"Manasa, you won't believe this!" I called out, glancing over the office holiday calendar with a mix of surprise and excitement. Dussera was just a few weeks away, and my heart skipped a beat seeing the dates.

Manasa, my colleague and best friend at work, sauntered over to my desk. "What is it?" she asked, peering at the calendar.

“Dussera!” I exclaimed. “It’s right around the corner! This time of the year always makes me nostalgic."

"Manasa, you won't believe this!" I called out, glancing over the office holiday calendar with a mix of surprise and excitement. Dussera was just a few weeks away, and my heart skipped a beat seeing the dates.

Manasa, my colleague and best friend at work, sauntered over to my desk. "What is it?" she asked, peering at the calendar.

“Dussera!” I exclaimed. “It’s right around the corner! This time of the year always makes me nostalgic."

Manasa listened, her eyes lighting up. “That sounds magical! You should go back and celebrate it.”

"I would, but it’s not the same anymore. I lost my parents in a tragic accident a few years ago, and without my mother and sister, it feels incomplete. It’s just me now, and the festival is about celebrating with family, especially other women."

Her face softened with sympathy. "That’s tough, Navya. But maybe going back would still help you reconnect with your roots. You know, revive some of those happy memories."

I sighed. "You’re right. But the one thing I miss the most is that bond with my sister and mom. It’s not the same without them."

She smiled, nudging me. “You could always drag Ranga along! I’m sure he’d love to see you in your element.”

I chuckled, imagining it. “Oh, Ranga would probably die of embarrassment if I made him join in. Batukamma is a women’s festival—he wouldn’t last five minutes!”

Little did I know, a seed of an idea was being planted in that very moment.

That evening, as Ranga and I sat down for dinner, the thought kept circling in my mind. Could Ranga really join me for Batukamma? But in a way that would fulfill my wish of celebrating it with family?

“You know,” I began, cutting into my meal, “Dussera is coming up soon.”

Ranga nodded, chewing thoughtfully. “Are you planning to go to the village?”

P.S: This story is purely fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All story rights are reserved to Meghana Dixit. No reposting is allowed without my consent or proper credit. If reposting, a backlink to my website is required.