Part 1:
The Beginning of Silence
Hannah lived in a city with her family, far from the village that still connected her to her roots. In another city, Ajay lived his life—different place, same origin. Their mothers were sisters, which made them cousins, tied by family even before they truly knew each other.
Ajay was two years older than Hannah.
From the outside, his life looked perfect. He came from a wealthy family, yet he had a strange habit—he would still ask others for money, as if something in him always needed more.
Their first real meeting happened during a vacation in the village, at a time when both of them were still too young to understand people, emotions, or even themselves.
Hannah was not like other girls. She didn't talk to boys—not in school, not anywhere. She believed boys were trouble, so she stayed away from them. Naturally, Ajay was no exception. She spoke to him only when necessary, mostly because their families expected it.
But Hannah had one thing she was deeply protective about—her nana.
The day Ajay said something careless about him, something disrespectful, Hannah didn't think twice. Her hand reacted before her mind did.
She slapped him.
The moment passed quickly, but the feeling didn't. Regret settled in her heart almost immediately. Ajay, hurt and upset, went straight to his mother. Yet, like many things in families, the matter faded without much consequence.
Still, something had shifted.
The next time they met, things were… different.
Ajay behaved casually, as if nothing had changed. At one moment, he came close and kissed Hannah in a way that felt normal to him, almost like a playful gesture.
Her mother was there and noticed it. She reacted lightly, saying with a small laugh that she didn't like such things. To her, it didn't seem like a big deal—just something childish.
But for Hannah, it felt a little strange. She didn't say anything. Instead, she quietly went and washed her face, unsure of how to react or what she was supposed to feel.
And once again, she chose silence.
Ajay, on the other hand, had a playful nature. He acted the same way with other girls too, even with Hannah's younger sister. For him, it may have meant little. For Hannah, it stayed somewhere unspoken.
Part 2: Games, Gatherings, and Unspoken Moments
Time moved forward, and with it came another gathering—the barpan ceremony of Ajay.
The house was filled with noise, laughter, and relatives. In the middle of it all, Ajay's cousin sister pulled Hannah aside to play.
It started as a simple game.
A marriage game.
She dressed Hannah as a bride and dressed herself the same way, smiling as if it were all just fun. "We'll both be brides," she said, "and Ajay will be the groom."
Hannah found it strange. For a moment, she questioned it—but then she let it go. It was just a game… or at least, that's what she told herself.
The rituals began. Knots were tied—first between Ajay and Hannah, and then, oddly, between the cousin and Hannah as well. They even took seven rounds, imitating something far more serious than they understood.
And just like that, the game ended.
Laughter returned. Everything went back to normal.
As if nothing had happened.
Later, Ajay offered Hannah a chocolate.
She refused.
Instead of taking it, she went to her mother and asked if she should. Her mother smiled casually and told her it wasn't a big deal.
But when Hannah returned, Ajay had already eaten it.
Moments like these passed quietly, leaving behind small, unspoken feelings.
Part 3: Distance, Jealousy, and Quiet Choices
As years went by, their interactions became more normal—at least on the surface.
Ajay was, in many ways, a caring brother. He looked out for Hannah, even if he didn't always show it perfectly. Still, there were moments that confused her.
Once, she saw him saying something about her to their cousins. She wasn't sure what exactly, but it didn't sit right with her.
Another day, as she was leaving for the market, Ajay stopped her.
"Stay," he said gently. "We're all going to play together."
There was care in his voice, something that felt genuinely brotherly. But Hannah had her own reason to go—her dress was at a shop with her father and Ajay's mother. So she left.
Later, they sat together, ate together, and everything seemed normal again.
Ajay often looked at Hannah as if he wanted to say something. Yet, he rarely did. And Hannah—she only spoke when spoken to. Otherwise, she stayed within her quiet world.
Maybe part of Ajay's behavior came from something deeper. Hannah was excellent in her studies, while he was average. His mother compared him to her often. Perhaps that created a feeling he never expressed.
Still, over time, they formed a bond—something that looked like a typical brother-sister relationship. The past faded, or at least, it was never spoken about again.
Hannah remembered him on his birthdays, posting stories for him every year.
He never did the same.
Ajay liked showing others—especially Hannah's sister—that many girls were interested in him. But with Hannah, he never behaved that way.
With her, he was… different.
He would joke about her future, saying he would help her find a good husband someday.
Hannah would just smile and reply, "I will never get married."
And they would laugh, leaving the future unanswered.
Then came another wedding.
Hannah stayed mostly inside. She didn't go out into the crowd, didn't talk to anyone—not even her own sister. She preferred staying quiet, away from everything.
Among all the cousins, she felt a little more comfortable with one of them—Picku. Not very close, but still closer than with others.
Ajay had noticed this.
And maybe, somewhere inside, it bothered him.
Whenever Hannah dressed nicely, especially when she was going to Picku's village, Ajay would casually ask,
"Is he there… or in the city?"
He never explained why he asked. But the question always carried the same direction.
A small misunderstanding soon turned into an argument. Ajay got angry. Hannah tried to calm him down, but when he didn't listen, she stepped back.
Sometimes, silence was easier than forcing understanding.
After a while, he softened. They started talking again, as if nothing had happened.
But not everything was the same.
That day, Hannah wore what she always felt comfortable in—simple clothes, jeans and a top. She never liked dressing up too much.
Ajay noticed.
"Don't you have other clothes?" he said.
It sounded casual, but it carried something—expectation, maybe even judgment.
Hannah didn't reply.
But she understood.
Later, one of the cousins suddenly pulled Hannah onto the dance floor, insisting that she should enjoy like everyone else.
Hannah didn't want to dance. She was too shy. Still, she stood there quietly, not knowing how to refuse.
In that moment of confusion, she lost her balance slightly—and by mistake, she stumbled forward into Ajay's arms.
For a second, everything went still.
Ajay held her, but the moment he realized it, he immediately let go.
Hannah stepped back just as quickly.
Without saying anything, both of them quietly walked away from the dance floor.
Later that night, when all the cousins were sitting together and hanging out, Hannah quietly went to lie down. She tried to sleep while playing music on her phone and set a timer so it would stop after some time. But the timer didn't work, and the songs kept playing continuously.
In the morning, Ajay noticed and said,
"What kind of songs do you listen to?"
Hannah replied,
"They were changing automatically… not everything is related to you."
Even she didn't know why she said that.
And then came the reception.
Hannah stayed inside, just like before. She didn't join the crowd, didn't talk much, didn't even go out properly.
But something unexpected happened.
Ajay called her.
Out of everyone, he chose Hannah and asked her to come for a photo with him. No one else had asked her. Only him.
He didn't just include her—he made sure she was there.
For a brief moment, everything else faded.
After that, they returned to their cities again.
Life moved on.
At some point, Ajay came to Hannah's city and asked to meet her. But studies got in the way, and they couldn't meet.
Hannah told him she would soon go to the village and meet him there.
Around that time, Hannah posted a story where she was doing an adventurous activity. After seeing it, Ajay said to Hannah's sister,
"Take care of my sister."
But when she finally went, things didn't work out.
Different houses. No proper chance. No one to take her there. And then, another call—she had to leave.
They missed each other again.
This time, Ajay didn't take it lightly.
He got angry. He posted stories with his close friends, almost as if trying to show something… or prove something.
Hannah tried to explain. Tried to make things right.
But he didn't listen.
And just like that, distance returned.
They didn't meet for a year.