At five in the morning, Banaras was waking up to another sacred dawn. The air was filled with the sound of temple bells, conch shells, and the rhythmic chanting of mantras echoing from every corner of the city.

The first rays of sunlight painted the ghats in shades of gold while devotees gathered to offer their prayers. It was a beautiful morning, serene and divine, as the holy chants blended with the gentle flow of the Ganges.

Standing amidst this spiritual atmosphere was Pranav.

Dressed only in a white dhoti, he stood waist-deep in the sacred waters of the Ganges. After completing his prayers, he offered water to the rising sun, his hands folded in reverence.

Then, taking a deep breath, he submerged himself into the river before emerging once again, droplets of water glistening against his skin.

With his eyes closed, he performed Surya Namaskar, completely absorbed in his devotion.

Pranav possessed a well-maintained, athletic physique.

Across his broad back stretched an intricate tattoo of a trisul, its body coiled elegantly along his skin. Just below the nape of his neck was another tattoo—a chakra, not the yogic symbol, but a beautifully detailed ancient wheel etched in black ink.

His brown skin glowed under the soft morning sunlight. Slightly curled black hair fell carelessly over his forehead, still damp from the holy river. Around him, the chanting of sacred mantras continued, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.

As he stepped out of the water and picked up his phone, it immediately began to ring.

The caller ID displayed a familiar name.

" Bhaiya".

Pranav answered the call.

"Where are you?" Aryaman's voice came from the other end. "You landed hours ago. Don't tell me you still haven't reached."

A small smile appeared on Pranav's face.

"I’m fine, Bhaiya. I'll be there soon."

"Then where exactly are you?"

"Main Mahadev ki Nagri ayya hoon ," he replied calmly,

"I just finished. Give me a little time, I'll be home shortly."

Aryaman sighed,

already knowing there was no arguing with him when it came to Mahadev.

"Fine. Just get here quickly."

"I will."

The call ended.

For a moment, Pranav stood silently on the ghat, looking at the sacred river flowing before him. A peaceful smile lingered on his lips before he turned and began walking toward the waiting car.

____________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile in Lucknow, inside the grand Mansion...

Aryaman, Riddhi, and their two-year-old son, Kush, were seated at the dining table having breakfast together.

Like every morning, Riddhi was completely occupied with her little bundle of energy.

"Kushu, open your mouth," she said patiently, holding a spoon in front of him. "Just one bite. Good boy."

The toddler shook his head dramatically.

"No."

"One bite."

"No."

"Half a bite?"

Kush considered it seriously before finally opening his mouth, making both his parents laugh.

As she continued feeding him, Kush suddenly looked at Aryaman.

"Papa... chahu?"

Aryaman smiled at the mention of his younger brother.

"He'll be here soon, champ. He's gone to Mahadev's city. He went to seek Baba's blessings first."

Kush nodded as if he completely understood the significance of the statement.

Beside them, Riddhi smiled softly.

"That's good," she said. "He's gone for Mahadev's darshan. He'll be back soon."

Aryaman glanced at his wife.

"Do you have a day off from the boutique today?"

Riddhi, who owned a successful fashion label and was considered a fashion icon in the city, looked up from Kush's plate.

"Haan, haan,"

she replied naturally, slipping into Bengali.

"ajke ghore thakbo"(today i will stay at home)

Aryaman raised an eyebrow.

"Really? That's rare."

She smiled.

"I wanted to stay home today. Pranav is coming after such a long time, and Kushu loves spending time with him. So I thought I'd take the day off."

Aryaman nodded.

"That's fair. Although knowing him, he might be a little late."

Riddhi rolled her eyes knowingly.

"Of course he will. If Mahadev's involved, he'll forget the entire world exists."

Both of them laughed.

Hours passed.

By one in the afternoon, the mansion had grown quieter.

Kush had finally exhausted himself after running around the house all morning. Riddhi was sitting beside him in his room, gently patting his back until he drifted off to sleep.

The little boy's tiny fingers remained wrapped around hers even after falling asleep.

A soft smile appeared on her lips.

Just then, her phone rang.

The screen lit up with a familiar name.

Richa Calling...

Riddhi immediately picked up.

"Hello, Dibhai!"(sister)

A bright grin spread across her face.

"My cutie pie! What's going on?"Meanwhile, in her apartment, Richa was still on the phone with her sister.

"Kushu just fell asleep," Riddhi said with an exhausted sigh.

"You have no idea how naughty he's become. He doesn't want to eat anything. All he wants is my milk. And he's gotten so stubborn lately."

A teasing smile appeared on Richa's face.

"Well, what did you expect, Didi?" she laughed.

"He's his father's son after all. A little symbol of Jijaji's love."

"Richa!" Riddhi groaned, instantly blushing.

"Will you stop?"

"Nope."

"You've become impossible."

"And you've become shy after five years of marriage."

Riddhi rolled her eyes, though she couldn't stop smiling.

The sisters continued chatting for a while before Riddhi changed the subject.

"So, how's your marketing agency going?"

Richa's expression brightened.

"It's going well, actually. We're still in the early stages, but people have started approaching us. We're getting clients now. Hopefully, everything will settle down soon."

"That's amazing."

"I hope so," Richa replied softly.

For a moment, there was a comfortable silence between them.

Then Riddhi casually mentioned something.

"By the way, Pranav is coming home today."

The moment those words left her sister's mouth, something strange fluttered inside Richa's chest.

Butterflies.

Unexpected. Unwanted. Familiar.

She tried to sound normal.

"Oh... really?"

"Hmm."

"When is he coming?"

The question slipped out far too quickly.

Riddhi didn't notice.

"Not yet. He still hasn't arrived. He's in Banaras right now. Knowing him, he'll probably reach by evening."

"Oh."

Richa stared blankly at the wall.

"Okay."

After a few more minutes of casual conversation, the sisters ended the call.

The moment the screen went dark, Richa leaned back against her chair.

And suddenly...

The memories returned.

Five years ago.

Back when Riddhi and Aryaman were engaged and was in live in together

Before marriage.

Before Kush.

Before everything changed.

At the time, Aryaman and Riddhi had been living together as an engaged couple, and Richa would occasionally visit her sister.

And every single time she visited...

She would see him.

Pranav.

Back then, Richa had barely been out of school. She had just entered college, still young, still figuring herself out.

Pranav, on the other hand, was older.

Confident.

Charming.

Annoyingly handsome.

He was in his final years of college then, carrying himself with a quiet confidence that made people naturally gravitate toward him.

Richa never spoke much around him.

She didn't know why.

Maybe because every time he smiled, she forgot what she wanted to say.

Maybe because every time he looked at her, her heart started behaving strangely.

Or maybe because she had fallen for him long before she even understood what that feeling was.

She remembered standing in corners during family gatherings, secretly watching him laugh with Aryaman.

Watching him help Riddhi with groceries.

Watching him tease everyone around him.

Watching him exist.

And now...

Five years had passed.

Five whole years.

He had left India for his MBA.

He had built a life abroad.

And she hadn't seen him since.

Richa slowly looked at her reflection in the mirror.

A thousand thoughts crowded her mind.

Does he have a girlfriend now?

Maybe he's already seeing someone.

Would he even remember me?

Has he changed?

Or is he still the same Pranav?

A small smile tugged at her lips.

And... does he still look that ridiculously handsome?

The thought made her laugh at herself.

Shaking her head, she got up from her chair.

Five years was a long time.

People changed.

Lives changed.

Maybe he had changed too.

But despite telling herself that, one thing remained certain.

For the first time in years...

Richa found herself genuinely excited forsomeone's arrival.

_______________________________________________________________________

thats alll for the chapter

see you in next