Author pov..

From the very next day, Rahul began waking up early.

He started getting ready on his own-putting on his clothes without being told-and leaving for school with a quiet sense of responsibility.

Slowly, a genuine friendship grew between him and Deepak

Before they even realized it, the two became inseparable, hardly ever leaving each other's side.

They did fight sometimes, but those were only small, childish arguments that never lasted long.

Ishani and Divya also spoke to Deepak at school whenever they found a little free time.

Rahul didn't like that very much-not yet. Somewhere inside, it bothered him that Ishani had become Deepak's friend too.

Still, he kept those feelings to himself, unable to say a single word.

Soon, Raksha Bandhan was approaching.

Every year, Rahul would give Divya some kind of gift, using the money his mother gave him.

But this time was different.

This time, he saved money on his own, little by little, because he wanted to give Divya a gift bought with his own hard-earned savings.

And then, at last, the day of Raksha Bandhan arrived.

Rahul and Divya sat together, all dressed up and ready.

With a soft smile, Divya tied the rakhi around Rahul's wrist.

As soon as she finished, she stretched out her hand and said impatiently, "Now bring my gift."

Rahul pretended to act innocent. "What gift?" he asked.

Divya rolled her eyes. "The same one you give me every Raksha Bandhan. Give it to me quickly-we still have to go to Deepak's house. I have to tie rakhi to him too."

Rahul teased her on purpose, making silly excuses and jokes.

Slowly, Divya's smile faded and her irritation took over. "Fine,"

She snapped, standing up. "I don't want your gift anymore. I'm leaving."

That was when Rahul finally gave in.

He handed her the gift at the last moment.

Divya took the box, opened it eagerly, and found a wristwatch inside.

Her face instantly lit up with happiness.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "Mom must have given you extra money this time. That's why you bought such a nice gift."

Just then, Rahul's mother walked in and said calmly, "No, I didn't give him any money this time. He bought this gift for you with his own savings."

Hearing this, both Divya and Devnath were stunned.

Divya looked at Rahul in disbelief and then laughed, saying, "Papa hit him just once and he changed so much! Papa, you should slap him every month or two-his mind will stay in the right place."

Everyone burst out laughing, but Rahul didn't find it funny. Anger flared inside him.

He grabbed Divya by her hair and pulled it, snapping, "Don't talk too much, you witch!"

Immediately, Rani stepped in and said firmly, "Enough. Don't fight today. Divya, weren't you going to Deepak's house to tie rakhi? Go now."

Divya nodded. "Yes, Mom. Ishani was supposed to come with me, but she didn't."

Her mother replied gently, "If she didn't come, then you go to her house instead."

Divya walked ahead, and Rahul followed right behind her.

He wanted to meet Deepak too.

Noticing him, Divya turned and asked, "Where are you going?"

Rahul replied casually, "I'm coming too to my friend's house."

Divya simply nodded, and together they reached Ishani's home.

Inside, Ishani was busy tying a rakhi on her brother Vaibhav's wrist.

Malini, Ishani's mother, noticed Divya and Rahul standing there.

"Oh, come in, both of you," she said warmly, leading them to the sofa and asking them to sit.

Then she went inside to bring snacks.

Divya looked at Ishani and said, "So, you're done? You've tied the rakhi already?"

"Yes, yes, all done," Ishani replied lightly.

But Ishani didn't notice that Vaibhav was quietly watching Divya.

He liked her. Whenever she came to their house, his heart felt strangely light and happy.

Just then, Malini returned with snacks. Rahul's eyes immediately sparkled.

Without a second thought, he grabbed his favorite sweet-the soft, white chhena mithai-and started eating it eagerly.

Seeing him like that, Divya shot him a sharp look. Rahul instantly felt embarrassed and slowed down.

Noticing this, Ishani smiled and said, "Go on, eat. There's plenty at home."

Rahul shook his head gently and said in a soft voice, "No... this much is enough for me."

Ishani looked at Rahul carefully.

Dressed in a kurta-pajama, he looked unusually nice soft, neat, and quietly charming.

A small smile curved on her lips as she said teasingly, "Today, Rahul is looking very handsome."

The moment those words reached him, Rahul's heart began to race thump, thump.

His ears slowly turned pink, betraying the sudden storm of emotions inside him.

Malini noticed too and smiled. "Yes," she added warmly, "today Rahul does look very handsome."

Before Rahul could even process it,

Divya scoffed, "Aunty, please he looks exactly like a monkey."

Hearing this, anger flared inside Rahul. His fists tightened, and his smile vanished. Still, he stayed silent.

In front of everyone, he swallowed his words, letting the feeling burn quietly inside him.

Divya's comment made everyone burst into laughter.

Even Vaibhav laughed something so rare that it stunned them all.

He was usually calm, strict, and disciplined, never one to laugh openly like that.

Divya, Ishani, Malini, and Rahul all turned to look at him in shock, as if they couldn't believe what they had just seen.

Realizing himself, Vaibhav quickly controlled his laughter.

His face hardened again, and without another word, he started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Malini called out. "Wait. At least get a rakhi tied by Divya before you leave."

The moment Vaibhav heard that-rakhi, and that too from Divya panic flickered in his eyes.

He immediately pulled out his phone and said hurriedly, "Mom, my friend is calling. I have to go."

Before anyone could stop him, he rushed out of the room.

Malini watched him go and understood everything.

He likes Divya, she thought, smiling to herself. But they are still too young.

When they grow up, I'll ask for Divya's hand for him.

Divya stood there, still shocked, wondering why he had run away so suddenly.

Vaibhav's strict nature always made her a little nervous, and his sudden escape only added to her confusion.

Breaking the silence, Malini turned to Ishani and said gently, "Ishani, you tie the rakhi to Rahul. He's like a younger brother to you."

"Yes, Mom," Ishani replied softly, stepping forward.

A rakhi... and that too from Ishani.

The moment Rahul heard those words, it felt as if his soul had been torn out of his body.

His chest tightened, his thoughts went numb.

He didn't know what to do, but one thing was painfully clear he could not let Ishani tie a rakhi on his wrist.

Not her. Never her.

Just then, Rahul's mother arrived at Ishani's house and said, "Divya, you forgot to take Deepak's rakhi. You left it at home."

Everyone turned to look at Rani. In that moment of distraction, Rahul quietly slipped away.

Divya slapped her forehead lightly. "Ohh, I forgot, Mom. Thank you for bringing it. What would I have tied if you hadn't come?" she said, laughing.

Rani smiled teasingly and said to

Malini, "See, Malini ji? You never know where this girl mind is wandering."

Divya made a face. "Mom, seriously-you start criticizing me everywhere!"

"Be quiet," Rani replied playfully.

Watching their lighthearted argument,

Malini smiled and said, "Ishani, Divya, go quickly and tie rakhi to

Deepak."

"Yes, Maa," Ishani replied.

Then Ishani suddenly noticed something.

She looked around and asked, "Where is Rahul? Where did he go?"

Everyone looked around Rahul was nowhere to be seen.

A moment later, outside, Rahul let out a deep breath of relief and muttered to himself, "Saved today... otherwise Ishani would have become my sister."

He shuddered and added under his breath, "Ugh... what a terrible thought."

Malini, Rani, Divya, and Ishani searched the entire house, but Rahul was nowhere to be found.

A faint worry settled in Divya’s heart.

She stepped outside to look again and there he was, standing quietly near the gate, as if waiting for something.

Divya frowned and asked, “What are you doing here? We’ve been looking for you everywhere inside the house.”

Rahul replied casually, “Papa had called me, so I went to him.”

Divya looked at him suspiciously. “How did Papa call you? He hasn’t even come inside Ishani’s house.”

For a moment, Rahul froze.

Then, without missing a beat, he made up an excuse. " I needed to pee, idiot. I couldn’t do that at their place, so I went home.”

Divya’s expression hardened. “Then why did you lie to me? You could have just told me the truth.”

Rahul sighed, slightly irritated, and said, “Okay, okay, you want to know everything. Don’t act like my mother now. Come on are we going to Deepak’s place or not?”

Divya shook her head. “Yes, yes, we’ll go. Wait I’ll just call Ishani and bring her along.”

And with that, she turned back inside, leaving Rahul standing there.

Divya returned with Ishani by her side.

Together, the three of them

Divya, Ishani, and Rahul caught an auto-rickshaw and headed toward

Deepak’s house.

It wasn’t very far, but that day they were dressed in their best clothes, so they chose the auto instead of walking, afraid that too much walking might ruin their clothes.

Within a short while, they arrived.

After paying the driver, they stepped out and walked toward Deepak’s home.

Deepak’s house wasn’t very nice.

His father had died because of his addiction to alcohol, leaving behind a broken silence that never truly left the walls of the house.

All Deepak had now was his mother alone, struggling, yet strong who took care of both herself and her son.

She went from house to house, sweeping and mopping floors, doing whatever work she could to earn a living.

Because there was never enough money, Deepak owned only one school uniform.

It had grown a little tight on him now, as his height slowly increased.

His clothes were often dirty and torn, and because of that, no one at school wanted to befriend him.

Loneliness followed him everywhere.

It was for the same reason that he once fought with Rahul.

Deepak believed Rahul had refused friendship because of his clothes.

But the truth was different.

Rahul hadn’t rejected him because of how he looked Rahul simply didn’t want to be friends with anyone at that time.

Now, things have changed.

The misunderstandings had faded, the anger had softened, and the two boys stood as good friends stronger than before, bound not by appearances, but by understanding.

Divya knocked on the door of Deepak’s house.

Deepak’s mother opened it, and the moment she saw them, her face lit up with happiness.

With warmth in her voice, she said, “Come in, children. Deepak has been waiting for you for so long. He got ready early this morning and kept saying,My friends are coming, my elder sisters will tie a rakhi on my wrist today.’”

Ishani smiled and replied, “Yes, that’s exactly why we’ve come to tie a rakhi on our dear brother with love. Please call Deepak.”

Deepak’s mother nodded. “Of course. Sit down on these chairs. I’ll call him right away.”

The three of them sat down. A moment later, Deepak came running in, grinning from ear to ear.

As he smiled, his broken front tooth was clearly visible the same tooth Rahul had accidentally broken earlier.

Even now, a new one hasn’t grown in its place, making him look like a little cartoon character.

He was dressed in a kurta-pajama, looking neat and proud.

Deepak exclaimed, “Didi, why did you take so long to come? I’ve been waiting for you for such a long time!”

Divya and Ishani laughed softly and said, “Alright, alright, sorry we got late. Come on, let’s tie the rakhi.”

Rahul sat quietly in a corner, watching everything in silence the rakhi being tied, Deepak’s shining happiness, and the gentle warmth filling the small room.

Deepak’s mother soon brought snacks for everyone.

After tying the rakhi, Ishani said politely, “Aunty, there’s really no need for all this. We’ve already eaten at home; we’re completely full.”

Deepak’s mother, whose name was Rajni, smiled affectionately and replied, “How can that be? You’ve come to my house for the first time how can I let you go without feeding you? I’ll make a proper meal. You must eat before you leave.”

Divya quickly said, “Aunty, you don’t need to work so hard. We only came for a little while. Please don’t trouble yourself.”

But the love in Rajni’s eyes said she wouldn’t hear some bonds, after all, are built not on wealth, but on warmth and heartfelt care.

After Rajni insisted again and again, the three of them finally agreed to stay for the meal.

Just then, Deepak brought out his Rakhi gifts for Ishani and Divya two Dairy Milk chocolates worth ten rupees each.

The moment they saw them, both girls smiled, their happiness mixed with tears.

Such a small gift, yet so precious.

Their eyes filled with emotion as they thought about how deeply Deepak loved them.

With an innocent smile, Deepak said, “Didi, when I grow up, I’ll give you much better gifts. For now, this is all I have.”

Divya and Ishani quickly replied, “For us, this gift itself is more than enough, Deepak. We don’t need anything else.”

Deepak simply smiled, his eyes shining.

After that, he proudly showed them around his small home, pointing out every corner with excitement.

A little while later, Rajni brought the food she had cooked with so much care paneer curry, pulao, and puris.

Seeing such delicious food, Deepak’s happiness knew no bounds. Soon, everyone sat down together to eat.

Rahul remained quiet. He wasn’t someone who mixed easily with people.

Deepak was his good friend, but seeing the condition of his friend’s home today made something firm inside Rahul’s heart.

He realized that he would always help Deepak in some way or another.

This time, he decided, he would save more money and buy Deepak a new school uniform the old one had already torn.

They talked and laughed as they ate.

It had been a long time since Rajni shared a meal so freely and warmly.

Usually, her days were spent working endlessly, listening to scoldings in the houses where she cleaned and scrubbed floors.

But that day was different.

Today , her heart felt light with true happiness.

And Deepak was on cloud nine.

After finishing their meal, the three of them talked for a long time. Soon, it was time to leave.

Ishani waved goodbye and said, “Bye, Deepak. We’ll meet at school tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, Didi,” Deepak replied, smiling brightly.

They said their goodbyes and stepped out of Deepak’s house.

By the time they caught an auto and reached home, evening had settled in.

Ishani went off to her own house, while Rahul and Divya headed home together.

As soon as Rahul entered his house, he noticed someone familiar sitting there his grandmother, Nirmala, had arrived from Lucknow.

The moment he saw her, his face lit up with pure joy.

He ran toward her and shouted, “Daaaadiiiii!”

Hearing his voice, Nirmala turned around, her eyes filling with happiness.

Rahul hugged her tightly. She laughed softly and said, “Oh my child, do you have any idea how much I missed you?”

Rahul smiled and replied, “I missed you so much too, Dadi.”

Divya walked in just then and said playfully, “I missed you too, Dadi though this monkey here didn’t miss you as much as I did.”

Nirmala dadi laughed and said warmly, “Yes, my dear baccha , I missed you too. Come, give me a hug.”

Divya went forward and hugged her, her face glowing with happiness.

Devnath and Rani stood there, watching the three of them with fond smiles.

Rani then said, “Alright, since the grand reunion is over, let’s get Dadi’s room ready. It’s not set up yet.”

Hearing this, Nirmala said teasingly, “Daughter-in-law, what are you doing? Making my grandchildren work? You do it yourself.”

As soon as she said that, Devnath burst out laughing and said, “Now that Ma has come, Rani, she’ll make you work properly.”

Rani rolled her eyes and replied with a taunt, “Her son already makes me work enough what more will she make me do? Come on, help me set up her room. You see, Maa ji won’t let her grandchildren do any work, and I won’t manage everything alone. Did you hear that?”

Devnath folded his hands dramatically and said, “Yes, yes, my dear

wife whatever you say will be done exactly that way.”

Hearing this, Rahul and Divya burst into laughter, their laughter echoing through the house and wrapping the moment in warmth and light-hearted joy.

The house echoed with laughter, light teasing, and warmth proof that with Nirmala’s arrival, the home had once again filled with life and love.

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