Check if you've read the previous update before reading this.
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Sidharth freshens up and goes to kitchen. Sana follows him.

"Can you instruct, I'll make it?", requested Sana

"Sure! Here is the pan with water. Boil it.", He said passing the pan.

She turns on the stove and places the pan. He looked at the bowl of sugar.

"Huh? We've sugar in bowl outside itself.", He said

"Shurpanaka had come to return it.", She said in annoyed tone.

Sidharth chuckled.

"Surprisingly, this is the first time she is returning something.", He said

"She had to since you didn't give her the full news yesterday. She was asking me for my name and how I am related to you", she spoke

"Put 3 spoons of sugar in it. So, what did you tell?", He asked passing the spoon for sugar.

"After the damage she did yesterday by telling your son about me, do you think I would give her the information?", She said while putting sugar.

The water was already boiling.

"2 spoons of tea powder. Then how did you tackle her?", He said while passing her the tea powder

Sana giggles while putting tea powder into the boiling water.

"I acted dumb and deaf. The best part was she cursed herself loudly for returning the sugar as well because she didn't get any news."

Sidharth bursts laughing.

"I wish I could do the same with her. You need to crush this ginger and put it into it and here, drop these cardamom pods as well.", He passed her the little mortar and cardamom pods.

Sana does as instructed.

"You said you will be back by 6pm. But I am glad you came early by half an hour.", She said with excitement.

"Actually, I skipped my park visit today.", He told

"Same park where we met yesterday?", Sana enquiries

"Yes, the same park which I visit everyday since past 7 years. I would sometime sit there until it got dark. Watching kids playing happily, young couples displaying love and compassion and old couples spending time with each other. I just didn't have any reason to return to this house.", He spoke as he poured the milk himself into the boiling decoction lost in his thoughts.

Sana looked at him with a blank face feeling sorry for him. He looked at her.

"Oohh!! I am sorry, I should have allowed you to pour the milk.", He said feeling remorseful

"No, that's fine. So what brought you home early today?", She asked inquisitively

"You! I knew someone was waiting for me today at home.", He looked at her and stared back at him in surprise.

Sana unknowingly felt happy to hear that she was the reason behind him returning early. They had met hardly 24 hours back but it was undeniable that even she was eagerly waiting for him to return the whole day. The fact that he called it a home instead of house, which he had been calling house multiple times since yesterday, was itself bringing joy to her.

She heard the sound of milk raising and immediately turned it off. He placed the strainer in cup and she picked up the pan using tongs to pour the tea. As she finished pouring the tea in one cup, she lifted the strainer and placed it in another cup but her grip on the tongs became a little shakey and she ended up pouring hot tea on her hands.

"Aaaahh..", she shrieked when the hot tea touched her skin and burnt it.

He immediately gripped her hand which held the tongs and placed it on the platform.

"I should have done the pouring part. I am sorry, Sana", He said pulling her by her arm and turning on the tap in the sink and placing her hand under the cold running water for sometime.

"Just hold on, I'll be back quickly", he said running to his room. He came back with the first aid box.

"It's okay Sidharth, I am fine.", She said.

"I know how it burns, I have the experience. Lets pat dry your hand and apply the antiseptic cream", he said turning off the tap and pat drying her hand with towel. He then applied the antiseptic cream, blowing air on her hand to sooth her pain. She kept observing him taking care of her. He looked at her face and she lowered her eyes.

"Is it burning too much?", He asked with concern. She nodded no.

"Thank you but I wasted the tea.", She said with a sad pout.

"Will share whatever is left.", He said with a smile. She nodded okay.

He poured the remaining tea into the cup and adjusted the tea in both the cups by pouring from the cup which was full. He gave her the cup and quickly cleaned the platform before joining her to drink tea.

"Hmmm.. Nice tea", he said after taking a sip from his cup.

"Yay!! So do I get the job of making tea daily?", She asked

"Huh? No!! I can't let you burn your hands everyday.", He said immediately.

"Why would I burn my hands everyday? I'll be extra cautious next time. Pleaaaassse!!", She insisted by folding her hands with puppy eyes.

He smiled and nodded his head. The next moment he was surprised to see her do a little dance in happiness.

"You know Sana, you don't cease to amuse me. I wish I was like you when I was young.", He said.

"Ohh! Sidharth, can I ask you something?", She said.

"Sure!", He said

"At what time should I stop doing things which amuses you now?", She asked.

"Huh? You should think of stopping something when it's bad. Else why would you stop something which keeps you happy?", He asked.

"Exactly, if there is no age to stop something which gives you happiness then how can you fix an age to start something which brings happiness to you? Better late than never!", She said making him ponder.
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Her mobile alarm goes off and she quickly wakes up. She brushes her teeth and goes out of her room to greet him. He was rolling his yoga mat. His t-shirt was all wet from the sweat.

"Good morning", Sana greets him.

"Good morning Sana. So the night owl turned into an early bird today.", He chuckled.

"Yes, I had to! So that I can go with you to the bookstore. So you do exercise every morning. That's how you've got such a good physic.", She says.

"Hmmm.. Will freshen up and come back.", he says with a slight blush on yet another compliment from her.

While he goes to get ready, she goes to the kitchen and prepares tea for both of them. She passes him the tea cup when he goes to the kitchen.

He takes the cup from her hand and keeps it on the table and holds her hand to check her burnt mark from yesterday.

"It's almost healed. Thanks to you for applying an antiseptic cream before bed last night.", she says with a smile.

"Hmm.. will apply once more after the breakfast.", He says and she nods to agree.

He praises the tea while drinking it. While he cooked breakfast and lunch, she went to freshen up. They both have their breakfast and drive to the bookstore in his car.

At the signal, she observes him looking at the Royal Enfield Bullet bike. The way he looked at it showed how much fascinated he was towards the bike.

"How old is this car?", She asked.

"Hmmm.. may be 19 years. I got this when Shreyas was in 1st standard. He felt ashamed of going in my papa's old scooter so I bought this specially to pickup and drop him to school.", He said.

"Were you happy with your papa's old scooter or this car?", She asked.

"It didn't make much difference to me, but Shreyas was happy.", He said.

"Your entire world revolved around only him, right? I noticed that you gave him the master bedroom with attached bathroom and bigger wardrobe while you stayed in the smaller room with no attached bathroom. Even after he being away for 7 years, you never thought of using that room. Do you still hope that he will return?", She asked.

"I did, until 2 days back but not anymore. I just don't know how to stop loving him even after hearing those harsh words because that's what I have been doing all my life. What would I do if I cease to love him? I would have no reason to stay alive.", He said lost in his thoughts.

The signal went green and the vehicles behind honked for him to start moving. His chain of thoughts broke and he started driving again.

"You don't have to stop loving him. You just have to start loving yourself. Why are you talking as if loving him is a job and if you lose it, you will turn bankrupt? Loving someone else shouldn't be the reason to survive. We should love ourself, since only we will live with ourself until we die. Whereas others can leave you anytime while you are still breathing.", She said.

He parked the car in the parking lot and looked at her in surprise. A girl half of his age was imparting him an important lesson in life. Indeed loving his son was like a job to him which he did loyally ignoring his own happiness.

She got down from the car and he locked it. She followed him and they entered an old bookstore. The shops on either sides of the book store was all modern and fancy. The book store looked very old, though it was spacious.

There was one employee in the store who greeted him on his arrival. While Sana looked around the store standing in the middle, Sidharth prayed to the God in the little alter before turning on the radio with low volume. She looked at Sidharth who occupied the chair behind the system.

"Sana, make yourself comfortable and read some books.", He said.

She nodded her head with a faint smile.

Such a boring day, Such a boring Bharadwaj..
We need to spice-up Sidharth and his life!

She thought at the back of her mind.
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To be continued.. ❤️❤️

Don't be boring like Bharadwaj, please vote. 😜