A havan was set up for puja. But that's not what shocked her.
The portrait that was kept there with a garland around it shocked her.
Did they find out the truth? Did they find Eshana's body?
She looked at everyone wide eyed. Hridhaan and his family were there too.
Her parents had tears in their eyes and her younger sister too looked sad. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest.
What was happening. Why was Eshana's portrait kept there with a garland around it, indicating her death?
She stood there looking at the portrait like she saw a ghost when Manisha, her younger sister came near her and shook her to bring her out of her trance.
"Dida?"
Eshana looked at her and then back at the portrait wide eyed.
"What is happening? Ye sab? Ye kya hai?"
Manisha smiled sadly and said.
"That's not you dida. That's your twin sister."
Eshana looked at Manisha in a whiplash. Twin? Sister?
"We had another sister. I had another dida lekin mai unse kabhi mil hi nhi paayi. She is Esha dida."
And then she went on telling how when Eshana and Esha were a few weeks old, someone kidnapped Esha and ran away with her.
Eshana connected the dots and it was no genius play to conclude what happened next. The man who kidnapped the 2 weeks old Esha met with an accident and died on the spot leaving the crying Esha on the footpath.
A generous and kind tourist who was passing by picked up the baby and handed her to an orphanage where she grew up without parents thinking that she had been an orphan all her life only for a man to enter her life one day and change her life completely.
Eshana or well maybe Esha felt like she would faint with the newfound knowledge. She would have if not for Hridhaan catching her on time.
"Eshana! Are you okay? Kya hua?"
Eshana, now Esha looked at him in daze. The information was too much for her to process.
"It's okay. Thodi der room mai rest kr le. Puja shuru hone mai abhi time hai."
Her father said and Hridhaan took her to her room. He made her sit and have water. She did so with shaking hands and Hridhaan pulled her in his arms rubbing her back to calm her down.
"I-I had a twin sister."
She whispered looking at the pictures on the wall. Her eyes tearing up. That's why she never felt like a stranger there. Because it was her own family. One that she lost soon after her birth.
Hridhaan kissed her head and just kept rubbing her back.
She too sat in silence to process everything she heard and got to know.
"Who was elder? Me or her?"
She asked after some time and he sighed.
"You were the younger one. Esha was elder to you by two minutes."
Esha cried more. It was her younger sister.
"Hridhaan? What if- what if she is still alive?"
He smiled sadly and said.
"That's not possible. Maa papa looked for her two years. There was no trace of her."
The puja started and Esha went down. Everyone kept the flowers in front of the portrait and when it was her turn she sat with tears in her eyes.
She put the flowers and whispered.
"I am sorry Eshana."
Tears fell her eyes. She felt like she was cheating her sister. Taking her place and romancing her fiance.
At night when Jas came to her room and saw Esha come out of the bathroom with her eyes red and puffy she sighed.
She made her sit and said.
"Tu na hamesha mujhse puchhti thi ki Esha di agar hoti toh kaisi hoti? Aur tumhara bond kaisa hota?"
Esha looked at her curious. Eshana asked this. She thought about her.
"Aur pata hai mai kya kehti thi? That she would be the exact opposite of you. Jaise tu crazy, naughty and thodi si immature hai na bilkul uska opposite. She would be calm, mature and very loving. Aur tum dono ka bond bhut amazing hota. You would fight with each other but ek dusre ke bina nhi reh paate."
Esha smiled with tears in her eyes. She would definitely had an amazing bond with Eshana.
"Aur ab tu bilkul unke jaisi ho gyi hai. Calm, mature and loving. Maybe because you lost your memories in the accident but yes."
Jas smiled cupping her face and Esha nodded wiping her tears.
Their wedding dates were decided and the two were getting married in two months.
Sometimes Esha got so regretful and wanted to tell everyone the truth but then the thought them hating her made her selish.
"Hey!"
She said picking up Hridhaan's call with a big smile.
"Hey! I love you!"
He said and she whispered it back.
"I was thinking that we should match our outfits. You know kaafi trending hai."
He said and she was surprised.
"Wow! You want to match outfits. Usually ye ideas ladkiyon ko aate hai."
She teased and she was so sure he was scowling at the other hand making her chuckle a little.
"Achha where do you want to go for our honeymoon?"
He tried teasing but she bit her lip and asked.
"Kaha le jaaoge?"
"What about Malaysia?"
She hummed and he then said.
"Also we would leave two or three days after marriage. Toh wedding night tum yahi celebrate krke jaana chahti ho ya waha hi-"
"Hridhaan!"
She yelled with a red hue on her cheeks and heard his hearty laughter.
They teased each other for some time and Esha disconnected the call with a blush.
Her smile fell seeing the photo frame beside her bed. Eshana's.
"I am such a bad sister. I am sorry Eshana."
She whispered but before she could say more Jas entered with a smile and the two slept soon.
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