Brothers' joking.
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After a proper rest on the first day, we began the next morning's trek with fresh energy—or at least I did. Yash, meanwhile, dragged his feet like each step was a personal attack from the mountain gods.
The rain slowed us again. What should've been a simple journey stretched into the entire day.
And so here we are, finally reached our resting point.
I took a few minutes to breathe and sip some warm water. Then I turned to check on Yash and found him sprawled on the ground, sleeping on bare earth as if it were a luxury mattress.
"Wake up, chote, or I'm leaving you here alone."
He didn't move.
"How can you get tired after just three kilometers? We still have more than three left."
He needed fitness. He needed discipline. He needed divine intervention.
"Aah… just let me sleep. I don't want to climb anything anymore."
"If you don't wake up by the time I count to three, we're restarting the trek from the beginning. No breaks until the top. Full climb. Your choice—finish the last three kilometers or redo the entire trail."
The threat struck him like lightning. He shot up straight and scanned the area, searching around like a man hunting a criminal.
"Which bastard is sleeping, huh? Where is he?"
His acting deserved an award. Before I could remind him he was the bastard in question, he was already packing his things.
"Big bro, you know how much I love mountain climbing with you. And I know how excited you are about Gangotri. There's no need to start again for me, okay? Let's keep going. No turning back. Please."
The fear of starting over practically vibrated off him. I couldn't help myself.
"Haha, you understand me so well, chote. But you don't have to be so considerate. I do yoga every day. If you really want—"
Before I finished, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and marched ahead.
"What are you mumbling about, big bro? Hurry up. The weather might change."
He wasn't wrong. Today was August 3rd, and the rain refused to leave us alone. We'd been forced to stop multiple times; mountain rain meant landslide risk, and that wasn't something even an idiot could ignore.
The weather these days rarely follows rules, and it is much better in comparison to the early years after the war - It could snow at noon, heat up to sixty degrees in the afternoon, and rain by nightfall. Unpredictable didn't begin to describe it. Summers roasted entire regions at seventy degrees. The rainy season could last twenty-four hours nonstop. Winters could freeze your soul.
Nowadays, though it is not that much chaotic, but it is still unpredictable.
Rain was also the reason Yash never wanted to come here. He hated it. But with my semester exams starting next month, this was my only window. Which meant he had no choice—but me.
Walking beside him, I could tell he was still tired. His breathing was shallow, his face flushed.
"You really should start yoga. It'll help you become fit. What do you even do all day, other than staying glued to your Omnione bracelet?"
He snorted. "Tch-tch. Not my fault that you old-gen people can't understand new-gen tech."
I flicked his forehead lightly. "Who's old gen, you idiot? And did you forget? I'm the one who gifted you that bracelet on your eighteenth birthday."
He clutched his forehead dramatically. "Stop hitting me! What if it leaves a mark? Who'll give me a girlfriend then?"
I rolled my eyes. "Before thinking about girlfriends, worry about your stamina. How will you satisfy anyone when you get tired climbing stairs?"
How could he think about romance when I didn't even have a girlfriend yet?
He smirked. "Bro, you might be a fitness expert, but since when are you an expert in that? Aren't you a virgin?"
His manners evaporated the moment he got tired.
"You're crossing limits. And who says I'm a virgin?"
I lifted my hand to hit him again. He dodged, fast.
"Saved."
"For now," I muttered.
"You seriously want to ruin my face? Why don't you check your own life first? Or should I tell Shweta didi about your feelings?"
I froze.
"…What feelings? About who?"
How could he know that name? I hadn't even told Amit—and Amit was practically my twin in spirit.
Yash wore the exact smirk little siblings reserve for exposing their older siblings' secrets. I knew instantly: he knew.
"How?"
"How what?"
"You know what I'm asking."
"I don't know what you're asking."
It took everything in me not to strangle him.
"Let me make it clear. Mr. Yash Vedman, how do you know about Shweta?"
"Oh, her? You didn't know? Her society is right next to ours. She goes to the same park as you for morning walks."
"That's a coincidence."
"You two also go to the same yoga center."
"As I said—a coincidence."
"She studies at B.H.U. too."
"..."
He opened his mouth again. "Come on, you don't have to—"
"That's my private—"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
The world split open.
A thunderous roar vibrated through the mountains, so loud it felt like the sky itself cracked. The ground trembled under our feet.
And in that one heartbeat, everything changed.
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AN: I know my English is not perfect, but I am trying to do my best to make it readable. I am open to any advice readers have.
And meaning of the title is, 'two brothers joking among themselves'.