NEXT MORNING
Padmini ji and her team of helpers began the preparations for the Raksha Bandhan puja.
Siddhant gently shook Aditi's shoulder. "Oye choti, uth ja! Aaj Rakhi hai!"
(Hey little one, wake up! Today is Rakhi!)
Aditi stirred, pulling the blanket over her face. "Bhaiyya, sone do na... aur paanch minute..."
(Brother, let me sleep... just five more minutes...)
Siddhant chuckled. "Paanch minute? Agar tu abhi nahi uthi na, toh main teri saari chocolates kha jaunga!"
(Five minutes? If you don't wake up now, I will eat all your chocolates!)
Aditi's eyes snapped open. "Kya?! Aap meri chocolates nahi kha sakte! Main uth rahi hoon!" She sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Happy Rakhi, Bhaiyya!"
( What?! You can't eat my chocolates! I'm waking up! Happy Rakhi, Brother!)
Siddhant grinned, ruffling her hair. "Happy Rakhi, meri pyari behna! Ab jaldi se ready ho ja, Dadi is waiting downstairs."
( Happy Rakhi, my dear sister! Now get ready quickly, Dadi is waiting downstairs.)
Padmini ji watched this exchange from the doorway, her face beaming. "Dekha Siddhant? Meri Aditi kitni pyaari hai. Chocolate ka naam sunte hi uth gayi!"
(Did you see, Siddhant? My Aditi is so lovely. She woke up as soon as she heard the name of chocolate!)
A large brass thali sat in the middle of the room, piled high with an array of colorful rakhis, sweets, and fresh marigold and jasmine garlands.
Aditi, with a newfound sense of purpose, sat beside her grandmother, meticulously arranging the puja items.
"Dadi," she said, carefully placing a small diya in the center of the thali, "What happens if a brother and sister can't be together on Rakhi?"
Padmini ji paused, a gentle smile on her lips. "Then, beta, they send their love through a letter or a small gift. It is the feeling that matters, not the distance. The thread of Rakhi is not just a physical thing; it is a bond of protection and love that connects them, no matter where they are."
Aditi nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. She looked at the rakhis, her mind wandering to her brothers and the special bond they shared.
Padmini ji, dressed in a beautiful silk saree, moved gracefully from one room to another, ensuring everything was perfect.
The brothers, Siddhant and Abinash, were dressed in crisp kurtas. They sat in the puja room, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Rajendra,and Rajnath with other family members were also present, their faces radiating a sense of quiet joy.
Aditi, wearing the new dress she had picked from the market the day before, entered the room, carrying the beautifully decorated thali. She looked at her brothers, a shy smile on her face.

(Her outfit)
First,Avinash stood a little apart from his boisterous brothers, his hands in his pockets. He was the quiet one, the serious one. While the others were laughing and teasing Aditi, he watched her with a gentle, almost imperceptible smile.
When it was his turn, Aditi knelt before him, a small, worried frown on her face. "Bhaiyya, aap itne serious kyun ho?" she whispered, as she tied the red and gold rakhi around his wrist.
("Brother, why are you so serious?")
Avinash didn't say anything, but his serious demeanor softened as he looked at her. He carefully took a small, wrapped box from his pocket and placed it in her hands. "Happy Rakhi, Aditi," he said, his voice low and steady. "I hope you like this."
(Happy Rakhi, Aditi. I hope you like this.")
Aditi just nodded
then turned to Siddhant. She gently tied the rakhi around his wrist, a thread woven with her love and prayers. Siddhant, in return, gave her a small box, a token of his promise to always protect her.
As she tied the rakhi on Abinash's wrist, he was still sitting stiff with his dark eyes but his eyes softened as he looked at aditi he also took out a small bok of gift wrapped in golden coloured gift wrap
Finally, she tied the rakhis on the two youngest brothers, Vihaan and Vijay, who immediately handed her a new cricket bat. "Ab hum roz garden mein cricket khelenge, promise!" Vihaan said.
( "Now we will play cricket in the garden every day, promise!")
That wasn't all for Aditi and her brothers. After all the rakhis were tied and the gifts were exchanged, Aditi looked at Siddhant with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Bhaiyya," she said, pulling out his phone. "Photos to click hi nahi kiye! You have to take my pictures."
( "Brother, we haven't clicked any photos! You have to take my pictures.")
Siddhant chuckled, a practiced photographer among them. He grabbed his phone and started clicking Aditi's photos, instructing her to pose here and there. "Smile Aditi! Waise bhi, aaj tum bohot hi khoobsurat lag rahi ho!" he praised, capturing her joyful expressions.
("Smile Aditi! Anyway, you are looking very beautiful today!")
Soon, Sid, joined in, taking a few professional-looking shots on his phone. Avinash and Abinash, even though usually quiet, took their turns, trying to get the best angle. Vihaan and Vijay, the youngest boys, didn't want to be left behind and took goofy selfies with their sister. The living room was now a makeshift photo studio, filled with the happy sounds of cameras clicking and Aditi's delighted laughter.
Later that evening, after the festivities had settled, Dadi Padmini ji found all her grandsons engrossed in their phones. "Yeh kya kar rahe ho sab?" she asked curiously.
("What are you all doing?")
Siddhant looked up, a wide smile on his face. "Dadi, hum sab ne apni phone ka wallpaper change kar diya hai," he explained, holding up his phone to show her. His lock screen was a beautiful picture of Aditi, her smile radiant.
( "Dadi, we all have changed our phone's wallpaper.")
One by one, the other brothers showed Dadi their phones. Sid had a classy picture of Aditi laughing, while Avinash's screen displayed a thoughtful shot of her tying his rakhi. Abinash, Vihaan, and Vijay all had different pictures, each one a testament to their love for their little sister. Dadi's heart swelled with pride and happiness. This was a Raksha Bandhan she would never forget, and she knew her grandsons had the perfect reminder of it right in their pockets.
There photos




Their photos



Her outfit