"Can I enter?", Subho heard the sweet voice he had grown to love.

After Oindrila had run away yesterday evening, no one had seen her. Subho was a little disappointed but he understood she needed time, thus didn't approach her.

"Yeah yeah, sure", he rubbed his sweaty palms against his shirt and quickly styled his hair.

Mishti slowly entered and noticed the yellow rose in a glass of water. She picked it up while touching its petals with her thumb.

"A yellow rose symbolises joy and friendship", she abruptly said.

"Agar woh meri sabche achi dost nahi ban to main usse kabhi pyaar kar hi nahi sakta.", he looked into the depths of his eyes.

(If she cannot be my best friend then I can never love her.)

She smiled softly at his habit of reciting famous dialogues of SRK.

Extending her hand which delicately held the rose towards him she said,

"I will"

Subho took the rose and looked at her confused.

"Sobche bhalo bondhu jokhon ho ei gechi tahole biye tao korene.", she confirmed his thoughts.

(If I have become your best friend then marry me already.)

Subho looked at her with comically wide eyes.

He ran downstairs and to the courtyard, with Mishti following him.

"She said yes!", he shouted for the whole world to hear.

Hearing him say that, everyone came down to see what was going on. 

All of them looked at Mishti, asking her the same question through her eyes. And then, there was Abhik who looked at her with a emotionless face. The face which sacred her the most, the face she could not bare to look at. 

One drop, two drop....a waterfall of tears started to flow out of her eyes as she nodded vigorously. Oh, how her forced smile had everyone fooled. 

While some people could not contain their happiness at this verdict, some stood at the background utterly surprised at her decision. 

After the short celebration ended, Abhik walked up to Mishti and hugged her tightly. She closed her eyes and let the emotions do the talking. A lot was said, a lot was lost and a lot betrayed, none heard by anyone else. 

Slowly loosening his hold on her, Abhik whispered,

"Bye Mishti."

The farewell lingered even when he walked out the main entrance. As much as she wanted to stop him, yell at him for giving up so easily, the words choked up and died in her throat.

"Kano korli eta tui?", Subha asked her accusingly.

(Why did you do this?)

Her siblings, except Medha, had barged into her room to search for the answers for the questions her words left behind.

"What are you talking about?", Oindrila chuckled nervously.

"Di, it was not just you who loved him. He loved you too. You made your decision but what about him?", Rumi ranted.

"I don't understand a single thing you all are implying.", she tried to avoid the conversation.

"What about you?", Deb's question silenced her.

"What about me? I am perfectly fine. Subho is a great guy.", she lied through her teeth. Subho was indeed a great guy but she was not fine.

"Dibhai, didn't you always say that don't make a sacrifice so big for the bigger picture that you fail to see your picture?", Abhi reminded.

"Someone had also told me that no reason can be big enough to fight my family for. The family who gave me everything for very little in return, I cannot take that right away from them.", Mishti was helpless.

They looked at each other, understanding what she meant to say. Subha placed a hand on her cheek as the other three held her hand.

"You will be happy right?", they asked her together. It saddened them to see their eldest sister sacrifice the little something she had to herself, once again, for them, for their family.

"The pain of separation was a reminder to the world of the depth of love Radha and Krishna had for each other.", she replied staring at the small statue of her Murlimanohar.

"Tui Abhik ke dekhechis?", her mother asked Oindrila.

(Did you see Abhik anywhere?)

"Nobomi r shondhe, kothae jabe. Asche ho e to-", she froze in the middle of her sentence.

(It is the evening of Navami, where will he go. He's probably on his way-)

She then remembered, today was the day of his performance at the cafe. The performance she promised she'd go to.

"Oke dekhte pele bolis ami dekechi. Or barir jonno proshad ache, dite hobe"

(If you see him, tell him I was looking for him. I have prashad for his family which I must give him.)

With that her mother went back to her work, leaving Mishti in her own thoughts.

*flashback*

"Dri! Come fast!", a young 12 year old Abhik shouted.

"Wait up! You're too fast", a cute Mishti ran behind him.

"You want to be a singer?", Oindrila asked him, shocked.

He nodded his head, embarrassed.

"And I was the first person you told", she asked suspiciously.

He nodded again.

"Then what are you waiting for? Tell your parents.", she hit him on his head.

It was Saraswati Puja. Also known as the bengali's valentine's day. After the rituals were completed, Abhik invited Mishti on a ride with him.

"The Princep Ghat is so pretty", she commented, looking over at the Ganga flowing peacefully.

"Not more than you.", he blurted out.

They both blushed and looked away from each other.

And that was how they first fell in love with each other....

*end of flashbacks*

"Didi", Megh calling her pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Hmm", she looked at her, blinking her eyes dry.

"See!", Medha shoved her phone in her face.

There was a live video of Abhik performing at the cafe. She played the video with a shaky finger as the beautiful tunes of his music reached her ears.

https://youtu.be/wQ8cfdBzaHI

(The song I imagine him singing. It is the best sad song ever!)

The song shook her to the core. It gave her the answer to the question she had asked him but the only difference now was that she was not sure she wanted it anymore. She knew it would only make her weak.

"He is a great singer. Must have been a great night for him", Medha said.

"Je raate mor duarguli bhanglo jhore.", having said so Oindrila went away, leaving a puzzled Megh behind, wondering why she was quoting Rabindranath Tagore.

(The night the storm broke the walls I had built.)