even Daksh was grounded for not telling about this midnight fiasco earlier. Serves him better if you ask me. But worst thing that happened was that Hot Piece left the house with Singhanias within my absence. After we came back that evening, I checked where that girl is and found that she had already left with Veeer. I wish I were there.

Maybe I could just push her off the stairs while getting down and this time she would practically break her neck🙄

Hay....where do I have such luck😒

"We're here!!!" it doesn't require me to turn back to recognise that irritating squeal. Still I turn my face lazily to see Ms Billboard standing at the front door, hanging to Mr Hanger's arm as usual. Seeing them like this makes me feel like I've just tasted a raw fish. I quickly turn my head back.

"Bada meherbani kya...ab kripa karke baith jaiye." says the Pandit visibly annoyed at their lateness.

Ms Monkey and her Tree overtakes us and sit on our front row. In front row f me! Why??? I mean just WHY? Now I have to endure their jangle book romance???? As if my still not having breakfast is not enough for an early morning tragedy!!!

"Urgh!! Bani!!!" Bella grits her teeth beside me. As if I don't have enough clashing in my life that now I have to hear her teeth clashing too!!!

I resentfully look at her and she raises her forearm at me. And there it is...all my fingers beautifully digging into her soft waxed skin.

I look at her like a caught cat and slowly say, "sorry.🙂"

"Hehe...I endure them every day...today It's your turn." Mahir whispers in Bella's ear and shows his forearm which has countless bites of my nails. Meanwhile Veer and Juhi turns back.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ms Juhi asks in her high pitch opera.

"Lovebites!" I reply without hesitation mimicking her tone but obviously in lower voice.

By now everyone else has looked at our direction irritatedly while Mahir and Bella laughs behind their palms and Veer scowls at me.
What's up with him anyway???

Ms Short-Head-With-Long-Legs all goes like, "Oho...Naughty!!! Naughty!"

"Silence!!!" Pandit ji barks from the front. I can see his bald head is quite red.

Maybe it's his first time hearing 'Naughty Noughy' at puja🤭

The puja went by pretty painfully. All the time this Juhi plys with Veers fingers and I can see he is quite ENJOYING that.

Bella slaps my hand away as I again clawed on hers. Then she silently taps Juhi's back and whispers, "Pray!!! It's said that this puja is very auspicious for unmarried girls to get the man of their dream."

Silly!!! There is no such thing in Makar Sankranti!!!

But this seems to work on her as I see, she folds her hands starts praying making Veer dumbfounded beside her.
Well, I know very well whom she is praying for.😏

After the prayer is done, Pandit ji gives tilak to the front row then passes the plate behind. One woman from that row gets up and starts giving tilak to the others. One by one every row in the front gets done, then someone from the front row passes the Roli's plate to Veer. Veer gets up to give tilak to his row while Ms Juhi too gets up jumping, "I'll give the tilak to you!!! I'll give the Tilak to you!!!!"

God!!! This girl is so irritating!!!😖

Just then she accidentally pushes Veer's hand and the vermilion's plate shuffles making all the vermilion fall over me.

I sit there like a red statue with red Roli all over my body from top to bottom. Seriously man!!! As if seeing the lovebirds for all the morning was not enough, now I have to eat colors too!!!

I glare hard at Juhi and Veer, "Thanks a lot, for making my morning.😠"

Then Veer bends down keeping the plate aside, "Opps!! Sorry!! Sorry!!  I didn’t mean to...wait, I will clear this..." saying this he hauls over me, sweeps his hand over my head in order to brush off the powder but it only gets smeared all over my parted hair line. And I hear a gasp from the crowd.

See...even they can feel my pain right now!!!

Veer tries once more to brush the vermilion off but the soft powder gets more deeper into my hair. I pull off his hand and see its exactly as red as the colour on my dress, "No need! You already ruined my dress not to mention my hair too, now please don't ruin your hand." I snap at him.

"I said I'm sorry....It’s just an accident. Why are you barking so much???" he asks bemused.

"Yeah!!! It’s JUST an accident for you, not for me. You can just wash off your hands, but this colour won't get off me untill I take a shower. And I hope you're aware that it’s Sankranti, so I can't take shower untill it's sunset." saying this I glare at him. It’s the first time we are talking to each other after 8 long days and this is how we end up having conversation.

"Nothing is accident, dear. It’s destiny all written by the Almighty Vidhata and surely your Karma." says the Pandit smiling slightly.

Seriously!! Here I am...coated with colour...still not had my breakfast....and the pandit is lecturing me on DESTINY!!!

Well I guess I should not blame him since this is maybe his duty to say such heavy words everywhere he gets a chance....

Bella helps me to get up from my place. I stand there and turn to my mother, "Can I please go and clean myself before Prashad, Mummy?" I ask her.

"Hmm....go...Meera will help you." Mummy says in a cold tone.

"No need, mummy....I can clean it myself." I say while moving upstairs.

"No. I said Meera will help you. Meera go." Mummy says in colder voice.

After that day mummy has been pretty strict on us. Even all the members of my family has gone so silent. Well, I should be thankful that even after I have yelled at Veer, she's not yelling back at me. Without farther words I walk upstairs with Meera bhabi.

Update
Don’t kill me😬