Allegedly

Chapter 5: Conversations in the Kitchen

The soft clatter of dishes and the faint aroma of spices greeted Rowan as he stepped into the kitchen. It was the only place in the house that felt truly alive-warm, full of movement, and untouched by the shadows that seemed to linger in every other room. Yuthika was at the counter, humming quietly to herself as she stirred something in a large pot. She didn't look up when he entered, but the corners of her lips lifted in a small smile.

"You're just in time," she said, her voice carrying the same soft cadence that always put Rowan at ease. "I'm making chai. Want some?"

Rowan hesitated for a moment, still feeling the weight of the earlier encounter with Ada pressing on him, but he nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that."

He took a seat at the small kitchen table, watching as Yuthika moved with practiced ease, her hands deftly working over the stove. There was something soothing about the way she worked in the kitchen, as if she belonged here, creating warmth and comfort in a house that often felt cold and distant.

Yuthika's phone buzzed on the counter, the screen lighting up with a picture of a young man-her son. She glanced at it briefly before pressing the speaker button and placing the phone down beside her.

"Hello, beta," she said in her native Hindi, her voice immediately softening. "Are you coming home soon?"

There was a long pause, and Rowan could hear the faint, muffled voice of her son on the other end, speaking quickly in English, his tone slightly defensive. Yuthika sighed, shaking her head as she continued stirring the chai.

"Your father and I miss you, you know? We've made the basement into your own space. You'd love it. No one to bother you. And your father... well, he's still complaining about taxes and the price of everything going up. You know how he is." She chuckled softly. "But he's proud of the barn conversion. Turned it into a proper hostel, and it's doing well."

Rowan leaned back in his chair, half-listening to the conversation. It wasn't the first time he'd overheard Yuthika trying to coax her son back home. She always seemed to be on the phone with him or some other member of her family, juggling the complexities of being a mother, wife, and caretaker.

When she hung up, Yuthika shook her head with a rueful smile. "He's too stubborn, that boy. Thinks he can make it all on his own, but he's not ready for the world out there."

"Kids, huh?" Rowan said, offering her a sympathetic smile.

Yuthika raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any?"

Rowan chuckled. "No, no kids. Not really the father type."

"Well, it's not always easy, but it's worth it. He'll come around eventually." She poured the chai into two cups and handed one to Rowan, then sat across from him. "And if not, well, there's always his father to keep me busy. Between running the Airbnb, the barn-turned-hostel, and his constant complaining about taxes, I barely have time to miss my son."

Rowan took a sip of the chai, the warmth spreading through his chest. It was rich and spicy, just the way he liked it. For a moment, he allowed himself to relax, the warmth of the drink and Yuthika's presence grounding him in a way nothing else in this house could.

"Speaking of your husband," Rowan said, leaning forward with a grin. "How's his back these days? Still giving him trouble?"

Yuthika laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, always. The poor man can't catch a break. Between mowing the grass, trimming the trees, and pulling weeds, he's convinced he's doing the work of ten men. And every night, without fail, he gives me the same speech about how the property taxes are going to put us out of business." She rolled her eyes playfully, but the affection in her voice was clear.

"Maybe you should hire some help," Rowan suggested, smirking. "Or tell him to stop planting so many flowers."

"Ha! If only he'd listen. He's stubborn, that one. Just like our son." Yuthika shook her head again, but her eyes sparkled with fondness. "No, he loves the work, despite all the complaining. The hostel's doing well too. People love the idea of staying in a converted barn. It's a mile down the road, so at least he's out of the house most of the time, tinkering and playing innkeeper."

Rowan smiled, leaning back in his chair. Yuthika had a way of making everything seem simple, even the complicated parts of life. She was grounded, real, a stark contrast to the surreal feeling that had been haunting him since he'd arrived at Emma's house. The long conversations in the kitchen were a kind of anchor for him, pulling him back from the edge whenever his mind threatened to slip away.

"Hey, I've got one for you," Rowan said, setting his cup down. "Why doesn't the football coach have a girlfriend?"

Yuthika's eyebrows lifted with curiosity. "I don't know. Why?"

"Because he has too many red flags."

Yuthika burst into laughter, a sound that filled the kitchen and made the house feel warmer, more alive. "That's terrible!" she said, still laughing. "But I'm definitely using that one next time my husband starts complaining about taxes again."

Rowan grinned, savoring the moment. He hadn't laughed like this in a long time. It felt good-normal, even.

"You're full of bad jokes, aren't you?" Yuthika teased, wiping at her eyes as the laughter subsided. "All right, I've got one for you. Why did the gardener plant a light bulb?"

Rowan smirked. "I don't know. Why?"

"Because he wanted to grow a power plant."

Rowan groaned, shaking his head, but he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "That's worse than mine."

Yuthika smiled, taking another sip of her chai. "We all need to laugh a little, Rowan. It keeps the darkness away."

Her words hit deeper than she probably intended, and Rowan's smile faltered for just a moment. She wasn't wrong. Laughter and light were in short supply in this house, and with everything weighing on him-the strange encounter with Ada, the lingering shadows in the corners of his mind-he needed these moments more than ever.

"Thanks, Yuthika," Rowan said quietly. "For this. For... being here."

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand gently. "You're welcome, Rowan. You've got a lot on your mind, I can tell. But you're not alone in this. We're all here in this house together."

Rowan nodded, grateful for her words, but the weight of everything still pressed on him. Emma's warnings, Ada's strange behavior, and the ever-present question of what was really going on in this house. He didn't know how long he could hold onto this sense of normalcy before it all came crashing down again.

But for now, he let himself savor the warmth of Yuthika's company and the simple pleasure of bad jokes shared over a cup of chai.