Scene-1

I was roaming here and there at the anniversary party — the kind of gathering where the air is filled with soft laughter, clinking glasses, the smell of rosewater and freshly fried snacks. It was hosted by my favourite chachi and chachu — the kind of couple everyone loves, the ones who still dance like no one’s watching after all these years.

The garden was glowing. Strings of fairy lights hung like fallen stars between the trees. People moved in and out of conversation like drifting lanterns. I knew almost everyone here. Yet somehow, I still felt like I was floating outside it all.

I wasn’t searching for anything. Maybe just silence. Maybe a breeze. Maybe a moment where I didn’t have to smile on cue.

And that’s when I saw them.

Two boys.

Twins.

They stood a little away from the crowd, both holding drinks, both with the same sharp jawline, same tilted shoulders — like mirrors of each other, but not quite the same. One of them, in a light blue t-shirt, was talking animatedly, laughing at something someone said. Easy, familiar energy. Like the kind of person who walks into a room and belongs.

But the other one…

Grey t-shirt.

Glasses.

Still.

He wasn’t talking. He wasn’t even pretending to. He was just watching — the party, the people, the flickering lights. And maybe... me.

Because when I looked up — his eyes were already on mine.

Not in a “you caught me staring” way.

Not in a flirtatious, accidental kind of way either.

But in a way that landed.

In that moment, The world stopped around us, It felt like It was just us.

As if, in all this noise, I had become the only thing he could see.

I felt it.

Right in my chest.

That quiet, slow pull. The kind that makes time behave strangely.

And then, without thinking — I looked away.

The sudden eye contact left a deep impact on me

I pretended I hadn’t seen him. Pretended I wasn’t curious. Pretended my heart hadn’t just skipped something it never missed before.

But even as I moved to the other side of the lawn, smiled at someone, reached for a glass of juice I didn’t really want…

I could feel his eyes still on me.

And something in me — the quietest part — was already wondering…

Who is he?

Scene-2

“Kya hua? Migraine kaise hai aapko? Doctor ko dikhaya aapne?” he asked with concern and tension visible in his voice

“haan doctor ko dikhaya hai. Bas overthinking and stress nothing much” I said casually.

“koi baat hai agar toh usey mann mein mat rakhiye bata dijiye ” he guessed it through my eyes like he always do.

“Aap humein apni saari takleefein bata sakti hain” he continued with a tenderness visible in his eyes which didn't go unnoticed by me.

“8 years ago...” i started telling him everything from the start. I slowly started to go in the direction of my ex telling him everything.

“He...he manipulated me,blackmailed me and troubled me” A sob escaped my mouth when I started to describe the trauma caused by my ex.

He patiently listened to me.

“jo hua usey mai badal nahi sakta. But I promise you iske baad aapko koi pareshani nahi hone denge hum. Hum Aapko theek kar denge. ”he said with seriousness and genuineness clearly visible in his eyes.

“Mata Rani par bharosa rakhiye vo abse sab accha karengi. Apne bhakto ke saath vo kabhi galat nahi hone deti hain.” He said and embraced me in his arms. I kept my head on his chest with his chin above it. I started shredding tears of pain and his shirt captured each of them like he did. Captured my pain and trauma and caged it.

“Abhi jitna rona hai ro lijiye devi ji kyuki iske baad aapke aankh mein aansu na aaye ye zimmedari humari hogi” he said while bringing me closer to him. He comforted me. He healed me.

Scene-3

Ugh! Why do only girls have to go through this periods.

I was tossing and turning on the bed from the pain. The first five days are literally hell for me.

If I could, I would completely erase periods from every girl's life. BOOM! Then no one would have to endure this pain.

But still, it's considered a blessing from God, so there's nothing we can really do. God gave only girls the strength to bear this pain.

But right now, someone please save me from it!

And you know what's even worse? When your period and a fever hit at the same time. It's just unbearable.

Yes, I’ve had a fever for the past three days. And on top of that, I have to take those awful medicines and eat that disgusting food. Honestly, what could be worse?

Suddenly, a ringing sound echoed from the side table.Who’s calling me now?

I swear, if it’s not important, I might just kill the person.

But all those thoughts disappeared the moment I saw the caller ID. It was HIM.

As soon as I saw it, a smile crept onto my face.

I picked up the call.

“Hello,” came his soothing voice that instantly calmed my nerves.

“Hey,” I answered.

“What are you doing?”

I’m bitching about periods, but I didn’t say it out loud.

“Nothing, just lying on the bed,” I told the truth.

“Apki tabiyat kaisi hai?” he asked in a soft tone. That’s the thing I like about him — he’s always soft only with me and his family, while grumpy with everyone else. I feel happy that I’m on his ‘soft tone’ wali list.

“Haan, abhi fever thoda down hai, dawai liya tha,” I told him.

“Good. Acche se khana khaya kijiye aur time se dawai lijiye, jaldi thik ho jayengi.”

“Hmm,” I gave a one-word reply since my cramps had started hitting me again.

“What happened? You don’t sound normal. Kuch hua hai kya apko?” His concerned voice came.

“Uh—no… actually, nothing. I’m fine,” I lied.

“But you don’t seem fine to me. Please bataiye hume kya hua hai?” he asked. And from his voice, I could imagine how worried he was.

“Um… actually, I got my period this morning. And it’s because of cramps,” I finally told him.

“Aree, fever ke sath periods? Bohot pain ho raha hai kya?”

“Yes.”

“Han, ho to raha hai. The first 5 days are hell for me.”

“Aap rest lijiye acche se, aur chocolates khaiye. It will help reduce the pain.”

“Yeah, I told papa to bring me chocolates.” Yes, I was craving them, so I asked him to bring some.

“Acchi baat hai phir. Ap jyada stress mat lijiye, Devi ji. Periods are normal, actually it’s God gifted. But cramps are not. Isliye hum apko bolte hain acche se khana khayiye. Jo log apni health maintain karte hain unhe pain kam hota hai, par aap sunti kaha hai humari baat.”

It’s kinda true. After that incident, my health and eating habits had worsened.

“Haan, ab to khate hain. Apse daant nahi khani na, phir bhi daant sunne mai maza to aata hai.”

Still, now that I have someone who cares for me and my health, I will definitely take care of myself."

“Hmm, good. Accha, I have a meeting in 10 minutes. To agar aap kahen, to mai jaun?” he asked. Aww, how can a man be this sweet?

“Yes, sure. All the best for your meeting,” I said to him.

“Thank you. And agar koi problem ho to I am just one call away, hmm. Don’t think twice before calling me. And take care of yourself,” he reminded me.

And after hearing that, red hues covered my cheeks. Blame the period hormones, not me.

“Okh. Take care.”

“Hmm. Byee.”

“Bye.” I cut the call.

I don’t know, Bhagwan ji, how I am so lucky to have him in my life.

He is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~