Page 136 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

He burst into laughter, so loud and lively.

Anger shot through me. I hadn’t expected it at all.“I’m not sparing you now!” I warned, taking a step forward to grab him.

But he turned on his heel and bolted, and I ran after him.

“Just wait and watch! I’ll teach you a lesson!” I yelled, chasing him through the corridors.

Holding up my skirt, barefoot, I ran, determined and furious, yet laughing somewhere deep inside.

“Hum aapke haath aane se rahe, Bhabhisa,”(You won’t catch me so easily, Bhabhisa!) He laughed loudly, his voice echoing through the garden.

My eyes briefly caught sight of the table set with plates piled high with Holi colours nearby, surrounded by vibrant decorations in the palace.

I grabbed a plate of colour and kept running after him.

I spotted Suman standing right in my path, and he looked back at me once, still laughing, when he crashed straight into her.

I burst into laughter, raising the plate high, ready to throw the colour at him. But he was too quick to turn Suman towards me and duck behind her.

I looked at her, frozen, completely coated in pink, coughing and blinking through the dust.

“Nandani!” she yelled, and I winced, gritting my teeth. While behind her, he laughed even louder, enjoying the chaos.

“Hahaha… Bhabhisa yadi aapne humein pakad liya to agle ek varsh tak hum aapki har baat maanenge,”(Hahaha, Bhabhisa, if you catch me today, I will obey all your orders for the next one year.) he said. Still, I was too focused on Suman, who was coughing even more intensely.

“Nandani! What did you do?” she complained, and I shot him afurious glare.

“Suman, catch him!” Before she could even react to what I said, he ran away from there.

I ran after him.“Agastya!” I called out as I saw him slipping through another corridor. But he abruptly paused, and my eyes caught him grabbing a pot filled with water. And before I could even raise a hand or shout—

A wave of water hit me in the face, splashing down my body, turning me into a dripping mess.

“Agastya!!” I yelled, absolutely stunned.“Chhodenge nahi hum aapko,” (I will not leave you.) I screamed in utter frustration and ran after him again.

“Pehle pakadiye to sahi,”(First catch me.) He said with a grin, then took off again, sprinting straight into the open garden where the grand Holi celebrations were happening.

Tables were lined with plates of vibrant colours, trays of sweets and festive drinks. Drums echoed through the air as musicians played and people danced joyfully.

Hundreds of people were celebrating—laughing, chasing, and smearing colour over one another. The sky was drenched in hues of pink, yellow, green, and blue, filled with joy and laughter.

I saw him slow down for just a moment, and taking the chance, I hurled the colour at him.

But he managed to shield his face, but the rest of his white kurta was utterly ruined. He burst into laughter. And before I could even blink, he tossed an entire plate of yellow right at me, covering me from head to toe.

“Again?!” I gritted, wiping my face, and charged after him once more. Suddenly, my sight fell on my father, behind whom Agastya hid smugly.

“Humein bachaaiye Raja ji,”(Please save me, Raja ji). He said, grinning behind my father, and I narrowed my eyes.

Holding a pot of water in my hands, I stepped forward.“Baapusa, please move aside. I swear, I’m not sparing him today.”

My father raised his brows and tried to speak,“Nandani, this is our gu—”

But before he could finish, I raised the pot, but—Agastya shifted at the ending moment, and my father stepped to the side, causing the water to splash straight onto my father.

“Agastya!” I screamed, and he laughed uncontrollably.

I looked at Baapusa, wiping the water off his face, a small smile tugged at his lips.“Nandani, playing like this early in the morning... at least have breakfast first,” he said, and Agastya laughed even louder.

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