Arjun clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white. The deep marks on his hand throbbed with pain, but it was more than physical hurt. Each pulse seemed to awaken old memories, pulling them from the shadows of his mind and making them sharper, more alive. It had all been real. There was no illusion, no trick of his tired mind. That girl was real, and the tangled, unfinished past connected to her still haunted him, refusing to fade away.
Lost in these heavy thoughts, Arjun walked slowly towards the threshold of his home. The familiar scent of the house greeted him even before he stepped inside. As he pushed open the door, Ranjana's sharp eyes immediately noticed the injury on his hand."What happened, brother?"
she asked, her voice filled with concern and surprise. "Did some dog bite you? Don't take it lightly. Go and get the rabies vaccine as soon as possible."
She paused for a moment, then added with a hint of complaint, "You left without telling any of us. Would we have stopped you if you had informed us properly?"
Arjun tried to sound casual as he replied, "Oh, it was nothing serious. Something just pricked me, that's all. I had already told Sudhanshu before leaving. After proving my innocence in that matter, I felt the need to visit the temple for blessings. So I went to Banaras along with Kavya."
When he stepped fully into the house, a gentle atmosphere of warmth and conversation welcomed him from the drawing room. Ranjana, Sudhanshu, and their mother were sitting together comfortably. The soft clink of teacups mixed with light laughter and the aroma of freshly prepared snacks. The wall clock showed it was well past the usual breakfast hour, yet the family seemed to be enjoying this relaxed evening tea time. Arjun paused at the doorway, not wanting to interrupt their moment immediately.
"I'll join you all in a short while," he said with a small smile. "Let me freshen up and take a quick bath first. You continue enjoying your tea and conversation."
He knew the rhythm of the house very well these days. Sudhanshu was on leave until the tenth of January and spent most of his time at home. His own parents had not yet returned from their pilgrimage, so the responsibility of the house rested on the younger ones. Ranjana, now pregnant, had been advised complete bed rest by the doctor due to some complications. Their mother remained busy caring for her daughter throughout the day. The presence of the young couple brought a lively energy to the house, keeping both mother and daughter's spirits high and their minds occupied with happy moments.
Yet Arjun chose to remain shut inside his room for the entire day. He spoke very little to anyone. Whenever he immersed himself in his work or thoughts, the family members carefully avoided disturbing him.
They feared breaking his concentration. However, this same silence and growing distance created an unspoken loneliness deep within him. It was a heavy feeling he carried alone, unable to share it with anyone despite how desperately he sometimes wished to open his heart.
Quietly, Arjun picked up his mobile phone and typed a short message to Sudhanshu. He requested him to bring some snacks upstairs and sit with him for a while in the room.
Within minutes, Sudhanshu entered with a loud, hearty laugh that filled the quiet space. Full of carefree energy, he said, "Oho, Mr. Big Shot! Now you will send messages to me even when I am right here in the same house?"
His voice carried pure mischief, and his eyes sparkled with playful joy. The remark, though light, did not sit easily on Arjun's troubled mind.
Sudhanshu pulled up a chair close to Arjun and continued teasing him. "You went off to celebrate the New Year all by yourself without us, and now that you're back home, you can't even talk to the person sitting right in front of you?
You have to send a message instead!"There was far more affection than real complaint in his tone. It was the kind of gentle ribbing shared only between close friends or brothers.
Sudhanshu knew exactly how to break through Arjun's wall of seriousness with humor and friendly leg-pulling. His cheerful nature acted like a ray of light cutting through the heavy silence that had settled in the room.
In a dramatic voice, Sudhanshu went on, "Don't play these message games with me at home, brother. I am your real friend, not some phone buddy. Now tell me, how did you suddenly remember me today?"
Arjun gently pulled him to sit on the bed beside him and spoke more seriously. "I have something important to share with you. That is why I called you here privately. Otherwise, I would have told it to everyone downstairs in front of all."
Sudhanshu's eyes widened with mock surprise. "Don't tell me you and Kavya got married secretly without informing any of us?"
"First listen to me properly," Arjun said, slightly irritated but smiling. "You always jump to conclusions so quickly. Give me a chance to explain, my dear brother."
Sudhanshu stretched out lazily on the bed, making himself comfortable. "Alright, alright. I am listening. Tell me your full Ramayana story. I am eager to hear why you kept it so secret."
With a deep breath, Arjun narrated the entire incident in detail — his unexpected meeting with Shreya on the train, the rush of old emotions, the events that unfolded, and everything that followed. He left nothing out.
Hearing the full account, Sudhanshu sat up straight, his expression changing. "So this bite mark on your hand is from her?"
A mischievous grin soon spread across his face. "And now you are showing off this love token so proudly!" He was clearly enjoying the moment. "
I am your friend, not a phone buddy. That is why you remembered me, right?"
Then, turning dramatically serious, he added, "Now it has become even more important to get that injection. An animal's bite might be survived with luck, but a human bite?
It doesn't even ask for water. Humans are truly the most poisonous creatures on this earth."
Arjun lost his patience and playfully jumped on him. "I didn't ask for your long lectures or wisdom!"Their loud voices and laughter echoed through the house. Soon, both Mother and Ranjana came hurrying upstairs into Arjun's room.
"What is happening here?" Mother asked in a sharp, scolding tone, looking directly at Arjun.
"Sudhanshu is not just your friend anymore. He is also your brother-in-law. At least show some respect for that relationship!"
Before Arjun could say anything, Sudhanshu chuckled and replied quickly, "He is actually showing respect for that relationship. Otherwise, all my bones would have been broken by now."
Ranjana smiled warmly and said, "Let it go, Maa. These two have never really grown up. Whenever they meet, they always end up doing some childish nonsense."
Mother sighed deeply. "You both are adults now. It is time to leave this childish behavior behind." With these words, mother and daughter went back downstairs, leaving the two friends alone again.
Arjun glared at Sudhanshu. "Did you enjoy announcing everything to the whole house?"
Sudhanshu, still grinning, replied, "No, I am actually searching on my phone — what kind of infections can spread from a human bite?"
Arjun shook his head in disbelief. "You will never change. It would have been better if I had told the entire story downstairs directly to everyone."
Sudhanshu insisted in a serious tone, "They would have also told you to get a tetanus shot, just like me."
From downstairs, Mother's voice could be faintly heard. "Will someone please tell happiness the address of my house?
Ranjana is happy and settled in her married life. If Arjun's life also comes back on the right track, I will happily go and take a holy dip in the Ganga."
Ranjana comforted her mother gently. "You worry too much without reason, Maa. Things are finally starting to improve in brother's life."
By now, Sudhanshu had become serious. He looked at Arjun thoughtfully and said, "You are right. Shreya must have been the one who posted all those letters from Vardhman. But after her clash with you, I believe she has probably left that place already."
The room fell into a thoughtful silence once again. Arjun stared at the ceiling, feeling the faint throb in his injured hand. It served as a constant reminder of the girl who had suddenly re-entered his life, turning his emotions upside down. The past was calling him back with unfinished promises and unresolved feelings.
In that quiet moment, a new and uncertain chapter of his life seemed to be waiting just ahead — full of questions, yet impossible to ignore any longer.
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