VARANASI
A boy sat quietly on the staircase at the ghat, around eleven years old. His name was Anant, and he was watching his mother, Heer, as she talked to his uncle, Abhay.ย
The soft hum of their conversation drifted towards him, but Anant's attention was pulled away by a sudden noise behind him. His older brother, Shiv, was arguing with someone, sounding angry.
Curious, Anant turned around to see Shiv in a heated argument with a small girl.
"What is wrong with you, huh? You spilled lassi on me, and now you're showing attitude!" the girl shouted in her childish, high-pitched voice.
"What do I do if you don't know how to walk properly?" Shiv shot back, his tone defensive. The girl's mouth opened, ready to snap back, but before she could get a word out, Shiv stuffed a handful of chips into her mouth to silence her.
Just then, another girl approached from behind and gently took the angry girl's hand. "Come on, Naina, we have to go for the Ganga aarti. Don't fight. I'll buy you a new glass, okay?" she said, trying to calm her down.
ย Anant couldn't help but stare at the second girl, captivated by her gentle manner, while Shiv gave him an exasperated side-eye.
The girl led Naina away, her small hand still holding hers, and as they walked off, Anant smiled at Shiv. "What?" Shiv asked, raising an eyebrow. Anant just shook his head and went back to his mother, holding onto her sari's Pallu.
Heer noticed her son's expression and knelt down, gently asking, "What's wrong, Anant?"
Tilting his head adorably, Anant replied, "Can I go watch the Ganga aarti, pretty please?"
Heer smiled. "Alright, but go with Karan Chachu, and take Shiv with you. You'll get lost otherwise."
Anant's heart filled with excitement, but it wasn't just the aartiโhe was eager to see that girl again.
The Ganga aarti began, with the sound of bells and hymns filling the air. Anant, holding Shiv's hand tightly, looked around, trying not to lose himself in the crowd.
ย Karan, their uncle, was keeping a watchful eye on them, wondering what the two boys were up to.
Suddenly, a soft jingling sound caught Anant's attentionโa payal melody from somewhere in the crowd. His heart raced, and he let go of Shiv's hand without thinking, running toward the sound.ย
He pushed through the crowd, weaving between people, his eyes searching desperately for the source of the familiar sound.
Finally, he reached the source of the noise, only to find an older lady bending down to pick up a fallen flower. Disappointed, he turned around, his heart sinking.
ย But then, he saw herโNaina and the girl, standing not far from him.
His face lit up, but before he could approach her, Shiv's voice rang out teasingly. "Anant, stop staring at girls! You should be studying with that kind of focus. Maybe look at your books with that much love!"
Anant barely registered his brother's taunt as he kept his eyes on the girl's sweet smile. She walked past him casually and, without stopping, said, "Tomorrow I'll come to the Ganga aarti. You can study for the test; I'm already prepared."
As she walked away, Anant felt a surge of excitement. He wanted to speak to her, but the chance slipped by.ย
Just as he turned to leave, something on the ground caught his eyeโa payal. Bending down, he picked it up and noticed the girl's bare ankle.
ย He called out to her, but she was too far to hear him. Grinning, he turned to Shiv and showed him the payal. "Look! I found this! I'll return it to her tomorrow. Yes!"
Karan, who had been watching everything, shook his head in disbelief. "This boy is more like Abhay than Shiv," he muttered. "Falling in love at this age..."
The next day, Anant waited eagerly for the girl to return. Hours passed, and as the Ganga aarti ended, his excitement faded into disappointment. Tears welled up in his eyes as he realized she wasn't coming. He turned to leave, disheartened, when he suddenly bumped into someone.
It was her, but her face looked sad, and her eyes were puffy, as if she'd been crying. Anant blinked in surprise and asked, "What happened?"
The girl covered her face with her small hands, her voice breaking as she sobbed, "I... I lost my payal..."
Anant smiled, his heart fluttering, and gently placed the payal in her hand. "I found it yesterday," he said brightly. "I picked it up to return it to you."
The girl looked at the payal, then up at Anant, her teary eyes wide with disbelief. Suddenly, she hugged him tightly, surprising him.
"Thank you, Mahadev! I knew it was you! Thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed, thinking it was divine intervention. Anant's face flushed crimson with embarrassment as he stood stiffly, his body tense from the unexpected embrace.
The girl pulled away and smiled at him. Anant, his heart racing, tried to compose himself as she waved and walked away.
Meanwhile, Shiv had been watching the scene unfold and muttered under his breath, "Weirdo. She can't even let her friend be happy. I swear, I'd throw her into the river if I could."
As Naina turned to leave, Shiv called out to her, "Hey, you weirdo billi! Don't ruin your friend's happiness with that sour face. Come back here!"
Naina, fuming, turned around and stormed up the staircase toward Shiv. But the slippery steps betrayed her, and she lost her balance, falling backward. Shiv, grinning, sidestepped her fall with a smug shrug. "See? You don't even know how to walk."
When she didn't respond, Shiv knelt down, mocking her. "What now? Did you die or something?"
In an instant, Naina jumped up and yanked Shiv to the ground before flipping her hair dramatically and striding away. Shiv sat up, glaring at her retreating figure. "I hate you, Naina. One day, I'm going to pull you down like that. Just wait."
As days passed, Anant and the girl, whom he affectionately called "Parvati," grew closer, often meeting by the riverbank. They spoke about everything, yet they never exchanged names.ย
Meanwhile, Shiv and Naina continued their feud, exchanging nothing but glares and snarky remarks.
One day, Parvati came to Anant, her face streaked with tears. "I lost my dad," she said in a soft, broken voice. Anant's heart ached for her.ย
Gently, he asked if she knew the way home. When she nodded, he took her hand and said, "I'll walk you there. Just tell me the way."
Parvati gave him a small, grateful smile. As they walked hand in hand, Anant spotted a large, crowded market ahead. He stopped and looked at her seriously. "Hold on to me tightly, okay? You don't want to get lost in the crowd."
In the midst of the bustling marketplace, eleven-year-old Anant held tightly to Parvati's hand. They moved through the crowd, weaving between adults and street vendors. But in a moment of chaos, a group of people jostled past them, and their hands slipped apart.
Anant's heart leapt in his chest. He spun around, desperately calling out for her, but the sounds of the market drowned out his voice. Panic surged through him as he pushed his way through the crowd, frantically searching for her small frame.
Just then, a tap on his shoulder made him stop. He turned to see Karan, his uncle, looking stern. "Anant, I told you not to run off. Where's your brother?" But his expression softened when he saw the tears in Anant's eyes.
Karan knelt down, gently cupping Anant's face. "What happened, Anant?"
Anant collapsed into his arms, crying. "I lost her, chachu! She'll get lost! Please help me find her!"
Though Karan tried to comfort him, Anant was inconsolable.
Abhay, Aditi, and the others were all concerned by his crying. Abhay questioned Shiv, but he was clueless about her name.ย
Just then, Pooja, Anant's grandmother, exclaimed, "Why are you people so tense over his tantrums? This little monster is seeking attention. A couple of firm slaps and off to bed with him. This boy is nothing but a bad omen for our home, a bloody devil, just like his father."
Anant was devastated by her words. Although accustomed to such treatment since childhood, it still pained him at that moment. Abhay was deeply concerned.
He was taken home, but he spent the night crying, his heart heavy with the fear that his Parvati was lost and alone.
Meanwhile someone called out that girl crying between the street. "Aparnaaa." She turned back to look at Naina holding a torch.
Both Anant and Aparna fell ill with fever that night, their hands still warm from the last time they held each other. Aparna, unable to sleep, took out a small diary, leaving a handprint on one of its pages, where she wrote, "Mera Prem."
Anant awoke suddenly, his heart heavy. Glancing at Shiv, who was sleeping beside him, he whispered, "It was all just a dream...
Next day they left Banaras leaving behind Anant's heart on someone he didn't even knew properly.
What will happen next? Will these two meet again? What will Shiv do for his revenge?
To know keep reading The Crowned Hearts.
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