"Come, slowpoke, you're going too slow", Ishaan shouted at Aaron as he glided past the stalls and stores on the street.
"Ya, Ya coming. Just worried about mama and baba," Aaron said, concerned, as he looked back at the resort still visible.
After dropping off their parents at the resort, Ishaan instantaneously pulled Aaron into the side trip.
"Oh, come on, bro; they will be ok. Really, let's enjoy; they would have wanted that", Ishaan said as he excitedly waltzed across the crowded street under the clear blue sky, where the smell of mutton skewers filled the air around it with the bustling of the crowd.
"Ya, coming", Aaron followed, visibly distraught.
"You know you are supposed to be the elder brother… aghhhhh… Fine, while returning we can buy some souvenirs and medicines, ok," Ishaan said, impatient.
"What do you mean… I am your elder brother," Aaron said, now a bit relieved, although he didn't want to admit it. He started to move at a faster pace to match his brother as his bag bounced around his back.
As they walked down the narrow streets, which were lined with vendors and shopkeepers trying to sell all kinds of wares like jewellery, food, and handicrafts, while observing the crowd, Aaron's eyes darted off to the ones who sold a great deal of paintings.
"Bro, can we please move on? You have been stuck at this stall for about an hour." Ishaan whined as he stood next to Aaron, who was busy looking at the graphite sketches at a store.
"Ya, we will just 5 mins more", Aaron said, not losing his focus as he kept scanning each drawing for the most minute details he could see.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHH...….." Ishaan cried out as he got frustrated, but then his eyes darted off at something, and before you know it, he vanished.
Aaron doesn't initially notice his disappearance, but after a few minutes of silence, he knows something is up and looks up to see Ishaan vanished.
"That little bastard" Aaron left the drawing and headed off into the huge crowd of the marketplace.
After a few minutes of 'intense' searching, he found Ishaan at a mutton skewer stall as he expected.
"One more ma'am…and for the payment my brother will p….OUCH…" Aaron rushed in and hit Ishaan's head
"Speak of the devil". Ishaan remarked after the smack with his signature grin.
"And you still doubt who's the elder?" Aaron looked at him with both a sense of relief and exasperation.
As the boys move, one walking, carrying mutton skewers in their hand with two in a plastic bag, they explore the city.
While Ishaan moves from one stall to another, just gazing at stuff and scenery, Aaron stands at every stop; his eyes look as if they were those of someone who just learnt what beauty in contrast meant.
As they walked past various landmarks, churches and viewpoints, they started to realise how different the world could be outside the chaos of Delhi.
"Bro, I am still mind-blown. Like, did you see the holographic screen on the crossing, not to mention the helper bots guiding the tourists?" Ishaan spoke with great zeal in his voice as he walked down a considerably quieter alleyway.
"You're telling me I was more curious about how the street lamps were made to look like gas lamps, but they are solar-powered bulbs inside and not to mention the cleanliness- not just in the air but the entire place. Like, honestly, living in Delhi and seeing this much cleanliness makes me now kind of icky" Aaron was also greatly satisfied with the adventure, his hand a bit black with the pencil sketches he made of each scene.
For the first time in a long time, both of them felt genuinely light. Well, Aaron felt light. Ishaan had never felt heavy a day in his life.
"You know, it's been quite some time since I felt so at ease," said Aaron, his guard still up — but just low enough for a satisfied expression to settle on his face.
"I know, right. With everything that was going on, I just feel alive. I wish we could stay here a long time," said Ishaan with a stupid grin.
"Just hoping for some action — this is already like an anime, why not go all the way…"
"Ya, ya sure, just like you said in the plane", Aaron said, a sarcastic grin on his face.
"Oh, come on, let a man dream", Ishaan replied with his own humour.
As both walked down the path, a voice came through the alleyways.
"SOMEONE HELP!!!!!!!!!"
"Were my ears ringing, or did I just hear a scream?" exclaimed Ishaan.
"Stay away from us," came another voice — different, composed, but afraid.
Aaron's expression didn't change. He just gave the most classic side-eye. "It seems Goddess Lakshmi decided to reside on your tongue at exactly the right moment."
The brothers exchanged a glance. A silent understanding passed between them, and without a moment's hesitation, they dashed toward the sound.
When they arrived at the scene, they spotted two girls — the older one standing protectively in front of the younger. The younger girl's hands were visibly trembling, though she was making a brave effort to keep her composure. The elder was favouring one leg, clearly in pain, yet she stood tall and resolute.
They were surrounded by six thugs — four blocking from the front, two cutting off the back.
"Nowhere to go, ladies. Makes things simpler for everyone," one of them said, his voice flat and unhurried, like this was something he'd done before.
"Well, bro — we can leave, but if I know you, you'll kill me for it. So what do you say? Show them how we Indians fight?" said Ishaan with a smug look.
"Honestly, I just wanted a peaceful vacation," said Aaron, cracking his knuckles. "But I guess what has to be done has to be done."
"Let's show them how the Banerjees fight."