Chapter 3: Whispers, Comments, and Dreams

Apart from its constant tail-rubbing, the little snake was surprisingly well-behaved. Maybe all those scary Dadi stories were just that—stories.

“Why do you keep rubbing me like that…”

I muttered under my breath, half-embarrassed, half-curious. I adjusted my dupatta, hoping it would hide my nervousness too.

The snake just stared. Suddenly, a message flashed across my phone:

[Because he wants to teach you a lesson.]

Teach me a lesson? What’s that supposed to mean? I frowned, wishing these voices in my head would just explain things, like the aunties who never leave any gossip half-finished.

Another popped up: [Girl, dare to touch where it’s rubbing you? There’ll be a surprise.]

What on earth…? My cheeks burned. Was this one of those things Amma only hints at, never says directly?

Curiosity got the better of me. I poked the spot where the snake’s tail kept rubbing. For a moment, the air buzzed, like right before the first crack of a summer thunderstorm.

At the same time—

In Arjun’s room, he sat on the carpet by the bed, shirt hanging open, his lower half wrapped in layers of clothes…

“Damn.”

His face was flushed deep red, his breath heavy. The low hum of the cooler filled the room. Even the shadows seemed to pulse.

“Aren’t you afraid of snakes?” “Why are you touching yourself?” Touching is one thing. But not letting him enjoy it—that’s another.

The little snake’s tail started wagging faster, its tongue flicking. It was as if it wanted to tell me something wordless, something wild and old.

Panicked, I shook it off. The poor thing tumbled to the floor. My heart pounded—what if I’d hurt it?

[HAHAHAHAHAHAHA—]

[Give up, the hero is too pitiful, can’t even feed himself.]

[The girl is so cute, this is actually a reward for him.]

Suddenly, the screen filled with comments. It felt like a thousand invisible neighbours peering through their curtains.

Who’s this “he”? The snake? Or…

The snake glared at me, then slithered away to the far side of the room—clearly sulking, like a street dog hoping for a biscuit outside the temple gates.

Worried I’d hurt it, I decided to ask Arjun for a glass tank. Dadi always said, “Atithi devo bhava—even snakes.”

Knock knock knock—

I knocked on his door. It was tightly shut, no answer. Odd—Arjun never shuts his door. It’s always a little open, so whenever I pass, I end up catching him changing—only to be called “shameless” or “naughty.”

[Scheming guy, leaves the door open every day just to tempt the girl.]

[Girl, don’t fall for it! He’s dangerous right now. Push the door open and go in!]

[Yeah, the hero’s suffering, you need to go help him.]

Dangerous? Suffering? He needs help? My head spun.

“What are you doing?”

The door swung open. Arjun glared: “Banging on my door nonstop—are you trying to get yourself killed?” His voice was rough, deeper than usual, like he’d just woken from a heavy sleep.

I instantly regretted trusting the comments. I only knocked because I was worried. But he did seem off.

His clothes were messy, his face burning red. He honestly looked like he’d just… been with someone. My stomach twisted, like when you find out the samosas are finished at the wedding buffet.

“What were you doing in there?”

I poked my head in, wanting to peek. Arjun blocked me, getting flustered: “What’s it to you?”

“And there’s a weird smell,” I sniffed. “Did your snake go into heat?”

“Thank you so much.”

See? He’s getting anxious. Whenever he’s guilty, he gets sarcastic—like when he blamed the broken vase on the cat.

I frowned. “Did you do something bad? Why so jumpy?”

[Girl, stop asking—he’s about to lose it.]

[Let’s go, I’m scared he’ll snap and eat the girl.]

[LOL, every word from the girl is a direct hit, the scheming guy can’t hide it anymore.]

Can’t hide it?

Suddenly, I understood. With a cold face, I said, “Priya’s inside, isn’t she?”

He froze.

I turned away, continuing, “You’re doing dirty things with her and don’t even care if I see. What do you take me for?”

Arjun was still frozen. Finally, he stammered, closing the door halfway: “No, you…”

“Scumbag.”

I slammed the door in his face. My hands shook, my heart felt like a balloon ready to burst. I could almost hear the aunties in the colony whispering, “Shaadi se pehle hi itna hungama?”

Back in my room, I sat against the door, hugging my knees, head buried. My breathing echoed rough and uneven in the heavy afternoon silence.

I couldn’t see the comments above me.

[What do we do, the girl misunderstood.]

[Good, let her misunderstand—maybe she’ll finally leave.]

[Yeah, let them keep misunderstanding, anyway the hero has a sharp tongue and no game, what’s the point of having a wife?]

[…Am I the only one who wants to see the hero force his love? If the girl just leaves, he’ll just… hehe.]

[Seconded!]

I sniffled. My nose burned, eyes prickling. Why did everything feel so messy now?

Looking up, I saw only the last comment:

[Whatever, with Priya, the supporting girl, around, our girl will always be hurt. If you don’t deal with the scheming guy, just leave.]

That’s right.

Arjun and I have been engaged since we were kids. Everyone knew—shopkeepers in the bazaar would tease, “Shaadi kab hai, Meera beta?”

He’s loved snakes since he was little. I’ve been terrified of them since I was little. Whenever he held a snake, I’d run, and he’d laugh. Our childhood was a seesaw of his laughter and my tears.

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get over it.

Until I saw Priya for the first time. In Arjun’s snake greenhouse. She wore a white dress, a snake gently wrapped around her, and she smiled. Arjun stood off to the side, looking at her with soft eyes. That’s when I realised—

I’m afraid of snakes. But there are plenty of girls who aren’t. Some girls can hold a snake like it’s a silk scarf, but I—Meera—just can’t. Maybe it’s time to admit defeat.