Chapter- 27

Ekta walked out of the school gate quietly, closely followed by Rishan and Siya. Both the siblings refused to leave her side. She didn’t know what it was that, in the heat of the moment, she shook hands with Siya. Maybe she was caught off guard, or her brain had frozen in that particular moment that she took a step she never allowed herself to take toward strangers.

Even if she was silent and didn’t show any interest in getting into the conversation, the duo didn’t seem to mind at all. Rishan continued to speak during breaks or free lectures, jumping by her side so much that she didn’t have a choice but to hear his rants, while Siya was in a different section. The girl didn’t talk much but she was a good listener, or maybe just used to it, because before Rishan’s constant nonstop chatter, she didn’t think anyone had a chance to say a word. The boy was a certified chatterbox. Period.

Her gaze swept across the crowd of students piling up near the buses, cars, and a few standing with their families before going back home. The way a mother tugged the helmet properly on her son’s head before seating him on the scooty, the way a father adjusted his daughter’s heavy backpack on her shoulders, the scene should have felt comforting, but to her it reminded her of the life she could never have…

Before she could drown further in her desperation, she was pulled out of her thoughts as a kid collided with her, falling flat on the ground with a loud cry.

Ekta immediately helped him up. “Theek ho tum?”

Tears filled his eyes, a sob escaping his lips instantly.

“Arrey iska toh khoon beh raha hai.” Siya murmured worriedly, noticing the scratch from the stone on the boy’s knee.

Ekta gasped softly. She looked at Rishan. “Koi kapda hai tumhare paas? To tie it on his knee?”

“Let’s take him to the infirmary. Sister will check him,” Rishan suggested, picking up the crying kid effortlessly in his arms. The boy was in their school uniform, definitely from the primary section.

“But his parents?” Ekta stopped him. She looked at the boy, wiping away his tears gently. “Tumhara naam kya hai?”

“Krishank,” the little boy sniffled out.

Ekta smiled softly. “Tumhe chot lagi hai. Abhi sister dressing kar degi, okay?”

Krishank nodded tearfully.

“Where are your parents?” Siya asked, looking around. “Main unhe bula deti hu.”

“Woh abhi aaye nahi hai.” Krishank mumbled sadly.

The trio looked at each other uncertainly, not knowing what to do.

“Bhaiya…” Ekta mumbled quietly, noticing Ekansh walking in her direction followed by Eshita. She expected her brother but not Eshita, who surprisingly looked more worried than annoyed.

Ekansh approached the trio with a frown creasing his forehead. He had tried calling Ekta, but she wasn’t receiving his calls. He had been waiting outside for half an hour. Eshita wanted to come before time itself, refusing to sit peacefully at home. Having no choice, he agreed, but his patience gave up, making way for worry at the unanswered calls and not finding her coming out on time.

“Where is your phone?” he asked sharply as soon as he reached Ekta.

Ekta reached for her bag, taking out the cell immediately. The tone itself gave away her brother was upset with her.

Noticing the missed calls, she bit her tongue, looking back at Ekansh meekly. “Si-silent par hai. Sorry,” She turned on the gadget but forgot to remove it from silent mode.

Ekansh shook his head in disbelief. “Phone ko silent par karne ki zarurat kya hai jab tujhe phone allowed hai school mein? No one tells you anything even if it rings after school hours, so why...”

“Arey bas bhaiya.” Eshita intervened casually, wrapping her arms around Ekta’s shoulders. The girl listened to the scoldings so obediently that it was bothering her unnecessarily. She should sass back, or at least argue a little bit. But here she was, being too much of an obedient sister, and that annoyed Eshita for no damn reason.

“Phone ki koi funny ringtone rakhi hogi. Jaise ki meri hai. Baby shark doo doo doo doo…” She sang the song in a childlike voice.

Ekansh whacked her head lightly. “Then change it before you embarrass yourself. Don’t think I am realizing what you are trying to do.”

Eshita feigned innocence. “Maine kya kar rahi hu bhaiya? Kuch bhi toh nahi. I am good girl.”

Ekta rolled her eyes inwardly. She thanked the world that Eshita wasn’t an actor; her acting skills were painfully terrible. She was surprised that the girl took her side, but still that didn’t mean she had to praise her for such horrible acting.

Eshita ignored the words and looked at the kid standing beside Rishan, staring at them like they were aliens.

She raised an eyebrow, looking at the trio suspiciously. “Kon hai yeh? And why is he crying? Tum log bacche ko pareshan kar rahe the?”

“He collided with me and got injured,” Ekta answered calmly. “Isse infirmary leke jaane ka soch rahe the but his parents aren’t here yet. So we were thinking what to do. I am not someone to annoy anyone unlike others.”

Eshita blinked, startled. “Wow! Did I just hear the taunt?”

Ekta looked away instantly. She didn’t like the way Eshita straightaway came to her own conclusions. Even if she was teasing them, Ekta didn’t like it either and ended up saying what she said.

“Tu ghar jaa, hum isse sister ke paas leke jaate hai.” Siya suggested softly. “She will inform his parents too. Don’t worry.”

Ekta nodded. She looked at Ekansh, who quietly took the bag from her grasp. One thing out of the entire ordeal that relaxed him was that Ekta didn’t look displeased or scared. She was at least fine and had made friends, something that had been impossible in her last school. No matter how much he encouraged her, she never once tried to interact with anyone willingly, so this new change was more than he could have hoped for.

“Tum dono kaise jaoge?” Eshita asked concerned. “If you want, we will drop you at home.”

Rishan shook his head instantly. “Woh driver lene aane wale hai. So…” he shrugged, keeping the truth to himself that his bhaiya had suddenly asked him to lower the interaction with Eshita.

Why? The reasons were unknown to him. He couldn’t defy his bhaiya, but he couldn’t outright disrespect Eshita either. She was like an elder sister to him, so he found the middle ground by keeping a polite distance without hurting her openly.

Eshita walked away with Ekansh and Ekta. She wished she could suggest that she would drop them herself, no need to wait for the driver, but it wasn’t in her hands. Ritvik was not taking her calls.

Just like her bhaiya explained, she tried to understand his side, his anger as a friend, and tried to dissolve the matter by talking it out with him, but he kept rejecting her calls. When she called at his office for an appointment, as he refused to meet her personally, she was again rejected, being told he was packed up with meetings and work.

Eshita didn’t know what to make out of it all. She didn’t think she was at fault. No one was allowed to disrespect her brother or question his love for her, not even her friend. She stood her ground. She could understand Ritvik and his anger, but she couldn’t tolerate anyone speaking against Ekansh.

Ekta reached for the back seat automatically. She usually sat beside her brother, as that place was always empty, but today she realized it was never empty, it was just waiting for someone for a few years, and now that Eshita was there, she didn’t wish to take her rightful place.

However, just as she reached to open the passenger door, Eshita too reached for the handle at the same time before pausing. The girls looked at each other, startled.

“I think you should sit in front,” Ekta said quietly, still holding onto the handle.

“I want to lay down the whole ride,” Eshita replied casually, opening the back door and jumping inside dramatically. “You sit in front,” she said, closing the door without waiting for her response.

Ekta stood frozen for a moment. For Eshita, it might have meant nothing, but for her the simple gesture felt strangely meaningful, like she was silently being allowed a place beside them instead of outside their world.

Quietly, she opened the front door and sat in beside Ekansh.

“I want to eat pizza!” Eshita ordered, sprawling across the back seat lazily.

“Something healthy if possible,” Ekansh tried to negotiate.

He noticed the small interaction between the girls, and it would be a lie if he said he wasn’t happy about it. Eshita never gave up her passenger seat for anyone. His ten-year-old sister would fight with him, their mother, or even their father just because one of them dared to sit on her reserved seat. No matter who was driving, as long as it was one of the three, she wanted to be the only one sitting beside them. So now his eighteen-year-old sister giving up her seat for Ekta warmed his heart.

He was slowly noticing the changes between the girls. They didn’t acknowledge each other’s presence openly, yet they didn’t ignore it either. They weren’t sisters or even friends yet, but they weren’t strangers anymore either.

“PIZZA!” Eshita declared like a war cry, startling him out of his thoughts.

Knowing very well he didn’t stand a chance against her stubbornness, he turned the wheel toward the pizza place anyway.

“How was your day?” Ekansh asked, changing the gear.

Ekta sighed. “Boring. Teachers were kind but I hate maths. Jo topics real life mein use nahi hote unhe kaun padhta hai? Aur woh different kind of formulas in chemistry… Ek doctor ko bhi paanch saal lagte hai apni degree paane ke liye aur yaha humse unn formulas ke naam, unka nickname, unki reaction etcetera… sab kuch ek sath yaad karne ko kaha jata hai. I just hate studies, bhaiya. Then there are  seniors of this school, recess ke time, they just surrounded me…”

“Did they do something? / Kuch kiya unhone tujhe?” Ekansh and Eshita asked together.

Ekta jumped slightly at the sudden question. The protectiveness in Ekansh’s tone wasn’t surprising, but from Eshita, who now sat up, leaning between the seats and staring at her worriedly, she didn’t know what to make of it. Why was the girl suddenly being so generous towards her?

“Arey bol na.” Eshita nudged her. “Kisi ne kuch kaha tujhe? Did anyone misbehave with you? Yaha ke seniors toh acche the… How come they turned into wild creatures? Naam kya hai unka? Did you complain to teachers...”

“Eshu.” Ekansh cut her off calmly. “Usse bolne degi toh woh kuch bolegi na, baccha.”

Eshita cleared her throat, straightening up. “I-I was just asking.”

“No one bothered me,” Ekta answered quietly. “Rishan and Siya helped me. Unhone kaha seniors acche hai, bas strict hai school ke rules ko leke as they are the president of the student council. Nothing much.”

Ekansh nodded. “You made friends?” he asked carefully.

“I don’t know.” Ekta murmured thoughtfully. “It was just a first day, bhaiya. They helped me but why and with what intentions, kisko pata? What if they ask for unexpected favors or use it against me later?”

Eshita sat back with a start, her eyes meeting Ekansh’s in the rearview mirror, the same concern reflecting in both their gazes. Taking precautions was understandable, but precautions taken at an age where one was supposed to be experiencing friendships freely was worrisome. Both siblings felt a chill run down their spine hearing the fear hidden beneath her calm words.

Ekansh gathered his thoughts, his hand resting over Ekta’s and squeezing it reassuringly. “You are right, baccha. But in the fear of them hurting you, you can’t hold yourself back, right? What’s the problem in trying to see whether they genuinely want to befriend you or not? It’s okay to stay careful, but not at the cost of isolating yourself.”

“Waise bhi Rishan and Siya aren’t bad.” Eshita chimed in softly. “I have known them for years now. They will never befriend you for their own gain. Rest, it’s your choice if you want to connect with them or not. We won’t force you.”

Ekansh nodded. Eshita had told him they were Ritvik’s siblings. He didn’t know much about the boy, and keeping aside his personal feelings regarding his sister, he trusted that his friendship with Eshita which was reason enough for him to trust Rishan and Siya with Ekta.

Ekta looked out of the window. It was not as easy as it seemed. She never had a friends because being someone’s friend came at a price for her. Memories pulled her back into the darkness…

It was a full moon night. Pale silver light filtered through the dense trees while distant voices echoed through the forest, mingling with the rustle of dry leaves and the sharp sound of branches snapping beneath hurried footsteps.

Eight-year-old Ekta ran through the empty jungle, petrified, wrapped in a long oversized T-shirt and short pants that were already battered and torn from several places. She had nothing of her own. Picking up the first clothes she found abandoned near the laundry area, she had worn them in desperation after removing the thin cloth they were always forced to wear.

She kept looking over her shoulder, terrified someone would appear behind her any second.

After two years and eight months of torture in that hell, she had finally found a way out for herself. The man was out of the city. She had overheard a few guards talking. At first she didn’t understand much, but the word “Malik” gave everything away. Relief had crashed through her when she realized he wasn’t inside the mansion that night.

Her back, still marred with fresh cane marks he had inflicted just days ago because she dropped a glass of water in fear, each scar burned painfully with every movement. But pain was better than staying there.

The mansion had cameras everywhere. Escaping was impossible, or at least that was what everyone believed. But one girl, barely fifteen, who she secretly befriended over the months, had shown her a hidden way. A narrow underground tunnel connected to the old basement storage area in the backyard. It was once built for emergency exits decades ago but remained abandoned and forgotten by most guards.

The girl helped her by distracting the guards during shift change while Ekta crawled through the suffocating tunnel, scraping her knees and elbows against the rough concrete walls. The air inside smelled rotten, damp, and stale. At one point she had almost turned back, unable to breathe properly in the darkness, but the thought of freedom pushed her forward.

And when she finally reached the broken iron gate leading outside the estate walls, she ran aimlessly, desperate. Like a wounded animal tasting freedom for the first time. She didn’t know where she was going. She only knew she had to go far enough that no one could drag her back.

Suddenly... A familiar scent of expensive oud and smoke touched her senses. She froze mid-step. Her tiny body turned cold. Slowly, she looked into the darkness ahead. He was here. She had never been so wrong for this particular thing. Two years of torture and the terror engraved into her soul didn’t allow her to forget him even for a second.

The sudden shrill echoed through her ears. Ekta spun around, her eyes widening in horror. There he was. Her nightmare. But what terrified her more was the gun resting against the head of the same girl who had helped her escape.

“Please…” Ekta pleaded, tears overflowing helplessly.

She was a fool to think she could run away. A fool to think she could go back to her father and brother. An idiot to think she still deserved the warmth of her family after everything that had happened to her.

“Kya kaha? Maine kuch suna nahi, butterfly…” His dark voice echoed dangerously calm through the forest.

Ekta flinched back. He sounded as calm, but she couldn’t ignore the fury burning inside his black eyes. That silence was always worse than his screams.

She glanced at the girl in his grip, “Us-usse jaane diji... AHHH!” She shrieked covering her ears as the loud gunshot exploded through the night.

Her body collapsed onto the muddy path. The bullet missed her by mere inches. Ekta crawled backward frantically, ignoring the sharp pebbles piercing her skin or the branches scratching her legs raw. The man walking toward her was far more terrifying than pain itself.

“You know what… tumhara problem kya hai?” he asked casually, spinning the gun between his fingers. “Tumhe ek baar mein boli hui baat jaldi samajh nahi aati.”

He crouched before Ekta, freezing her in place. His hand gripped her jaw tightly. “Ek hiran ko dekha hai, butterfly? Sher se peecha chudane se pehle woh itna toh dimaag lagati hai ki usse kitna door bhaagna hai… aur kiske saath.”

He glanced over his shoulder toward the trembling girl. “Kya pata raste mein koi aur janwar mil gaya… aur usne hi uss hiran ka shikar kar liya... Toh?”

Ekta looked around as the car came to a halt. They had reached. She stepped out quietly as Ekansh opened the door for her. Back then, she hadn’t realized what he truly meant, too consumed by fear and punishment waiting for her afterward. But later, after overhearing the girls whispering amongst themselves, she understood.

The same girl who helped her escape had revealed everything before him. In return, she was allowed to go back home. The consequences Ekta faced afterward were far more painful than the earlier punishments. She never understood why she was considered the wrong one. She hated everything they did to her. Hated herself for every disgusting touch that crawled over her skin. While the older girls slowly accepted their fate, accepted whatever was happening to them because resistance only worsened things.

Those who refused simply disappeared one by one. But Ekta remained for the obvious reasons. The girl giving away her name in selfish desperation wasn’t something Ekta could fully blame her for or forgive either. She didn’t know whether to hate her betrayal or feel relieved that at least one person escaped that hellhole alive.

But one thing became painfully clear to her that night... Trust was not something she would ever be capable of giving anyone again. Ekansh and now maybe eshita too were her last!

✨✨✨

Ekta looked around the beautiful pet café. Its interior, warm lighting, cozy corners, and aesthetic decorations fascinated her to no end. Again, she was seeing something that she had only admired through her mobile screen before. Back in Shimla, it was rare for her to step out of the house except for her brother’s café.

It was Ekansh who always forced her to step out, to experience life beyond fear, the momos they had on the street, the ice cream crashes in the snow, late evening walks, or random drives were all his ways to break the web around her. And in those moments, she let herself feel the present and forget the past. But the moment she returned to her room at night with her own thoughts, everything came crashing down all over again.

Soon she realized no matter how happy she tried to act, she would never be able to move on from her past. After all, who could truly run away from their own sins?

She brushed away her thoughts, focusing on her surroundings. The place felt peaceful, lively yet comforting in its own little way.

Eshita reached for the little kitten that brushed against her feet affectionately. She cooed at the little fluffball, “Aww!…” She gasped, startled, as the kitten was snatched away from her hands unceremoniously.

“What the fuck!” she squealed, annoyed.

Ekta ignored the vocabulary, cooing at the kitten while cradling it to her heart. “You know, baby, some people just can’t keep their hands to themselves. Despite their tragic conditions.”

Eshita stared at Ekta, mouth agape. It was the second time Ekta had taunted her. There was no bite in her words, neither any open rudeness. The words were polite without any direct context for whom they were aimed at. Everything remained within limits, and that rubbed Eshita the wrong way.

“You can’t do that…” She chided, trying to snatch the little kitten back. “Ouch!” She looked up startled as Ekansh whacked her lightly. He had gone to receive a call, when did he come back?”

“Kya kar rahi hai? You are allergic to cat fur.” Ekansh scolded, taking the seat across them. “Bhool gayi hai toh acche se yaad dila du?”

Eshita rubbed her shoulder. That iron-clad hand was the bane of her existence. A small adorable pout adorned her lips. “I love cats, bhaiya. Aapko toh pata hai na. Ek baar touch karne se kuch nahi hoga. Pretty please.” She added cutely while batting her eyelashes.

Ekansh glared her down. “Main tujhe yaha se ghar tak apni car ke peeche bhaagte leke jau… I guess usse bhi kuch nahi hoga.”

Eshita leaned back in the chair, crossing her arms over her chest. The threat was impossible hypothetically, her bhaiya couldn’t be cruel, but he could definitely be mean, and the alternative of what might happen with her. She was least interested in finding out. The best option was to sulk, and she was.

Ekansh shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t believe his sister. She loved cats, he understood that, but he wouldn’t allow her to pamper them at the risk of her health.

Ignoring the sulking look, he glanced at Ekta. “Kya khayegi bata?”

Ekta shrugged, running her finger through the head of the tiny kitten in her arms. Again, the contrast in Ekansh’s tone, one moment stern and filled with unmistakable warning, and the very next moment soft as melting ice cream, she was yet to get used to it completely.

“Anything is fine. Aap jo karoge wahi,” she said quietly.

“What nonsense!” Eshita scoffed, snatching the menu card from Ekansh. “Agar inke bharose rahi toh diet salad milega. Tu order kar jo tujhe karna hai.”

Again, she felt a weird irritation at Ekta’s casual dismissal. Eshita remembered when she was sixteen, despite her fights with her father, she never neglected her need for food. She ate whatever she wanted in whenever she needed. Vanya sneaked in extra cheese burgers, frankies, shakes, and whatnot at any given time.

And here Ekta was, all calm and detached as if she didn’t care. The girl looked so thin and fragile, like one strong wind and she would fly away. She should eat more. Food was life!

“Aaj tu jo order karegi, main bhi wahi khaunga,” Ekansh said softly as Ekta stared at him blankly.

He had been trying everything from his side to make Ekta come out of the web trapping her. Maybe he was trying too hard, or maybe not correctly. Whatever it was, he was ready to change and do what he could to help her.

He was done seeing her always gloomy and emotionally withdrawn. Maybe with the support of Eshita, a little bit of her chaos, and his constant presence, they could help Ekta find herself again.

Ekta reached for the menu card. That was her first time seeing so many options. Pizza, burgers, she had never eaten any in Ekansh’s café, as they weren’t available. The options of sweets, puffs, noodles, pasta, and home-cooked meals were her only familiarity.

So the images on the menu card felt foreign, yet she went through them all and ordered whatever looked interesting in the pictures.

Ekansh slid the menu toward Eshita, who looked around the place while avoiding him completely. “Come on, tell me what you will have.”

Eshita ignored him. “I am not hungry.” Back to her sulking mode.

“ESHITA!”

Eshita glared at him. “What? Gussa aa raha hai? Mujhe bhi aata hai.”

Ekansh’s glare hardened. “Don’t force me to pull your ears here in front of everyone.”

“You won’t dare to. I am an adult.”

Ekansh gave her a charming smile. “Then for heaven’s sake start behaving like one.”

“You are annoying!” Eshita huffed.

“And you are impossible,” Ekansh countered.

“Aap...”

“I am hungry,” Ekta intervened dryly while feeding the kitten biscuits, “If you are done with your typical ego warfare. Can we please order?”

Ekansh and Eshita’s heads snapped toward her in perfect sync. Her words were wrapped in such deadpan sarcasm and unexpected sass that it surprised them, and somewhere relieved them too, that she was finally acting like herself rather than an emotionless shadow.

Ekansh rose to his feet, leaving to order for both the girls while knowing exactly what Eshita preferred, while Eshita scrolled through her phone. For the first time ever, Ekansh and Eshita found themselves stepping back.

Both of them never needed reasons to find words. Eshita didn’t like Ekansh’s dictating side, and Ekansh didn’t like his sister’s stubbornness. Eventually both ended up arguing, forgetting their surroundings or the place. It was always their parents who had to intervene and calm the matter down, with both siblings storming in opposite directions.

But today it was different. They stopped just for Ekta. The girl Ekansh loved and called his sister, and the same girl Eshita no longer felt was a stranger but something more. Her heart acknowledged it even if her mind refused to.

✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Your take on Ekta’s past… Was the girl who helped her right or equally broken by circumstances?

Your take on the siblings together?

Your thoughts on Eshita taking steps towards Ekta? Will they find a new beginnings or again go back to square one?

✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Please do share your views!

Next Update: Friday!

Thanks for reading!!!

 

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