The Way You Smile

chapter ten

Featured song
Double Take
Dhruv

Aditi's pov_

Aryan left yesterday and that means, still four more days for my exam. I am not sure if I'm excited or scared. But whenever I'm scared, I'll call myself out in my tab and say, 'Is doctor Aditi Varma here?' and that's what keeps me going. And it always would.

So, here I am, seated in my room, my home, on sparkle street, Hyderabad City, Telangana, India wondering how infants grow bones.

Bruh, how do the teeny tiny little humans grow all those heavy bones by itself? They are cute little creatures. God, I love little babies. Oh, wait. I think I found it! It's a process called ‘Pacification- No hang on- that’s not possible… What was it then?

"Aditi," A voice rings around the house, resulting in my eyes going wide. Having managed to avoid my dear mother for the last 30 hours, I forgot that my fate hadn’t played out yet. So now, as I hear that word, I realize. That I, Aditi Varma, am fully fledged fucked. In fact, I’m fully fledged, royally fucked. 

“Aditi!” Mom called again. I gulped thickly. What now? I got out of my chair, looking around the room wildly; looking for a place to hide. 

Oh oh I haven't got a multitude of rooms. It's my godown after all. I always stay at Anu's. I just came here for my sleep wake cycle. Beh  I'm dead.

As time persisted My mother's voice approached me. I've never been this scared in my nineteen years of life! That's when I remembered I have an alibi! Ananya Nair! A creepy smile raised from my vanilla lips. And that's when I found myself running towards my mother. 

"Amma! What's wrong with my hair?" I continued my act. "All I remember was sleeping in Anu's bed and wearing this beanie since it was cold last night,"

My mother beamed for a second. "It's almost summer, clever Aditi." Oh oh. "And  Ananya talked to me yesterday, about this whole hair cutting thing. Let me see it," Mom removed the beanie which I was wearing to cover up my hair. When she did, it became one of the worst nightmares that she had seen. "Aditi, what's wrong with you?" And that's when I saw tears rolling from her eyes. 

I fucked up. I have never seen my mother cry since the departure of my father. It was ten years ago. My daddy had passed away, when I was nine, due to some major blockage in the heart. 

I lose my control over me and start to cry along with her. "Mom, don't cry!" I say as I hug her hard. "Please don't do this,"

She quickly wiped her tears and now her hands were on my head slowly ruffling my hair here and there. "I don't mean to cry, but baby, It was your father's wish. Remember?" She pauses to remember her days with my dad. They were the best example for us. 

"Yeah mom, they are just soothing. Just thinking about them fills me with nostalgia."

She nods in unison. "I'm stupid. You are gonna grow all this hair in just a month or two," she says smiling. I nodded enthusiastically before going back to sit on my chair. 

“Oh- amma, what was it that you wanted to say?” I asked as she turned to leave. 

“That, I was asking if you’re staying for lunch today. You don’t eat at home these days," Amma  tilted her head. I thought for a while before nodding again. 

“I’m home till the exam now.” She nodded and left the room…..

Leaving the door open.

I decided to focus on the formation of the bones of infants because they are too cute to be left out. Ossification  is the process of- dayum. What is wrong with This girl? It was a damn phone call from Anu.