Falling Softly

LANDLORD

Aaryan's POV

I woke up to the sound of the alarm. Struggling to open my eyes, I gently shook Kavya's shoulder to wake her up. She opened her eyes, and I could see she was tired.

"Go back to sleep, it's still early," I said, placing my hand on her forehead. She must be exhausted after yesterday. I got out of bed and went outside while she went back to sleep. Standing on the balcony, I stretched, letting my body wake up. Then, I went to the kitchen, prepared a glass of warm water, and drank it down.

I put a pot on the gas stove and made some tea for myself. After serving it in a cup, I sat at the table to enjoy it. I took a sip but it wasn't as good as Kavya's. Finishing the tea, I got up and placed the cup in the sink when I heard a knock on the door. My heart sank for a moment. Who could it be? I wondered.

As I got closer, I realized it must be the landlord. I opened the door, and before I could say anything, he burst out, "I am not leaving until I get my rent." He came in and sat on the sofa.

"Uncle, please try to understand. I lost my job," I pleaded, feeling helpless as he dominated the conversation.

"I don't want to hear your excuses. I've been hearing them for the past three months. This time, I'm not leaving without the rent," he said firmly, cementing himself on the sofa. It was clear he wasn't going anywhere until he got his rent.

I went to the bedroom, opened my wallet, and found almost nothing in it. Frustrated, I checked through the wallet again, hoping to find some more. I heard a voice, "What's happening?" Kavya said, her voice slow and sleepy. She sat up in bed, half-covered in a blanket. I felt even more embarrassed about the situation and didn't like the feeling at all.

But the landlord was sitting right in the living room, and I had no choice. She uncovered the blanket and stepped into the living room, only to find the middle-aged man resting on the sofa. She came back surprised, pointing toward the living room as if to ask, "Who the hell is that?"

"He's the landlord," I said.

She sighed, realizing the situation. She opened the cupboard and rummaged through her purse to find her ATM card. Handing it to me, she said, "I don't have cash. Can you go to the ATM?"

I was surprised she offered to pay the rent. I felt a bit sad and helpless that I couldn't pay it myself. It was a feeling I didn't like at all. But I had no options left. I nodded and went outside. I convinced the landlord that I would pay this month's rent and the pending amount later. He agreed, and as we walked downstairs, he headed to his small office on the ground floor, and I exited the building to reach the ATM.

I found the ATM and realized I didn't know the PIN. I had to call Kavya to get it. When I checked her account balance, I was surprised to see a significant amount. Impressed with her capabilities, I withdrew one month's rent and headed back. I handed the cash to the landlord in his office.

Instead of taking the lift, I chose the stairs. My mind wandered as I climbed up. I felt hesitant to go back home, my heart racing. What would she think of me? I shook my head.

I received a call and decided to stand on the stairs. It was Nishit.

"One of my batchmates works for this company. I've given your reference, so don't keep your phone on vibrate," he said.

"Okay, thanks, I guess." I was grateful for the very few but very helpful people around me.

"They did you dirty, man," he continued.

"Don't worry, I'm sending them a notice." My excitement returned. I wasn't someone who spoke a lot, but I wasn't the type to keep quiet when something wrong happened. "By the way, do you know any good lawyer? Also, not very expensive."

"Yeah, just text the details to Natasha," he replied.

"I don't want to be a burden, man. C'mon." Natasha is his wife and a lawyer. She knew me well, and I knew she wouldn't charge me, but I didn't want to rely on people's sympathy and charity.

"Just send her the details, okay? She'd be mad if she found out you hired someone else," he chuckled.

"Okay, man. I will send her the details," I gave in.

"Alright, keep me updated about the job, okay?" He said before hanging up the phone.

I reached home and saw Kavya packing her lunch.

"So, what do you want to eat for dinner?" I asked, and her eyes lit up.

"I'll leave it up to you," she laughed, probably knowing I didn't know many dishes.

I waved her goodbye as she left. Back in the living room, I felt a strange emptiness. For the past several years, I never had this kind of free time. It felt weird, to be honest. I decided to call Natasha.

"Hello..." Her excited voice came through the phone.

"Hello, yeah," I replied.

"Nishit told me about the situation. Have you talked to your manager about it?" I could hear the concern in her voice.

"Yeah, a couple of times. It's been over three months now."

"Don't worry, we'll do something about it. I'll email you a list of questions and documents I need from you, okay?"

"Alright."

"Come visit me at the office in a few hours. I'm about to leave, so I'll be waiting."

"Yeah, sure," I concluded the call and went on to get ready.

I visited her office, and we discussed a few things, preparing the next steps. I came back after a few hours. Now, all I had to do was wait.

I relaxed on the sofa, feeling a bit bored. I decided to message Kavya.

"Hi," I typed, not sure why.

To my surprise, she started typing back immediately.

"Had your lunch?" she asked.

"Yes, it was good," I replied.

"There are some snacks in the drawer if you get hungry in the evening."

"Okay, I will check."

"I talked with Natasha. She'll be helping me send a notice to the company."

"Who is Natasha?" she wrote quickly.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. She is Nishit's wife."

"I can't wait to meet her!" I could sense her excitement. She didn't have any friends here, so it would be good for her to blend in.

I managed to study for a few hours, preparing myself for upcoming interviews. In the evening, I started to prepare dinner. I planned to make rice and dal, keeping it simple. I couldn't think of anything fancy and was barely managing these simple dishes. I watched a couple of videos to refresh the recipes and then got to work.

Thank you for reading, add star it encourages me.