Chapter 1 Holi hay
Endless love
Vrindavan was alive with colors even before Holi had begun.
In the courtyard of a dance school, a group of young girls practiced tirelessly under the sharp eyes of their teacher. The rhythmic sound of their footsteps echoed against the walls as they spun and moved in unison. The teacher clapped loudly, occasionally scolding them, sometimes tapping lightly with a stick to correct their posture.
“Focus! Tomorrow is Holi—your performance must be perfect!”
The girls tried to hold back their excitement, but it shimmered in their eyes. Holi was not just a festival here—it was a feeling.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
From a distance, a girl came running toward them. No one noticed her at first. She moved swiftly, her laughter almost carried away by the wind. Before anyone could react, she bent down, scooped up a handful of bright गुलाल, and flung it into the air—straight onto the dancing girls.
A burst of color exploded among them.
The girls gasped. Some screamed softly, others instinctively covered their faces or hid behind the pillars nearby. The sudden chaos broke the rhythm of the dance completely. Even the teacher froze for a moment, startled by the unexpected attack of colors.
And then they heard her voice—
“Don’t mind… it’s Holi! It’s Holi!”
The teacher frowned, still trying to process what had just happened.
“Hey, girl! Holi is tomorrow, isn’t it? Have you already started playing today? What kind of mischief is this?”
But the girl only laughed louder.
“Why not? Of course it has started! Don’t mind, it’s Holi!”
Repeating her words like a playful chant, she turned and ran away before anyone could catch her.
The girls exchanged knowing glances. They didn’t need to see her face to recognize her.
“It’s her again…” one of them muttered while fixing her dupatta.
“When will she ever change?” another sighed, though a smile tugged at her lips.
A woman standing nearby shook her head with a half-laugh.
“How will she ever improve? She’s like the wind—never still. Always running here and there, talking endlessly, doing whatever she pleases.”
Before the teacher could respond, they saw her again in the distance.
She was running—faster than before.
This time, she wasn’t alone.
A group of boys chased after her, their laughter echoing through the streets.
“Hey! Stop! Just stop!” they shouted.
“If you won’t put color on us, we’ll color you instead! Come here!”
The girl glanced back, still running, her braid swinging behind her.
“Yes, yes—try putting color on me in your dreams!” she teased, her voice full of mischief.
Her feet didn’t slow down. Not for a second.
She ran like freedom itself—untouched, unbothered, unstoppable.
As she moved, she grabbed more gulal along the way, tossing it into the air, letting the colors trail behind her like a celebration of her own spirit.
“Don’t mind—it’s Holi!” she kept calling out, laughing without restraint.
And then—
Suddenly—
Someone appeared right in front of her.
Before she could react, her friend stepped forward, blocked her path, and threw a full handful of gulal straight onto her face.
For the first time, the girl stopped.
Time seemed to pause with her.
Her face, once clear and glowing, was now covered in colors—reds, pinks, and traces of yellow blending into each other.
She stood there, breathless… surprised… and finally still.
She lifted the edge of her dupatta and gently wiped her face, trying to clear away the colors.
Her eyes searched around, wondering who had dared to stop her like that—who had thrown color on her.
Slowly, everyone’s attention turned toward her.
It was unusual.
Like a gust of wind, she was always moving—never still, never caught.
But today… for the first time… she had stopped.
And that alone was enough to make everyone stare.
As the colors faded slightly from her face, her beauty seemed to emerge even more vividly.
People couldn’t take their eyes off her.
The kajal in her eyes made them deep and mesmerizing.
A small bindi rested perfectly on her forehead.
A faint blush colored her cheeks, making her look even more radiant.
Her braid had loosened while she was running, and now her long hair fell freely, reaching her waist.
As the sunlight touched her face, it felt as if she was glowing.
For a moment, it didn’t feel real.
It was as if, from the swirl of colors, a divine figure had appeared—
a vision so beautiful that anyone could be captivated.
Her friends looked at her, amused.
“What happened?” one of them teased.
“Now say it… ‘Don’t mind, it’s Holi!’”
The girl raised her chin slightly and replied,
“What happened? Yes, fine—don’t mind, it’s Holi.
Did I ever say don’t put color on me? Go ahead, it’s okay.”
With that, she was about to run again—
“Hey! Wait, wait, wait!” her friends quickly stopped her.
“Don’t run again! It’s impossible to catch you. You’ve already exhausted everyone!”
She smirked playfully.
“Oh please… at least learn to run a little. Otherwise, you’ll just become lazy… or start looking dull.”
One of her friends shot back immediately,
“Well, not everyone can look beautiful like people on TV, right? What can we do?”
Their laughter filled the air.
But in the middle of all this, one of the boys who had been chasing her stood still.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Completely captivated by her beauty, he finally spoke—
“Beautiful? You are beautiful… truly beautiful.
Even among all these colors, you shine brighter than all of them.”
He stepped a little closer, gathering courage.
“Will you… go out with me?
It’s Holi… we could spend some time घूमना together today.”
The moment she heard this, her expression changed.
A hint of anger flashed across her face.
Her nose turned slightly red with irritation.
She was angry… but not entirely.
There was something else too—
a playful spark in her eyes, as if she wanted to tease him back.
She looked at him with a mix of attitude and mischief,
ready to say something that would leave everyone speechless.
She took a step forward and said—
“Listen, you—”
But before she could finish—
From behind, someone came running, shouting breathlessly—
“chitra chitra! Listen… listen… listen!”
