Esha's POV
We bid goodbye to Bhai, Bhabhi, and Soham. As soon as I stepped back inside the house, my gaze fell on my wrist. Oh no! My favourite heart bracelet was gone. Panic rose inside me. I began scanning every corner of the house, hoping it had slipped somewhere nearby.
Papa noticed my restless movements and asked...
"Kya hua Eshu, kya dhund rahi hai?" he asked, following my gaze.
("What happened Eshu? What are you looking for?")
"Mera heart bracelet nahi mil raha hai Papa. Kya aap ne use kahi dekha hai use?" Papa got up from his seat and came forward to help me search.
("I can't find my bracelet Papa. Have you seen it?")
"Nahi, mein ne toh nahi dekha." He was still looking for the bracelet.
("No, I haven't seen it.")
I hurried towards Mumma and asked, "Mumma, kya aap ne mera heart bracelet dekha?"
("Mumma, have you seen my bracelet?")
"Nahi dekha, tu ne kahan rakh diya Eshu?"
("I didn't, where did you keep it Eshu?")
With a sad face, I replied, "Mein ne apne haath se nikala hi nahi tha, pata nahi kahan gir gaya"
("I didn't even take it from my hand, I don't know where it fell.")
Looking at me, Papa responded.
"Koi na, mein ek aur launga same pattern ka. Teri shakal dekh kar aisa dikh raha hai jaise tu abhi ro degi." He said with a warm smile. I loved my bracelet. Papa gifted me that bracelet on my 19th birthday with affection, and I feel so guilty for losing it.
("It's okay, I'll bring another one with the same pattern. Looking at your face, it seems like you are about to cry.")
I rushed towards my car in search of the bracelet. I thoroughly checked all the seats and doors, but the bracelet was nowhere to be found. It means that I have lost it in the temple. If someone had already picked it, then it is sure that I won't get my bracelet back😢
Author's POV
Her world is thrown into chaos by the loss, while he holds the key to her peace of mind, a silent puppet master in their little drama. The bracelet isn't just an object; it's a symbol of their unspoken connection, a tangible secret they share, even if only one of them is aware of it.
Esha's POV
By evening, I sat in my room with a book open in my hands. I had wanted to sketch, but nothing inspired me. Just halfway through the pages, Abhinav barged in.
"Di, kya kar rahi ho?" he asked, entering my room and sitting on the bed beside me.
("Di, what are you doing?")
I looked directly into his eyes and dramatically answered.
"Hoo, tere aankhon mein se khoon nikal raha hai."
("Oh My God, Blood is coming out of your eyes.")
"Hahaha, tu bolegi aur mein sach maan lunga." He laughed out.
("Hahaha, you will say, and I will take it as the truth.")
"Fir, tujhe kyu nahi dikh raha hai ki mein book padh rahi hu?" I responded in a mocking voice. Abhinav rolled his eyes.
("Then, why can't you see that I am reading a book? ")
Our never-ending banter was our usual routine. Whenever we get bored, we playfully tease each other or sometimes irritate each other. But beneath that, he loves me, supports me, and respects the decisions I make.
"Mujhe bore ho raha hai, tera phone degi kya?" He tried grabbing it, but I snatched it before he could. The poor phone was getting pulled by both sides. It was a tug of phone.
("I am getting bored, will you give me your phone?")
"Kya aisa khazana hai isme ki tu mujhe nahi dikha rahi hai?" He frowned with a suspicious look.
("What treasure is there in this that you are not showing me?")
"Khazana nahi hain, par tere upar bharosa bhi nahi hai. Last time, jab tu ne mera phone liya tha tab ek weird sa photo story par dal diya tha. Iske baad se tujhe phone dene ko bhi darr lag raha hai." She tried to defend herself.
("There is no treasure, but I don't trust you on this. Previously, when you had my phone, you posted a weird photo as the story. Since then, I am afraid to give you my phone.")
"Sidha sidha bol na ki tu mujhse darti hai. Hain na?" A smirk was clearly visible on his face.
("Just say straight up that you are afraid of me. Aren't you?")
"Darr, aur tujhse. Koi sawal hi paida nahi hota." I laughed, shaking my head. Like, seriously, I'm scared of my brother. No way!
("Fear, and of you. No questions arise.")
"Agar tu nahi darti toh apna phone de."
("If you are not scared, then give your phone.")
I leaned near his ear and whispered, "Yeh hoshiyari mere saamne matt dhika. Jaakar bolu mein Mumma ko ki unka favorite peacock ka statue tu ne toda?" His face fell.
("Don't show this cleverness to me. Should I go and tell Mumma that you broke her favorite peacock statue?")
Last month, Mumma's friend gifted her a small peacock statue, and she loved it. Painted with the brightest colours, it was beautiful. She decided to put it in the living room, near the couch. It was one of her favourite antiques. One day, Mumma and Papa went to a family gathering, which left me at home. A few minutes later, Abhi returned from his badminton class. He made a grave mistake. He didn't remove his racket bag from his shoulders. He was exhausted and sat on the couch. When he sat, the strip of the bag got tangled with the peacock statue. It fell from the table and shattered into a million pieces. Fortunately, I suppose I encountered the whole scene. After a lot of begging, Abhi finally convinced me not to tell this to Mumma. Soon, our parents returned. We were having dinner when Papa noticed that the statue was missing. This made Abhi choke on his food. A cat has done it, I lied. I also told that the cat had done this when we were watering the plants. I warned him that if he irritates me, then I will tell his beautiful secret.
"Tu bolegi aur woh maan lenge?" he tried to act confident.
("You will say and they will believe you?")
"Agar nahi mane toh bol dungi ki bhala ek band ghar mein, ek billi aake wahi statue ko kyu todegi. Aur mere paas video bhi hai." I didn't have any video; I lied to witness his fearful face. This is a good weapon whenever he teases me.
("If they will not agree, then I will tell you why a cat would come and break only that statue in a closed house. And I have the video too.")
"Um...Di...Tu itna takleef kyu le rahi hai? Mein bahar chala jata hun. Tu aaram se book padh. Aur kisi cheez ki jarurat kade toh mujhe yaad karna." He coaxed me and exited the room. I smiled at his actions and resumed reading my book.
("Um...di...why are you taking so much trouble. I will go out. You read the book comfortably. And if you need anything else, remember me.")
Aakash's POV
What she didn't know was that her bracelet had never been lost at home. It was with me... in my pocket.
I had picked it up at the temple earlier, just before Maa and I sat down among the devotees. She was sitting on the floor in the temple, lost in the bhajans and kirtans.
It is really amusing to watch how people raise their voice for the intimate connection with the divine. Each word is a heartfelt offering to the Almighty. It starts as a whisper and grows into a tidal wave of sound and emotion, washing away all the doubts and filling the people with pure joy as they move according to the words. Everyone is lost in a joyful current that lifts them. It peaks in a spiritual ecstasy and then returns to a state of calm.
Later, Maa insisted we attend the Dahi Handi festival in our neighbourhood. Team Balram—our own team—was geared up in matching blue T-shirts. Six teams competed, but our boys were strong and quick. They formed human pyramids, fighting off buckets of water thrown by the crowd. In the end, a little boy at the top smashed the Handi, and butter, fruits, and coins rained down. Our team won—again—the first prize for the fifth consecutive year.
After the celebrations, I came home and slipped into my room. A thought struck me—I reached into my pocket. And there it was.
Her bracelet.
I held it for a long moment, smiling without even realizing it. Something about this little heart charm filled me with a warmth I couldn't explain. Carefully, I placed it inside my cupboard.
Maa called me to play Scrabble, and as always, she defeated me with her unbeatable vocabulary. She was familiar with English words, which she learned from English movies. Another quiet evening passed into the rhythm of our routine, yet in the back of my mind, the bracelet still lingered like a secret waiting to unfold.
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Hey Folks!!
Will Esha tell her parents about her brother's action? Will Esha find her bracelet? The most interesting question is what happens when Esha finds out that the bracelet is with Aakash? For that, stay tuned!!
Hope you like this chapter. If yes, please like the chapter and comment on your favourite part.
Thanks for reading❤️ ...