Author's Note / Blurb:Some days are ordinary… until they're not.
Ryu thought she was just attending a school function, but wearing her mother's jewelry and stepping into tradition awakens more than just memories. Between the teasing glances of friends, the soft tinkle of her payal, and the quiet intensity in Rey's eyes, she realizes some connections can't be ignored—or forgotten.
The night before the big function was buzzing with nerves. Maya's voice cracked through the phone.
Maya:
"I can't decide what to wear, Ryu! They said traditional, rooted. Do I go full-on Punjabi or just simple kurta?"
Ryu:
"I haven't even practiced my speech yet... I'm nervous." Her voice was low, anxious. "Rey will be there."
Maya (teasing):
"Ohho! So that's the reason for the butterflies? Well then, look your best, bring food, and don't forget to blush like you always do when he looks at you."
They both laughed, easing the pressure of tomorrow.
At Night – Ryu's Home
Ryu searched the old trunks for something ethnic. Nothing felt right. That's when her uncle gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
Uncle:
"Come with me."
He took her to her grandmother's room. There, in a small wooden box wrapped in red cloth, lay a pichoda – old, crimson, but gleaming like it had soaked the light of every moon her ancestors had seen.
Grandmother (softly):
"This belonged to your mother... and before her, to me. Now, it's yours."
Ryu's throat tightened.
Then her aunt came in, placing a shimmering set of jewelry beside her.
Aunt:
"Wear these. Tell your friends they're fake if they ask... but remember, these are real. Every piece a married woman wore. These once belonged to your mother too."
Ryu touched each one — nath, bichuwa, mangalsutra, payal, kangan, maang tikka — and more imagined her mother in them, dancing, praying, smiling. Her eyes welled up.
Just then, Arjun stepped in and silently handed her a delicate silver-gold bracelet. A hathphool. The chain felt warm, powerful, as if her mother had touched it moments ago.
Arjun (quietly):
"She used to wear it while praying to your Kuldevi. Now, you will."
Ryu hugged the gift to her chest.
Morning – Before School
Draped in a soft pink saree, Ryu stood outside her house. Her back was ready, hair braided with gajra, her payal gently tinkling.
She closed her eyes and folded her hands.
Ryu (praying):
"Kuldevi... let me carry Maa's strength today. Let them see her in me."
Ravi's Car – Picking Up Maya, Aakash & Ryu
Maya, glowing in a mustard Patiala suit, earrings swaying, teased Ryu the second she stepped into the car.
Maya (smiling):
"Oye hoye, Garhwali princess! Pink saree? Kya baat hai! Whose heart are you planning to melt today?"
Ryu blushed, glancing down.
Ravi (complimenting):
"You look... beautiful, Ryu."
Ryu (POV):
His words felt kind, but not heavy. Like a flower offered without expectations.
Aakash (POV):
She looks like a photo come alive. There's pain in her eyes too. That sadness... she carries someone with her today.
Arjun (POV):
Why the hell is she wearing that on a school day? These idiots won't understand the value. I shouldn't have let her go like this.
His jaw tightened. He didn't speak, just stared ahead with clenched fists.
At School – Class 11 C
As soon as Ryu entered, heads turned. The jingling payal caught attention even before her steps did.
Classmate (whispering):
"She looks like a bride..."
Maya (teasing):
"Arey dulhanji, where are your bangles today? Or are you saving them for Rey?"
Ryu quickly tucked her hand behind her saree. She hadn't worn the gold jewelry — not yet. She kept them in her bag, to wear only during the dance.
Ryu (POV):
It felt too much. Too real. What if someone recognizes them? But Maa would've wanted me to wear them today.
Rey (POV):
Pink suits her. She's... glowing. Why does it hurt to look at her like that? Is that... sadness on her lips? Or is it just me imagining things again?
He looked away, jaw twitching.
Ryu's POV (when she saw Rey in traditional Kumaoni clothes):
The moment her eyes landed on him, something shifted.
Rey stood tall , wrapped in a pink kurta with a muted red Kumaoni stole resting on his shoulders — proud, rooted, and effortlessly regal. His sleeves were rolled up just enough to show the silver bracelet on his wrist, the one he always wore but somehow now looked different — more personal, more powerful.
He doesn't look like a classmate... he looks like a memory from an old folk song, Ryu thought, her breath catching quietly.
She hadn't expected it to hit her like this — the way the traditional look suited him too well, like he had always belonged to stories of stone temples, warrior spirits, and wild mountain rains.
Her payal jingled as she quickly looked away, cheeks warming.
But something inside her had already looked back... and smiled.