📅 October 18 – Devgarh & Nandanpur
Morning Ride
The four scooters rolled across the glistening fields from Nandanpur to Devgarh as usual.
Ishanvi+Vrinda, Raghav+Vivaan, Abhay+Vaidehi, Aariv+Meera.
Abhay was still quieter than normal, his hands gripping the handlebars tightly, eyes darting toward the Sudarshini. Ishanvi noticed but stayed close, her own unease hidden behind her calm expression.
"Didn't sleep well again?" she asked softly, keeping her voice low.
He shrugged. "Just… thinking."
She didn't push. She knew he needed space, even if he didn't yet realize how much he depended on her presence.
A Dangerous Slip
Near the narrow bridge, Vivaan swerved to avoid a puddle. His scooter skidded slightly, throwing him close to the edge.
Abhay instinctively reached out to steady him — and for a heartbeat, the water from the puddle seemed to lift, forming a faint cushion beneath Vivaan's tire.
Ishanvi felt it immediately. Heat surged from her palms as she instinctively placed a hand near Abhay — a small, protective flame flickered across her fingertips, unseen by the others, preventing the puddle from splashing or slipping anyone further.
Vivaan regained balance, laughing. "Whoa! Almost kissed the river!"
No one else noticed the subtle swirl of fire and water that had protected them.
After Class
During lunch, Ishanvi and Abhay walked a little apart from the others.
"I felt it again," Abhay murmured, glancing at his palms. "The water… it reacts sometimes. And today… it almost… I don't know, saved him."
Ishanvi's voice was calm but soft. "Then maybe it's not dangerous. Not if you don't let it be."
He looked at her, eyes searching. "And your fire?"
Her fingers twitched unconsciously. "It… listens when it needs to. But only for what matters."
Neither sibling said more, letting the moment pass as the chatter of their classmates drifted through the hall.
Evening Ride Home
On the ride back, the river glimmered faintly under the twilight sky.
Abhay kept glancing at it nervously, while Ishanvi's fingers brushed the handlebars, feeling a warmth she didn't yet understand.
Vrinda and Vivaan joked in the back, completely unaware of the subtle forces protecting their group, while Abhay and Ishanvi exchanged a brief glance — a silent acknowledgment that something had shifted between them and the world around them.
That night, the Sudarshini flowed quietly, its surface reflecting the glow of a distant flame — small, fleeting, yet undeniable.
And somewhere, in the depths of water and ember, the river and the fire waited for their chosen children to finally understand the power they carried.