The Heart's Unexpected Twist

•||EPILOGUE||•

The night of Durga Puja hummed with energy, a kind of rhythm that seeped into the very air Sahil and Shruti breathed.

The streets were alive, lit up with strings of fairy lights that hung like stars fallen to earth. Crowds moved in a slow, unhurried dance through the narrow lanes of the mela, as the sound of drums and temple bells echoed from a distance, mingling with laughter and excited chatter.

Sahil and Shruti moved hand in hand, their fingers entwined in an unspoken promise, as they roamed through the vibrant marketplace.

Every corner seemed to pulse with life-the scent of incense and marigolds filled the air, blending with the sweet aroma of jalebis frying in giant vats.

The stalls were lined with brightly colored bangles, shimmering saris, and delicate jhumkas that sparkled like the stars above.

Shruti's eyes lingered on a pair of silver jhumkas, the little bells swaying gently in the soft evening breeze, catching the golden light of the festival.

Sahil noticed her gaze, the way her eyes softened as if she was hearing a melody only she could understand. Without a word, he led her to the stall.

"Do you like them?" he asked, his voice low, as though not wanting to break the magic of the moment.

Shruti smiled, a smile that was soft and full of warmth. "They remind me of my childhood. My mother used to wear something like this during the festivals." Her voice was quiet, thoughtful, the words hanging between them like a shared secret.

Sahil didn't hesitate. He reached out and gently picked the jhumkas up, handing them to the vendor with a quick exchange of notes.

Then, turning to Shruti, he held them out as though presenting her with something far more precious than a pair of earrings.

"Here, for you," he said simply.

Shruti's eyes shimmered with something unsaid-gratitude, perhaps, or maybe the tenderness of a love she had never dared to name.

As she took the jhumkas from his hand, their fingers brushed, and for a moment, it felt as though the entire world had stilled, as if the universe itself were watching them, holding its breath.

The two of them wandered further into the night, their steps in sync, unhurried, as if they had all the time in the world.

The lights of the festival cast a golden glow on their faces, the energy of the night weaving them closer together.

Around them, children's laughter echoed as they ran toward the carnival rides, their faces lit with excitement as the Ferris wheel turned slowly, its multicoloured lights spinning in a hypnotic rhythm.

Shruti glanced up at the towering Ferris wheel, her eyes wide with wonder, and Sahil, catching her gaze, nudged her gently. "Shall we?"

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a smile that reached her eyes this time, bright and carefree.

Together, they climbed into one of the swaying carriages, the hum of the crowd fading as they rose higher and higher above the festival grounds.

From the top, they could see the entire city below, bathed in the warm glow of a thousand lights.

"It's beautiful," Shruti whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind that tugged at their hair and clothes.

Sahil turned to look at her, his gaze soft. "It is," he agreed, though his eyes were fixed on her, not the view. There was something in the way she looked out at the world-an openness, a quiet courage-that made his heart feel her essence in the best way possible.

For a long while, they sat in silence, the world spinning slowly beneath them, the sounds of the festival distant and far away.

It felt as though they had stepped into a moment outside of time, where nothing else existed but the two of them.

When the Ferris wheel finally lowered them back to the ground, they stepped out into the thick of the festival once more, but something had shifted between them.

The distance they had once kept, the quiet walls of their unspoken fears, had dissolved into the night, leaving only the warmth of their shared laughter and the soft, lingering touch of their hands.

The mela spread out before them like a living tapestry, vibrant and alive. They strolled through the rows of food stalls, stopping to share bites of hot samosas and steaming cups of coffee.

Every so often, Sahil would point out something-a colorful lantern, a child running through the crowd-and Shruti would laugh, a sound that was as bright and as beautiful as the festival lights.

As the night wore on, they found themselves standing before a towering idol of Durga, her fierce eyes watching over the revelry with quiet strength. Sahil and Shruti stood side by side, their hands still clasped, as they gazed up at the goddess, her form both majestic and serene.

"It's strange," Shruti murmured, her voice soft, "how something so powerful can also be so calming."

Sahil nodded, his gaze steady. "Maybe that's the point," he said quietly. "Strength doesn't always have to be loud."

They stood there for a moment longer, the sounds of the festival around them fading into a distant hum. And in that quiet space, Sahil turned to Shruti, his hand gently tilting her chin up so that their eyes met.

"I'm glad you're here," he said, his voice barely a whisper, but full of meaning.

Shruti's breath caught, her heart swelling with something that felt like home. "So am I," she replied, her voice just as soft, just as full.

And in that moment, under the watchful eyes of the goddess and the glow of a thousand festival lights, they knew.

This was their beginning, their story written in the soft hum of the night, in the shared cups of tea and quiet smiles.

A love as gentle as the wind that carried the scent of jasmine through the air, and as fierce as the goddess who watched over them.

The night moved on, the festival carrying on with its endless energy, but for Sahil and Shruti, time seemed to slow.

In each other's presence, they found something they had both been searching for-something quiet, something tender, something that felt like home.

As they walked away from the festival grounds, the silver jhumkas swayed with every step Shruti took, they both knew that this was the start of something beautiful, something lasting.

And under the wide, starlit sky, their story began.

Hey thank you everyone for giving this story a chance 2k reads and 100+ followers and views on both of my stories BloodStained Secrets and Love Notes from the Heart in such a short duration really means a lot.

Hope you all will continue loving and give the same amount of love to Bloodstained Secrets looking forward to your responses and views on it l.