As i promised two updates in a week here is the second chapter. Please show your love and support and please vote and comment, it will mean a lot to me.

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“पहली बार सुनी थी उसे…
पर एहसास ऐसे हुए मानो बरसों से जानता हूँ।
कुछ आवाज़ें सिर्फ कानों तक नहीं जातीं,
सीधे रूह में उतर जाती हैं—
और शायद वह मेरी वही आवाज़ थी।”
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Finally, we boarded our train, settled into our seats, and had dinner together, the entire compartment filled with our laughter and teasing. After eating, the elders retired early since they were tired, and we youngsters-my brothers Yash and Samar, Sravya akka, and my best friend Drushti-started playing UNO.

After a while, boredom kicked in.

"Let's do something new," I said.

"YES!" Sravya akka and Dru immediately agreed.
So we switched to Truth or Dare.

Yash anna spun the bottle and it pointed straight at... me.

God save me.

"Truth or dare?" Dru chimed, grinning too widely.

"Truth..." I said, already regretting it.

"Have you ever had a crush or been in a relationship?"

I instantly glanced at my brothers. Their expressions screamed:
"Try saying a name and we'll show you the Reddy Family Demons."

I gulped, smiled nervously, and said, "You all know right... I was always so occupied with my studies that I barely had time for you guys. How will I have time for such nonsense?"

My brothers exhaled dramatically in relief.

"And who would like a girl who is like me..." I mumbled under my breath, continuing the game before anyone could question that line.

This time the bottle pointed at Sravya akka, and she confidently chose dare.

Bad decision.

"Okay then..." Samar smirked. "Call bava and confess love to him in front of us."

We immediately jumped in:
"YES YES AKKA DO IT!"

Her face turned crimson.
"No! No, what are you saying? I'm not doing this!"

But Yash anna added, "Come on, Sravya. Let's see bava's reaction."

"ANNA, YOU TOO?" she whined, burying her face in her palms.

Me and Anirudh showed our top-tier puppy eyes. She broke in five seconds.

She video-called bava. He picked up instantly.

Of course he did.

They were also on a train heading to the village.

"What happened, Sravya? You're calling at this time? Everything fine?" he asked.

"Yes, Samar garu, everything is fine..." she replied shyly.

"Then what's the matter?"

I slid my face into the camera and said, "Bava, she's missing you a lot and wants to tell you something-"

Akka smacked me and glared. I sat back, giggling silently.

Finally she whispered, "Samar... I... lo... love you," cheeks red from embarrassment.

Samar chuckled.
"I love you too."

Cheering erupted on both sides-our compartment and theirs.

Then he teased, "Why are you stuttering, Sravya? It's not like you're saying it for the first time."

We screamed even louder.
Akka, red as a tomato, muttered, "I wasn't stuttering. These idiots are here so I got shy!"
Then she escaped outside with her phone, flustered.

We laughed like maniacs.

The game resumed. The bottle now pointed at Dru, who chose truth.

"Who's the luckiest guy who will marry you?" I asked.

She flicked her hair dramatically.

"Tujhe toh pata hi hai... mera wala toh pure duniya mhe ek hoga, aur mujhe lene ghode pe aayega saath samundar paar karke. Aur jab woh milega na, uski khabar lungi itne saal tak wait karwane ke liye."
( You already know... my person will be one in a million. And he'll come to get me on a horse-crossing seven seas if he has to. And when he finally meets me, i will give him a earful for making me wait all these years?")

I snorted.
"Aur tu chalayegi na ghoda... paani pe?"
(And you will drive the horses in water...right??)

She pouted.
Me and my brothers exchanged looks. Hopeless dramatic case.

Next was Anirudh's turn. He chose truth, the fool.

"Where are my chips that I hid from mom?" I asked immediately.

His guilty face said everything.

"How do you know akka?"
His eyes widened, realising he confessed.

"HOW DARE YOU EAT MY CHIPS THAT I HID FOR MY CRAVINGS?" I shrieked.

"Sorry akka! I thought they were just thrown there!"

"I even wrote DON'T TOUCH IT. ARE YOU BLIND?"
I threw a pillow at him.

"AAH! DOMESTIC VIOLENCE! Please someone call police" he shouted dramatically, throwing a pillow back- Which almost hit Yash.

He dodged and glared.
"What are you both? Five years old??"

Simultaneously we said:
"She started it."
"He started it."

Sravya akka came in, laughing.

After a mini lecture, Yash anna ordered us to sleep.

---

Next morning, we reached our destination. Thatayya had sent a car for all of us. We reached our village, where wedding rituals would begin from tomorrow.

By the time we finally entered the village, I was half-asleep, half-excited, and fully overwhelmed. The roads felt different, the air smelled fresher, and everything around looked like it belonged in an old Telugu movie - colourful houses, rangolis outside doors, people chatting in verandas, and kids running around.

Home.
Not my home - but the kind that still feels warm.

Inside, aunty welcomed us with a big smile.
"Randi randi... tired ga unnaru kada? First fresh kandi tarvata lunch chethuru."
( Welcome, come inside...you are all tired right. First get fresh up and then have lunch)
We nodded like obedient children.

The rooms were neat, simple, and lit with soft yellow bulbs that made everything look cosy. I washed my face, changed, and came to the hall where everyone was already settled.

We freshened up, had lunch - hot rice, pappu, fryums, and ghee that smelled heavenly. I ate slow, enjoying every bite. Weddings always had this strange magic that forced you to be present in the moment and slept.

In the evening, we sat together in the verandah.
A gentle breeze.
Faint smell of jasmine from someone's hair.
Light chatter in the background.

Dad, pednanna, naynamma, and thatayya were sitting. I went to take blessings.

"Ela vunnaru thathayya, naynamma?" I asked. (How are you grandma and grandpa?)

They hugged me.

"Mhe banne vunnam. Nuvvu chepu... good news epudu istunavu?" naynamma teased. ( We are fine. You tell....when are you going to give good news??)

I frowned.
"Em good news? Nenu CA ayina danikanna pedda good news em undi?"
(What good news? I am CA now and what can be more good than that)

"Ayyo picchi thalli... pelli gurinchi matladtundi ne naynamma" thatayya said. (Stupid girl your grandmother is talking about marriage)

Ah. Marriage talk. Again.

"Epude em thondara? Mundhu Sravya akka pelli kanitam," I diverted successfully. (Why so hurry?? Let us first finish Sravya dii wedding)

Thank god.

Dinner, chit-chat, and soon we retired to our rooms. But sleep didn't come to me easily-my brain had to think of 1000 random scenarios first.

While lost in thoughts, both akka and Dru snuggled into me.

Don't know how their husbands will be surviving with them and i chuckled bit with their antics.

I snuggled back and finally drifted to sleep.

We boarded our train at night, had dinner, and were enjoying each other company as usual.

After some time, Samar's phone rang. He picked it up immediately.

That meant only one thing-vadina.

He never picks any call this fast. Not even mine.

He answered, asked if everything was fine, and she said nothing serious.

Then suddenly-

A voice that wasn't hers came through the phone.

"Bava, she was missing you a lot and also wants to say something to you..."

Her voice.

Soft. Warm. Playful.

The kind of voice that could silence a whole room...
Because that's exactly what happened.

Everyone around me faded out as that voice filled my ears-
velvety, musical, comforting.

I didn't even know who she was.
But something inside me went still.

Then my sister screeched happily as vadina said "I love you" to Samar.

Samar smiled and replied, "I love you too,"
And from the blush on his face, anyone could guess vadina was blushing too.

Then he teased her about stuttering and we all cheered, laughing.

Sometimes I feel they're having a full love marriage arranged by them.

He stepped out to talk privately.

I leaned back, still hearing her voice in my mind.

A small smile crept up without my permission.

Of course Shreshth noticed.

He leaned in way too close and whispered,
"What are you thinking bro... bhabhi mil gyi kya?" (Did you find my sister in law?)

I shoved him.
"Pehle door rehke baat kiya kar. I don't know about you, but I'm straight." (First of all, make a distance with me and then talk.)

"Abe, main bhi straight hi hoon!!! Aur waise bhi meri choice itni bekaar nhi hai." (Heyy, I am also straight. And my choice is not that bad) he said fixing his shirt.

"Maine tujhe itne baar bulaya, par tum apni duniya me kho gaye the isliye bahar la rha tha!" he exclaimed. (I called you many times, but you were busy in your own world so I was trying to bring you out)

"Okay, okay," I said.

Then he asked seriously, "What were you thinking?"

He's my only best friend, so I told him about what was going in my mind.

He burst out laughing.

"The GREAT Aarav Reddy... thinking about a girl he hasn't even SEEN? Just heard her voice ONCE?"

"Idiot," I muttered, annoyed.

He calmed down quickly-one thing I really admire about him.

"Look Aarav, maybe it's nothing. Maybe you're stressed because your family is behind you for marriage. Could be infatuation. Don't overthink."

I nodded and we went to our seats. Everyone slept except me.

But even with my eyes closed...
her voice lingered.

Soft. Musical. Echoing in my mind.

I forced myself to sleep ignoring all thoughts thinking it was just nothing.

But maybe god has different plans.

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Next day, we reached the bride's village. They insisted all rituals happen here. We were given the house next to theirs.

The bride's parents welcomed us warmly.

But the girl whose voice I heard... wasn't there. I know I haven't seen her but...her voice was enough to recognise her.

My eyes subconsciously searched every corner.

She wasn't anywhere.

Maybe luck wasn't on my side today. Dhairya caught me.
"Annaya... what are you searching for? This is a wedding house, not ICU."

I rolled my eyes.
"Behave, ra."

We had lunch, and took rest.

Evening came, and the house grew quieter. I stepped out for fresh air.
The village lane was dimly lit, calm, peaceful.
Then I heard it.
A laugh - soft, warm, feminine, like sunlight in sound.

It was distant... but the second it reached me, something tightened in my chest.

I turned.
The lane was empty.

For a second, I stood there like an idiot, staring at nothing.

"Calm down, Aarav," I muttered to myself.
"You don't even know who that was."

But the voice...
it felt oddly familiar.
Like it belonged somewhere in my life - just not yet.

I shook my head and walked back in

But in some quiet corner of my mind...

That voice still refused to leave.

Everyone at home fell asleep early. Except me.
I tossed and turned, thinking about the same laugh, the same tugging feeling from the evening.

Sleep refused to come.

When I finally drifted off, one strange thought echoed in my mind-

If her voice alone could do this... what will happen when I actually see her?

Little did I know...
she was already sleeping under the same roof.
And our first meeting wasn't going to be normal.
Not even close.

Fate has its own sense of humour.

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So how do you think there first meet would be like??
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Note:
All my lovely readers I know you are all excited for the main leads meet.
So have patience because they are going to meet in the next chapter.
And from next chapter the wedding rituals of Samar and Sravya are going to start, I don't know all telugu rituals perfectly but i will try my best to portray them. And the main leads marriage rituals will be more detailed than this. Till then bye and take care.

THANK YOU FOR READING
LOVE YOU ALL MY CUTIES