Silent Hearts
Zara froze as she felt a gentle tug on her scarf. Turning around, she saw a little girl—barely two or three years old—clutching it shyly. Nora quickly knelt down beside her, and Zara joined her. The child looked back and forth between them, wide-eyed and confused—probably startled by the sight of two identical faces.
She wore a lovely red frock, bright against the faded hues of the park around them.
Nora:
"Sweetheart, what's your name? Why are you alone out here? Where's your mommy? Are you lost?"
The little girl said nothing—just stared blankly.
Zara and Nora exchanged concerned glances.
Zara (whispering excitedly):
"Oh my God, sis, she's adorable! Looks like she's lost… I could just gobble her up. Come here, baby."
(She gently pulled the child into her arms, planting a soft kiss on her cheek.)
"How are you, little angel? You okay? Want some peanuts? Come, sit with us."
Nora scooped her into her lap and set her between them.
Nora (playfully):
"Let's see—open your mouth, do you have any teeth?"
Zara (grinning):
"Wait! Here, bite my finger!"
(She held out a finger teasingly.)
The girl bit down gently.
Zara (yelping):
"Ouch! Yep, she's got teeth!"
(She laughed as the girl giggled.)
"Say 'eeee' and I'll give you some peanuts."
Nora:
"Her teeny little teeth are so cute!"
Zara:
"And her chubby cheeks—look at that squish!"
Zara took a clip from her own hair and clipped it onto the girl's soft curls. Then she held the girl's tiny hands in hers.
Zara (softly):
"Her hands are so soft."
(She placed them gently on her cheeks, kissed them, and sat back.)
Though the little girl seemed completely at ease with them, she hadn't said a single word. No matter how many times they asked her name, she only stared.
Zara:
"Alright, fairy princess. Look at me."
Nora:
"Yes, our little red fairy. Let's take her home!"
Zara (mock horror):
"Excuse me, sis! Do you want a kidnapping case on our heads? We wait right here. Her parents are probably searching nearby. If we take her, we'll end up behind bars—and you'll be cooking in jail!"
Nora (rolling her eyes):
"Ugh, always with the cooking!"
The two sisters chatted while the little girl continued watching them silently. Then, without warning, she reached into their peanut bag, shell and all, and began munching away.
Zara burst out laughing.
Nora gave her a mock glare and carefully took the peanut out of her mouth, peeled it, and fed her gently.
Zara:
"Okay, baby girl—look at me!"
(She turned the child's face toward hers.)
"I'm Zara, and that's my big sister Nora. Now, say Zara?"
The girl only blinked.
Nora:
"Yeah, 'Zara' is a tough name! Try Nora instead."
(She leaned in sweetly.)
"Say Nora. Nora. Nora."
Zara (mock-arguing):
"Nu-uh! Say Zara. Zara. Zara."
Suddenly, a woman appeared and abruptly snatched the girl into her arms. The moment was so sudden, it stunned them both.
Woman:
"Maya! What are you doing here? I've been looking everywhere! And who are you people? Why are you keeping her with you? Are you kidnappers or what? I'm calling the police!"
Zara (calm but stern):
"Are you finished yelling? Who are you exactly? Is this your child—or are you the kidnapper?"
Woman:
"My name's Mina! Why would I be a kidnapper? She's not my child. I just take care of her!"
Nora (cutting in):
"If you're just her caretaker, then maybe act like one. It's been over twenty minutes! Where were you? Her parents—are they around? We need to talk to them. Frankly, a careless person like you shouldn't be left in charge of a child. And we weren't going anywhere. If we were kidnappers, would we be sitting here in public?"
Mina paused, now clearly a bit ashamed.
Mina:
"Her parents… aren't alive. She lives with her grandparents. I brought her here for some fresh air. I got distracted talking to a friend. When I realized she was gone, I panicked. That's when I found her with you. I'll just take her now."
Zara (suspiciously):
"Hang on. Who do you work for? Is her name really Maya?"
Mina:
"I work for a wealthy family—at the estate owner's home. And yes, everyone calls her Maya."
The little girl—Maya—kept staring at Zara and Nora even as Mina walked away with her. Her gaze didn't break until they were completely out of sight.
That evening, the sisters returned home.
A few days later, their landlord's daughter, Isla, was getting ready to move abroad. Before leaving, she arranged for Nora to get a job at a local kindergarten. The school year was almost over, but Zara would be joining from the new term.
Zara's cousin Ryan visited.
Zara:
"How's everything at home?"
Ryan (worried):
"Not great. Things got messy after you left—bad enough that the police got involved. They don't know you're in Chittagong, staying at my friend's dad's house. But tell me—what do you really want to do? Prama and I are with you no matter what."
Nora:
"We're staying here. No one should know anything about us. We've brought all our documents. Just bring our certificates when you can. We waited until after exams to leave. We'll handle the rest."
Ryan:
"Don't worry—we've got your backs."
He gave them some money and spoke to Isla's father, asking him to look out for the girls.
Time passed. Every Friday, Zara and Nora went to the same park. Maya would be there, and they'd talk and play. Even Mina had grown close to them—Zara had nicknamed her "Silent Bride," jokingly, because she barely spoke a word.
Despite trying everything, no one could get Maya to talk.
Mina told them she'd taken Maya to many doctors, who all said the same thing: keep talking to her. She needs love. Maya's mother had died during childbirth. Her father passed away in a road accident just months before she was born. Since then, she had been raised by her grandparents.
The story broke their hearts.
They didn't press further, but made sure to shower her with love and affection every Friday.
They also ran into Adam from time to time. He often confused the sisters, unable to tell who was who. Zara secretly enjoyed teasing him about it.
Before leaving, Isla handed over her cake business page to the sisters. Back home, she used to sell cakes—and Zara and Nora were quite skilled bakers. With Isla and her sister both abroad, their parents had started treating the twins like their own daughters.
One afternoon, Nora was shopping for vegetables when she bumped into a familiar face—the boy who had helped her with tomatoes that day. She'd never gotten his name.
Boy:
"Are you Nora or Zara?"
Nora blinked. How did he know about Zara?
Nora:
"I'm Nora. How do you know about my sister?"
Boy:
"My younger brother had that banana-eating contest with you two. I'm Adam's older brother—Amir Rahman."
Nora:
"Ohhh, I see."
(She smiled politely and turned back to the vegetables.)
Amir (watching her):
"You know, you two are so similar it's confusing. That day I mistook your sister for you."
Nora chuckled but didn't say anything. Once she was done shopping, she left. Amir realized she wasn't interested in chatting on the street, so he let her go.
Time passed. It was mid-December.
Zara was walking around with an umbrella in hand—no rain, no sun. People stared. Some laughed. Was she crazy?
Adam spotted her and raised an eyebrow.
Adam:
"Miss Zara, there's no sun or rain. What's with the umbrella stroll?"
Zara:
"It's a dare. You wouldn't understand."
(She walked off. Adam followed.)
Adam (grinning):
"A dare? Well, explain it to me and maybe I will understand."
Zara (irritated):
"My sister and I play a dare game every two months. I dared her, she did it. This time she dared me to walk around with an umbrella for two hours, so I am. Got it?"
(She pouted and stomped off.)
Adam watched her walk away, stunned and amused. These twins were something else. He told Amir everything, and Amir laughed till he cried.
They'd tried finding the sisters on social media, but couldn't. Maybe they didn't use their real names. And neither of the brothers had the nerve to ask them directly.
The year came to a close, and with it came the start of a new one.
For Zara and Nora, the new year held something that would change everything—waiting quietly, just around the corner.
To be continued...