"Saryu! Why did you come late? Where you went? Did you meet the informant?"
Ayush asks Saryu about the task he gave her that morning.
"Sir that is I went to temple... and this is the slip that you asked."
(She searches her pockets)
"Give me..." (extends his hand)
"It is in my bag sir. One minute-"
Saryu goes and gets the chit and its then he hears the sound of payal… his eyes travel to her feet and he finds those anklets he had brought earlier…
*shocked* "wait paayal? I gave these to Komali know…", asks Ayush shockingly.
Saryu(smiles)- "Oh! These were given to me by a little girl! Then these must be your selection sir. They are very beautiful "
Ayush(hurriedly)- "But these are not for you. Remove them."
Those payal are for Billi. No one else can wear it! Well as of Komali she can because she's like my little sis!
Saryu- "Excuse me! You want to become a demon that much. That little girl gifted me these with love. I won't remove this. I will think these as a birthday gift from you."
That makes him freeze. Birthday gift? It was supposed to be Billi's gift! How did it end up with Saryu?
Saryu (continued)- "And it is ill manner to ask a lady to remove her jewellery." *makes a sad face*
He sighs. What would Billi do in such situations? She'd say to let it go.
"No matter how much you try everything will go according to fate Bhaalu, don't feel tensioned? Every object has its name written on it of its keeper…'
Those were her words of wisdom at the age of 12, her way of cheering him up when he had misplaced a cricket bat autographed by his all-time favourite cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
At present, Saryu tries to scan his face. She can see that he's thinking a lot-
"it's ok sir... if you say so-"
(She begins to remove one anklet from her leg)
Ayush(suddenly)-"no…keep them. If Komali gifted you those then… she must really like you. So umm- Happy Birthday"
There! He manages to smile after wishing her. She smiles really big in return and says-
"Thank you, sir! I will never remove these. These are the cutest gift that I ever got. I really love to wear paayal from my childhood."
He stares at her like she had grown a new head then and there. So she loved such gifts in her childhood... like Billi did! Does that mean- NO Ayush are you nuts? Every girl must have received such gifts on her birthday. And it's just a coincidence here.
Saryu (continued)-"promise sir…I will never remove them…"
She says aloud smiling while looking at her feet. These shimmering anklets reminded her of him... her Bhaalu… it's like she's holding him, his memories, carrying them with her as she walks her every step.
Once again Ayush's gaze lowers to stop on the 'payal'. They were really big and shining-
"Honestly, will you wear them daily? On Jeans?" (Almost laughs)
Saryu(seriously)- "Yes so what…. what we know if all the girls in Mumbai starts following me? And I believe in setting trend…"
He just smiles in return. Other officers join them and the matter ends there. And unknown to each of them, the payal reached where it belonged.