𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆

PART-2

Jai Ganga maiyaan ki = Glory to the mother, river Ganges.

-*-*-

With trembling fingers, the stranger wiped the tears from her cheeks. She lifted her gaze to face the girl and spoke in a hoarse, hesitant voice, “Do you believe in destiny?”

"Huh?" The girl’s lips parted slightly.

The stranger's eyes shone with unshed tears, and her voice trembled. "Do you think it’s all pre-written? That our future is already scripted, no matter what we do?"

The girl blinked as a breeze stirred the nearby grass, tickling her ankles. Brushing the dust from her kurti, she stood and walked a few paces toward the riverbank. "I... don’t really know," she said. "But I think our choices shape where we end up... even if the starting line isn’t ours to pick." She looked over her shoulder, smiling at the stranger.

The stranger’s gaze fixed on the girl as she pushed herself up and approached her companion. "Do you believe in that saying, every dog has its day?" she whispered. "Because I’ve seen people born in dirt... and then die in dirt."

The girl tightened her lips, eyes lowering before locking back onto the figure ahead. "Life’s like that, isn’t it?" Her nose scrunched. "We can’t change the circumstances we’re born into, but we can choose how we deal with them. Sometimes, that’s the only hope we’ve got."

The stranger scoffed. "Yeah, hope. Hope for something, only to watch it fall apart one day."

The girl bit her inner cheek. A silent pause hung between them before she offered a forced smile. "Hope’s what gives our suffering some meaning."

The stranger looked down at the clay path, her eyes tracing footprints faded by the veil of time. "We always think things will get better," she murmured. "But for so many, they never do. They die clinging to a false sliver of hope."

The girl folded her arms across her chest, eyes fixed on the ground. She lifted her head, narrowing her eyes at a faint beam of light flickering in the distance. "Hope can be a double-edged sword," she whispered. "It gives us strength, but it can also lead to disappointment." She walked a few steps forward, her eyes lingering on that distant glow. "Hope isn’t about ignoring the darkness. It’s about finding light within it. About choosing to see beauty… even when it’s hard to find."

The stranger’s eyebrows furrowed as she followed the girl’s gaze. They stood quietly for a moment, surrounded by the distant hum of the sleeping town and the gentle murmur of the river.

"I want to believe you," the stranger whispered. "I really do." Her throat tightened as fresh tears pooled up.

The girl turned, facing the stranger with a warm smile. Without a word, she extended both arms and wrapped the stranger in a gentle embrace.

The stranger’s tears soaked into the girl’s shoulder.

The girl stroked her hair in slow, steady motions. She didn’t try to offer words of encouragement or consolation—just held her closer, a quiet reminder that humanity was still alive in this world.

Gradually, the sobs softened into sniffles and shaky breaths. The stranger took the handkerchief offered by the girl, wiping her face and blowing her nose. Her eyes were swollen and red from constant crying. "Thank you," she whispered in a hoarse voice.

The girl smiled. "You’re welcome." Her hand continued caressing the stranger’s back. "Sometimes we just need someone to remind us we’re not alone."