He looks at her—really looks—for the first time in weeks. The streetlight catches the grey in her hair, the turmeric stain on her thumb, the exhaustion behind her eyes.

"Nahi. Aankh mein jalan thi." (No. Eyes were burning.) Translation: I needed one day where I didn't have to explain myself to my manager. 5 PM. The gate creaks. Nidhi comes first, throwing her college bag on the sofa and immediately pulling out her laptop. "Maa, I have a group meeting in ten minutes. Can you bring me chai?"

In the Indian family dictionary, "Dekhte hain" is not a promise. It is a pause button. It means not tonight, but I heard you .

She nods. She goes inside. She fills a glass of water for Bauji’s morning pills, puts the leftover bhindi into a steel container, and sets the alarm for 5:30 AM.

6 PM. Aarav slouches in, shoes still on, leaving a trail of red Rajasthan dust. He throws his cricket bat in the corner. "Maa, kuch khaana hai?" (Anything to eat?)

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