Silent Hearts
Banter turns to bonding as Nazli and Adil clash over bananas and cotton candy — but is there something sweeter brewing beneath all the jokes?
Adil: "A banana-eating contest."
He spun around, eyes locked on a table piled high with bananas. Nazli just stood there, stunned, blinking at him. A banana-eating contest? Really? Was this the best competition they could come up with? She couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
Nazli: "Fine. But I have one condition." (She smirked playfully.)
Adil raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.
Adil: "Alright, Miss Nazli. What's your condition?"
Nazli: (Pointing at the table) "How many bananas are there?"
Adil: "One hundred. Fifty for you, fifty for me."
Nazli: "And how much time do we get to eat them?"
Adil: "Ugh. Can't you ask all your questions at once? Twenty minutes. Whoever finishes their fifty first wins. I already paid for them, so no worries there. Now, your condition?"
Nazli: "After ten minutes, I'm taking a short break and going for a walk. If I win — see that cotton candy stand? I want ten cotton candies. And then you have to answer all my questions."
Adil: "Wow, confident much? Assuming you're gonna win already?"
Nazli laughed but didn't say anything else. She pulled out her phone, made a quick call, then turned back to him.
Nazli: "Let's start."
A small crowd gathered. Adil and Nazli faced each other. The boy nearby counted down, "Three, two, one..." and they dug in.
Nazli ate surprisingly fast — banana after banana. Adil was trying to keep up but kept glancing at her curiously. She winked a few times and giggled, which only made him more confused.
After exactly ten minutes, the boy called time. Both stopped.
Nazli had eaten 25 bananas. Adil had eaten 28.
People chuckled around them. Nazli ignored it and said,
Nazli: "I'm taking a two-minute break, then going for a quick walk."
As she moved through the crowd, the boy teased,
Boy: "Adil, I think Nazli's running away! She knows you're winning!"
Nazli paused, handed her bag to the boy and said,
Nazli: "Listen, Poltu, this is my favorite bag. I don't let anyone touch it. I trust you. And don't think Nazli Khan's a coward. I'll be right back!" (She sprinted off.)
Boy: "But Apa, my name's Shaheen..." (He frowned. The crowd burst out laughing.)
Adil sat down, stomach full. He needed a break too.
Four minutes later, Nazli returned, weaving back through the crowd. Adil noticed she wasn't looking his way.
The contest resumed. Adil struggled; each bite made him feel sick. Meanwhile, Nazli devoured bananas like a machine. The crowd started to look worried — was Adil going to lose?
At last, Nazli finished her 50 bananas and won. Adil still had 16 left. Without a word, Nazli ran off again, leaving everyone confused. She came back minutes later, grinning triumphantly.
Nazli: "Well, Mr. Adil Rahman, you lost! Nazli Khan doesn't lose easily. Now, return my chain, and I'll give you back your helmet."
Adil chuckled and handed over the chain. Nazli grabbed her bag from Shaheen.
Nazli: "Poltu, give me my bag." (Snatching it back.)
Shaheen: "My name's Shaheen, not Poltu!"
Nazli: "Whatever, Poltu-Shaheen. Bleh!" (She stuck out her tongue.) "Let's start, mister!" (She pointed at Adil.)
The crowd began to leave. Nazli sat down.
Adil: "Miss Nazli Khan, tell me something about yourself. I'm really curious. How did you eat so many bananas? Is your stomach a warehouse?"
Nazli: "If I had two warehouses, I'd definitely win! But no, I won't say anything about myself. Secrets." (She whispered into his ear.)
People glanced at them, but Nazli didn't care. Adil shivered at her whisper. He'd never met anyone like her and wanted to know more. But she refused to talk. She asked Adil some questions, which he answered clearly.
Nazli took her ten cotton candies, returned Adil's helmet, and headed home. She met Noor on the way and gave her five cotton candies. They walked back together.
---
At Adil's home...
Adil sat next to his father in the living room.
Father: "I heard you held a banana-eating contest today. With whom? Everyone's talking."
Before Adil could answer, someone teased,
Abir: "Our prince lost to a girl in a banana-eating contest. Tsk."
Adil: "Abir, don't embarrass me! You'd lose too if you tried. It all started with the chain-snatching. Even Uncle didn't say anything — why are you upset?"
Father: "Fine. But what happened?"
Adil: "Nazli Khan eats more bananas than a monkey!"
Abir: "Nice name — Nazli Khan."
Father: "Do you have her photo? Who's her dad? What does he do? Where does she live? How far did she study?"
Abir: "Are you planning to make her our daughter-in-law or what?" (He laughed.)
Adil glared.
Father: "Never heard of anyone named Nazli. Show me a picture."
Shaheen: "Chacha, I've got it! I recorded the contest. You'll see how Adil lost!" (Laughs.)
Adil lunged at him.
Adil: "Shaheen! You little—"
Shaheen ran off. The cousins chased each other around the house.
---
Noor: "What you did was wrong, Nazli. You cheated! What if Adil finds out? How did you get the chain back anyway? How do you even think like that?"
Nazli: "Ugh, you've been scolding me forever. Listen, Adil's uncle is the local chairman. He has three brothers. Adil's dad is the second. The chain-snatchers are local addicts. The chairman got complaints, so Adil and the police caught them. Luckily, they hadn't sold my chain yet, so I got it back. The guys are in jail. That's it. And I didn't cheat! We're two but one — so don't yell. You helped too, Noor."
Noor: "I can't handle you. I've only been here a few days, took two tuitions, and now you're taking two too. The landlord said we might get teaching jobs at the local kindergarten."
Nazli: "Ishita (the landlord's daughter) is giving me her cooking page before her wedding. I'm a huge fan of Keka aunty. I'll sell food online and get rich!"
Noor: "You'll make people faint with your weird recipes."
Nazli: "I heard that!"
Noor narrowed her eyes, then laughed.
Noor: "If we get caught, they'll call us scammers. But we've been like this since childhood." (She smiled.)
---
Abir: "Shaheen, show me that video!"
Father: "I want to see it too. Who is this girl that beat my son?"
Adil sat quietly, arms folded. While watching the video...
Abir: "Noor Khan! Baba, that's the girl I told you about!"
Adil: "No, her name's Nazli Khan!"
Abir: "No way, she told me Noor Khan just two days ago!"
Adil: "She told me Nazli Khan. Ask Shaheen."
Shaheen nodded. The brothers argued, one said "Nazli Khan," the other "Noor Khan."
Azizul Rahman (Adil's father) watched silently, unsure what to make of it.
Their mother, Niyati Begum, rushed in, frowning.
After hearing everything, suspicion filled the room.
Who is this girl — Nazli or Noor?
To Be Continued..