Om Parvati pataye Har Har Mahadev
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Everyone was already downstairs, bags packed, full excitement.
Ritvik tapped his foot non-stop, practically vibrating.
"Bhai ye kab aayenge?" he asked for the third time, voice full of impatience.
Dhairya folded his arms, jaw tightening with annoyance.
"Aa hi rahe honge… wait kar le thoda."
Ritvik groaned dramatically, head falling back.
"Nahi ho raha hai!" he said, irritation dripping from every word.
Right then, Shivanya rushed downstairs, adjusting her dupatta, breathing slightly fast.
Behind her, Isha and Rudraksha walked down, both calm and collected.
Ritvik's eyes lit up instantly.
"Chalo chalo! Let's go!"
Shivanya stopped him with a raised finger.
"Hello? Shrii nahi aayi."
Ritvik rolled his eyes, hand on hip.
"Toh bulao na use!"
Shivanya bit her lip, hesitant.
"Wo… actually… uth nahi rahi."
Dhairya didn't even look surprised.
Hands in pockets, dry tone—
"Mujhe toh pehle hi pata tha. Kab time par uthti hai vo?"
Ritvik smirked.
"Koi nahi… chalo uthate hain madam ko."
---
In Shrishti's Room
Shrishti was curled on the bed, hugging her pillow tightly, a soft smile on her lips… clearly dreaming something sweet.
They all walked in.
Isha leaned close, eyes narrowing.
"Ek minute… ye itna smile kyun kar rahi hai?"
Shivanya looked away guilty, caught red-handed.
"Pata nahi di… koi sapna hoga."
Dhairya folded arms, unimpressed.
Ritvik whispered, teasing—
"Sapna… ya sapnewala?"
Shivanya widened her eyes, signalling him to shut up.
Isha tried shaking her.
"Shrii uth jaa, please."
Nothing.
They tried calling, shaking, nudging, poking — nothing worked.
Rudraksha sighed dramatically.
"Impossible."
That's when Ritvik jumped.
Literally.
"IDEA!"
Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed a jug full of water—
SPLASHHHH!
Shrishti shot up, hair all over her face.
"Barish… barish… bar—"
Then she saw everyone staring.
"Aap sab yahan!?"
Rudraksha chuckled.
"Finally uthi toh sahi."
Ritvik flicked his fingers proudly.
"Tujhe bola tha na, jaldi uthna."
Shrishti glared, wiping water from her face.
"Normally utha lete! Barish karne ki kya zarurat thi!?"
Isha slapped her forehead.
"Kab se utha rahe hain! Jaldi ready ho ja!"
Shrishti grumbled and walked toward the washroom…
Stopped.
Turned.
A wicked idea sparkled in her eyes.
She lifted half the water bucket—
And THREW it at Ritvik.
SPLASH!
Ritvik froze, water dripping from his hair, face blank in shock.
Hand slowly sliding down his face—
"YE kya kiya, Shrii!?"
Shrishti burst into loud laughter.
"Badlaaa!"
Everyone laughed with her.
Ritvik narrowed his eyes… then noticed Shivanya laughing the loudest.
He grabbed water—
SPLASH!
Shivanya jumped back.
"MERE UPAR KYU FEKA!?"
Ritvik smirked.
"Has kyun rahi thi mujh par?"
Chaos started.
Shivanya threw water at Dhairya.
Dhairya threw on Rudraksha.
Rudraksha threw on Isha.
Soon the entire room turned into a water battlefield.
---
Sudden Silence.
Door slammed open.
Kritika entered.
Face red. Hands on waist.
Pure thunderstorm mode.
Her voice echoed—
"YE KYA KIYA SABNE!?"
All froze.
Shrishti's smile vanished.
Ritvik's hand dropped.
Shivanya hid behind Dhairya.
Kritika's eyes scanned the wet floor, drenched kids, floating towels.
"PURE ROOM KA HAAL DEKHAA HAI!?
KISNE KIYA YE!?"
Shrishti pointed at Ritvik—
"Isne kiya!"
Ritvik pointed at Dhairya—
"Usne!"
Dhairya pointed at Shivanya—
"Woh!"
Kritika yelled—
"CHUP! SAB CHUP!
AUR YAHAN SE BHAAGO!"
All youngsters scattered like pigeons — running in ALL directions.
After getting scolded, water fights, rushing around and somehow managing to get ready on time, everyone finally reached Assi Ghat for the morning aarti.
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The ghat was glowing — soft golden light spreading through the river, priests chanting mantras, the air filled with the scent of camphor and incense. The youngers quietly found a place to sit together.
The chaos of the morning slowly settled into a peaceful silence.
Isha and Rudraksha sat next to each other — not too close, not too far.
Bas ek haath ki doori, but dil ki dhadkan ekdum paas.
Isha's eyes lowered, but her smile was soft, involuntary.
Rudraksha kept his gaze on the river, but a gentle smile tugged at his lips — the kind that appears only when someone special is close.
Every time the priest moved the lamp, the soft golden light hit their faces —
and both felt the other glowing without even turning their heads.
It was a calm… sacred… quiet kind of connection
Shrishti sat peacefully, hands folded, eyes closed for a moment.
But then…
her gaze shifted to Dhairya.
Not with excitement.
Not with thrill.
But with a prarthna-like calmness.
Her eyes softened —
like she wasn't looking at him… she was looking for him.
Like his presence itself was a mandir bell inside her chest.
Ek shant si ashanti uski aankhon mein…
ek chup si duaa…
aur ek gehra sa sukoon.
Dhairya stood with folded hands, lost in the aarti — unaware of the way Shrishti watched him with a peaceful stillness in her eyes.
Just beside her, Shivanya watched Shrishti carefully.
Her expression softened — worry, protectiveness, and sister-like understanding mixing in her chest.
A sister who loved someone so silently, so purely, that it almost hurt to witness.
Shivanya's thoughts whispered in her head:
"Kaise sambhalti hogi yeh itna sab akeli?"
Meanwhile, Ritvik — sitting a little behind — noticed something strange.
Every time Shrishti's eyes softened, every time her breathing stilled in Dhairya's direction…
he caught it.
His brows pulled together.
A tiny suspicion sparked.
"Shrii ka koi scene toh nahi…?"
He shook his head quickly, brushing the thought away.
"Aise nahi ho sakta… Shrii toh—"
But then he looked again.
And the way she was looking… calm, composed, unbothered yet deeply connected…
Something shifted inside him.
He exhaled slowly and looked toward the Ganga again, trying to ignore the question the universe had just whispered into his mind.
-------
Subah ki masti, paani ki barish,
Hansi ke rang aur dilon ki khushi.
Pal jo beete aise yaaron ke sang,
Yaadon mein bas jaaye hamesha ke liye.
~~Shrii