Threads of Destiny

A collision of worlds-1

Barun was having dinner with his parents, their table filled with laughter as they reminisced about a trip to their ancestral village, Devalgeer, a year ago.

They recalled the day their car had broken down on a remote road, leaving them stranded while waiting for a mechanic.

Out of nowhere, a girl on a scooty appeared, her hair tied back and her movements confident. Sitting behind her was a man who seemed reluctant to acknowledge their presence, but the girl had no such reservations. She pulled over, parked her scooty, and approached them with a polite smile.

“What seems to be the problem?” she asked.

Rekha, always open to a friendly stranger, explained, “The car won’t start, and we’ve been waiting for a mechanic.”

The girl leaned in and whispered something to her companion, her tone teasing. “This is a fancy car; no wonder it couldn’t handle our village roads.” Turning back to the family, she offered, “Let me take a look.”

With ease, she opened the car’s bonnet and fiddled with the wires. “Try starting it now,” she said to the driver, brushing her hands on her kurta.

To everyone’s relief, the engine roared back to life. Impressed, Rekha smiled warmly and asked, “What’s your name, dear?”

The girl grinned and replied, “Kali.”

A burst of laughter erupted behind Rekha—it was Barun, amused by the simplicity of her name. She shot him a glare and quickly corrected herself, “Sorry, I mean Kalindi.”

That was their first meeting. Barun hadn’t made the best impression on Kalindi, who gave him a sharp, pointed stare that seemed to say she wasn’t one to be taken lightly.

As the car finally roared to life, Barun found his gaze drifting to the girl, Kalindi, through the side-view mirror. There was something striking about her—her calm confidence as she fixed their car with ease. But his focus shifted when he noticed the man sitting behind her on the scooty. The man leaned closer to Kalindi, planting a kiss on her cheek. A moment later, he tried to kiss her lips, but Kalindi pulled back, her expression apologetic.

Kalindi had been in a relationship with Ravi, the man on the scooty, for the last five years. Yet, despite the time they’d spent together, she still felt a deep hesitation when it came to intimacy. They occasionally held hands, but the idea of anything more left her feeling uneasy. As they rode away, Kalindi’s thoughts swirled. Ravi was a banker, working in the same branch where her father, Ramakant, served as a clerk. She had asked Ravi about his plans for their future, specifically marriage, but his casual response—"I'll talk to my parents"—lingered in her mind. She couldn’t ignore the lack of sincerity in his tone, though she chose to push it aside.At 28, Kalindi felt the growing pressure of time and expectations weighing heavily on her as she tried to navigate the uncertainties of her life.

Back in the present, Barun was dining with his parents when Rekha suggested they visit their village again. Barun, however, brushed off the idea, citing his plans. His father, Giriraj, frowned at the response, his tone firm as he reminded his son that the company would run fine without him for a few days. “We have thousands of employees working tirelessly. You don’t need to shoulder everything,” he said, trying to persuade Barun.

Reluctantly, Barun agreed, though his enthusiasm was clearly lacking. Just then, Ishita arrived at their house unexpectedly, catching the tail end of the conversation. Picking up on the opportunity, she offered to join them on the trip.

Rekha and Giriraj, who were fond of Ishita, smiled warmly at the suggestion. “That sounds wonderful, but make sure you ask your parents first,” Rekha said.

Ishita grinned mischievously, winking at Barun before leaving with a confident smile, leaving him wondering what her real intentions might be.