A smile stretched on Rudra's face when a soft pair of hands embellished with turquoise coloured bangles, reached out to hold him from behind.

Gauri rested her head on his shoulder. The wind caressed her face. The soft, sweet smile never left her lips. This day will forever be etched in her memory, for this was the day of realisation; realisation of her first love.

They reached Gauri's house. Both got off of the bike. The tranquillity between them held an unreadable meaning.

They had just reached the front door when an unpleasant, feminine voice called out for Gauri. Gauri cursed under her breath and turned to greet PP, who held onto a big utensil.

Parmeshwari Pareek carefully approached them. Her eyes swung from Gauri to Rudra, craving for some juicy gossip subject.

"Gauri," she said sweetly.
"How are you my dear girl?"

"Fine," before you decided to appear, Gauri mentally whispered the last part.

"Who do we have here with you?" PP asked scrutinizing Rudra with a glint.
"Aunty, meet Rudra. Rudra, meet Parmeshwari Aunty."

"Hello ma'am. Nice to meet you. And, why do you call her aunty, Gauri? She can pass off to be your elder sister."

"I can?" PP asked, somewhat astonished.
"She can?" Gauri asked incredulously.

The two sets of questions fired didn't faze Rudra. He looked at both of them, blinking his eyes innocently.

On contemplating Gauri's tone, PP's eyes snapped towards Gauri, who in return, gave a nervous smile.

"She can." This time her tone of surety boasted PP's self esteem. She screeched in laughter.

"What a wonderful boy he is," PP stated, admiring Rudra. The latter smiled bashfully, averting his eyes to the ground.

Gauri's left eyebrow twitched a bit,
"Aunty you need something. Let me guess, milk? Sorry aunty, the last stock finished in the morning itself."

"Oh is it? My bad, don't worry. I will ask from another neighbour," PP said in a downcast manner.

Almost instantly, her whole being rejuvenated.
"By the way, Gauri, do you know what's happening in our society?"

"You are there for that. What's the need to enquire. Everything will come out of you whether or not, I'm willing to listen," Gauri thought keeping the smile intact on her face.

"Oh my lord Krishna, did you hear of that Pramila's daughter Sharmila? That shy and cultured daughter of hers eloped with the milkman's son, Rangila. What a disgrace," PP said dramatically.

Rudra gasped, "Really. That's very sorrowful. Hope her parents cope up well with this situation," he said soberly.

PP clicked her tongue. "What cope up? Huh! That Pramila deserved it. Always used to flaunt about her daughter now see, what happened. Good for her," she scoffed.

"Anyways nice meeting you both. Gauri, inform your Maa, I will come tomorrow okay?" PP told Gauri, pulling her cheek. She then, moved her hand towards Rudra.

Alarmed at her intention, he quickly held her hand and gave her a handshake. "Nice to meet you too, ma'am."

Gauri and Rudra looked at PP's departing form.
"So, she can easily pass off to be my elder sister right?" Gauri asked raising an eyebrow.

"What's this Gauri. You take me seriously quite a time," Rudra replied feigning to be hurt.
"Speaking of which, didn't you notice her expression? The way she was staring at us, I'm sure we would have been her hot and trending gossip subject by tomorrow. Someone had to distract her," he said.

Both stared at each other and chuckled.
"I guess this is where our date comes to an end," Rudra said mischievously.

"Date?" Gauri inquisited with a mirthful shine. Rudra chuckled in response. They bid their byes for the day.

Rudra looked at Gauri's closed door, his eyes passionately expressing the evident. Smiling within, he proceeded on his way.

.
.
.

"Kill him..."
"He must die..."
"I promise he won't live long..."
"Revenge is sweet, isn't it?"

Veer's eyes flew open. Sweat beads lined up his forehead. The room was drenched in darkness. The single shaft of moonlight did nothing in dispersing the darkness.

Veer's trembling hand reached out to wipe the sweat off the face. He got down his bed and searched for the glass of water. He successfully grasped it, only to drop it on the floor when he felt another presence in the room.

Turning around, he found Rudra standing with his fingers looming over the switch. Bright lights from chandeliers illuminated every corner of the enormous room. Veer gritted his teeth, wincing at the intensity of light.

Rudra smiled sardonically, "Engulfed in darkness, brother. I, sometime, pity you Veer," he said.

Veer fisted his hand and glared at the floor.

"You, still, are stuck where I left you last time," Rudra stated.
"No achievements, nothing. You do realise right, that with your behaviour, the so called Social Darwinists wouldn't let you survive. Vijayendra Pratap Rathore, isn't quite fond of you these days," Rudra paused and looked at Veer.

"We very well know, our father believes in survival of the fittest. If you don't turn out to be useful to him, he will discard you like a pest despite being his son," Rudra said without an ounce of sympathy.

Veer's knuckles turned white with pressure. He looked at Rudra directly in the eyes and let out a deep breath.

"Think about it, Veer. Carefully think about it." Rudra dusted the imaginary dust off Veer's shirt and walked out.

Veer fumed in anger. He let out a frustrated scream and kicked the table, mercilessly shattering the glass show-piece on the floor.

.
.
.

Rudra grinned on hearing the glass shattering sound. He closed the door behind.
"He needs it, few moments of lonliness and I will reward him the same. Afterall, I am a caring brother, ain't I?" Rudra said to himself.

He traced his fingers on the designs of the mahogany door which led to Veer's bedroom.

"Hearing his wily flattering words, came slowly flitting by.
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew..." Rudra smilingly walked a few steps backward.

"...Thinking only her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue; Thinking only her crested head- poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
Within his little parlor; but she never came out again!" Concluding the poem, Rudra giggled.

The light shied away from the empty corridor, enveloping it in stark darkness.

"Good luck, Veer. You need it, dear brother," Rudra whispered with a glint in his eyes.

*****

[Excerpt- 'The Spider and the Fly' by Mary Howitt.]