Monkey Tales 🐒

Recap of Part 4 The last few days felt like a dream. I could still remember everything from that morning — the way Riya had held my hand like I was a delicate girl while we stepped out, the soft sound of my anklets brushing against my sandals, and how my dupatta kept slipping as we rode through the streets. That small flower-selling girl’s voice still echoed in my ears — “Akka, buy some flowers, they’ll look beautiful in your braid.” How embarrassed I’d felt when Riya actually bought them, and how my heart nearly stopped when the little girl pinned them in my hair before I could even react. And then, that long ride… the silent moments broken only by the sound of traffic and my own heartbeat. The way those men stared at me at the signal, and how instinctively I’d pulled my dupatta tighter over my chest. Riya hadn’t said a word then — she just let me face the world quietly, letting me feel what it meant to be seen like a girl. Lunch at the hotel had been magical — the violin music, the...