"It's ready. Come let's have dinner", he said.

She nodded and they both sat to have dinner together.

"This is so delicious.", Sana said after eating the first bite.

"Thanks", he said with a smile.

"So what do you do apart from helping homeless people like me?", She asked

"I own a bookstore.", He said.

"Wow! I like reading books. Do you as well?", She asked.

"Hmmm.. I took over my family business from my father. Nowadays people generally like reading online so it's not like how it used to be earlier.", He said.

"So you don't like reading books and you just took this up as a business. What did you wanted to become?", She asked.

He chuckles.

I am surprised because she understood that I didn't like reading books even though I didn't tell her anything clearly.

"When I was studying in college, I liked listening to radio.", He said.

"So you wanted to become an RJ?", She asked surprising him yet again because she decoded his every sentence properly.

"Hmmm..", he nodded.

"Then why didn't you choose it as your career?", She asked.

"My father wanted me to join his business back then. I never said no to my parents in my whole life. Infact, before today I never raised my voice at my son as well. When he completed his 12th, he said he wanted to study abroad and I agreed. I took up loan for his studies and sent him abroad for studies.", He said.

"So you always prioritised others over yourself in life. What about your dreams and passion?", She asked.

"What's the use of discussing it, Sana? Let's call it a day.", He said finishing his last bite. He picked up his plate and went to the kitchen.

Sana kept pondering about him. They were having strikingly different personalities. While she always followed her heart and passion, he always suppressed it for others. While she questioned and rebelled against her parents decision, he was an obedient child. The only thing they had in common was being alone and abandoned by their families.

"Sana, if you want anything then do let me know, I am in the other room there. Sleep well. Good night!", He said.

"Good Night", she nodded.

She went into the kitchen and washed her soiled plate. She then marched towards her room. While she passed by his room, she heard a subtle radio sound coming from his room. She realised that he still likes to listen to radio. But his dreams were smashed under the weight of responsibility and commitments.
.
.
.
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Sana woke up and sat on the bed, yawning and stretching her hands. She looked around the room. It was Shreyas' room and had all his photos, trophies and a guitar. There was no dust on it which meant Sidharth cleaned and maintained Shreyas' room as it was, even in his absence. Probably, he somewhere expected him to return home one day.

She freshened up in the attached bathroom and went out.

"Sidharth... Sidharth... Sidharth...", She called him going around the hall. She noticed a hot box and a little note on the dinning table.

Good morning Sana,

You were sleeping so I didn't find it good to wake you up. There is a breakfast in the hot box for you. I've also kept lunch in the kitchen so just heat it in microwave before you eat. I am going to the bookstore.

I forgot to take your phone number but if you want anything, you can call me on the below number. I'll be back by 6pm.

98xxx xxxxx

- Sidharth

She smiled and opened the hot box. It was upma.

Flashback:

Sana went into the kitchen and found her mother cooking.

Sana: Amma, enikk visakkunnu. {I am hungry}

Amma: Oru nimisham, upma chai ready. {One minute, upma chai is ready}

Sana: Upma? enikk venda! {Upma? I don't want!}

She gulps the chai and stomped out of the kitchen frustrated. Her mother facepalms on forgetting that she hated upma. Before she could make something else for her, she had already left for college.

Flashback ends.

Sana served the hot upma into the plate and quietly ate it as she understood the efforts Sidharth had put in making it. For a change, she liked it as well and finished the entire box without wasting even a morsel. Post which she cleaned the plate and box.

She saved his number in her phone and messaged him.

Good Morning Sidharth.

I am a night owl so I slept late and hence woke up late. I am sorry.

Upma was very nice. Thank you for it.

-Sana

She didn't know what to do so she strolled around the house getting bored. Sidharth's room door was open so she peeped in to just see it.

It was a smaller room compared to the room in which she was staying and there wasn't even an attached bathroom to it. The wardrobe was comparatively smaller as well. There was a big photo frame of him and Sheyas' on the wall. She saw table beside the bed with a radio on it. The walls were painted with dull paint.

Her phone beeped. It was a message from him.

Hi,

I was thinking about you itself. I was wondering if you ate the breakfast and just then you messaged.

And please don't be sorry, Sana. It's just that I am an early bird. People have their choices.

- Sidharth.

She watched some programs on TV aimlessly, ate her lunch late, she opened the room window and sat staring outside.

The door bell rang and she ran excitedly to attend it. When she opened it, her smile vanished automatically. It was the nosey neighbour. Sana remembered yesterday's episode and found her mercury rising by just that lady's presence.

"Hi, Is Sidharth bhaisahab home?", The lady asked scanning the house through a quick glace.

Sana frowned.
Kiruki! Ninte mokam adich parathum! {Mad woman! I'll break your face} Shurpanaka is pretending as if she doesn't know where he is?

Sana nodded her head to say no.

"I came to return the sugar.", She says

Sana forwards her hand to take the cup.

"I am Reshma. What's your name? How are you related to Sidharth Bhaisahab?", She enquired.

Sana curses her in her thoughts
Patti.. Pani.. Rakshashi.. {Bitch.. Swine.. Demon lady..} She wants to know everything. But I won't tell you anything.

"What happened? Don't you understand English? Hindi?", Reshma asks.

Sana nods no.

"Are you a deaf or a dumb?", Reshma asks.

Sana nods yes and then points at her tongue and gestures with her hand to say no, she can't speak.

"Oh.. you are a mute! (Screams loudly near Sana's ears) How are you related to Sidharth Bhaisahab?", Reshma screams.

Sana was annoyed yet she curves her lips downward and nods no to say she couldn't hear anything. Reshma facepalms and shows her thumbs up to say all okay. Sana responds her with a thumbs up and shows her palm to wait. She goes to the kitchen and empties the sugar into another bowl and returns it back to Reshma.

"Simply I returned the sugar. Huh!!", Reshma takes the cup and murmurs.

"Uhhh?", Sana questions with her hand gesture.

"Huh? Nothing, I said thank you", Reshma shows her thumbs up again with a smile. Sana waves bye to her and smashes the door loudly as soon as she turns to leave.

She curses some more bad words at the back of her mind and goes back to her room. She sits on the bed with a frowning face. Her eyes fall on the guitar placed on the table. She goes and picks it up and returns to the bed. She touches the thread and the tune lifts her mood. She then starts playing it along with singing a Malayalam song.

As she finishes singing the song, there was an applaud. She was surprised to find Sidharth standing near the door.

"I am sorry, I used the guitar without your permission.", Sana said placing it back where it belonged.

"No need to say sorry. I had bought this for Shreyas on his 17th birthday, he hardly played it for a month or two and since then it's just lying like a souvenir in the room. You are really good at singing and playing the guitar. You can use it whenever you want. It's yours now.", He said with a smile.

"Thank you. I always borrowed my friend's guitar in college and practiced it quite often.", She said.

"That song has a hindi version as well and it's one of my favourite. It felt nice to hear you sing. Next time when you sing let me know, I will join you as an audience.", He requested.

"Sure. How was your day?", She asked

"As usual. How about yours?", He asked.

"Boring!", She said with a sad pout.

He chuckled at her cute antics.

"You could have called me or messaged me, I would have sent you my store address. You could have read books there as you said you like reading.", He said.

"Will join you tomorrow.", She said.

"Sure! Chai?", He asked.

"Hmmm.. can you teach me making your awesome chai so that I can make it from tomorrow since you might be tired.", She said.

"I will but you don't have to make it since I am not so tired as I am sitting whole day at the store.", He said smiling.

_______________________________

To be continued.. ❤️❤️