One Cuppa Chai

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Chapter 6
Breezy days

Hectic.

I never thought that any event in my life would oblige me to use this particular adjective but days had become truly hectic.
Exams had already crept up to me before I realised it. On the other hand, my music master required us to squeeze some time for the band practice.
Traditionally, Kabir and I would SMS each other after we were done with each exam and kept marking it off the calendar.

Since I had to offer some content on my paper that was related to the subject at a minimum, I began to cram information into my head until I felt some dull throbbing in my temple that would require me to simultaneously massage my forehead and repeat the alkaline formulas ten times aloud.

Sanya and I would walk out of the exam with poker expressions on our faces, but we exchanged glances and could immediately relate to the turmoil behind the mask.

I remember studying by maths question paper, baffled by the ways of the world.

I held on to my sanity as I examined each question and realised that I didn't have the flimsiest idea of what I was supposed to do.

Yes, my mother will hang me on the clothesline when she learns about the results.

However, life goes on and I definitely wasn't one to dwell on my past miseries.

It was the eve of Summer and that explained the lingering presence of the sun at 6 in the evening. I was jogging back home joyously.

I could make out my mother under the shade of a lanky coconut tree. Maybe it was the peacock green saree that she wore so often that gave her away.

I was going to fling myself at her from behind and jolt her out of her reverie but she turned sideways and gave a full-on fake chuckle.

She was with Kabir's mother, I noticed.
I rolled my eyes. My mother somehow thought it was obligatory to laugh at friends' half baked jokes. I didn't hear what Lalitha auntie said but both her and I knew that her humour was in poor taste.

My steps faltered when I noticed Mrs D'Souza sitting against the wall, her legs crossed under her.

Her hair was tied up with a banana clip and fell in ringlets below her breasts. I thought that the mute pink chapstick suited her along with her simple bottle-green kurta and jeans.

I came forward and made my presence known, "Hello auntie." Followed by an awkward smile.

Mrs Sylvia D' Souza's eyes widened a fraction and she came forward and wrapped her arms around me. I stilled instinctively and then flashed a smile at the other two women until she released me.

She held me at arm's length and her silver bracelets jingled. "Look at you! You've become..."

...Like a sloth?

I waited patiently for her to find a nicer way to tell me that I gained some weight.

"You've just... Grown so much...!"
She sported a pleased smile."What are you studying now?"

"She just finished her 10th board exam," My mother answered for me.

"Oh? Good, good. My son is doing mechanical engineering, 2nd year. You know him right?"

"Ah, sort of," I said dryly and then attempted to mask the indifference in my tone.

"Exams are done?" Lalitha auntie asked. "We were just talking about visiting this place..."

Road trips. Since the Jhas bought a car, it became mandatory to take that car out every national holiday or vacation and simply roam around town for the sake of it.