Dedicated to: janhavibm Leahjohn722

"The dynamic waves of time wash away transient footprints of fantasy. We struggle to keep afloat holding onto the log of wood called hope in the mighty ocean of life; we struggle to survive. Alas, we find peace and solace only when the dynamic beating of the heart is traded for the stillness of death."

-Elegiac_Damsel

______

September 6

Third person's point of view:

The dark overcast skies of the monsoon paved the way to the clear blue skies of the impending autumn as pillowy, soft, pure white clouds gradually replaced the moisture-heavy, black masses, only to be overpowered briefly during sporadic spells of the shower of the retreating monsoon. The City of Joy dwelled in joyous anticipation of the upcoming festivities that Autumn brought forth in the form of Sharadiya Navratri or Durga Puja. 

The lanes that had suffered from three months of persistent waterlogging, now bore a different look as different clubs and associations commenced the work on their puja marquees that would house the idol of the deity during the 5 days of festivities. Although there was still a month to go, the bursting energy and enthusiasm that radiated off everyone in the city could be felt in the air. The marketplaces and stores attracted a huge crowd each day, more so during the weekend, as people thronged the streets and shops to purchase finery that they would don during the festival. 

It was Friday, the twilight was just setting in as the sun prepared to retire for the day, dipping below the horizon. 

Mrinalini stood at the edge of the terrace, leaning over the parapet, observing the lanes. This was the only time of the day that she would make efforts to never miss as she enjoyed the brief solitude as she stood still, her eyes observing what went around as the breeze caressed her cheeks. She had just finished her bi-weekly tuition class with Sagnik, having taken 2.5 hours upon realizing how poor the boy's knowledge of Chemistry was. With limited days in hand, she had to put in extra effort, expecting the same from her student, in return. 

Debarghya wasn't in town, having left on the 3rd. He was due to return the next day, by early morning. The first night that Mrinalini had been by herself had been genuinely terrifying since she had a certain paranoia about being alone in the dark. She had called up Debarghya in fear, telling him that a howling noise coming from the window scared her. Fed up with her irrational fear, Debarghya disconnected the call abruptly, leaving Mrinalini to deal with her own fears which eventually saw her falling into a deep slumber, sinking into oblivion, panic and consternation dissipating, as fatigue numbed her senses. 

She did not face any qualms about going to bed alone, at night, on the next day. And although she was upset with her husband for being so uncaring, she knew that it was a fear well conquered. 

The household had become livelier in the past one day, with the arrival of Debarghya's younger brother, and the youngest member of their family, Debrishi. He was back home from his college in Kharagpur as there was a long weekend coming up; with Friday and Monday being bank holidays. 

Unlike the almost courteous, seldom amicable relation that Mrinalini shared with her sister-in-law, she had instantly struck the right chord with her brother-in-law. Both being close to each other in age, and from science backgrounds, it hadn't taken much time for them to become well acquainted.

In fact, the previous evening had probably been the best evening for Mrinalini at her marital home. The four of them; Debjani, Anumegha, Debrishi, and Mrinalini had enjoyed playing Ludo, teaming up against one another, and laughter and smiles had been eminent in the living room throughout the evening. 

This afternoon, the two siblings had gone off to watch a movie at Inox Hind, and although Mrinalini had been welcome, she had chosen to forfeit, since she didn't want Debjani to be alone at home, and also because it wouldn't seem professional or even ethical to bunk out of her second class with Sagnik. Unlike what Mrinalini had been sceptical about, no one at home had objected to or posed a challenge to her decision to take tuitions in the afternoon. In fact, Debjani who had been a teacher herself totally supported her daughter-in-law's endeavour. Anumegha had neither objected nor audibly lauded her sister-in-law, indifferent, but in no way cold. 

"Boudi," someone called out from behind Mrinalini then, causing her to jolt, in surprise.

Turning back, Mrinalini could see her brother-in-law approaching the parapet, where she was standing. She smiled in greeting, shifting a bit to give him enough space to stand.

"I missed the view from here," Debrishi spoke, initiating the conversation. "All you can see from my hostel room window is half-naked college boys."

Mrinalini giggled, shaking her head. 

"I am serious. A boys' hostel at any engineering college is practically a nightmare," he continued, shuddering. "And given how neatly you keep our home, you will surely have a nightmare if you ever see what I am talking of. It would be traumatising."

"I don't even want to be a witness to that scene," Mrinalini replied, laughing. "How was the movie, by the way? Enjoyed yourself?"

Debrishi nodded, smiling, "It wasn't bad, but between you and me, going to watch a movie with my sister can be a scarring experience."

Mrinalini raised an eyebrow.

"She chose a terrible movie," Debrishi blurted, causing Mrinalini to laugh at his expression. "I guess the movie was released today since it's a Friday, and she just chose it for the sake of watching one with me. We both had popcorn, and I managed to fall asleep."

"Worth your time and money?" Mrinalini asked him, teasingly.

Debrishi chuckled, shaking his head, "Perhaps since I could spend some time with my sister, yes. But, it was definitely heavy on the pocket, for no other relevant reason."

Mrinalini was quiet, the last phrase of his sentence making her see a reflection of Debarghya in his younger brother. 

"I am interning at a company for my part semester grade, and also for experience and learning. The stipend is a decent amount, but this was definitely a cost that could have been avoided," he elaborated, explaining himself. "You know, sis-in-law, I always loved playing in the rain. In fact, the lane here where you now see these kids play would be my favourite during the monsoon, especially because it would be waterlogged! Do you like the rain?"

Mrinalini nodded, a smile gracing her softened, relaxed features, "I love the rain, but not if my books or notebooks get all soaked."

"I feel you," Debrishi muttered, shaking his head, probably reminiscing an instance when his books had fallen victim to the mighty rains. "I so missed home! This place is so close to me."

"This place is my favourite spot in our home," Mrinalini whispered, confiding. "I come here every day. It's peaceful."

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how tough has it been to live here post marriage?" her brother-in-law inquired softly.

Shrugging in reply, Mrinalini swatted at a mosquito that was hovering dangerously close to her face, probably looking for an opportunity to feast on blood. 

"Time to go inside, huh?" Debrishi asked, rhetorically, swatting away at another mosquito, probably a distant relative of the one who had been bothering his sister-in-law. 

Mrinalini nodded. With the dark settling in further on a dark, gradually clouding sky, there would be bats and moths following the mosquitoes' footsteps soon. 

"Let's get back. I have work to do, anyway."

...

September 7

Mrinalini was the only one up and about in the Acharya household at 6 am when Debarghya arrived home.  

She opened the door for him, ushering him inside, and helping him with his luggage. She was quiet, acting aloof, partially because it was just morning, and she had work to do, and partially because she wanted to reprimand him for being uncaring towards her.

"Did you manage to sleep the nights while I was away?" Debarghya asked her playfully.

"Why do you care?" Mrinalini replied, rhetorically. 

"I am rest assured then that no ghost came to greet you at night," he deduced, his tone still playful and teasing, unperturbed by Mrinalini's coldness. 

"And what makes you so sure? Seeing me standing alive in front of you?" she retorted, fighting to keep the smile off her lips.

"For starters, yes," Debarghya continued, shaking his head, probably in resignation. "And of course, it isn't like you called me the subsequent nights to say you are scared or that ghosts are haunting our bedroom."

"Let's leave this at that, okay?" she replied, giggling, her ears turning slightly red in embarrassment. Now that Debarghya put her actions in words, she realised how silly and irrational she had been. 

Debarghya smiled at her before moving towards their bedroom, careful to make minimal noise as 3 more people at home were still asleep. Mrinalini followed suit, carrying his cell phone that he had left on the shoe rack outside, probably while taking his shoes off. 

While her husband shrugged out of his shirt in their room, Mrinalini proceeded to look for the phone charger to put his phone on a charge, having discovered a dead battery. She had already kept the geyser running, figuring that he would be looking to take a shower upon returning home. 

"Will you be going to work today? Or are you staying back home?" Mrinalini inquired softly, unzipping Debarghya's travel bag, her hands deftly sorting and taking out the unwashed clothes that he had kept separately, so she could get them washed. 

"A working Saturday, Mrinal," Debarghya replied shortly, his answer self-explanatory. "Although I'll be leaving a bit late today."

"Would you like some tea?" 

"No, I think I'll just have a nap for a couple of hours or so unless you need me to go to the market," Debarghya replied, looking at Mrinalini expectantly.

Mrinalini shook her head, "No, I'll manage the grocery shopping. You can take some rest instead."

"Mrinal, could you please shut the door on your way out?" Debarghya requested just as Mrinalini was about to walk away.

Nodding in reply, Mrinalini closed the door shut, quietly and walked out, leaving him to the confines of their room while she proceeded to go about her day.

...

 It was evening, and Mrinalini, after the evening prayers, was in the kitchen trying to cook.

She had searched up a few recipes on the internet, determined to try something new and slightly different from what they usually consumed. Zeroing down on a couple of Indo-Chinese recipes, she had gone out shopping, specifically for each ingredient. 

This was her first time cooking anything out of the box, and outside the recipes that Rai had taught her before her marriage. 

"Hey Boudi," Anumegha greeted, entering the kitchen. "No wonder I could smell something different cooking in here."

"Yes, Brishti di," Mrinalini replied, smiling, acknowledging her sister-in-law. "Since it's a Saturday, I thought I'll try making something different."

"Just because it's a Saturday, is it?" Debrishi asked, leaning against the kitchen door. "I would say it's for our elder brother. What do you think, didi?"

"About the food, I feel so happy," Anumegha replied. "I had a nightmare last night that there was pointed gourd for dinner."

Grimacing at her sister-in-law's words, Mrinalini shuddered, blurting out, "Ugh! That is one vegetable that I assure you would never be cooked by me. I absolutely loathe it!"

Debrishi immediately raised his palm to his sister-in-law for a high five, while Anumegha proceeded to wipe fake tears. 

"I swear I am almost ready to propose to marry you after hearing this," she exclaimed. "But then, I realise that you are already married to my brother."

Mrinalini giggled, proceeding to stir the sauce that was reducing on the pan on a low flame. 

"And of course, you must remember that you are engaged to be married yourself," Debrishi added, reminding his sister. "4 years of courtship, and then breaking off the alliance just a few months before D-day is going to hit the groom pretty hard."

Swatting at her brother, Anumegha rolled her eyes, "Stop getting on my nerves, Rishi. I still keep wondering why Ma and Baba wanted another child; you, of all people!"

"And I keep wondering why you became the odd one out in the family," Debrishi retorted. "Dada and I would have been perfectly happy without having a doll lover like you in our midst."

And so the squabble continued.

Debjani could hear her children bickering from her bedroom. Fed up of the noise, she took hold of her crutch and directed herself towards the kitchen, where her daughter-in-law was trying hard to cook without having to divulge her attention towards the two people quarrelling incessantly.

"Why are you two behaving like kids all of a sudden?" she tiredly asked them. "If you have to argue and quarrel, then, please take this quarrel outside the kitchen. Your sister-in-law won't tell you, but two are bothering her, unnecessarily."

"It's fine, Ma," Mrinalini intervened hesitantly. "It's alright if they want to be here."

"Yes, Ma," we are only trying to help, Boudi," Debrishi justified. "We are here to taste whatever she is making."

Debarghya who had just arrived home from work a while ago, after a tiring day, walked out of the bedroom after freshening up. He was caught unaware and surprised at the gathering near the kitchen.

"What's going on here? Did something happen?" he asked cautiously, bewildered. 

"Your siblings just decided to turn the kitchen into a reality show," Debjani replied to her son's question. "What is that show your sister keeps watching? Some house where people are paid to quarrel?"

Mrinalini started laughing at her mother-in-law's description of the popular reality show in reference, only to be joined by her brother-in-law and her sister-in-law. 

"It's Big Brother or Boss, or something," Debarghya replied, shrugging. It wasn't like he watched the show.

"It's better than that serial which has been going on for a few decades now," Anumegha rebuked. "I am sure the heroine there passed away a million times, only to be reborn a trillion times more!"

Mrinalini's attention was diverted to the pan that had begun smoking. Turning off the stove abruptly, she decided she had to get these people out of the kitchen before she ended up ruining dinner.

"Umm, why don't you all go out and sit? As it is it's quite hot and claustrophobic in the kitchen," she reasoned gently, attempting to hide the fact that she was, in fact, attempting to chase them out.

Debrishi and Anumegha nodded, stopping only to grab a bottle of chilled water from the refrigerator before leaving. Debjani paused once, shaking her head at Mrinalini, a smile gracing her lips, "You youngsters never listen to us wise old owls. I knew the two of them would have to be kicked out of the kitchen if you had to work in peace, but when I told them to see themselves out, you opposed."

Mrinalini looked down in embarrassment, feeling guilty for defying her mother-in-law in such a silly matter.

"Now, my dearest daughter-in-law," Debjani began. "I can smell something really interesting cooking, and I must say I am looking forward to tasting it. Do you need any help, child?"

Smiling and shaking her head in negation, she ushered her mother-in-law out of the kitchen, hell-bent on converting it into her own laboratory, where she could experiment with the flavours. 

...

An hour later, the family sat down to dinner at the small 4 seater dining table. Debarghya fetched an extra chair from their room, so the five of them could sit down to eat together. 

"I like this, sis-in-law," Anumegha said, appreciating Mrinalini's efforts as she tasted some of the fried rice that she had made. 

"You cooked vegetarian food that tastes like non-veg," Rishi said, bluntly, his expression comical. "The only thing missing is the non-veg part of this dish."

Debarghya chuckled at his brother's analysis. The Acharya household being a typical Vaishnavite household, was strictly vegetarian, making rare exceptions for the occasional onion and garlic that would be brought home once in a blue moon, like this evening when Mrinalini had needed the two ingredients to cook. 

"I've told you all several times that you are free to eat all the non-vegetarian food that your heart and palate craves, but only outside my home," Debjani reminded her three children.

"We are just saying that Boudi can cook non-vegetarian food too if she tries. Neither of us is implying that she should make some for us," Anumegha justified slyly, winking at her younger brother.

"You two know right that I gave birth to you, and that it isn't the other way around?" Debjani stated hyperbolically. "You think I don't understand when you both attempt to conceal your ulterior motives and intentions?"

Debarghya and Mrinalini were silent, both of them busying themselves in eating quietly, as words continued to be exchanged. Their gaze met momentarily, during which Debarghya smiled slightly towards his plate, conveying to her silently that he liked what she had put together.

"Dada, will you take us shopping tomorrow?" Anumegha asked Debarghya, diverting his attention towards her, the banter between Debjani and her two kids seemingly over. "Rishi will be going back to college on Monday, and he won't be back again before next month, during Durga Puja. Take us shopping tomorrow, please!"

Debarghya contemplated a few things in his mind before agreeing. He had enough money to spare since it was just the beginning of the month, but with recurring expenses during his own wedding last month, in addition to the regular expenditures of the household, there was a tight budget that he absolutely had to adhere to. 

"Alright," he agreed. "Where do you want to go?"

"Can we go to Quest Mall, please?" Anumegha asked her brother, her eyes sparkling in joyous anticipation. "A few of my friends bought some new clothes from the newly opened stores there. There are international brands too, and we can..."

Her sister-in-law's chatters about the brands filled the dining table, causing Mrinalini discomfort. Knowing the details about their monetary transactions, and her husband's financial state, she could guess where this would eventually lead. Either Debarghya would disagree and upset his sister, or he would give in to her request and desires, concealing the strain that he would have to bear, economically.

"Didi, we can go elsewhere," Debrishi interrupted, suggestively. "How about Pantaloons? Or Westside? Or we could go to New Market?"

Mrinalini could see Anumegha's features turning sour. Her eyes downcast, visibly crestfallen at the idea of not being able to go shopping where all her friends had.

Sensing the sams, Debarghya immediately interfered, "Okay, we'll visit Quest, but sis, not more than one outfit from the shops there. We'll go to Gariahat later. There at Pantaloons, you can check out more things."

Debjani and Mrinalini were silent audiences to the scene unfolding between the siblings. If Mrinalini found it odd that her husband and his brother childishly treated their sister, she chose to keep her thoughts to herself. Her mother-in-law, however, quite peculiarly said nothing, neither to express her opinions nor to reprimand her daughter.

"Boudi, you'll accompany us, won't you?" Anumegha asked her sister-in-law, her crestfallen face now replaced with a bright smile. "We both can go shopping together, and I'll help you choose great outfits as well."

Although Mrinalini had been confined mainly to North Kolkata, she knew very well that Quest Mall in Central Kolkata housed exorbitantly expensive brands like Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Armani, Michael Kors, and Swarovski to name a few. Going shopping with her sister-in-law in such an ambience would definitely mean digging a bottomless financial pit.

"Um, how about you three going shopping tomorrow?" Mrinalini asked, smiling amicably. "Brishti di, I am not a huge fan of shopping. Can I pass on this, please? I'll go shopping with you all when Ma does. I don't want to leave her alone at home while all of us go out."

"But why can't you come with us?" her sister-in-law asked, whining, her demeanour resembling that of a younger kid or teenager than a woman older than Mrinalini. "It would have been so much fun! How can you not like shopping?"

"I don't like shopping," Mrinalini stated again, this time firmly, as she stood up to start clearing the empty plates. "I promise I'll accompany you the next time. Now, I brought some ice cream from the store while I was out. Would you like some?"

Debrishi and Anumegha immediately agreed, and Mrinalini went off to the kitchen, carrying the used plates that she would rinse off with some water in the sink, before leaving them for the maidservant to clean the next day. She fetched the ice cream cups of assorted flavours; chocolate for the three siblings, butterscotch for her mother-in-law, and vanilla for herself, along with a spoon for each of them. 

With conversations and shared laughter over sweet ice creams, banter, and reminiscence of memories, old and new, they commenced the exploration of dynamics, familial, familiar, known, and unknown. 

...

"Have you ever wondered why Rishi and I tend to comply with whatever our sister says?" Debarghya asked Mrinalini in the privacy of their room. 

Mrinalini lifted her gaze, continuing to apply the moisturizing lotion on her body while looking at her husband through their reflection in the mirror. Her back faced him as he leaned against the headboard of their bed. 

"Why would I bother to care or wonder?" she asked, shrugging. "She's your sister, and it's up to you what happens with her. I am someone who came into your family barely a month ago. Your dynamics with your sister isn't something I know much about. Hence, I think it's best I should leave this part of familial dynamics to you than interfere."

"I have met a plethora of people in my life, Mrinal," Debarghya commented. "I have enough experience in this world to know and decipher their expressions, and for someone so terrible at concealing their thoughts, believe me, it's a piece of cake."

"What do you mean?" Mrinalini asked him, snapping.

"What I mean is that you do wonder why Rishi and I treat our sister so delicately, almost like she's a child, but you never bother to ask or voice your concerns," he stated coolly.

Mrinalini sighed, turning to face him, her gaze unwavering.

"We don't want to lose her," Debarghya continue, not bothering to wait for Mrinalini's response. "Years ago, when our father passed away, she drove herself to a clinically depressed state. She couldn't take the loss well. Although all of us were mourning, she used to have a different bond with Baba. She became distant, detached, aloof, and quiet. Initially, all of us thought that this was just her way of dealing with the loss, and of course, at that time, I had been more concerned about finding a job and swotting hard so both ends could be met. It was so terribly negligent of me."

Feeling her husband's turmoil, Mrinalini went closer, taking a seat on the bed beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder in a gesture of reassurance and comfort. 

"I... we didn't even realise how badly her mental health was deteriorating," he continued, gulping. "She attempted suicide twice, Mrinal."

 Mrinalini stilled, realising the extent of her sister-in-law's state and shock following her father's demise. 

"It was a tough time for her," Debarghya said. "Even after she started seeing a doctor, it took her months before she could come out of it all. She failed 11th grade and even had to reappear. If only had we paid attention to her instead of wallowing in our own grief and self-pity!"

"And it's the same guilt from all those years ago that makes you want to fulfil all her wishes and desires," Mrinalini finished for her husband, deducing what he had been trying to imply. 

"Perhaps," Debarghya agreed. "I just want to try and give her the best, the same way our father would have, at least till she gets married next year."

"She would remain your sister, Arghya," Mrinalini said quietly. "It isn't like you have an ultimatum to prove your worth as her brother. She might get married, but it won't be like you are breaking off all ties with her."

Debarghya chuckled lowly, taking Mrinalini's hand in his and stroking the back of her palm with his thumb. 

"It isn't about breaking off all ties, Mrinal," he began. "No matter how close we remain to each other, there will be an inevitable change. For starters, from next year onwards she wouldn't be requesting me to take her shopping. It's not like I wouldn't gift her anything once she's married or anything such, but things won't remain the same, no matter how much we would like to believe in that impossible illusion. She might need me for a variety of reasons in the near future, but she wouldn't need me for shopping with her."

Mrinalini was quiet, her mind ruminating over the changes her own life had undergone in the past few weeks. 

"You think of yourself in this regard. Who did you go shopping with last year for the festivities?"

Instead of replying, Mrinalini merely smiled, her mind going back to the rainy Sunday evening, a week before Mahalaya when her aunt had taken her shopping, accompanied by her mother, and a sour-faced, reluctant Abhrajit.

"I just want her to remember me; us, with good memories when she looks back," Debarghya finished, a vulnerable side of his coming out to Mrinalini, silently seeking refuge. "I don't want her to relive the ordeal she went through years ago."

"And your brother wants the same," Mrinalini commented. "Although he is younger and has been deprived of your father's love from a much younger age, he saw a side of his sister that he would never like to see again."

Debarghya nodded, not divulging any further details, probably mulling over a few reeling thoughts. 

"What are you thinking about?" Mrinalini asked him, a smile playing on her lips as she entwined her fingers with his.

"Nothing," Debarghya replied. "Ah, would you care to tell me now if any ghosts came to greet you in the last few days?"

 Mrinalini shook her head, withdrawing her hand from his grip, glaring at him. He was grinning, clearly amused having fun at her expense.

"I will cease speaking to you," Mrinalini warned him, crossing her arms. "I admit I was an idiot, but that doesn't mean you keep making fun of me. I don't like it."

Debarghya put up his hands in resignation. He laughed at Mrinalini's sulky self, "Alright, I am not talking about your favourite ghosts now. You can stop sulking, but Mrinal, I hope you do realise that this doesn't change the fact that you are a scaredy-cat."

"How about this?" Mrinalini proposed, smiling at him sarcastically. "You sleep out tonight, and let me sleep here alone. If I don't come up at night looking for you or some ghost-chaser, you'll realise that your wife isn't a coward."

"Alright, I'll stop," he replied, laughing. "A question though, do you honestly dislike shopping or was it just to delude and dodge my sister?"

"Depends," Mrinalini began, biting her lower lip, her eyebrows scrunched up in a slight grimace. "I can tolerate shopping for crockery, groceries, and home decor. I am all pumped up when it comes to book shopping. And about clothes, I generally avoid going shopping till it is necessary. I do not have the immense patience to scrounge through shops and their latest designs and then try on each outfit. It is too tedious for me. I am really lazy in this regard."

"Did you lock the front door tonight?" Debarghya asked Mrinalini, reminded suddenly by the strong gust of wind that caused the open restroom door to bang against the wall audibly. 

"I think I did," Mrinalini replied, trying to recall. "Why don't you check once? I'll check on the gas stove knobs and the windows till then."

...

"Arghya," Mrinalini whispered into the dark, hoping to get his attention. "You are taking Brishti didi out for shopping, but you know as well as I do that the cost..."

"I know, Mrinal," Debarghya replied sighing, interrupting her. "That is what I have a damned credit card for."

Mrinalini fell silent, choosing not to comment further.

"I won't let her overshoot a certain budget," he said reassuringly. "I know my limits. I just want to try to give her something that she wants. I want her to keep good memories, to make better ones."

Mrinalini nodded, her eyes fluttering closed as she went over numerous thoughts inquietude.

 Unlike Anumegha, she no longer had the company or the comfort of a family other than her in-laws. Her entire childhood had been reduced to nothing more than mere ashes after she had come to know of the truth. Each good memory that had once made her smile, and cherish had become a distant mirage. Mrinalini felt parched. Deprived. 

The complex dynamics of familial relations coupled with inexplicable jealousy was gnawing away at her. She could see her sister-in-law in a different light. She could see reason in the manner that she had been pampered.

"You know why I hope to help her make good memories?" Debarghya asked Mrinalini, his voice low, echoing in the stillness of their room.

"No," she replied, bringing her hand to support her head, propping herself up on her elbow.

"It's because of you," Debarghya responded, causing a bolt out of the blue to strike Mrinalini. "It's only after I met you did I realise why it's important to begin anew with only good memories from the past. The memories you carried from your maiden home..."

Mrinalini stilled, her body visibly freezing at the mention of memories, the same memories that she had been reminded of a while ago at his words. 

Bringing a hand to touch Mrinalini's hand, Debarghya continued, "That one shock that you received was enough to jeopardise all the good memories that you had once cherished. No matter how much you strive to think differently, and attempt to outgrow those memories, the scar will remain."

Mrinalini was silent. She knew what Debarghya was talking about. Deep within, even she knew that she would never remain the same, that she would probably think twice before trusting anyone ever again.

"A bad memory has immense power," he continued, his thumb stroking Mrinalini's inner wrist in a caress. "It can make or break. Just as the rain can become a catastrophic storm causing devastation, making the desert forgo how it quenched the thirst of its parched throat, every souvenir that reminds one of pain can subjugate the joy that fond remembrance or retrospection brings forth."

"You cannot replace or alter bad memories," Mrinalini stated, her gaze meeting his intensely, in the dark.

"I know, Mrinal," Debarghya said, helplessly. "I can just hope and pray for better memories to outweigh the bad ones."

"If only real-life resembled books that we could write for ourselves," Mrinalini muttered, incoherently, turning away. 

But life was neither static nor could things be altered. Decisions influenced what could happen, but there was no way one could customise their own paths against the powerfully dynamic time, and its strong ally, destiny.

With revelations and happenings bringing about little life changes, in the heart and the mind, one has to survive, through thick and thin, and most importantly in the war against expectation and reality. 

The sweet ambrosia of fantasy and expectation, though desired by all, is seldom attained by anyone. The bitter pill called reality is all that remains.

...

To be continued...

PUBLISHED ON: 3rd July 2021

Author's note:

Hi everyone!

I hope you are doing well. 

Finally, another update after a long time. I don't know if it is good. I don't know if it is up to the mark. Please do drop in your suggestions and share your thoughts. 

Please do bear with me.

I promise to deliver better. 

Thank you for reading and for your support. It means more to me than I can express via words.

Do stay safe and take care. Keep healthy and happy :-)

Tough times may be on, but I hope we conquer this together.

Love and strength to you. <3

P.S. Do vote, comment, and share if Mrinalini and her story have been able to make a place in your heart.

P.P.S. Do take care.