Nihal laid down his head on Hritika's lap feeling nostalgic. Unconsciously, Hritika too started patting his forehead.

Because of his tall height, Nihal's legs dangled from the couch's arm.

"Do you remember about the time Mom and I came to live at your home?" Nihal asked with closed eyes, enjoying the peace.

A chuckle escaped Hritika's lips as she remembered a few memories. "Oh yeah! How can I forget? I hated you so much back then," she recalled.

Nihal sat up after hearing that. "Really?" He asked with astonishment.

As far as he could remember, they were always like best friends.

Facing him, Hritika answered with a soft smile.

"Yeah, at first I was really angry that I had to share my room and toys with you, even though my parents gave more attention to you. I don't know when but as time passed we became as close as two peas in a pod."

Nihal was surprised to hear that but he could understand what would have gone through a 6 year old Hritika's mind when a 3 year old cousin suddenly came into her life.

"You must have hated me at first but mom told me that I was really excited and happy to meet you. I found a companion, a friend, which was impossible at my old home as we lived at the edge of the city where the only neighbour we had was an old man and he too lived fifteen minutes away from us," Nihal recalled the stories and facts his mother had told him about his childhood.

"I know. You used to follow me everywhere like a shadow." Hritika teased with a smile.

"I still do that." Nihal made a joke.

"But seriously Hritika, you don't know how much of a big support you all have been to us. First your parents took care of us when Dad left and then after Mom's death, you took me under your wing. I don't know how to Thank You," Nihal spoke, getting emotional.

"You don't have to thank me idiot. Firstly, my father did what any elder brother would have done. Your mom was his younger sister. There was no way he would leave her alone. And your mom too raised me when my parents died in an accident. As for me, how can I not take care of my own shadow?" Hritika pinched Nihal's cheeks.

"Ayye," Nihal pushed off her fingers and rubbed his cheeks, making a bad face at her.

Wiping each other's tears, they decided to change the sad topic but ended up talking about another sad part of their life.

"It's funny, isn't it? We never talked about Dad after Mom's demise but today, we discussed so much about him and our life after that incident just because of my birthmark," Nihal noted, shaking his head in bafflement.

"I am to be blamed here. It was me who brought this up. Sorry," Hritika apologized.

"You don't have to apologize. Anyone would have reacted in the same way. By the way, have you made the decision? Are we opening a branch here?" Nihal asked, recalling the strange people he met while coming.

A visible shudder passed through Hritika's body.

"I don't think so. People here are really strange," Hritika answered thinking about their glazed eyes and the way they sniffed as she passed by.

While Hritika was shuddering, Nihal got relaxed.

"You too faced that? I am glad to know that I wasn't the only one who faced the strange antics of locals. I think this must be just because of cultural diversity. If they aren't harmful, then we shouldn't cancel our project just because they are different from us," Nihal said positively.

Hritka nodded and replied thoughtfully, "Let's not make any hasty decision. How about instead of going back today, we stay here for a bit more and see if they behave strangely with other people too or if there was any special reason behind their behaviour. If we don't find anything unsettling then we will start the project or else this would be our final goodbye to this town."

When both the cousins discussed the strange antics of locals, Nihal assumed that the people bowed their heads towards Hritika too while Hritika thought they sniffed through their noses as Nihal walked past them.

Both cousins were oblivious to what happened with each other and got falsely comforted thinking that as they both faced the same thing then it must be cultural difference and not some problem with them as they had first thought.