Dashami

The fragrance of incense filled the air, and the rhythmic beats of the dhaak reverberated through the bustling pandal. It was Shasti, the first day of Durga Puja, and the city of Kolkata was draped in lights, laughter, and celebration. Abir stood at the edge of the crowd, watching the colourful festivities unfold. He loved the energy of Durga Puja, but this year, something felt missing.

And then, he saw her.

She stood near the idol, draped in a simple saree, her face glowing under the soft light of the pandal. She wasn’t just beautiful—there was something magnetic about her presence. Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, the chaotic world around them seemed to slow down.

Compelled by a force he couldn’t explain, Abir walked up to her. “Hi, I’m Abir.”

She looked at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes, before offering a warm smile. “Ishita,” she said simply.

They fell into an easy conversation, finding common ground in the shared joys of the Puja, the love of Kolkata’s streets, and their similar tastes in music. The evening passed in a blur of laughter and connection, and by the time the night was over, Abir knew he had to see her again.

“Same time tomorrow?” he asked, feeling a rush of hope.

She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Definitely.”

Saptami, Ashtami, Navami—the next few days flew by in a haze of pandal-hopping, egg rolls, puchkas, and moments stolen in the midst of Kolkata’s most vibrant celebration. With every passing day, their bond deepened. Abir had never felt so comfortable with someone, and yet so nervous at the same time. There was something undeniably special about Ishita, and he knew he was falling hard for her.

By Navami, he had made up his mind. He was going to tell her how he felt on Dashami. He would ask her to be a part of his life beyond these few magical days. He imagined their future together, the moments they would share, and the love that had already begun to blossom between them.

“I have something to tell you tomorrow,” he said that night as they stood by the river, watching the soft glow of the moonlight reflect off the water.

She looked at him curiously, her lips curving into a gentle smile. “Tomorrow, then.”

The morning of Dashami arrived, tinged with both excitement and bittersweetness. The day marked the end of the Puja, the departure of the goddess, but for Abir, it also signified a new beginning—a chance to confess his feelings.

As he reached the pandal, his heart raced. He scanned the crowd, searching for her, until finally, he spotted her. She was dressed in a stunning red and white saree, her hair neatly pinned back, a vision of beauty amidst the festive chaos.

He was about to approach her when his phone buzzed. Abir glanced at it absentmindedly, expecting a message from a friend, but what he saw made his blood run cold.

The message was from an unknown number, and attached to it was a picture of Ishita—smiling, just like she had smiled at him so many times over the last few days. But she wasn’t alone in the picture. A man stood beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Underneath the photo was a single line: “She’s lying to you.”

Abir’s heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the image, trying to process what it meant. His mind raced with questions. Who was this man? Why had Ishita never mentioned him? And why would someone send this message to him now?

He looked up at her again. Ishita was still talking to some people, oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside him.

Gathering his composure, Abir approached her. “Ishita, can we talk?”

Her face brightened when she saw him. “Of course! Let’s step outside. It’s a bit loud here.”

As they walked to a quieter spot, Abir’s mind was in overdrive. He couldn’t shake the image of the message and the man in the photo. His heart ached at the thought that everything they had shared could be a lie.

When they were finally alone, he hesitated for a moment before pulling out his phone and showing her the photo.

“Ishita, who is this?” he asked, his voice fraught with emotion.

Her smile faltered as she looked at the image. There was a long, tense pause before she finally spoke.

“Abir… I was going to tell you,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “That’s my brother.”

Abir blinked in confusion, unsure of what to make of her words.

“My brother passed away last year. This was the last photo we took together,” she continued, her voice trembling. “The person who sent you this message is someone who’s been stalking me for months—someone who’s been harassing me since my brother’s death.”

Abir’s breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t expected this. His mind raced as he tried to piece everything together.

“He’s been trying to scare me, control me, and when he saw us together these past few days, he must have felt threatened,” she explained, her eyes filling up. “I didn’t want to burden you with this… but now it’s out of my hands.”

Abir felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He had jumped to conclusions, let his insecurities cloud his judgment. He reached out, gently taking her hand in his.

“I’m so sorry, Ishita. I didn’t know,” he said softly.

Ishita looked at him, her expression a mix of relief and sadness. “I wanted these days to be happy, free from that part of my life. But I guess you can’t run from everything.”

They stood there, the world around them bustling with the sounds of celebration, but in that moment, it felt like time had stopped.

Abir pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her in a silent promise. “You’re not alone in this. We’ll face it together.”

As they stood amidst the chaos of Dashami, watching the goddess make her way toward the river, Abir realized that while fate had thrown them an unexpected twist, it had also given him something far more precious—someone worth fighting for.

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