The golden hour in Banaras had draped a beautiful house in the warm, fading glow of the setting sun. On the first-floor corridor, white muslin curtains danced softly, caught in a gentle, warm May breeze.

Amidst the rustle of the fabric, the faint, rhythmic tinkling of ghungroos echoed—not from anklets, but from a delicate bracelet on a girl's wrist. She was dressed in a white muslin chikankari kurta, a tote bag slung over one shoulder, while her other hand gripped a large case containing her painting supplies.

Adhira moved with a hurried grace. As she began to rush down the stairs, a voice called out from behind, halting her in her tracks.

"Adhira beta kha bhaj rhi hai itni jaldi mein? Kam se kam kapde toh badalti ja, subah se yeh suit daale ghum rahi hai," said Meera Kashyap.

Hearing her aunt’s voice, Adhira froze mid-step, balancing precariously on one foot with the other poised in the air. She spun around on that single foot, her Kolhapuri chappals clicking against the stone.

"Choti maa hum ghat ja rahe hain... hamari painting abhi bhi adhuri hai," Adhira replied, looking up at her aunt. Meera approached her, shaking her head with a weary but fond smile.

"Aur ummid bhi kya ki ja sakti hai aapse? Aaj subah hi 10th ka result aaya hai, aaj toh ghar mein tik ja. Yeh painting toh mahinon se bana rahi hai, bhagwan jaane kab complete hogi,"

Meera scolded her gently, her voice low. Adhira gave a playful, radiant chirp in response.

"Pata nahin kaise har baat itna kuchh adhura rah jata hai... aaj toh Mahadev se bolkar painting par kaam karna shuru karenge. Agar aaj bhi puri nahin hui, toh kabhi hum painting ko hath hi nahin lagaenge,"

Adhira said with a mock pout. She rested a hand on her shoulder and laughed.

"Pagal ladki! Ja aur samay se ghar aa jana. Aaj toh mausam bhi aisa lag raha hai ki baarish hogi, aur jaldi aa jana. Vaise bhi Ganga Aarti ke wajah se kafi bheed ho jayegi... aur Aakarsh bhi ghat par hi hai, uske kisi dost ke sath gaya hai,"

Meera warned. She walked Adhira to the gate, watching her until her niece disappeared from sight.

Dashashwamedh Ghat

The sun had not yet fully dipped below the horizon. Its amber light spilled across the river water, the stone steps, and the intricate alcoves of the temples. On the ghat, a group of boys sat together, laughing and talking. Among them was Aakarsh.

"Anvay bhai, mujhe nahin pata tha tu itna shradha-bhakti wala insan nikalega... Teri Instagram profile dekhkar toh koi bhi yahi kahega ki tu ekdam Himbo types hai," Aakarsh joked, mockingly striking the same poses Anvay used in his social media photos.

Anvay sat across from them, flashing a brilliant smile. His teeth were white as pearls, and a deep dimple creased his cheek. He had a fair complexion, toned into a golden tan from hours at the gym.

His white shirt fit him perfectly, highlighting his well-maintained physique and defined muscles.

"Are bhai, Instagram apni jagah hai. Woh toh main paida hi handsome hua hun, lekin pass main inke bharose hota hun," Anvay replied, turning his gaze toward the temple where the Shivling was enshrined.

He continued, "Aaj 10th ke result mein 90% aaye hain, sirf inhin ki vajah se." With the solemnity of a high priest, he bowed to the deity and pressed the prasad and the flower garland to his forehead. His friends burst into laughter.

One of them, Yug, chimed in: "He looks like the sweet, innocent, saintly type, but actually, he is a huge mischievous bastard/rascal type."

The boys roared with laughter, but Yug wasn't finished. "Lekin bhai, tune kaha tha tu kam se kam 95% ke upar banayega. Lekin tere 90% aaye hain, toh shart ke mutabik tujhe woh kaam karna hoga jo hum tujhse kahenge."

Anvay turned his head, scratching his scalp in mock frustration. He muttered to himself, wondering what kind of "rascal" friends he had made—they never remembered anything about their studies, but they never missed a chance to humiliate him.

He turned back to them and sighed, "Bolo bhaiyon, kya karna hai?"

Yug, Aakarsh, and the rest of the group huddled together, whispering conspiratorially among themselves.

Anvay, excluded from the secret meeting, watched them with raised eyebrows, trying to decipher what kind of "khichdi" was cooking in their heads.

He knew one thing for certain: whatever they were plotting was bound to be dangerous. After all, it is a universal truth that every best friend is essentially a "kamina" at heart.

"Dekh Anvay bhai, tujhe jyada kuchh nahin karna hai. Hum bas tujhe ek dare de rahe hain aur woh yeh hai ki tere hath mein jo yeh mala hai na, woh tu kisi ladki ko pehna de jo is ghat mein maujud ho," Yug said, his face a mask of feigned innocence. But everyone knew exactly how much mischief was hidden behind that look.

"Kaan ke niche char lagaunga, zameen par lautata phirega! Main nahin karunga yeh ulti-paltan harkat. Meri bhi koi reputation hai, koi standard hai," Anvay replied, mock-adjusting his collar with pride.

His friends, however, weren't having it. They reminded him that a bet was a bet and he had to honor the deal. After much badgering and peer pressure, Anvay finally threw up his hands in defeat.

He began scanning his surroundings, desperately hoping to spot a little girl; he figured if he draped the garland on a child, it would count as a virtuous act of honoring a "Kanya."

But luck wasn't on his side. To make matters worse, the weather turned abruptly. A cold breeze swept across the river, clouds gathered overhead, and the ghat began to swell with the evening crowd. Tourists from far and wide were pouring in for the Ganga Aarti, making the space increasingly cramped.

As he walked along, unsure of how to execute the dare, the first drops of rain began to fall. That’s when his eyes landed on a girl. She was standing on a raised platform some distance away, hurriedly stuffing her supplies into her bag and sliding her canvas into its case.

To Anvay, the scene felt like a cinematic freeze-frame. Dressed in her white kurta, with the wind tossing her damp tresses across her face, she looked ethereal. It wasn’t that his heart stopped or he couldn't breathe—it just felt... delusional. Like a white fairy had manifested right in front of him.

Caught in the trance, he stepped forward and draped the sacred garland around her neck. But the moment the girl turned around, their eyes locked. At that exact second, the skies opened up into a heavy downpour, and the resonant chants of the Ganga Aarti began to echo through the air.

Adhira stared at him, stunned. Her hand flew up, instinctively ready to deliver a sharp slap, but she paused when she saw his face. She assumed he was just some confused tourist who didn't know the local customs. She yanked the garland from her neck and thrust it back into his hands, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Yeh Bhagwan ko pehnane ke liye hoti hai, unhen pehnao mujhe mat. Agali bar aisi harkat kari toh aisa repta marungi na, Ganga Maiya mein sama jaoge," she snapped. With that fiery threat, she popped open her umbrella and disappeared into the crowd.

Anvay stood there, momentarily stunned by the threat, but a slow smile spread across his face.

His friends soon caught up, though they had missed the girl entirely. They had been stuck further down the stairs, lost in the surging crowd. As the rain turned into a torrential downpour, they all started running for cover, leaving the moment behind in the mist of the Banaras rain.

Mishra Nivas~

Adhira was sitting on the floor in her room near the bookshelf, organizing her things, while Kashvi lounged on the bed behind her. Kashvi was busy with the family’s pet, Snowball—a male cat who, despite playing along, looked a bit irritated. True to his name, Snowball was a fluffy white ball of fur, a name Adhira had lovingly picked for him.

~Billu hamar jaise ustare ki dhar

jaise sabun ki jhag

jaise lotion khushbudar

billu se bada hajjam nahi re

sari duniya me aisa kono nam nahi re~

Kashvi was holding the cat’s front paws, making him dance on his hind legs while she sang. She swayed her own hips and pouted playfully, fully immersed in her little performance.

The fun was cut short when a sudden smack landed on her forehead. Kashvi tumbled forward onto the bed, face-first, and Snowball seized the golden opportunity to bolt out of the room.

Rubbing her head, she whipped around and aimed a sharp kick at Aakarsh, but he just smirked at her, completely unfazed since she had missed.

"Jana jakar taiyar ho kyon baasi baigan ki tarah padi hui hai, dinner ke liye bhi toh jana hai," Aakarsh said, stretching out on the bed and propping his head up with his hand.

Kashvi gritted her teeth, clearly annoyed as she replied, "Hum kahin nahin ja rahe hain bhaiya. Papa ki meeting aa gayi thi urgent, isliye bua aur mummy aap donon ke result celebration ke liye ghar par hi special dinner bana rahe hain."

"Yeh kya baat hui? Mama ki hamesha hi urgent meeting kyon aa jaati hai? Khair chhodo, hum ghar par hi enjoy kar lenge. Vaise Adhira, main tere liye teri favourite jalebi laya tha, tune khai?"

Aakarsh asked, turning his attention to Adhira.

"Han Aakarsh, humne kha li," Adhira replied as she began gathering her scattered books.

Aakarsh watched her for a moment. "Yeh kitabon ki dukaan kyon khol kar baithi hai? Kya kar rahi hai?"

"Are abhi ek hafte mein school reopen ho rahe hain, toh humne socha jo hamare 10th ki notes hai, books hai, inhen achhe se pack kar dete hain... next year Kashvi ke kaam aa jayenge," Adhira explained.

Sneha, standing at the doorway while drying her hands with a towel, chimed in. "Are rahane de, iske liye toh hum naya set le ayenge aur vaise bhi yeh toh coaching jayegi hi."

Adhira looked up at her mother. She stayed silent for a heartbeat, her expression unreadable before she offered a small, fleeting smile. She gave a slight nod, glanced toward Meera, and quietly returned to her work.

Meera then suggested, "Arey Adhira, tu yeh books Aakarsh ko de de. Yeh mere dost ke bachon ko de dega, woh twins hain. Aakarsh ki ek book ka set toh woh de hi raha hai, tu apna wala bhi de de, donon bacchon ke kaam aa jayega."

"Ji choti maa," Adhira complied softly.

"Chalo niche aa jao sab, Manish aane wale hain, sab saath mein dinner karenge," Sneha announced before heading back downstairs.

A little while later, everyone was gathered around the dining table. The atmosphere was warm, filled with the clinking of cutlery and casual chatter. Suddenly, Manish looked toward Adhira and Aakarsh, his expression turning serious yet curious.

"Kya socha hai tum dono ne aage kya karna hai?" he asked.

"Maine toh soch liya hai mama, mai commerce hi lunga," Aakarsh said casually between bites of food. The spoon in Meera’s hand froze mid-air as she stared at her son in surprise.

She then shifted her gaze to Adhira, who was already looking at Aakarsh with wide eyes. Sensing her aunt's look, Adhira simply gave a silent shrug, as if to say she had no idea this was coming.

"Aur Adhira, tumne?" Manish asked. Adhira fell silent for a moment, her eyes darting around as she mentally scrambled for an answer. Finally, she spoke up. "Han papa, humne bhi commerce lene ka hi soch liya hai."

"Yah toh sahi hai. Corporate mein jaoge toh kafi career scope hai. Mujhe hi dekh lo—10th ke baad commerce liya, phir CA ka exam diya, aur aaj main tumhare samne hun. Tum logon se bhi yahi ummid hai," Manish said encouragingly.

Hearing this, Kashvi burst into a sudden fit of giggles. The entire table turned to look at her. Adhira glared at her sister and kicked her under the table, which finally silenced Kashvi. She offered everyone a goofy, wide-toothed grin to cover her tracks, and the elders just rolled their eyes—it was a daily occurrence with her.

Kashvi leaned in close to Adhira's ear and whispered, "Papa ko lagta hai inki aulad CA banegi, per inhe kaun bataye unki aulad MUA banna chahti hai?"

She pulled back with a playful pout and a flick of her hair. Sneha, noticing the sisters whispering again, just shook her head fondly.

"Meera, vaise Nishkarsh kab aa raha hai wapas?" Manish inquired.

Meera replied, "Agale mahine tak aa jayega shayad bhai. Ab toh uska Masters complete ho gaya hai. Keh raha hai ki khud ka kuchh startup shuru karna chahta hai yahin par."

"Batao, dekhte dekhte bacche kitne bade ho gaye ki ab apna startup chalu karna chahte hain. Warna itna chhota sa tha jab pehli baar hamare ghar aaya tha," Sneha remarked, gesturing with her hand to show how small he used to be.

________

_______________

"Anvay, ab aap bhi ja niche! Kitna taiyar hoga? Sab log aa gaye hain," Shreya shouted, calling out to her son.

"Are chachi, aapko pata nahin hai kya? Hamare Anvay ko taiyar hone mein itna time lagta hai, mano jaise koi international model taiyar ho rahi ho," Reet teased with a laugh.

"Yah baat toh aapne bilkul theek kahi didi. Is bande ki priority agar kuchh hai, toh woh iska thobada," Kiyansh added, plopping down on the sofa next to Reet and throwing an arm around her shoulder.

Kiyansh leaned in and whispered to Reet, "Didi, socho agar kahin iski dulhan use isi liye chhodkar bhag gayi ki yah usse zyada sundar lag raha hai shaadi mein toh?" Reet burst into laughter, high-fiving him.

The family sat waiting for Anvay to make his grand entrance, but just then, the doorbell rang. The maid opened the door, and the person standing there made Kiyansh and Reet freeze. They both stood up from the sofa in an instant, their playful mood replaced by shock.

Who is at the door? And whose daughter is Reet?

To find out, stay tuned with the story—and don’t forget to tell me in the comments how you liked the first chapter.