• Seven Days •

Day 2

"You gotta eat. I made this. It's nice!"

Pihu saw Ram serve something to his mother who was adamantly refusing to eat. But he looked insistent. He was wearing just a plain white shirt with an apron and looked rather unkempt. Pihu had never really seen him like that. He was always in suits around her. He strangely no longer seemed to have the cold, businessman air around him. He looked younger, almost boyish.

His insistence also reminded Pihu of how Priya sometimes forced her to eat. It always felt nice when someone cooked for you and also wanted you to have a full stomach. But she hadn't had anyone else apart from her mother do it. She couldn't help but wonder how would it feel if Ram served her in the same way.

Then she bit her lower lip in sadness. He had. Ram had come to her with a cake. He had tried to feed her. He had looked the same with her. Insistent. Smiling. He had made similar silly stories about New Zealand balloons and rainbow cakes and fun toys. But she was so angry with him that she had pushed him away.

Pihu shook her head and looked at her own plate. She quietly began eating again. She wasn't supposed to think all this. She wasn't supposed to think of Ram.

He was rude and mean to her. He hadn't even looked at her since the time she had thrown his cake away. They were there only for seven days and after that, she and her mother would leave to pursue greater adventures. Ram would only remain a bitter memory for her. He was just an annoying grown up whom she disliked. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Mom!" Ram's voice rang out. "Please try it. You cannot remain hungry. Just a few bites, okay? It's nice. I promise. You have to take your medicines too. Just for me?"

Pihu watched Nandini's face melt a little. She then smiled a little. A smile broke on Ram's face too and he fed her with glee.

"Now that's like a good girl!" he remarked and picked up whatever it was in the bowl again, ready to feed his mother again.

Pihu's thoughts went on a tangent again. The air smelt like vanilla and cinnamon. There were freshly baked croissants on the table. There was an assortment of fruits, idli, boiled eggs, orange and pineapple juice, cookies and aloo paranthas. Ram and his mother's banter was entertaining even if it was mindless. It was making her laugh at how childish Nandini was. Shubham, the lad who was supposedly Ram's brother, was also passing caustic comments in between.

Somehow, it all felt nice. Somehow, she felt like she just fit in everything.

"Do you need something?" asked Priya.

Pihu looked at her. She refused, "No."

Her eyes went back to Ram. Nandini and Shubham had left. Ram had now removed the apron and settled down at the far end of the table. She wanted him to look up and look at her so she could pull an angry face and spite him. He didn't. His eyes remained averted.

"Sir, what would you like to eat?" Ajay asked him.

"Just an omelette..." Ram said absentmindedly and buried his nose in his mobile.

Pihu also looked away. Ram was clearly ignoring her. And she didn't understand why. It felt like when the kids in the new schools would not include her in their groups. But then again, when he was trying, hadn't she acted like those kids? She had also refused to be friends with him. So who was who? Was she the new kid trying to fit in or was Ram the new kid trying to fit in?

Perhaps, Pihu thought, they both were trying to fit in. Perhaps, they both were misfits.

"Bas Mummy..." Pihu pushed her plate away and got up.

"Okay!" Priya smiled and pulled her chair so she could get off.

Pihu bounded off the chair and walked to sit down on the couches of the living room. They were large and comfortable. Best part? They were bouncy. Pihu was always reminded of the bouncy castles whenever she sat on the couch.