Keifer's POV — Arrival in Kolkata
The moment the airplane wheels touched the runway, a strange tightness settled in my chest.
I don't know why.
Maybe it was the humidity fogging the windows…
Maybe the endless stretch of lights outside…
Or maybe it was the way Eces had been quiet the entire descent, fingers wrapped around her pendant again.
No jokes.
No teasing Keiren.
No arguing with Percy's obsession with checking his reflection in the dark phone screen.
Just silence.
---
The airport was loud — louder than any place I'd been before.
Voices overlapped, announcements echoed, trolley wheels rattled across the floor. Section E immediately woke up.
"Bro it smells different."
"Not bad different."
"Spicy different."
"Why is it warm at night?!"
Jay laughed softly beside me, but I noticed she stayed closer than usual.
Then I saw him.
A man standing near the exit gate holding a white board.
SOFIA
I looked at Eces.
She walked straight toward him.
The man noticed her and smiled slightly — not surprised, not curious… like he already knew she'd come today.
She stopped in front of us and gestured calmly.
"Everyone, this is Krish."
He nodded politely.
"Car is ready."
That was it.
No questions.
No introductions.
Just certainty.
---
Outside, warm air wrapped around us instantly. Even at night the city was alive — horns, bikes, lights, people moving everywhere.
We split into cars.
The moment the vehicle started moving, Section E glued themselves to the windows.
"LOOK LOOK LOOK"
"Are those yellow taxis?!"
"Why are shops open at midnight?"
"Dude that tram is real???"
"BRO THERE'S A COW—"
Jay laughed. Keiren almost climbed into the front seat just to see better. Percy kept fixing his hair using the rear-view mirror reflection.
But Eces?
She wasn't looking outside.
She was looking at the roads… memorizing them.
Not like a tourist.
Like someone checking if everything was still where it should be.
---
After almost an hour, the city slowly quieted. The roads widened. Buildings grew fewer.
Then the car turned through the iron gates.
And stopped.
Everyone stepped out.
No one spoke.
In front of us stood a massive mansion — tall pillars, wide balconies, dim golden lights glowing across the walls, surrounded by an enormous courtyard.
Denzel whispered,
"…we're not visiting this place right?"
Keiren looked at Eces.
"…don't tell me—"
She smirked.
"Close your mouths, guys."
She turned toward the entrance.
"This is where we're staying."
---
No one moved for three whole seconds.
Then chaos.
"WHAT?!"
"YOU OWN THIS?!"
"THIS IS NOT A HOUSE THIS IS A PALACE"
"ECES WHAT ARE YOU?!"
I didn't speak.
I was watching her.
For the first time since we met… she looked completely at home.
---
We entered.
At the doorway Eces slipped off her shoes without thinking.
We copied her.
Inside smelled faintly of sandalwood and old wood — not dusty… maintained.
The hall opened into a huge living area. Everyone collapsed onto couches immediately, still overwhelmed.
Krish looked toward Eces.
"I will come later."
She simply nodded.
He left.
And the door closed.
Silence filled the mansion.
And for some reason…
It didn't feel empty.
First Night in the Mansion
We were still staring around the hall when soft footsteps approached.
A middle-aged woman in a saree came from the corridor and spoke gently,
"Khana tayyar hai."
( Dinner is ready.)
Everyone froze.
Section E collectively turned to Eces.
She stood up as if this was routine.
"Let's eat dinner."
---
The dining hall was almost as big as our entire apartment back home. A long wooden table was already set — steel bowls, small plates, and dishes giving off warm fragrant steam.
The smell alone made Drew whisper,
"I'm suddenly starving."
We sat.
Immediately the questions started.
"Okay what is THIS?" — Yuri pointed.
"And this?" — Felix leaned forward.
"Why are there so many bowls??" — Mayo panicked.
Eces calmly answered each one.
"Dal."
"Sabzi."
"Paneer."
"Roti."
"Rice."
She said the names like memories instead of explanations.
---
But before touching the food, she turned toward the maid.
"Maasi, bhog lagaya ?"
The maid smiled warmly and nodded .
Eces gave a small nod.
Everyone stared.
Jay blinked. "What did you ask?"
Eces pulled her chair in casually.
"…Nothing."
She reached for the plate.
---
Then she stopped us.
"No — wait."
She demonstrated carefully:
How to break the roti.
How to mix dal with rice.
How much sabzi to take.
Even Percy, who normally refuses new food, copied her exactly.
"Hands?" Kit asked nervously.
Eces smirked slightly.
"You can use spoons… but this tastes better."
After five seconds…
All of Section E was eating with their hands.
---
"BRO THIS IS GOOD."
"WHY IS THIS GOOD."
"SPICY BUT GOOD."
"I CAN'T STOP EATING."
"PASS THE PANEER."
Laughter finally filled the mansion.
For the first time since landing, Eces relaxed a little — not smiling fully, but watching everyone eat… quietly satisfied.
And I realized…
This wasn't just dinner for her.
This was something she needed us to share.
After Dinner
Just when I thought dinner was over, the same maid returned — this time carrying small bowls filled with round brown sweets soaked in syrup.
The moment she placed them on the table, a warm sugary aroma spread everywhere.
Denzel leaned closer.
"…that looks dangerous."
Eces glanced at us.
"Gulab jamun."
Felix picked one up carefully with the spoon.
"It looks like a donut drowned in tea."
"Eat first. Talk later," she said calmly.
---
Five seconds later —
"OH MY GOD."
"WHY IS IT SO SOFT?"
"IT MELTS."
"BRO THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER HAD."
Even Percy forgot about his face for a moment.
Jay laughed, watching everyone panic-eat the dessert while trying not to look too desperate.
Eces didn't eat fast.
She just quietly finished hers… like she already knew the taste.
---
After dinner we all moved back to the couches in the hall.
Everyone looked half-sleepy, half-happy.
"That was insane." — Rory
"I forgive India for the flight." — Drew
"I can live here." — Calix
Then Josh suddenly sat up straight.
"Okay important matter — teach us Hindi."
Everyone agreed instantly.
"Yes."
"We need survival words."
"Emergency words too."
Eces sighed… but the corner of her lips lifted.
"Fine."
---
She folded her arms and started like a teacher.
"Start simple."
Namaste — Hello
All together:
"Namas-tay."
She shook her head.
"Na-mas-te."
They repeated again.
Better.
---
Shukriya — Thank you
Kit: "Shook-ria?"
"No."
"Shu-kri-ya."
Blaster dramatically bowed to the maid passing nearby.
"Shukriyaaa."
The maid giggled.
---
Paani — Water
Drew: "Punny?"
"Paa-ni."
He nodded seriously.
"Vital information."
---
Khana — Food
Everyone remembered that instantly.
---
Acha — Okay / good
Eman kept repeating it every ten seconds.
"Acha… acha… acha…"
Eren pushed him. "Stop testing the word."
---
Jay leaned closer to Eces.
"Teach something useful for danger."
Eces paused a second before answering.
"…Bas."
"What does that mean?"
"Stop."
Something in her tone made me notice — just for a moment — she wasn't joking.
But then Felix tried to say "Bahut accha" and completely butchered it, and chaos returned again.
The mansion echoed with laughter long into the night.
Room Arrangements
After the Hindi lesson turned into pure chaos and laughter, Eces finally stood up and clapped once.
"Enough. You all should rest."
Immediate protests.
"My body is in three time zones."
"I blink and it becomes tomorrow."
"I think my brain is still on the runway."
She ignored every single one.
"Come. I'll show you the rooms."
---
The mansion felt even larger at night.
Golden lights ran along the long corridor upstairs, and our footsteps echoed softly against the marble floor as we followed her.
She stopped at the first door.
"Ci-n and Rakki."
Door opened — silence — then
"THIS IS BIGGER THAN MY HOUSE."
We moved on.
"Mica and Calix."
Calix stared inside for five seconds.
"…I live here now."
"Ella and Aries."
Aries nodded seriously.
"Good airflow."
Ella pushed him in.
"Freya and Edrix."
Freya gasped loudly enough to echo.
"Percy and Honey."
Percy stepped in — stepped out — fixed his hair.
"There's a mirror. A full one. I approve."
Honey rolled her eyes and dragged him inside.
"Denzel, Grace and Grazel."
Denzel leaned on the doorframe.
"India is treating me well already."
Finally we reached the end of the corridor.
Three rooms stood there.
Eces pointed at the middle one.
"That's mine."
Then she looked to the right.
"Keiren and Keigan."
They walked in and immediately started arguing about which side of the bed was superior.
Then she looked left.
"…Keifer and Jay."
My hand paused on the handle for a moment.
Jay opened it first.
And froze.
I stepped in behind her —
The walls.
Covered.
Frames everywhere.
Jay laughing.
Jay annoyed.
Jay eating.
Jay sleeping on a chair.
Jay mid-argument.
Jay smiling when she didn't know someone captured it.
Not random.
Not newly placed.
Preserved.
All of us slowly turned toward Eces.
"…When did you even do this?" Percy asked, quieter than usual.
She didn't hesitate.
"Before I met you all."
Her gaze settled on Jay.
"This room was always hers. It stayed locked."
No one joked.
Jay walked toward her slowly… then suddenly hugged her tightly.
"Thank you.
For a brief second, Eces stiffened — then gently patted her back.
---
After the moment passed, she looked at everyone again, voice calm but firm.
"If you need anything, come to me or the maids."
Her eyes lingered on each of us.
"…And don't wander around alone tonight."
Something about the way she said it made the corridor feel colder.
One by one, doors closed.
And the mansion finally fell quiet for the night.
Night Settles In
Doors clicked shut across the hallway one after another, and the mansion slowly sank into silence.
Jay and I finally stepped inside our room.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
The space still felt unreal — warm lights, soft curtains moving with the night breeze, and those frames on the walls quietly watching over us. It didn't feel like a guest room.
It felt… kept.
Jay walked toward the wardrobe first.
"Let's see if she actually prepared everything…"
She opened it.
Clothes — neatly arranged in sizes that would fit us perfectly. Casual wear, nightwear, even extra blankets folded on the top shelf.
"She planned this way too carefully…" she murmured.
I checked the other side — toiletries, towels, even spare chargers.
Then I heard the drawer slide open.
Silence.
I turned.
Jay had gone completely red.
"…What?" I stepped beside her and looked inside.
A small packet sat there. ( Wanna guess the packet )
I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh."
Jay immediately tried to close the drawer, but I stopped it with my hand.
I leaned closer, lowering my voice dramatically.
"So… we should use it tonight?"
Her face turned even brighter.
"K-Keifer!"
I laughed softly and finally shut the drawer.
"I'm kidding. Relax."
She lightly hit my arm, still embarrassed.
---
We changed and climbed onto the bed.
The mattress dipped gently as she moved closer without saying anything. After everything — the travel, the mansion, the memories hanging on the walls — the quiet felt comforting instead of awkward.
She rested her head against my shoulder.
For a while neither of us spoke.
Just breathing.
Just being there.
I pulled the blanket over us and she instinctively held my hand.
"…Today felt strange," she whispered.
"Yeah."
"But… safe."
I looked down at her.
"Sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow."
She nodded slightly.
After a moment she leaned up, pressed a soft good-night kiss against my cheek, and settled back into my arms.
Outside, the mansion stayed silent.
Inside, we finally drifted into sleep.
++++++++++++++++++
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