The Way You Smile

chapter three

       🥀Featured song🥀
           Issues
        (Julia Michaels)

Author's pov_

It was another day of muddy pathways and wrigley earthworms. Yeah, it was just another day after a night's rain. While most of the people inhabiting the south part of Hyderabad were glad for a break from the rain. Everyone was out and about, busy in the chores that had been left undone due to the heavy rain.

Little kids were out playing on the roads and creating noise. As always. Much to the annoyance of a specific black haired boy.

All Vedant wants right now is a steaming cup of chai and silence. But those little nuggets down there just won’t let him study in peace. It was infuriating but at the same time, it was nostalgic. The childhood memories of after-rain enjoyments were still fresh in Vedant’s brain. How he and his younger brother would go out and play in the puddles.

How he would always win the race from bedroom to parking lot. How he would laugh as his brother struggled to catch him. The way they would go back home, drenched in the muddy water…. And how his father would scold them for their mischiefs.

Then his mother would then laugh and tell them to take a bath. After changing into warmer clothes, they would run out of their shared room and have multiple games of uno, chess or ludo over nice hot tea and pakoras. But those were the good old days…. Good… But only in the memories.

Vedant sighed and shook his head as his mother entered the room with a warm smile.
“Hm… Are you still sleeping? Get up Vedant, it’s 9 already. Did you forget we have to go out?”

Vedant sat up sleepily and smiled at his ‘ma’ sitting on the bed beside him.

“Good morning ma” he said, stretching himself. Mrs. Velan ruffled his hair before replying.

“Good morning son. Get ready soon and we’ll go pick your brother up”

The boy nodded and got out of the bed going straight into the bathroom as his mother made his bed for him.

He brushed his teeth and looked at himself in the mirror. All he could see was a part of that man, Standing right before him. Disgusted feelings washed over his face. He looked away and tried to focus himself. He saw his mother's warm and loving face and a wide smile raised from his lips.

He made himself comfortable in his shower and in the exact tenth minute of his bath, he was out. Ahh that methodical guy!

He opened his closet which was parted so that he and his brother would share clothes. His mom's words, not mine. He pulled out a gray tee shirt which his mum had bought last week from H&M

He wore his magenta coloured pendant which he was wearing since so early, it could conclude as from his birth.

"Vedant!" His mother calls him out from the kitchen. She was preparing his favorite food, idiyappam. He liked it when he was Little and he still does! Like… who wouldn't?

"I smell coconut milk!" He says, rumbling his wet hair. Their house was not that old but it would creek sometimes cause it is partly made out of wood.

After munching Down a couple of Idiyappam, they were all set to go. They geared up their moderate Suzuki and soon they had reached Vivaan's basketball coaching center.

Vivaan is Vedant's little brother but not so little. He is a year younger than Vedant. Unlike Vedant, he is not methodical and secluded. He is an endered free spirit.

"How was your game t'day, vi?" His mother asks while grabbing his sports goods. As usual, he is all sweaty and gloomy.

"Pretty good, mother." He says while Vedant gives him a bottle of water. He grabs it from him which was already opened, and it got spilled all over Vivaan.