love by mistake : episode 2

It was nearly 11:30 at night.

Titir and Sima, two sisters, were sitting in the same room—the door to the balcony that overlooked the field was open, and a cool breeze drifted in. Titir was leaning on one side with a pillow, visibly tired. Sima kept glancing at the clock.

Sima said,

— “Ma said Rudra da will come at night. Why isn’t he here yet?”

Titir turned her face away and replied,

— “Such a drama king. He does everything on his own terms. Probably checked into a hotel by now!”

Sima whispered,

— “Didi, what if Rudra da has completely changed… and doesn’t even recognize us?”

Titir closed her eyes and said,

— “That would be great. He won't recognize us, yet he’ll still be everyone’s favorite.”

The light was soft, the air filled with a faint fragrance of sandalwood and jasmine. Outside, a dog barked occasionally, mixed with the distant sound of trucks. Both girls were tired. They didn’t even realize when their eyes began to close in the wait...

Sima had dozed off with her head on Titir’s shoulder. Titir too quietly closed her eyes.

The room was filled only with the ticking of the clock and the stillness of the night.

And just then…

A black car pulled up beside the main gate.

---

Morning. Around 8 a.m.

Titir slowly opened her eyes. Sunlight poured into the room through the window. A light breeze swayed the curtains. With sleepy eyes, she stared at the ceiling, then turned over and was startled.

Sima wasn’t in bed.

Titir frowned.

— “Where did that girl go so early in the morning?”

She sat up, hair messy, eyes still heavy with sleep. Yawning, she walked toward the window. Outside, birds chirped in the yard, and the smell of frying spices wafted from the kitchen.

Titir whispered,

— “Everyone’s already up… except me.”

Suddenly, she remembered—

“Rudra!”

She muttered,

— “Don’t even know if he came last night… Sima probably already went to see him!”

Titir hurriedly brushed her hair, splashed water on her face, and said,

— “Today I won’t let myself appear weak in front of anyone… Losing sleep over someone like him is insulting myself.”

She opened the door and stepped out of her room…

Now the real morning was about to begin, where the past, pride, and new stories would stand face to face.

Titir slowly walked down the stairs. Her hair was hastily tied, eyes reflecting a mix of annoyance and fatigue. She tiptoed into the living room.

But the hall was completely empty.

Curtains were drawn away from the large windows, sunlight streamed inside. The sofa cushions were in place, and a newspaper lay on the table. Not a single sound anywhere.

Titir paused and glanced around, then smirked slightly.

— “Wow! No one’s here. So Rudra didn’t come after all. That’s actually great.”

She slowly sat on the sofa, ran her hand through her hair, and said,

— “If the whole day goes like this, I’ll be at peace.”

Just then, Tina stepped out of the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hand. She smiled seeing Titir.

Tina said,

— “Finally! I saw someone!”

Titir averted her eyes and asked,

— “What do you mean?”

Tina shrugged,

— “When I woke up, your brother wasn’t in his room. Then I came to the living room—no one. Checked the kitchen—empty. It was like the whole house suddenly vanished!”

Titir smirked,

— “Really? So you thought I’d float out like a ghost?”

Tina laughed,

— “If ghosts were like you and woke up early, I’d happily drink tea without milk every morning!”

Titir narrowed her eyes,

— “Why did you wake up so early?”

Titir sniffed and muttered,

— “But where did everyone go? The whole house feels haunted!”

She slowly walked toward her parents’ room. The door was slightly ajar, but there was no sound inside. She gently knocked and called out,

— “Ma? Baba?”

No response.

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the next room.

A metallic clink… and then, a low voice—someone speaking quietly.

Titir heard it again.

She slowly moved closer.

And then stopped in her tracks.

She whispered,

— “That’s… Rudra’s room!”

She suddenly remembered how Ma always kept that room perfectly tidy—clean curtains, made-up bed, not a speck of dust. Ma would always say, “If Rudra ever comes back, the room should be just as he left it.”

Titir crept up to the door and pressed her ear against it.

From inside, a laugh echoed—a deep, but familiar male voice.

Her eyes narrowed.

— “So… he really came?” she asked herself softly.

She kept listening with her ear against the door—

But suddenly, the door swung open with a loud thud!

Titir lost her balance and fell straight to the floor!

— “Aahhh!”

She cried out in pain.

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