📅 October 17 – Devgarh & Nandanpur
After School Ride
The four scooters carried the siblings home as usual — Ishanvi+Vrinda, Raghav+Vivaan, Abhay+Vaidehi, Aariv+Meera.
The sun had just begun to dip behind the trees, painting the roads golden.
Abhay was quiet, unusually so. Vaidehi glanced at him. "Bhai, you okay?"
He nodded, forcing a smile. "Just… tired, that's all."
Ishanvi noticed too — his hands clenched tightly on the handlebars. She didn't comment, but her chest tightened. Something was wrong.
The River's Disturbance
As they neared the Sudarshini bridge, Abhay slowed. The water below rippled violently, more than usual, and the current looked alive, almost aware.
He froze mid-scooter. Memories of the hills and the river's whisper that morning surged like a flood — a memory he couldn't place, a face he saw for a heartbeat, and then… gone.
A cold shiver ran down his spine. The river felt like it had reached into him and pulled something out. Something heavy.
Shock
Abhay stumbled slightly on his scooter.
Ishanvi's voice cut through instinctively, soft but urgent. "Abhay! Hold on."
He looked at her, eyes wide and trembling. "It… it just… I can't explain…"
She leaned closer, voice gentle, "Whatever it is, it's okay. You're not alone."
His hands relaxed slightly on the handlebars, though his chest heaved.
The water had left a mark — invisible, but it weighed down his heart like a stone.
Ishanvi Consoles Him
Ishanvi walked beside him after they parked at the village edge.
"Breathe," she said. "You can't carry it alone."
Abhay's voice was barely audible. "It felt… like I lost control. Like the river knows me… and it's… judging."
Her hand brushed his shoulder. "You're human. Not the river. Not yet. It doesn't define you."
For a moment, neither spoke. Only the wind whispered, carrying the distant murmur of Sudarshini.
Siblings Unaware
Meanwhile, the other siblings chatted and laughed as they unpacked their scooters, unaware of the storm that had passed between the two of them.
Vrinda nudged Vivaan, pointing at some cloud patterns. "Looks like it's going to rain again."
Abhay and Ishanvi exchanged a glance, silent, heavy with a secret neither was ready to share.
That night, Abhay lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
Ishanvi, in the next room, stared at the flicker of her candle, thinking of him.
Neither spoke, but both knew — something had shifted.
The river had left its mark.
And now, the weight of water pressed on Abhay's heart.