(Chapter-5)

  [The Pink Notebook]

  "The name 'Anami' must be kept a secret, just like how you need to hide your family name 'Inufa Zaman' until a certain time. It's for your own safety."

  "Well there's a specific timing for everything. Keep telling people your name as "Aria Inufa Mehaki" until you grow up. Since you're the 12th generation, you must hide it. Always remember & be careful dear."

  These words of mother from years ago lingers in Mehaki's head. She has followed her mothers words and kept her real name a secret. Mehaki didn't question anything afterwards, hoping that time will reveal anything. She is trusting the time.

  In the college during lunch break, Mehaki, the colorful brothers, Himika, Nadia and Mahir are sitting in the classroom and chatting cheerfully and laughing. Asroy then approaches Mehaki...

  Asroy : Inufa, can you lend me your notebook of grammar practice?

  Mehaki : Oh sure! Let me get it.

  Mehaki walks over to her desk while the others are chatting.

  Mahir : Hey Asroy and Tushar. Why do you call Mehaki by Inufa?

  Asroy : Well, I just like it.

  Tushar : It's cuter than Mehaki.

  Tori : Mehaki is cute too.

  Karu : Both are her names, guys..

  Mehaki opens her bag at her desk and suddenly realises that she has the pink notebook in it as well, where she wrote her real name "Aria Inufa Zaman Mehaki (Anami)" and her thoughts. "What is this doing here? I thought I left at home. Ahh..." She freezes in thought, holding out the edge of the notebook. Suddenly she gets startled as Asroy speaks from behind her.

  Asroy : Did you get it yet?

  Mehaki : Whoa!

  She mistakenly drops the notebook. As soon as Asroy is about to reach it, she hurriedly picks it up and clutches to it, looking a bit nervous. Tori glances at her from the noise.

  Asroy : Is that the notebook?

  Mehaki : Uh-.. No, umm..

  She quickly takes out another notebook from her bag, it's purple in color. She hands it to Asroy. Tori keeps looking at them. Seeing this, Karu and Tushar glance at them too.

  Mehaki : Here you go.

  Asroy : Thanks! What's in the other notebook? Lemme see.

  Asroy teasingly asks for the notebook but Mehaki objects firmly right away, holding the notebook behind her. Asroy is almost taken aback.

  Mehaki : No!

  Asroy : C'mon, why hide it? It looks interesting.

  Mehaki : Actually, I can't show it to any of you. Sorry.

  Asroy : Huh..?

  Mehaki : It.. It's personal.

  Mehaki walks fast out of the classroom, with a worried expression. Tori, Karu and Tushar finally come to Asroy. They seem confused. Tori is a bit curious but chooses to keep quiet about it.

  Asroy : *That was strange.*

  Tori : What's wrong, Asroy?

  Asroy : You saw what happened. She acted weird.

  Tushar : I never saw her behaving like that. Not even in the past 5 years.

  Asroy : And really? She even took that notebook with her?

  Karu : Leave it, she might have something personal. People have secrets.

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  Asroy : But secrets kept from us?

  Karu : Think about it. We're no different.

  Asroy : ...

  Tori : What could be in it? Hmm... A mystery? Something horror?

  Karu : Tori.. Aren't you gonna learn to be more serious?

  Asroy keeps thinking about it. He can't seem to settle. Meanwhile, Mehaki comes at the school yard, sits on a bench looking at the pink notebook. She clutches it to her chest as her thoughts of confusion fills her head.

  "I want to keep my real name secret, just as mom told me. But... Can I share it with them? Will it be right? Safe? They seem so honest and trustable... No, I must not reveal it. Not until the right time comes..."

  The lunch break passes like this. Before the next class starts, the teacher asks the class president to return the assignment papers to the students that he has checked. He also asks Mehaki to help with it. So she does. While handing out the papers alongside the class president, she notices only 4 papers are left that have unfamiliar names - "T. Probaho", "K.A. Rafin", " T.N. Nishan", "A.B. Miraz".

  Mehaki : *Four unknown names... I don't know any of these. Who are they?*

  She calls out the names wondering who those might be.

  Mehaki : T. Probaho!

  Tori : Me!

  Tori's response surprises Mehaki, as she never heard his full name before. "Tori... Probaho? He never told me. Maybe.. Cuz I never asked?" She thinks as she hands the paper to Tori.

  Mehaki : So, Tori Probaho?

  Tori : *Hesitantly* Y-Yes.

  Mehaki : Here you go.

  She moves onto the next paper and calls out the name. But the person responding to it, shocks Mehaki.

  Mehaki : K.A. Rafin!

  Karu : I'm here!

  She hands the paper to Karu, with confusion. "This name sounds different than Tori's". She looks at Karu with a slight doubtful face. Karu feels a bit hesitant as well.

  Mehaki : What's your full name?

  Karu : Um, It's Karu Arfan Rafin.

  Mehaki : Here.

  "A different family name!" Like Mehaki has been kind of anticipating. "They're not siblings. Are they cousins? But they call the same person their dad." Thinking of it, she calls out the next name, hoping it might be either Tushar or Asroy. And Tushar raises his hand, answering cheerfully.

  Mehaki : T.N. Nishan!

  Tushar : It's me! Tushar Nobin Nishan.

  "They can't be brothers at all. What exactly are they hiding?" Mehaki's realization deepens as she hands Tushar the paper. Last one paper left, and she knows who it might belong to.

  Mehaki : A.B. Miraz, that's definitely you, Asroy.

  Asroy : You're right, Inufa.

  Mehaki : What's your full name?

  Asroy : Asroy Bin Miraz. Which means, Asroy the son of Miraz.

  Asroy answers with a calm, nonchalant smile. Mehaki hands him his paper. "I thought, they're honest with me. All these years, and now?" She lets out a sigh and a small glimpse of disappointment is over her face. She glances at the 4 brothers and speaks.

  Mehaki : I see... 5 years passed but I still couldn't learn your full names at all until now.

  The 4 brothers feel a bit awkward about it. Karu's tone soften as if he wants to explain but can't. Tushar's cheer feels like he's trying best not to ruin the mood. Asroy's subtle laugh feels unreal. Tori just stays quiet with no words to express.

  Karu : Yeah..

  Asroy : Haha..

  Tushar : Well, it's not too late, you know!

  Mehaki : Hmm..

  Tori : ...

  Tori avoids eye contact with Mehaki, from some kind of guilt. He glances at Mehaki when she's not looking. Their awkwardness just fuels Mehaki's doubt about them. Everyone goes back to their desks as the teacher comes in. Mehaki sits at her desk, lost in deep thoughts. Constantly thinking about the colorful brothers, about their identities.

  "I'm sure they aren't brothers. There's no way they are even related. I've been thinking about it since the day I met them. They're hiding a lot from me. Why did they lie..? I... Actually know nothing about them at all."

  Classes are over for today. Everyone leaves. The Colorful Brothers are the last ones to get out. The class president requests Asroy to turn off the lights. So he goes into the classroom again while Tori, Karu and Tushar wait outside in the corridor. The switches are on the back wall of the classroom. After he's done, he notices a pink notebook in Mehaki's desk. Thinking that she might have forgotten to take it, he picks the notebook up.

  Asroy : Oh, Inufa left it.. That's the same notebook. *Looks at the name* huh?

  "Aria Inufa Zaman Mehaki (Anami)"

  Asroy : ...What?

  He finally comes out of the classroom, with an unreadable expression. The other 3 are waiting for him.

  Tushar : You're done? Let's go.

  Asroy : Uh, actually.. I have some work to take care of. I'll be going home a bit later.

  Karu : What?

  Asroy : Don't worry, I'll be home soon. I just, really need to finish the work.

  Karu : What work is it?

  Asroy : Karu, stop being naggy now. I said I'll be home soon, right? Go on without me.

  Tushar : Fine, let's go, Karu.

  Karu : Okay.

  Asroy goes in the opposite direction of the 3.

  Karu : I'm too tired of maintaining you all. It feels like I'm the mom in the family, ahh...

  Tori : You're the only one who can do that actually, hahaha.

  Tushar : True, what are you not capable of? Cooking, cleaning, gardening, checking on us. I can't even imagine myself in your place.

  Karu : You guys are the same age as me. Shouldn't you guys be more mature? Look at Asroy. Doing whatever he wants. Uhh.

  Tushar : You can't blame us for him!

  Karu : Are you any better, Tushar?

  Tori : Hahaha! I'm the only good one after Karu. Neat and quiet.

  Tushar : Maybe I would've been too if I was an introverted kid like you.

  Tori : Who are you calling a kid? You're even shorter than me.

  Tushar : Hey! Are you mocking my height!?

  Karu : Here we go again...

  Meanwhile, Asroy is sitting on the school rooftop leaning against the wall, looking at the sky, breathing. Then he looks at the pink notebook in his hand. Thoughts tangled up.

  "Is that her full name? Or just a fake one she wrote for fun?... Why would she lie to us?... Should I read it? I don't think it will be right... Maybe just a few pages... Yeah."

  Troubled thoughts finally lead him to a decision. He slides his thumb under the notebook cover, finally opening it, while his eyes locked onto the pages ruffled by wind.

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