𝗧𝘂𝗺 𝗛𝗶 𝗧𝘂𝗺 – [𝐀𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞] - 𝐂𝐇 - 𝟐𝟓 ༊˚

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हम्म बातें ज़रूरी हैंतेरा मिलना भी ज़रूरीमैंने मिटा देनीये जो तेरी मेरी दूरीझूठी हैं वो राहें सारी दुनिया कीइश्क जहाँ ना चलेतेरा होना मेरा होना क्या होनाअगर ना दोनों मिलें

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As the Ganga Aarti began, the riverfront at Triveni Ghat seemed to breathe.

Brass lamps flared to life not like lights being lit, but like souls awakening. The priests moved in practiced unison, arms raised with aartis circling high into the twilight air, as mantras echoed and damrus pulsed with ancient rhythm. The conch shells cried, sharp and powerful, like the skies themselves had been summoned.

The river shimmered, flames reflecting like thousands of stars had fallen into her arms and in that moment, the Ganga didn’t just flow…She glowed.

Everyone stood, palms folded, lips still. A reverent silence bound them not forced, but felt. A silence that came when something larger than yourself stood in front of you.

Ansh stood there too, hands together, head bowed but not in front of the aarti.

Beside it.Beside her.Aditi.

Clad in red and gold, she stood just inches away, her eyes soft with emotion, watching the water burn gold under flickering flames. Her expression wasn’t loud. It was… surrendered. Serene. As if she belonged to this moment. Or maybe the moment belonged to her.

But then…

“Yaar, yeh kab khatam hoga?”Vivaan’s voice whispered, but loud enough to bruise the silence pulled them briefly out of the trance.

Aditi sighed. Not annoyed. Just… patient. She leaned a little toward Vivaan, her voice low but clear, the kind of softness that held strength.

“Vivaan…” she whispered, still facing the water,
“it’s not just an Aarti.Ganga Aarti is like… a heartbeat.Rishikesh breathes through this every evening.These flames… they’re not just light. They’re pieces of someone’s soul being offered without asking for anything back.

This isn’t just about prayer.It’s about surrender.It’s about… love. And you don’t rush love, do you?”

Vivaan blinked stunned into silence. Not because of guilt. But because something inside him recognized it.

But Ansh?Ansh didn’t blink at all.

Her words “You don’t rush love, do you?”they weren’t for him. But God, they might as well have been carved into his chest.

He turned. Slowly.

And what he saw…Wasn’t just a girl.It was grace in human form.

Her cheeks glowed in the soft firelight, the wind tugging gently at her dupatta, her lashes lowered with quiet thought. She wasn’t trying to look divine.

She just was.

And that red and gold Anarkali?It looked like it was made for this flame. For this hour. For this prayer.

She was devotion.Wrapped in poetry.Speaking truth like it bloomed naturally from her.

And Ansh?

He didn’t just admire her knowledge.He admired her presence.Her silence.Her ability to turn a spiritual ritual into something personal something eternal.Something he’d carry long after this night faded.

Because in that moment while others prayed with their lips…

He prayed with his eyes.Not just for love.Not just for her.

But for more moments like this where her voice became his mantra, and her soul felt like home.

And under that dusky Rishikesh sky, between the flames and river breeze,Ansh didn’t feel something-something anymore.He felt certain.Peaceful.Devoted.Not just to the moment.But to her.

As the Ganga Aarti drew to a close, the tranquil symphony of ringing bells, murmured prayers, and the holy flicker of diyas began fading into the background replaced by the cheerful buzz of the group heading into the lively streets of Rishikesh.

The narrow lanes were wrapped in golden lights like a warm embrace. From every corner rose scents of jalebi, ghee-fried pakoras, and agarbatti. The river glimmered nearby, flowing gently under the moonlight, but right now joy was flowing faster within this small gang of chaos.

It was magical too magical. And that’s exactly when trouble brewed.

” Areeee…” Priya gasped softly, halting mid-step.

“bhaii kya mast cheez hai… dekh dekh dekh!” Shagun whispered sharply, tugging at Aditi’s arm.

A few steps ahead, Samaira had already stopped in her tracks her eyes fixed on a tiny side stall. It wasn’t just any stall. Oh no. It was a pastel-draped, fairy-light-wrapped wonderland with dreamcatchers, beaded jewelry, shimmering dupattas, embroidered juttis, and random girly stuffs.

And then, like magnets, the four girls turned and glided toward the stall as if called by destiny itself.

“Arey bina bataye kahan ja rahi ho chaaro?” Shweta shouted from behind, her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing in suspicion like a strict warden who’d seen this before.

“Bas aa rahe hain… aap jaiye, hum aa jaayenge!” Samaira replied coolly over her shoulder, flipping her hand like she was flicking away an invisible mosquito.

“Aise kaise chod dein tum chaaron ko? Woh bhi akele?” Kiran asked, raising a single eyebrow that could silence rooms.

Before the girls could formulate their usual sass-packed defence, Vivaan, of course, opened his mouth.

“Chaar log bhala akele kaise ho sakte hain?”His math? Nobel-worthy. His timing? Cursed.

“Tu chup kar.” Kriti snapped instantly, the glare sharp enough to melt steel.
Vivaan recoiled like a guilty prisnor

“Areyyy mammyyy!” Aditi jumped in, clasping her hands together like she was applying for bail. “Wahan dekho! Itni mast-mast cheezen hain… bas thoda dekh kar aa jayenge!”

“Haan aunty! bass nazare ghuma k aa jayenge jaldi se!” Shagun chimed in with a giggle, nudging Priya.

“Quick round, pinky promise. jaane do na mammy” Priya added, holding up her little finger solemnly towards Kiran.

“Aree jaane do yaar, kya tum log bhi…” Rajveer muttered under his breath, surrendering like a father who’d been defeated by sparkly earrings for the last 15 years.

But just as the girls were about to win, Amit cleared his throat with all the grandeur of a retired colonel. “nahi bhaisahab, Aaj kal ka zamana bahut kharab hai. Koi bhi safe nahi hai is jamane mein,” he began, slowly pacing like he was about to give a TED Talk on safety and sanskaar.

The moms nodded furiously in agreement, already mentally calculating what chappal size would hurt the most if anyone dared misbehave with their girls.

Then Amit pointed with great drama at the group of five unbothered boys a few steps away.”Ek kaam karo in ladkon ko le jao saath. Kam se kam ye chaaron kisi kaam to ayenge.”

“Uncle! Chaar nahi, paanch! Mujhe miss kar diya aapne!” Vivaan exclaimed, hand shooting up like an over-eager child in school.

“Chuhey ko thodi gina jaata hai ladkon mein,” Sanjay added without missing a beat, dropping his line like a nuclear bomb.

“Papaaa yarr aap bhi shuru hogye! atleast aap to mera sath do yaar” Vivaan declared, clutching his chest with full Bollywood flair.

“Chalo jao sab,” Amit finally said, waving them off. “Lekin haan time pe wapas aa jana bulane ki jaroorat na pade. Aur kuch khareedne ka mann ho to le lena paise m transfer kar dunga.”

“ok uncle!” Priya called back.”hum jaldi aa jaayenge!”

And off they went the four girls dragging their five boys, half by persuasion, half by pure force of energy.The girls were glowing, like they’d entered heaven.The boys looked like they’d been sentenced to community service.Except… two.Ansh and Prateek.

They weren’t even pretending to grumble.Their eyes were… elsewhere.
Following the sway of her red dupatta, the bounce in her laughter, the quiet way she tucked her hair behind her ear.

As the girls flocked to the vibrant street stall, the world around them seemed to glitter with possibility. Twinkling fairy lights wrapped around bamboo poles, casting a soft golden hue on every face. The air buzzed with laughter, bargaining voices, and the sweet scent of roasted peanuts. Fabric hangings in magentas, turquoises, and saffrons swayed in the evening breeze, while racks of accessories shone like treasure troves waiting to be claimed.

Samaira stood like a regal queen in front of the ring section, fingers poised mid-air as if judging the worth of each piece before granting it her royal nod. She flipped rings one by one with the precision of a seasoned jewelry critic.

Nearby, Priya, Shagun, and Aditi were lost in the world of earrings from mirror-worked chandbalis to pastel-colored jhumkas that danced with every move. The girls were in their element, debating gold vs. oxidized like it was a national issue.

Just as Priya reached for a lavender pair, Aditi’s gaze drifted… and then stopped.

Behind a curtain of fluttering tassels and hanging scarves, her eyes landed on a corner rack. Nestled there were bangles not just any bangles. Yellow bangles with delicate golden dots and tiny ghoongroos that jingled like shy laughter.

Her heart skipped. And then… her lips curved into a sly grin. Spark lit up her eyes. Without a word, she backed away like a secret agent on a mission, vanishing from the earring crowd.

Cut to the other side Ansh, Prateek, Ruhaan, and Vivaan were crowded around a sugarcane juice cart. Ruhaan was cracking up at his own terrible joke about cows having better fashion sense than Vivaan, who proudly twirled to prove him right. Prateek laughed, head tilted back, and Ansh rolled his eyes in classic “why do I hang out with you clowns” mode.

Aman stood a little away, scrolling through his phone, emitting strong busy person vibes.

“Bhaiya!” Aditi’s voice rang out like a firecracker. Prateek barely turned before she was already at his side, grabbing his arm like a determined tornado.

“Kya hai yaar?” he mumbled, still laughing.

“Shut up aur sath main chal kuch hai mere pass,” she ordered, dragging him by the sleeve through the crowd.

They stopped in front of the yellow bangles.

“Yeh kaisi lag rahi hai?” she asked, eyes twinkling, pointing at the pair with ghoongroos that shimmered in the lamplight.

“Haan… acchi hai. Le le tu,” he replied absentmindedly, gaze wandering elsewhere.

SMACK.

“Aaahh! maara kyuu?!” Prateek yelped, clutching the back of his head, bewildered.

“Mujhe nahi leni, ullu! Priya ke liye tu lega!” Aditi scolded, crossing her arms like a disappointed elder sister.

Prateek blinked, thrown. “M…Main?! Kaise? Matlab-“

“tu thoda sa losted hai kyaa?, ladkiyan pasand karti hain jab ladke unhe bina wajah kuch de! Aur Priya already tujhe pasand karti hai, so it’s your duty to make her feel special,” Aditi muttered with a smug wink.

His ears turned pink almost instantly. He stood frozen for a moment, like a computer buffering.

“ohh…Achha aisa karna hota hai kya?,” he finally said, realization hitting him like Wi-Fi connecting at last. Aditi nodded and grinned like the desi Cupid she was.

“Bata kaunsi lega…ye wali ya vo wali?” she asked, lifting two options for better selection.

Prateek hesitated, then pointed at the yellow-golden ones. “Ye wali… Kaisi hai?”

She gave a beaming nod. “Perfect. Bilkul Priya jaisi.”

With a tiny, nervous breath, Prateek turned to the shopkeeper, trying to keep his voice casual.”uncle… ye wali pack kar do. Size iske haath ka le lo.”

“Lao beta, haath dikhao.” The man nodded and took a step forward, reaching out with a polite smile.

At that very moment, Aditi’s smile faltered.

Her posture stiffened, just for a second not enough for anyone else to notice, perhaps, but for Prateek, it was glaring. Her breath caught in her throat, eyes no longer on the bangles but on the shopkeeper’s approaching hand. A subtle panic crept into her features, like a silent alarm only few could hear.

Prateek noticed. And it unsettled him.

“Kya hua?” he asked softly, his voice now tinged with concern.

But before Aditi could respond, another voice cut in calm, warm, and protective like a shield stepping quietly in front of her.

“Do one thing… uncle, iske size ka de do… ye kada dekhke.”

Ansh.

His tone held no urgency, no alarm, just a quiet assurance. He pointed toward the simple silver kada wrapped around Aditi’s wrist a small, everyday accessory that suddenly meant everything.

Aditi turned slightly, her eyes flickering to him. Relief washed over her face, almost instantly. Her shoulders eased just a bit, like tension unwinding before it could spiral.

“Theek hai, lao beta, de do.” The shopkeeper, oblivious to the underlying current, nodded in agreement.

Without a word, Aditi slipped the kada off her wrist. Her fingers trembled, not enough to draw attention from strangers, but it didn’t escape Ansh. And it definitely didn’t escape Prateek.

As she handed over the kada, a silence formed, dense, telling, and sacred.

Prateek looked at his sister, truly looked at her noticing what he’d missed all along. The flinch. The guarded eyes. The tension. Then he turned to Ansh, who was no longer just the school’s Head Boy or his friend. who came as her shield.

A quiet understanding formed between the two boys an unspoken vow laced with guilt and gratitude.

“Thank you, bhai…” Prateek murmured to Ansh, his voice heavy, apologetic.

“It’s okay… be careful next time,” Ansh replied, almost under his breath.

But Aditi heard it. Every word. And in that moment, something inside her stilled.They knew.All of them.

A strange heaviness settled in her chest like a secret being stripped bare under a spotlight. She had fought so hard to keep herself stitched together, to not let her past define her… and now, suddenly, it felt like those walls had been shattered without warning.

Aditi didn’t want to be the broken one. She didn’t want their sympathy, their lowered voices, their careful gazes.She wanted to be strong, fierce, unshaken, untouched by what once was.But the truth clawed at her insides.

She didn’t want to crumble in front of them. But the weight of being seen, truly seen, was too much to carry.She took the kada and the small bag of bangles from Ansh gently, her fingers brushing against the metal like it held more than silver like it held safety.

She put the kada back on, slowly, almost reverently. Wrapping it around her wrist not just as jewelry, but as quiet armor against an old, aching wound.

Then, without a word, she handed the bangles to Prateek and walked away. Not in anger. Not in pain. Just in thought.

Her steps were calm, but her heart was full processing everything, from the touch she’d avoided, to the boy who didn’t ask but understood.

And somewhere behind her, two boys stood still, silent witnesses to a moment that would never be spoken of again… but never forgotten either

From behind, Ruhaan popped into the scene like a misplaced firecracker energy uninvited, timing impeccable, and as clueless as ever. His eyes landed on the delicate paper bag in Prateek’s hand.”Areeyyy… Aditi ne tujhe bangles kyun diye?” His voice was loud enough to turn a few heads and smug enough to make Prateek internally combust.

Prateek jolted like he’d been caught red-handed. “Vo… vo aisa hi karti hai!” he stammered, his voice higher than usual. “Shopping mein sab kuch mujhe hi pakda deti hai… habitual hai uska.” The words tumbled out too fast, too rehearsed, and far too suspicious.

Ruhaan raised a brow, lips curling into a slow, infuriating smirk. “Oooooohhh I seeeeee,” he drawled, dragging the syllables with dramatic flair, his eyes practically twinkling with mischief. “tu toh bada raksha-bandhan mode mein hai”

Prateek glared at him, mortified, the tips of his ears turning a furious shade of red.
“Muh band rakh le apna,” he growled under his breath, grabbing Ruhaan sharply by the elbow.

Behind them, Ansh watched her
Aditi, wrapped in hues of red and gold, her dupatta fluttering slightly in the mellow evening breeze. She looked like she belonged to the chaos and calm both head tilted thoughtfully, fingers dancing over delicate earrings at the next stall, her laughter joining Shagun’s in easy harmony.

As if nothing had just happened. But he knew better. He had seen it.

And even as the noise of bargaining voices wrapped around them jingling trinkets, rustling paper bags, and Ruhaan’s exaggerated bickering with Vivaan somewhere near the bangles his mind hadn’t moved on. It stayed tethered to her.

To that single, sharp flicker he had caught in her eyes so brief, so fleeting, yet loud enough to pierce through all the noise.

The way her smile had faltered. The way her fingers had stilled mid-motion. The way her entire frame had stiffened… like muscle memory returning to pain. Like her heart had skipped, not out of love but fear.

He hated that.

He hated that she still carried that shadow so silently like a burden she had accepted too early, too young. Never asking for help. Never seeking comfort.
Just… enduring.

With painted nails, borrowed smiles, and eyes that sparkled even when they were holding back a storm. He blinked hard, trying to shake off the heaviness clawing at his chest… And that’s when he saw it.

A soft glint, barely noticeable, beneath the fairy lights woven across the stall.It wasn’t much. A bracelet.Delicate. Simple.No brand tag, no label of luxury just pure quiet beauty.

Golden, with tiny engraved vines curling into one another like whispered secrets.And at its center a red stone. Deep, warm, and still. A ruby, not real but to him, it didn’t need to be.

He picked it up gently, like it would break under pressure.His thumb brushed over the pattern, slow, intentional. And all he could think of… was her.

Not the loud, witty Aditi who gave Ruhaan hell. Not even the girl who left boys panting during relay races and had half the basketball team terrified of her sass.

But this version of her. The one who stared at stars like they knew her story. The one who flinched from touch but held everyone else together with fierce, protective loyalty. The one who had quietly handed back her kada like a memory she didn’t want to touch and walked away.

And without even thinking twice… he turned to the shopkeeper. “uncle…Pack this, please.”

His voice wasn’t loud. But it was certain. Quiet in the way some promises are. Certain in the way you buy something with no intention of giving it away today and yet knowing exactly who it belongs to.

Because this wasn’t just a bracelet. It wasn’t a birthday gift. It wasn’t to impress or confess. It wasn’t even to be handed to her right away.

It was just for her.

Because she deserved soft things too. Beautiful things. Thoughtful things. Things she didn’t have to earn by being strong. Things that didn’t demand explanations. Things that simply saw her.

As the shopkeeper wrapped it in soft paper and tucked it into a little velvet pouch, Ansh’s gaze drifted across the street again. She was still there Aditi, laughing now, her earrings swaying with the motion of her joy, her hands animated as she held two pairs of jhumkas up to Shagun and Priya like a dramatic jury.

She had no idea.And he… had no plan.Just this bracelet.And the quiet knowledge that someday, he’d find the right moment.Not to say anything grand.Not to confess.But just… to remind her.

That someone saw her.Even in her silences.Even when she didn’t ask to be seen.

The sun had long dipped below the horizon, and the winding streets of Rishikesh were now bathed in warm yellow streetlights and the scent of roasted peanuts and incense. The younger squad, done with their mini shopping spree, were now heading towards the restaurant the elders had booked for dinner.

The girls led the path ahead chatting, laughing, swinging their shopping bags like trophies. Aditi in red and gold still stole glances from every other passerby, while Samaira’s soft pink kurti made heads turn. Shagun and Priya giggled about some local shopkeeper calling them “film actresses.”

Right behind them, in a trio formation worthy of a romantic spy mission, Ansh, Prateek, and Ruhaan walked silently. Or so it seemed.

In truth? Each one of them was lowkey admiring the girl walking ahead of them as if she’d descended from a mythological TV serial set.

Prateek’s eyes occasionally flicked to Priya, holding back a smile as he noticed her carefully tucking her hair behind her ear. Ruhaan, pretending to stretch, glanced at Shagun, lips twitching when she held up a pair of earrings to her ear, showing Priya. And then there was Ansh, the ultimate no distractions guy absolutely failing to take his eyes off Aditi.

Her red dupatta caught the breeze every few seconds, the soft golden shimmer dancing under the streetlights. And with every sway, Ansh’s heartbeat performed an Olympic-level routine.

Behind this love-struck parade walked two spectators with front-row seats to all the drama Aman and Vivaan, the most chaotic observers Rishikesh never asked for.

“Yaar bhaiya… utha lo mujhe na, mere pairon mein dard ho raha hai,” Vivaan groaned, dramatically dragging his feet like he’d been walking barefoot across Rajasthan.

Aman barely spared him a glance, “Chup chaap apne pairon pe chal. Varna yahin chhod dunga tujhe,” he warned, eyes forward.

“Itna toxic ho rahe ho aap lately… hmm…” Vivaan muttered with a look that translated torude but okay.

Then suddenly, Vivaan’s expression changed playful turned curious. “Waise bhaiya… aapki aur Samaira didi ki fight hui hai kya?”

Aman went blank for a second. His voice was flat when he replied, “It’s none of your business. Leave it.”

Vivaan grinned smugly, “Hmm. Hui toh hai. Pata chal gaya mujhe.”

“Galti kiski thi?” Vivaan asked innocently.

Aman exhaled, “…meri.”

“Toh phir didi ko manaya kyun nahi?” Vivaan tilted his head.

“She’s too upset.” Guilt was heavy in Aman’s voice now.

“Toh aur mehnat karo na.” Vivaan shrugged casually. “Waise sorry bola?”

“Ha… bola. But she didn’t accept.” Aman said.

Vivaan hummed. “Zyada gussa hai na?”

Aman nodded, silently.

Then Vivaan’s brain, as always, jumped tracks. “Ek kaam karo didi ki favourite cheez de do. Shayad maan jaaye!”

Aman looked sideways at him. “Idea bura to nahi hai… Aditi se-“

“WAIT. Am I dreaming??” Vivaan suddenly gasped, eyes widening as he stared ahead.

Aman snapped his head around. “Kya hua?!”

Vivaan leaned closer and whispered like they were undercover spies. “Vo teeno ladhke aage jo ladhkiyon ko dekh rahe hain… kuch zyada hi focused nahi lag rahe?”

Aman squinted. Ansh,eyes glued to Aditi. Prateek, adjusting his kurta collar every time Priya smiled. Ruhaan, smiling to himself while pretending not to stare at Shagun.

Aman leaned down and whispered, “Okay… Ruhaan ka Shagun ko dekhna samajh aata hai…”

“Aur Prateek bhaiya ka Priya ko dekhna bhi samajh aata hai…” Vivaan added with a proud nod.

Aman turned his head sharply. “Hain?! Inka kab shuru hua?!”

“Bhaiya baad mein discuss karenge… abhi Ansh bhaiya pe dhyaan do.” Vivaan nudged him. Both of them focused.

Ansh, the Head Boy, the no-nonsense wall of the school was very much not a wall right now.He was soft. And staring. Vivaan whispered, “Pehli baar dekh raha hoon main Ansh bhaiya ko kisi ladki ko itne… dreamy nazaron se dekhte hue.”

“Aur itne der tak.” Aman completed, both now stunned.

Their gazes met. “Kuch toh locha hai.” they both said in sync, nodding like two undercover agents uncovering a hidden operation.

As the group finally neared the restaurant gates, the warm lights of the place illuminating their path, Aman and Vivaan looked at each other again this time with full mischief in their eyes.

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That’s all for this chapter, Bubbles! ✨
I truly hope you enjoyed it and more than anything, I really hope it made you feel something.

If any scene touched your heart, made you smile, or even gave you tiny butterflies…Don’t forget to vote and drop your thoughts in the comments 

See you in the next chapter!

Till then, be healthy, stay safe, keep smiling, and always keep reading.

With love,
Prachi 💌

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I’D – pixiee_wrts

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