TILL INFINITIES END

41. AARUSHI

Vyom sat across from me, playing around the edges of his textbook, his eyes looking up to meet mine every few seconds like he was expecting me to not take that oral test. But he knew- I was not like Varun- I would sit there until he spoke the entire answer correctly. His class teacher called today, and she said that he always makes mistakes in that chapter, and they're so bad. So I specially downloaded the pdf this afternoon, read it with my lunch amidst the rush and run of patients and called him then and there; to read it and prepare before I come home from work. And guess what- he didn't. he said he's done, but he didn't.

I was trying to take his history test, but honestly, I was starting to feel like I everytime I decide to sit with him and make that boy study, it was a torture.

"Okay, Vyom, one last time," I said, holding onto my patience, "The Harappan civilization...."

He looks at me blankly, scratching the back of his head.

"DON'T LOOK AT ME. Just finish the sentence. It's literally the easiest thing ever."

He stared at me, completely blank. I watched as his lips moved, but no sound came out.

"Umm... They... they... were very old?"

I stared at him, speechless. For real? He was giving me THAT answer?

"Old? Really? That's what you got from the ten times we've done this?"

He gave me a small grin. I groaned, pulling off my glasses and rubbing my eyes. "Vyom, at this point, I'm about to become very old just waiting for you to remember one sentence."

"I'm sorry, Mumma! I was so close, I swear!"

"close? Close? You said it was old. OLD. And you say it was close? This is all the rubbish you write in exams and then I'm the one who has to attend your class teacher's phone calls!"

"Shreya maam? She is always irritated with me, mumma! Don't listen to her!" he said.

"Irritated? Of course. Because if you're writing things like "old" in reference to harapan civilization- definitely, she has every right to be irritated." I said, "come on, take out your pencil and write it five times."

"FIVE?" his eyes widen with shock.

"how about ten?" I ask him.

He takes out his pencil and starts writing.

Varun was nearby, sitting comfortably on the sofa with his phone, completely checked out of the situation. Sometimes I wished I could just escape into my phone like that, disappear into some mindless scrolling, but no, here I was, playing tutor, therapist, and mother all at once.

I sighed dramatically, giving Vyom a mock glare. "You know, Vyom, sometimes I wonder if this TV has eaten your memory cells. If you could recite history like you recite all the dialogues of that cartoon, we'd be done in five minutes."

Vyom burst out laughing, clearly taking none of this as seriously as I was. I wonder how are Tia and vyom so opposite when the woman who gave birth to them is the same? Because with Tia I never remember making her sit and learn, rather I had to tell her to stop studying and get up and fresh herself for a while.

Just as we were about to go through the line for what felt like the millionth time, Tia walked in, looking fresh and happy—thankfully a version I saw after so long. She had four bags in her hand and a bouquet which made me wonder.

Her presence was like a breath of fresh air. I smiled instantly, the sight of her bright face lifting my mood.

"How was your day?" I asked, feeling a surge of warmth seeing her so cheerful.