"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

A girl could be seen walking towards her home.

"Maa! I'm home! Bul-" she stopped mid sentence as she looked at the grim faces of the three occupants in the living room. Her mother was sitting there with her two cousins, Sumit and Samay. They all looked worried and distressed.

"Maa, Sumit, Samay...why do you guys look so worried? Did... did something happen?" Pragya gasped "Bulbul! Did something happen to her? Please tell me she's okay. Maa answer me please!"

"Calm down Pragya. Bulbul is fine. In fact, she will be here in a minute. She went to freshen up first."

"I'm here. Hey di!" Bulbul spoke, as she came to the room.

Pragya went and gave her a hug "Thank goodness you're alright"

"Chill di. Nothing can harm your Bulbul that easily." Bulbul tried to lighten the mood.

Sumit stood up and spoke "Now that all of us are here, we want to tell you that we have decided to shift Pragya to Mount College."

Pragya and Bulbul looked towards him in shock.

"Sumit isn't lying Pragya. We have already talked with your Principal and we are transferring you to Bulbul's college." spoke Samay.

"But Samay, why? Why do you want to transfer me to Mount college?"

"Its for Bulbul's safety Pragya. You and I both know that someone is after her. And Sumit and Samay received some information about those people keeping an eye on her." said Sarla.

"What!?"

"Yes Pragya. That is why we want you to shift to Mount College. If you go to the same college as her, you will be able to watch over her inside the campus, where we won't be allowed."

"But are you sure that someone will try to harm her inside the college? I mean, would someone dare to cause a scene at such a crowded place where they would easily get caught?"

"We just don't want to take any chances Pragya. Please Pragya, I know how much your college means to you. But please, would you do this for your sister?"

Pragya looked down in thought 'Leaving my college, my classmates, my friends...... it would be difficult. But Bulbul's safety matters to me the most. I would do anything for her'

"Okay Maa. I'll do it. I'll transfer to Mount College."

"But Pragya di-"

"Its alright Bulbul" Pragya gave her a smile. Bulbul smiled back

"By the way di, Sima had been searching for you. You should go and meet her. She is at Kathik's shop"

Pragya nodded and moved out. Bulbul turned to the rest of the people in the room "Alright. I've had enough. Now tell me the truth!"

Sumit, Samay and Sarla looked at her, shocked. However, Sumit composed himself and spoke "What truth are you talking of Bulbul? We already told you everything."

"Don't even try to lie to me. I know that you three have been keeping secrets from me and Pragya di. Di believes you blindly, but I know that you're feeding us lies!"

"Bulbul! What are you babbling about? We haven't lied about anything. You're imagining things"

"Maa, please. Don't think I haven't noticed. Two years ago, when the accident happened, and me and Pragya di were injured, you told us that it was me who was being targeted. Me and di accepted that truth. But I realize the actual truth now."

Samay moved forward and placed a hand on Bulbul's shoulder "Bulbul, whatever you're thinking i-"

Bulbul smacked away his hand and moved back "Don't even try to lie. After the accident, you kept guards around the house. When we went to school, a guard would follow us. Whenever we went shopping, the same happened. I thought it was for me. But as I observed more, I had a suspicion that the guard kept more vigil on Pragya di than me. So I kept observing more closely. Once I even disappeared from the mall and hid myself to see what the guard would do."

Bulbul looked into Samay's eyes "And the guard didn't go look for me. Instead he kept his watch over di."

"Bulbul beta"

"It wasn't me that was being targeted Maa, was it? It was always Pragya di who was the target. You all are transfering di to Mount college not for me, but for her own safety. Isn't that true? Its her life that is in danger. Not mine. Am I right, Maa?"

Sarla looked down, which gave Bulbul her answer.

Bulbul moved forward and held her mother's hands "Maa, I'm right, aren't I? If I am right, please tell me the truth Maa. Please tell me. Pragya di's life is more important to me than my own. I want to help keep her safe. Please Maa, don't keep me out of it. Please let me help keep di safe. Please Maa!"

Sarla looked at Sumit and Samay.

Sumit sighed "I guess you figured it out Bulbul. Never thought you had such an intelligent brain. I always thought it was empty from within" He joked.

"I'm far more intelligent than you cousin" 😣 Bulbul huffed out in anger.

"Sit down Bulbul. We will explain everything to you. But I think it would be best if your mother starts explaining first." Samay said, looking at Sarla.

Sarla nodded and took a deep breath before speaking

"Bulbul. Whatever I'm about to tell you, you cannot tell your sister. Ever."

"But Maa-"

"Its for her own safety Bulbul. Please. Promise me you won't tell her anything."

Bulbul nodded.

Sarla continued "Bulbul..... There is no other way to tell you this but.....Pragya isn't my own child. I.... I adopted her."

Bulbul's mouth opened in shock. It was as if the earth had disappeared from underneath her feet. She could not believe what she was hearing.

"You're....you're joking right? Maa, you're lying right? Right!?"

Sarla had tears in her eyes "I... I wish I was Bulbul. But its the truth. One night, a year before you were born, your father and I found a lady on our front door. She was badly injured and had a baby in her arms. We tried to save her, but she said that there was no chance of saving her. She showed a tattoo in her wrist and told us that we should give the child to someone with the same tattoo. We tried to search for the family members of the woman, but we couldn't find anything."

Bulbul kept looking at her with wide, teary eyes. 'All this time...all these years, Maa never told the truth. How could she keep such an important thing from us? And di....she deserves to know. How could Maa keep such a truth from her!?'

"Bulbul, I know you might be thinking that I did wrong by not telling you and Pragya the truth. But it was for Pragya's own safety. Trust me Bulbul. Also.... I've never thought of Pragya as another's child. I may have not given birth to her, but she means to me as much as you do. I didn't want to tell her the truth because....because I feared that I would lose her."

Bulbul looked into her mother's eyes and could see the pain and fear in her eyes. The fear of losing Pragya, the fear of Pragya hating her after knowing the truth, the pain of hiding the truth from her. She could understand why her mother had lied. Even she wouldn't want her di to leave them. She loves her Pragya di. It doesn't matter that she isn't her real sister.

Bulbul wiped her tears and spoke "I... I understand Maa. And it doesn't matter to me. Pragya di may not be my sister by blood, but I have accepted her as a sister from my heart. Nothing can change that"

Sarla smiled at Bulbul.

Bulbul turned to Samay "But that still doesn't explain why she is in danger"

"Three years ago, a man came here. He wanted to meet your mother. He said he was Pragya's mama, Shekhar. Sarla aunt didn't believe him, but he showed her a picture of Pragya's mother and he also had the same tattoo in his hand. He left after seeing that everything was fine. However, it is he who told us that Pragya was being targeted."

"But by whom?"

"You see Bulbul, Pragya isn't just any orphan. She is the the last survivor of the Pratap family. And she is the only one who is the key to the Pratap family treasury."

"These people are targeting di for the money?"

"Money or bonds, or gold....no one knows what is stored there. But the Prataps stored their most valuable things there. Only pragya's voice and eye scan can open the vault."

"I don't get it. They had so much time to kidnap di. They could have tried when she was a child as it would have been easier. How come they are trying now?"

"Because no one knew of Pragya being the last survivor. Every detail of the Prataps had been deleted. No one knew but....but someone found out. Someone knows Pragya's true identity. That is why we want her to transfer to Mount College. You will be there and there are some other agents of Shekhar there."

"So this is why you want her here. But why lie to her that it is my life that is in danger. Wouldn't it be better if di knew it was her life on stake?"

Sumit shook his head "We know how Pragya is. If we tell her it is she who is in danger, she would never agree to transfer here. She would think that by transferring, she would put your life at risk. She won't leave her college. Also, she might decide to leave us. She would decide to face her problems alone than put us in danger"

"I understand."

"Bulbul, Sima wasn't at the shop. And when I called her, she said she hadn't been searching for me. Why did you lie?" Pragya said as she came inside the house.

"O....I.....I guess she was searching for someone else and I misheard. Sorry di."

"Fine, fine. Maa, I'm hungry. I'll go freshen up. Please make me something to eat"

"Okay Pragya. You go and freshen up"

"Thank you Maa. You're the best!" Pragya shouted as she went towards her room.

Bulbul looked at her mother "I promise you Maa, I will keep a close eye on Pragya di and make sure no harm comes to her." Sarla smiled at her.

Bulbul continued "However, Maa we shouldn't lie to Pragya di about her true parents. You should try to tell her sooner or later. If she finds the truth from someone else, it would break her"

"I know Bulbul. I know" Sarla looked down in sadness.

"You can tell her everything Sarla aunty, Bulbul, but not now. After the crisis is over, you can tell the truth to her." Samay told them, as he stood up to leave.

"Take care all of you. If you need any help, call us" Sumit spoke as he and Samay left.

"You know Maa, Samay and Sumit help us so much in every matter. Sometimes it feels like they are not cousins but brothers, although they are arrogant jerks"

"Did you insult them or praise them?"

"Depends on the listener I guess"

Sarla shook her head " You'll never improve Bulbul"

"What? I didn't even do anything yet!"

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To be continued...

Next chapter : Pragya meets Shabbir and has quite an intresting encounter. Abhi falls victim to a misunderstanding. First day in college and Pragya already has made enough enemies for a life time.

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Thanks! ~ 🌹 Mona 🌹