Keifer's POV
Water dripped from my hair as I leaned back against the pool edge, enjoying one of the rare moments where everyone seemed genuinely relaxed.
The backyard was pure chaos.
Keiren was splashing everyone within reach.
Ci-n and David were arguing about who had pushed who into the pool first.
Percy was loudly explaining how he had nearly drowned despite the water only reaching his chest.
Honey was laughing so hard she almost slipped.
Even Eces looked calmer than usual, sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet in the water.
Then footsteps approached.
Firm.
Purposeful.
Not part of the chaos.
I looked up.
Krish.
He had just entered the backyard.
The moment Eces saw him, her expression changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Enough for me to notice.
"Eces."
She stood up immediately.
"What happened?"
Krish glanced briefly at the rest of us before looking back at her.
"We need to go."
The playful atmosphere faded slightly.
Eces nodded once.
No questions.
No hesitation.
"I'll get ready."
Jay frowned.
"Is everything okay?"
Eces gave a small reassuring smile.
"Yeah. There's just something I need to handle."
Before anyone could volunteer themselves, Krish spoke.
"We'll be back soon."
His tone made it clear.
This wasn't something for the entire group.
Eces understood immediately.
"So nobody is coming," she said firmly.
Keiren instantly opened his mouth.
"But Ate—"
"No."
"Just us."
That single word ended the argument before it could begin.
---
About an hour later, Eces and Krish left.
The rest of us were herded into vehicles by three local staff members Eces trusted.
Apparently, sitting around the mansion wasn't an option.
Which was how all of us ended up exploring Kolkata's markets.
And somehow...
It became complete madness.
---
The streets were alive.
Vendors shouted from every direction.
Bright fabrics hung from stalls.
The smell of spices drifted through the air.
Music played somewhere in the distance.
Everything felt vibrant.
Loud.
Alive.
Section E looked like tourists who had consumed too much sugar.
Which, honestly, wasn't far from the truth.
"LOOK AT THIS!"
"NO, LOOK AT THIS!"
"WHY IS EVERYTHING SO COOL?"
Keigan looked exhausted already.
We had been there twenty minutes.
---
Jay grabbed my hand and immediately dragged me toward a jewelry stall.
"Keifer, look!"
I smiled.
The excitement in her eyes was impossible to ignore.
She held up a bracelet.
"What do you think?"
"I think you're buying it."
She laughed.
"You didn't even look properly."
"I don't need to."
"Why?"
"Because you're already smiling."
Her cheeks turned pink.
Mission accomplished.
---
An hour later, we were still wandering through the market when familiar figures appeared.
Krish.
Eces.
And beside them—
A tiny girl.
Maybe four years old.
Holding Eces' hand.
The little girl spotted Eces first and immediately wrapped both arms around her leg.
"Didi!"
The girl pointed at us suspiciously.
"Eces, who is she?" Honey asked.
Eces smiled.
"This is Rosie."
The little girl peeked out from behind Eces.
Then immediately hid again.
Everyone collectively melted.
---
Rosie tugged Eces' sleeve.
"Didi, ye log kaun hain?" (Didi, who are these people?)
Most of Section E stared blankly.
They understood absolutely nothing.
Eces laughed softly.
"They're my friends."
Rosie nodded seriously.
Then pointed directly at me.
"Ye wale daraawne lagte hain." (This one looks scary.)
Everyone burst out laughing.
Except me.
"Did she just insult me?"
Eces nodded.
"Yes."
Jay laughed so hard she nearly fell over.
---
The market trip continued.
Rosie gradually warmed up to everyone.
Mostly because Percy bought her candy.
And because Keiren made funny faces.
---
Eventually, we reached a famous street-food area.
The moment Section E spotted food stalls, all discipline disappeared.
"Ate Eces!"
"Food!"
"Please!"
"Now!"
Eces sighed dramatically.
"You people are impossible."
---
Soon we were gathered around a pani puri stall.
Jay looked fascinated.
And slightly confused.
Eces demonstrated first.
"This goes in one bite."
Jay nodded confidently.
Three seconds later—
Her cheeks puffed up completely.
Her eyes widened.
Everyone laughed.
Including me.
I couldn't help it.
She looked adorable.
Jay pointed at me accusingly while still chewing.
I only laughed harder.
---
"You look cute."
She nearly choked.
Section E immediately started teasing.
"Kuya Keifer is flirting again."
"Someone save us."
"We're witnessing married people."
Jay buried her face in her hands.
I kissed the top of her head.
That only made everyone louder.
---
As evening approached, Keiren spotted something.
"Ate!"
He pointed excitedly.
"A temple!"
A small Shiva temple stood between several buildings.
Simple.
Peaceful.
Beautiful.
Eces looked over.
Then nodded.
"Let's go."
---
Inside, the atmosphere changed instantly.
The noise of the city faded.
The scent of incense filled the air.
Small lamps flickered gently.
Even Section E grew quiet.
Eces guided everyone respectfully.
Showing them what to do.
Explaining things patiently.
Rosie stood beside her the entire time, holding her hand.
"Didi, mujhe ghanti bajani hai." (Didi, I want to ring the bell.)
Eces smiled.
"Okay."
Krish helped lift Rosie.
The tiny bell rang.
Its sound echoed through the temple.
For some reason...
The moment felt peaceful.
Almost sacred.
---
Standing there beside Jay, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
She leaned into me naturally.
Comfortably.
Like she belonged there.
Like she belonged with me.
And watching the lamps flicker while the city moved outside...
For a brief moment, everything felt simple.
No threats.
No shadows.
No mysteries.
Just us.
Together.
Though somehow...
When I glanced at Eces, I noticed her fingers briefly touching that pendant again.
And for a second—
Just a second—
I had the feeling that whatever she had gone to face earlier that day...
Hadn't truly ended.
Keifer's POV
The peaceful feeling from the temple stayed with us even after we stepped back onto the busy streets.
For once, nobody was rushing.
Nobody was arguing.
Even Section E seemed calmer.
Well...
For about three minutes.
Then Percy pointed across the road.
"Food."
Honey followed his gaze.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes," Percy corrected.
Across the street stood a famous sweet shop, its glass displays filled with rows and rows of colorful sweets.
The moment Eces noticed where everyone was looking, she sighed.
"No."
"Aww."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
Keiren immediately switched tactics.
"Ate."
Eces narrowed her eyes.
"No."
"Ate."
"No."
"Ate."
Krish laughed.
"Just give up. Once he starts, there's no escaping."
Eces looked genuinely tempted to leave all of us there.
---
Five minutes later...
We were inside the sweet shop.
Because apparently Eces had lost the battle.
The smell alone was enough to make everyone excited.
Glass counters displayed dozens of sweets.
Rasgulla.
Sandesh.
Mishti Doi.
Cham Cham.
Kheer Kadam.
Rajbhog.
Even Jay looked overwhelmed.
"There are so many."
Eces nodded.
"Welcome to Kolkata."
---
Rosie immediately tugged Eces' hand.
"Didi, mujhe rosogolla chahiye!" (Didi, I want rasgulla!)
Eces looked down.
"Pehle poochho." (Ask properly first.)
Rosie puffed her cheeks.
"Didi, mujhe rosogolla chahiye please." (Didi, I want rasgulla please.)
"There you go."
Krish chuckled.
"Ab mil jayega." (Now you'll get it.)
Rosie grinned victoriously.
---
Nobody else understood a word.
Keiren blinked.
"What did she say?"
"She wanted rasgulla."
"Then why didn't she just say rasgulla?"
"Because she was speaking Hindi."
"Oh."
A pause.
"Oh."
---
Soon plates started appearing.
The first victim was Percy.
He took a bite of rasgulla.
Then froze.
Then took another bite.
Then another.
Then another.
Nobody heard from him for almost a full minute.
Honey stared.
"Did sweets finally silence him?"
"It's a miracle," Calix said.
---
Jay tried mishti doi next.
The moment she tasted it, her eyes widened.
Keifer smiled immediately.
"You like it?"
"It's amazing."
"You've said that about everything today."
"Because everything is amazing."
I laughed and gently wiped a small drop of yogurt from the corner of her lip.
Her cheeks immediately turned pink.
Across the table, Section E collectively groaned.
"There they go again."
"Married people."
"Someone save us."
Jay buried her face against my shoulder.
Which only made them tease harder.
---
Meanwhile, Rosie had somehow climbed into Eces' lap.
She sat there happily eating tiny pieces of sandesh.
"Didi, yeh bhi le lo." (Didi, take this too.)
Rosie held up half of her sweet.
Eces blinked.
Then accepted the tiny bite dramatically.
"Wah. Rosie ne mujhe apna sweet diya." (Wow. Rosie gave me her sweet.)
Rosie looked proud.
Very proud.
Krish laughed.
"Ab toh tum special ho gaye." (Now you've become special.)
"I know."
---
Watching them together was strange.
Not bad.
Just different.
The Eces we knew was calm.
Disciplined.
Protective.
Sometimes intimidating.
But with Rosie...
She looked younger.
Softer.
Like someone carrying fewer burdens.
Even Keigan noticed.
His eyes followed every interaction.
Every smile.
Every laugh.
Every time Rosie grabbed Eces' hand.
I noticed.
And judging from the grin forming on Keiren's face...
He noticed too.
---
"Ate."
Dangerous.
That tone was dangerous.
Eces looked up immediately.
"What?"
Keiren pointed between Keigan and Eces.
Nothing else.
Just pointed.
Keigan nearly choked on his drink.
Eces looked completely unimpressed.
"Finish your sweet."
Keiren looked disappointed.
---
Eventually several boxes of sweets were packed.
A lot of boxes.
Far too many boxes.
Apparently everyone had decided they needed souvenirs.
And backup souvenirs.
And emergency sweets.
And travel sweets.
And mansion sweets.
And just-in-case sweets.
---
By the time we finally left the shop, the sky had begun turning orange.
Golden sunlight stretched across Kolkata's streets.
The city looked beautiful.
Warm.
Alive.
Comfortable.
For a little while, everyone simply walked together.
Talking.
Laughing.
Sharing sweets.
Taking pictures.
Rosie sat on Krish's shoulders now, happily pointing at random things.
"Dekho! Dekho!" (Look! Look!)
"Kya dekhein?" Krish asked. (What should we look at?)
"Woh!" (That!)
Unfortunately, "that" could have meant literally anything.
---
Jay slipped her hand into mine as we walked.
I intertwined our fingers automatically.
She smiled.
"Tired?"
"A little."
"Want to go back?"
She shook her head.
"No."
Then she leaned slightly against my shoulder.
"I like this."
The city lights were slowly beginning to appear around us.
The crowd moved past.
The air smelled faintly of spices and sweets.
And for a moment...
I liked it too.
A lot.
But as we reached the vehicles waiting nearby, I glanced toward Eces.
Only for a second.
She was smiling at something Rosie was saying.
Yet her hand drifted unconsciously toward her pendant again.
Just briefly.
Just long enough.
And something told me that whatever had happened earlier at that house with Krish...
Neither of them had told us everything.
Not yet.
++++++++++++++++++
Sorry for late update ...