Chapter 4 – Familiar Habits

Poornima stepped inside the house with a tired smile after a long day.

She placed her handbag on the table and greeted everyone.

Poornima: "Namaste, Uncle... Aunty."

She folded her hands before Rajendra and Ritika.

Rajendra: "Be happy, beta."

Ritika: "How was your trip?"

Poornima: "Good, Aunty. The meetings went well."

She then smiled at Aradhya and Rudra.

Poornima: "How are my two troublemakers?"

Both of them laughed and hugged her.

Without saying anything else, Poornima walked upstairs to change.

She opened the bedroom door.

The balcony door was open.

Veeresh stood there, looking outside with a cigarette between his fingers.

Poornima stopped in surprise.

Poornima: "What are you doing here?"

Veeresh glanced at her calmly.

Veeresh: "Smoking. This is the only room with a balcony."

Silence filled the room.

For a moment, Veeresh expected her to ask,

"How are you, Veeresh?"

And somewhere in her heart, Poornima expected him to smile and say,

"How are you, Poons?"

Neither of them spoke.

The years between them felt heavier than words.

Poornima quietly took her clothes and walked into the washroom to change.

Veeresh looked away, realizing that sometimes silence could say more than any conversation.

Later that night, everyone gathered around the dining table.

The house was filled with laughter as Aradhya spoke excitedly about the wedding preparations. Rudra kept everyone entertained with his jokes, while Rajendra and Raghav discussed old memories. Ritika and Meera served dinner with happy smiles.

Veeresh sat quietly.

His eyes unintentionally wandered towards Poornima.

As always, she reached for the pickle jar before taking her first bite.

She added a little pickle to her rice.

Then again with the chapati.

Even while eating curd rice at the end of the meal, she took a small piece of pickle.

Veeresh couldn't help but notice.

After all these years...

She still had the same habit.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Some things had changed.

Some things never did.