Celestial Bond

14

Sita🌻

I open the fridge for the nth time, hoping to find something—anything—I can eat. 

I'm not even hungry, just bored. But the craving to munch on something won’t leave me alone. 

After scanning the shelves once more, I give up and grab a carrot. Washing it properly, I take a bite, the crunch filling the silence. 

As I step into the hall, the music from the TV surrounds me. My body instinctively moves to the beat. 

Out of nowhere, my brother appears, snatching the carrot from my hand and taking a bite without hesitation. I glare at him, but he just grins. 

And just like that, we start dancing—wild, carefree—completely ignoring my father, who watches TV as if we don’t exist. 

Then, my mother enters, carrying a bucket after drying clothes on the roof. Before I can react, my brother grabs it and—plop!—drops it right over my head. 

"Aditya! Are you both out of your minds? What the hell are you doing?!" My mother yells, exasperated. "And look at her—still dancing!" 

Inside the bucket, I smile shamelessly. 

I guess Mom left because I can’t hear her voice anymore. 

"Let’s go to the kitchen. It’s been ages since we properly annoyed Mom. Chalo!" my brother whispers. 

I nod eagerly. 

Still wearing the bucket, I march toward what I think is the kitchen, determined to keep up the mischief. 

And then—bam! I trip. 

I feel myself falling, bracing for impact, when—whoosh!—my brother catches me just in time. 

"Adi! Good save. If you hadn’t caught me, I swear I would’ve chopped you into—" I stop mid-sentence, lifting the bucket off my head. 

Only to see my brother standing at a
safe distance, smirking. 

I narrow my eyes. 

He never caught me. 

That means… I just imagined his hand saving me. 

That little—! 

Wait. 

Why do I still feel a hand wrapped around me? 

A firm, veiny hand. 

I look down, my breath hitches, and slowly turn back— 

"ARJUN?!" I yell, my voice echoing through the house. 

The sudden outburst makes my mother rush in from the kitchen, her hands still wet from cooking. My father, who had been ignoring us all this time, finally glances over. 

The moment my mother sees Arjun, her face lights up. 

"Arjun beta! How are you? You’ve gotten so thin! Is Sita not cooking properly or what? Look at these dark circles under your eyes! And your face—so pale!" She rattles on, not giving him a chance to respond. Before I know it, she grabs him away from me, practically dragging him toward the couch like he’s some fragile relic. 

Arjun barely manages a chuckle. "I’m fine, Maa. The bus journey was just exhausting," he says, taking her blessings with a tired smile. 

But my mother is still beaming—a little too much. Much more than when she saw me return home two days ago. 

Beside me, Aditya leans in, whispering, "Didn’t you say he was too busy with college work to come?" 

I nod absentmindedly, eyes still locked on Arjun.