Rain fell in delicate whispers over Kolkata, turning the city into a poem no one had finished writing.
Rickshaws glided like ghosts through the puddled streets.
Fairy lights flickered outside cafés where half-drunk cups of cha cooled slowly on chip...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Around my waist, my charm belt clinked softly. Not for fashion, baby. For memory. Each heart dangled like a silent oath. Each jingle, a tear I didn't let fall.
Then— I saw him.
Aryan. Sitting at the dining table in a crisp white shirt and jeans. His hair was damp. His eyes, unreadable. And yet—he looked at me.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Today was college. Our college. We both studied at Nilratan Sarkar. But while he never left, I? I had vanished. London. Escape. Heaven, they said. But honestly? Kolkata is my peace sanctuary.
Well— Except for the family drama. You know the vibes.
Chacha, Chachi, Maa, Papa, Dadi. The whole "Singha Soap Opera" ensemble. The aunties who whisper louder than they breathe.
But the cousins? The Gen Zs? They were fine.
Still, I heard it. The whispers.
"She's the new bahu... and she's wearing that tiny skirt?" "Ram, Ram, Ram."
Like babe, am I supposed to show up in a red Banarasi with sindoor dripping like a crime scene? It's college. Not Kanyadaan Returns Season 3.
I didn't say anything back. I just sat quietly, sipping my chai with the grace of a well-behaved wildfire.
Because this is my first day as a Singha Bahu. And throwing hands at breakfast might count as bad omen. We wouldn't want that, now would we?
(but just you wait, I'll serve chaos later—iced and pretty.)
Okay, so full disclosure? I'm usually a bak-bak-bak-bak person. Like, you give me one second of silence, and I'll fill it with twelve questions and three mini rants. So obviously, I started talking.
"How was your night?" "Did you sleep well?" "What did you eat at 3 a.m.?" "Do you dream in black and white or color?"
