Chapter 28

The afternoon had settled into a quiet warmth under the banyan tree.

Dust lay soft and loose on the ground, marked with old lines from games played earlier. The shade shifted slowly, covering the boys as they gathered again—like they always did, without needing to call each other.

Ram dropped down first, stretching his legs.

“Kal tu gir gaya tha yahin pe,” he said, pointing at Samay with a grin.

(You fell right here yesterday.)

Samay rolled his eyes and sat down beside him.

“Tumne dhakka jo diya tha,” he shot back.

(You were the one who pushed me.)

Ram laughed.

“Haan, toh? Jeetne ke liye sab karna padta hai.”

(So what? You have to do anything to win.)

Girish was already sitting, drawing a rough circle in the soil.

He looked up.

“Aaj kya khelna ka irada hai?”

(What are we planning to play today?)

Ram shrugged.

“Kuch bhi. Tu toh waise bhi khelne nahi aata, bas…” he paused, smirking, “bachchi sambhalne aata hai.”

(Anything. You don’t even come to play, you just come to… take care of the baby.)

Samay burst out laughing.

“Haan, sach mein. Isko dekhne hi aata hai.”

(True. He comes just to see her.)

Girish didn’t argue.

Instead, he turned slightly.

Behind him, Gauri sat on the ground, both hands planted firmly, trying to balance herself—as if she wanted to stand but didn’t trust herself yet.

Her bangles clicked softly.

She looked up.

At no one in particular.

Then at everyone.

---

Ashutosh noticed first.

She wasn’t looking around randomly anymore.

She was watching.

Following.

Choosing.

---

Samay leaned forward.

“Aaja… mere paas,” he said softly, extending his finger.

(Come… to me.)

Gauri blinked.

Then slapped the air once.

Ram laughed immediately.

“Dekha? Isko lagta hai aise karne se tujhe chot lagegi.”

(See? She thinks doing that will hurt you.)

Girish leaned closer.

“Nahi… yeh samajh rahi hai. Aur mana kar rahi hai.”

(No… she understands. And she’s refusing.)

Ashutosh spoke from behind them.

“Samajh nahi rahi. Bas dekh rahi hai.”

(She’s not understanding. She’s just observing.)

All three turned.

Ram raised an eyebrow.

“Toh tu jaise sab samajhta hai?”

(Oh, so you understand everything?)

Ashutosh didn’t reply.

He stepped forward instead and sat down, a little apart from them.

---

Gauri shifted.

Her hands pushed forward.

One small movement.

Then another.

She crawled—and almost tried to stand.

Slow.

Unsteady.

But straight.

Toward them.

---

“Arre…” Samay whispered.

“Dekho, aa rahi hai.”

(Look, she’s coming.)

Ram sat up straighter.

“Idhar aaja, idhar…”

(Come here…)

He tapped the ground.

Gauri stopped.

Looked at him.

Then turned.

Toward Samay.

Then—

toward Ashutosh.

---

Without hesitation.

She moved again.

Straight to him.

---

Ram groaned dramatically.

“Phir se!”

(Again!)

Samay laughed.

“Isko tu hi dikhta hai bas.”

(She only sees you.)

Ashutosh frowned.

“Bakwas mat karo.”

(Don’t talk nonsense.)

But he didn’t move away.

---

Gauri reached him.

Her tiny hand landed on his hand.

Held it.

Tight.

---

“Chhod…” Ashutosh muttered, trying to pull slightly.

(Leave…)

She didn’t.

Instead, she looked up at him.

Directly.

Her mouth moved.

Like she was trying something.

Forming something.

---

“Arre…” Ram leaned closer.

“Bolne wali hai kya?”

(Is she going to speak?)

Samay grinned.

“Bol na… bol…”

(Say it… say it…)

Girish watched quietly.

Waiting.

---

Gauri opened her mouth again.

A soft sound came out.

Broken.

Unclear.

“aa…”

She paused.

Then tried again.

“aa…shu…”

---

Everything stopped.

---

Ram blinked.

“Sunna tumne?”

(Did you hear that?)

Samay’s eyes widened.

“Phir bol!”

(Say it again!)

Gauri looked at Ashutosh.

Smiled.

And said it again.

“aa…shu…”

---

Ashutosh froze.

Completely.

---

Ram slapped his thigh.

“Arre wah!”

(Wow!)

Samay burst out laughing.

“Isne tera naam bol diya!”

(She said your name!)

Girish’s expression shifted.

Slightly.

Not anger.

But something close.

---

“Yeh toh galat hai,” Ram teased.

(This is unfair.)

“Hum itni der se baith ke hain, aur naam iska…”

(We’ve been sitting here so long, and she says his name…)

Samay added, laughing,

“Isko tu hi dikhta hai bas.”

(She only sees you.)

---

Ashutosh finally spoke.

Slow.

Confused.

“Isko mera naam kaise pata?”

(How does she know my name?)

Ram smirked.

“Roz sunti hogi, budbak.”

(She must hear it every day, idiot.)

Samay leaned closer to Gauri.

“Bol—Ram bol…”

(Say Ram…)

Gauri stared at him.

No response.

---

“Samay bol…” he tried again.

(Say Samay…)

Nothing.

---

Ram laughed harder.

“Nahi bolegi.”

(She won’t say it.)

“Isko bas Ashu bolna hai.”

(She only wants to say Ashu.)

---

Girish finally spoke.

“Naam se kya hota hai?”

(What difference does a name make?)

His tone was calm.

But tighter than before.

---

Ram looked at him.

“Matlab?”

(What do you mean?)

Girish shrugged.

“Waise bhi…” he paused, then said simply,

“Yeh meri hone wali hai.”

(She is going to be mine.)

---

Silence.

Short.

But sharp.

---

Samay stopped smiling.

Ram looked between them.

Ashutosh didn’t react immediately.

But his hand—still near Gauri—tightened slightly.

---

“Phir se bol,” Ram said, half curious, half amused.

(Say that again.)

Girish didn’t hesitate.

He looked directly at Ashutosh.

“Main le jaunga ise jab yeh badi hogi.”

(I will take her when she grows up.)

---

Gauri, unaware, slapped Ashutosh’s leg again.

“aa…shu…”

---

Something shifted.

This time—

no one laughed.

---

Ashutosh looked at her.

Then at Girish.

Then said quietly,

“Abhi toh yeh yahin hai.”

(Right now, she is here.)

---

Ram exhaled slowly.

“Arre yaar, tum dono…”

(Come on, you both…)

But he didn’t finish.

Because the air had already changed.

---

In the distance—

Siya’s faint cry rose again.

Thin.

Almost forgotten.

---

Samay glanced once.

Then looked away.

Ram didn’t even turn.

---

Gauri leaned forward again.

Toward Ashutosh.

Holding onto him.

As if nothing else in the world mattered.

---

And for the first time—

Girish didn’t smile.

---