Sanjh was packing her bags for their trip to Nishigiri. She was excited as she would be spending a week with her cousins. Sanjh being an only child always felt lonely even though her parents loved her and spent a lot of time with her. But she really missed spending time with people her own age. Sanjh did not have any close friends in school or college as she was an introvert and liked minding her own business.
Her cousins were different. Whenever she met them, she forgot everything else and just had fun. Ujwal with his annoying big brother attitude, Sriya who laughed at the smallest things, Yuvan and Prithvi who always cheated at cards but never admitted it, and little Hima who followed Sanjh everywhere like a shadow. They were loud, chaotic, and perfect. Sanjh found her best friends and her siblings in them. She loved them a lot.
Her uncles and aunts were equally dear to her. Warm, caring, always treating her like their own. The same could not be said about her maternal grandmother.
Nirmala Verma believed in the old ways. Girls should be soft spoken. They should wear traditional clothes, keep their heads down, and never raise their voices. Sanjh believed in equality. In speaking her mind. In standing eye to eye with anyone. This difference in thinking had created a distance between them over the years. But somewhere beneath Sanjh's irritation, she knew one thing—her grandmother loved her. Fiercely. And maybe, just maybe, Sanjh was her favorite grandchild. Not that she would ever admit it.
Soon it became evening and Sagar returned home. Jyoti had already informed him about the trip and packed his bags. The family of three had their evening snacks, loaded their bags into the car, and started their journey to Nirmala Verma's home.
As soon as the Mehra family arrived, they were warmly welcomed by Ramesh Verma. Ramesh, the elder brother of Jyoti, was visibly happy seeing his younger sister and niece after such a long time. He hugged them both tightly, his eyes glistening. Nirmala Verma greeted them with affection and immediately started asking about their journey, their health, everything.
Soon the whole family gathered in the hall. Voices filled the room as everyone greeted each other, the younger ones breaking into laughter, the elders exchanging updates about life. Plans for the trip were discussed and finalized. They would leave tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. sharp. The journey from their hometown Rajkhot to Nishigiri would take around fifteen hours. They decided to take three cars—two for the elders and one for all the younger clan. Ramesh would drive the first car with his wife Chandrika, the Prasad couple and Nirmala. The second car would be taken by the Mehra couple along with Sivaram Verma and his wife Payal. The younger clan would follow in the third car with Ujwal, the eldest grandson, behind the wheel.
Sanjh was overjoyed after meeting everyone. That night, she didn't sleep much. None of the cousins did. They sat together in one room, playing cards, sharing stories, laughing until their stomachs hurt, planning all the things they would do during the trip. This was the first time the entire family was visiting Nishigiri. Before this, none of them had even heard the name. They knew nothing about the village or the temple. But it was Nirmala's wish to visit Nishiteshwar Temple in Nishigiri with her entire family. And so, her children had planned this trip just for her.
At some point, Sanjh glanced at her grandmother who was sitting quietly in a corner, watching them all with a strange expression. There was love in her eyes, yes. But something else too. Something Sanjh couldn't name.
She shook the thought away and returned to her cousins' laughter.
One by one, the lights went out. The house fell silent. Everyone slept peacefully, with the thought of waking up early and starting their journey to Nishigiri.
Everyone except Nirmala.
She sat by her window, staring at the moon, her lips moving in a whisper too low for anyone to hear. A prayer. Or maybe something else.
In the room across, Sanjh dreamed of water. Deep, dark, endless. And somewhere beneath it, something was waiting.
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