VANYA'S POV

Dadi sa announced, "We'll head to Bagru this afternoon."

As I served breakfast, Maa sa tried to convince her otherwise. "But Maa sa, stay a few more days."

Twisha added, "Yes, Dadisa. Why can't you stay longer?"

Dadi sa replied, "We've been here over a week, and I have important work waiting for me."

Baapu sa nodded, saying, "Yes, Maa sa. Don't worry, everything will be ready." He exchanged a glance with Rudransh, who gave a slight nod in agreement.

After bidding farewell to everyone, we set off for Bagru, this time with just me, Rudransh, Dadi sa, and Tara.

I was in the car with Rudransh, and after two hours of sleep, I woke up.

"Are we home yet?" I asked.

"Just half an hour more," he replied.

I turned to the window, taking in the peaceful scenery outside.

Rudransh suddenly broke the silence. "You know, I thought the view was beautiful... until I looked at you."

"You're so cheesy," I laughed.

"Yeah, Vanya, then go ahead and 'lick' me," he teased with a smirk.

My cheeks flushed red. How does he come up with these things? I quickly said, "Just focus on driving, please."

Outside, the fields stretched endlessly, roads empty, and a calm atmosphere surrounded us. But suddenly, Rudransh hit the brakes hard, making us both bounce slightly.

I looked at him, tense. "What happened?"

"There's something on the road," he said, his gaze fixed ahead.

I leaned forward and saw a large black bag lying in the middle of the road, big enough to block our way.

Rudransh glanced at me. "Stay in the car," he instructed, then stepped out. I felt a little uneasy, watching him as he made a call.

After a few moments, Dadi sa's car pulled up behind us.

Rudransh got back in the car, his face serious but calm. "It's taken care of," he assured, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.

With Dadi sa's car behind us, we started moving again, but a lingering unease hung in the air as we continued our journey to Bagru.

We reached home late at night, and Taisa was there to welcome us, having taken care of everything. After a quiet dinner, Rudransh and Tauji went to study, no doubt to discuss the incident from earlier.

I went to my room and changed into a kurti. Sitting by the window with a book, I tried to distract myself, but my mind kept returning to the unsettling events of the day.

After some time, there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Tejveer standing there.

"Come in, Devarsa," I said with a smile.

"I hope you're doing fine, Bhabhi Maa. You're okay, right?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I'm good, Devarsa. Just can't stop thinking about the incident. Do you know anything about it?" I replied, my voice laced with curiosity and unease.

Tejveer hesitated, his expression turning tense. "Bhabhi Maa... it's nothing serious, really."

"Please, Tejveer, if you know anything, tell me," I insisted.

He seemed reluctant but finally spoke. "It was a dead body on the road. We don't know whose it is yet. Bhaisa and Baapusa are taking care of it."

The mention of a dead body sent a chill down my spine. Just then, I heard Rudransh's voice from behind. "What are you doing here?"

Both of us turned to find him standing in the doorway. Tejveer quickly tried to cover up, "Nothing, Bhaisa. I was just telling Bhabhi Maa that she'd be bored here, so I suggested she could use the library."

I glanced at Tejveer, and he gave me a pleading look, knowing full well that Rudransh would be upset if he knew he had told me about the incident. Rudransh approached, his gaze sharp. "Anything else?" he asked, his tone colder now.

Tejveer shook his head quickly. "No, Bhaisa. Nothing else."

Rudransh gave a curt nod, "Then goodnight." He began to turn away, but Tejveer, with a dramatic sigh, said, "Look, Bhabhi Maa, he always does this to me! I just want to spend time with you too."

Rudransh shot him an annoyed look, but I intervened. "Let him stay. I want to talk to him too."

Rudransh, clearly irritated, replied, "He has nothing to do at any time. He can catch up with you in the morning. Don't worry."

Tejveer muttered, "I hate you, Bhaisa," as he left, blabbering to himself. I turned to Rudransh, feeling a little frustrated. "Why did you do that to him? He's innocent."

Rudransh stopped, his eyes locking onto mine as he closed the door. His expression was unreadable, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the room.

As the silence hung in the air, I looked at Rudransh and couldn't help but tease him a little to lighten the mood. "You know," I said with a mischievous smile, "if I didn't know better, I'd think you're trying to keep all the attention on yourself."

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh, trust me, Vanya, I don't need to try. I already have all your attention."

I chuckled softly, shaking my head at his confidence. "Is that so?" I teased, crossing my arms. "Because, from where I stand, you still have a lot to prove."

Rudransh leaned in slightly, his gaze intense but playful. "Oh, I'm just getting started," he said, his voice low and steady.

"If you're looking for a challenge, Vanya, you've come to the right place."

His words lingered in the air between us, making my heart race just a little faster.

Rudransh leaned in slightly, his voice soft. "Sometimes, the best things happen when you least expect them."

I looked away, my heart racing. "I'm not one to fall easily."

He chuckled. "I wasn't talking about falling, Vanya. I meant finding something worth keeping."

I met his gaze. "We'll see if it's worth keeping."

He smiled, a spark of intrigue in his eyes. "We will."

****

The next day, when I woke up, Rudransh wasn't in bed, as usual-gym freak, I noted. I didn't realize how much time had passed, and before I knew it, it was afternoon.

Neither Tauji nor Rudransh had returned, and I was starting to feel a sense of tension creeping in. Deciding to clear my head, I went to the library.

The library was filled with a huge variety of books, but today, my mind was elsewhere, and I didn't know what I was looking for.

My hand brushed against an old, dusty book, hidden behind a pile of forgotten pages. The book had faded, burnt edges, and I could barely make out the name

"Sarpanch Bheemsen" written on the cover. The date suggested that Bheemsen had been the Sarpanch when Tauji was still a child.

Excited by the idea of reading something hidden away for so long, I decided to give it a try. Most of it was hard to understand, but I was determined to keep going.

After reading four or five pages, I learned that the village had once been filled with talented artists, known for the best sadi work in all of India.

People from all over came here for business ideas, but the villagers were narrow-minded and refused to leave their own home.

Just as I was getting into it, I heard Tara calling my name.

"I'm here, Tara!" I called, stepping out of the library.

She came running toward me, looking slightly out of breath. She started saying.

Tara came running with excitement, her face glowing. "Baisa, there's a cute little girl in the garden, running here and there! She's so adorable!" she exclaimed, jumping happily.

I sighed and slapped my forehead. "Tara, you scared me! I thought something serious had happened."

I decided to check the garden, thinking it might help clear my mind.

In the garden, I saw a little girl chasing butterflies, laughing loudly. I walked up to her and asked, "Who are you, cutie?"

She gave me a big, toothy smile but didn't say anything. I looked at Tara and said, "Maybe she doesn't know how to speak yet."

The girl grabbed my hand and pulled me to play with her. Her innocent smile made me join her, and we started chasing butterflies together.

After some time, she sat in my lap, looking tired but happy. I asked Tara to get her something to eat and check if anyone was looking for her.

Just then, a woman came running. "She's my daughter, Baisa. I left her here to play," she said, a little out of breath.

"You shouldn't leave her alone. She could have gotten hurt," I said gently.

"I'm sorry, Baisa. It won't happen again," she replied.

I waved goodbye to the little girl and went back inside. The sun was setting, and the garden became quiet again.