The Word on the Wrist

Chapter 2: "The Word on the Wrist"

The market was quieter in the evening, the rush of tourists having settled into a more comfortable hum. Aarohi was finishing up her day, packing away the delicate necklaces and earrings she had spent hours making. As she wrapped each piece in cloth, the image of Liam lingered in the back of her mind. She had to admit, his presence had left an impression on her—a stranger who knew nothing about her world, but somehow seemed... different.

It was just the way he had looked at her bracelet. No one ever seemed to understand the significance of it. To most, it was just another piece of jewelry, but to Aarohi, it was a **symbol of legacy**. A piece of her mother’s history that had been passed down to her with love and reverence.

But when Liam touched it, the way his fingers traced the engraving—**“वेल”**—it felt as though something had shifted. The moment had been brief, but Aarohi couldn’t stop thinking about it. *Was he aware of its meaning?*

She shoved the thought aside as she closed her stall for the night. The market vendors were starting to pack up, and the streetlights flickered on, casting a warm glow on the cobblestone streets. Aarohi walked toward the bus stop, her mind elsewhere, when a voice called her name.

**"Aarohi!"**

She froze, her heart leaping into her chest. She turned around slowly, hoping it wasn’t who she thought it was. But, of course, it was.

There he was again—Liam. Standing by the street corner, a sheepish grin on his face, holding something in his hand.

**"Uh, hi. I hope I’m not bothering you,"** he said, looking a little awkward, like a lost puppy in the middle of a bustling city.

Aarohi raised an eyebrow. **"You’re really persistent, aren’t you?"** she asked, crossing her arms.

Liam chuckled nervously. **"I guess you could say that. I just wanted to return this properly."** He held out the bracelet.

For a moment, Aarohi hesitated. **"I already got it back from you earlier. There’s no need to—"**

**"No, it’s not that,"** Liam interrupted, his voice suddenly serious. **"I don’t just want to give it back. I wanted to understand it."**

Aarohi blinked in surprise. **"Understand it?"** She took a step forward, unsure of what he meant. **"Why would you want to understand it?"**

Liam shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable but determined to continue. **"I know this is going to sound strange, but… when I picked it up, I felt something. Like, this odd connection. I don’t know why."**

Aarohi stared at him, speechless for a moment. **“A connection?”** she repeated. The air between them seemed to thicken, as if the very streets of Jaipur were holding their breath.

He continued, his tone more hesitant now. **"I know it probably sounds silly. But I was looking up information on it after I left, and the word ‘वेल’ kept showing up. It means 'fate' or ‘destiny,’ right?"**

Aarohi’s breath caught in her throat. **"Who told you that?"**

**"The chaiwala."** Liam’s voice was small, almost apologetic. **"He said something about destiny and people being tied together."**

Aarohi shook her head, her lips curling into a tight smile. **"You’ve been asking around about the bracelet?"** She tried to sound dismissive, but her heart was beating faster now, the way it always did when something about the world around her didn’t make sense. She’d never told anyone what the bracelet meant—not like that.

**"Well, yeah,"** Liam replied, his eyes earnest. **"I mean, how can I not? It feels like there’s something bigger going on here."**

Aarohi sighed, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. This conversation was heading down a path she wasn’t ready to take. **"I think you’re just overthinking it. It’s just a bracelet."**

But deep down, she knew it wasn’t. She knew the significance of that piece of silver, and it wasn’t something she could just shrug off.

**"I don’t know why I’m even telling you this,"** Liam continued, clearly frustrated by his inability to put his thoughts into words. **"I just—"**

He trailed off, as though he, too, had no explanation for why he felt so strongly about a simple piece of jewelry. His hand tightened around the bracelet he still held.

Aarohi looked at him, his confusion and sincerity written all over his face. She was about to tell him to just forget about it when something stopped her. **What if he could help?** What if Liam, this curious, strange man who had shown such interest in something so small, could unravel the mystery of the bracelet?

But then again, was it really a mystery? Or was it something more personal—a family heirloom, a reminder of her mother, something only meant for her?

Aarohi took a deep breath, steeling herself against the storm of thoughts. **"You don’t need to understand it,"** she said firmly. **"You picked it up by accident. It doesn’t mean anything."**

But as soon as she said the words, she knew they weren’t true. And she saw it in Liam’s eyes too—he wasn’t convinced.

**"I don’t believe that,"** he said quietly. **"I feel like… I’m meant to know more. And maybe it’s not by accident that we met."**

Aarohi stared at him, her pulse quickening. She hadn’t expected this. She had thought he would be like every other tourist she’d encountered—interested for a few minutes, then gone. But Liam wasn’t like the others. There was something different about him, something that made Aarohi’s heart race. Something she couldn’t explain.

**"Maybe you should let this go,"** she said softly, turning to walk away.

But Liam’s voice stopped her again. **"I can’t."**

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The wind rustled the leaves of a nearby tree, and the distant hum of the city continued on. But for Aarohi, the world seemed to have paused, and everything in her heart told her that this wasn’t just a simple accident.

Liam was right. They had crossed paths for a reason.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***