The Balcony

Chapter 1

Early mornings had always been her favourite. The air was mostly still crisp from the night. The sun would have just begun to rise so it would be a combination of dark and light. Best of all, it would always be quiet. Without the noisy traffic and the throngs of people crowding the streets, it was blissfully peaceful.

She smiled as she hugged herself tight and stepped out of her building lobby. A quarter of an hour later, with a set pace, she jogged as the waves crashed lightly on the famous rocks of the city. Her long ponytail swayed from side to side as she enjoyed the side view of the sea. She saw the odd jogger like herself but with their ears plugged with blasting music and she shook her head lightly. People had forgotten the simple joy silence could offer. Just then, her phone started blaring from her arm phone holder. She pursed her lips and saw her grandmother calling. The expression instantly melted into a soft smile as she slowed her pace and spoke to her nani calmly; trying to dodge a conversation she was rather weary of. The effort went in vain. The women in her family were known for getting their way. Nani was no different.

An hour later, she jogged back to her apartment building and slowed down as she neared the elevator. She checked her emails and walked in as the door opened. She heard a voice call out right as the door was about to shut. Instinctively, she held a hand out to hold the doors open and managed to drop her phone in the process. As she bent down to pick up the phone, she saw a pair of chappals appear in her line of sight. She straightened herself and retreated into the elevator, allowing the person to enter as well. He was carrying a grocery bag that largely obscured his face.

He walked in and blindly tried to reach for the elevator button. She politely said, "Um, it's on the other side." He lowered the bag and grinned sheepishly at her. He was a young boy, probably fifteen – sixteen years old. She smiled back, amused and asked, "What floor?"

He kept the bag at his feet and dug out a piece of paper from his pocket. She peered inside the bag at her feet and saw a big packet of her favourite brand of cookies staring back at her. In fact, a lot of the products looked like they were right out of her kitchen cabinet. Had she ordered groceries and forgotten all about it? The boy suddenly held the piece of paper in front of her face and asked, "Didi, can you tell me where I can find this address? I have to deliver these things to this house."

She took a step back and squinted at the address. Huh. She had assumed that this house was empty. They must have found a new tenant. She shrugged absently and replied, "It's on the eleventh floor."

With that, she pressed the tenth and the eleventh floor buttons and stood back.