The Innocent Mistake

The Innocent Mistake - 10

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Two nights had passed since Sana caught a glimpse of Sidharth at the petrol station across from her house. Unbeknownst to her, he had been following her to the park every evening, acting as a silent guardian. However, Sana was well aware of his presence.

Before jumping to conclusions and assuming he was stalking her, it's important to note that he was simply being protective of his dear friend, who happened to be heavily pregnant with his child.

The more she saw him, the more questions arose in her mind. As he worked at the station, she observed him from time to time, hiding behind the curtains and pondering over his reasons for being there. What about his studies? Why didn't he go back? Perhaps he sought forgiveness for his past mistakes because he felt guilty. Was she ready to grant him that forgiveness? No, she wasn't prepared to let go of the pain he had caused her in the past or the challenges she would face in the future.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a kick from the little one growing inside her womb, successfully grabbing her attention.

"What do you want, baby?" she asked sweetly.

She was no longer alone. Throughout the day, she would converse with her baby, in addition to keeping an eye on the father of her child, even though she received no answers.

"Hmmm... I'm hungry too. What do you feel like eating?" she inquired.

The conversation reminded her of the food she had cooked earlier. Her culinary skills were limited and far from commendable. She despised her cooking, which she had taken up to avoid starving herself to death. To distract herself from the dreadful thoughts of savoring dishes she made, she was once again interrupted by a kick from her baby bringing her back from the brink of a suicidal thought of eating it.

"Oww!! I know, it's terrible. I hate it too. Anyway, thanks for saving me from the thought of eating it," she said with a downtrodden expression.

As she gazed outside, she noticed Sidharth diligently washing cars.

"Does he ever eat? Of course, he must, otherwise how would he survive? But what does he eat?" she muttered absentmindedly, staring blankly at him.

Flashback:

"Eww... How can you eat that?" thirteen-year-old Sidharth asked, looking at his only friend, Sana, with a disgusted expression as she ate Roti (Indian flatbread) and bottle gourd curry.

"Stop making faces, idiot. I know you hate Lauki (bottle gourd), but that's your problem. I love it, and if you continue making such faces, I'll inform Shashank Bhaiyya to make bottle gourd for you every day," she threatened.

"Arrghhh... I don't need an enemy when I have such a great friend," he exclaimed in frustration.

"Yeah, same to you," she teased, sticking her tongue out. He glared at her annoyance. To further irritate him, she brought a piece of bottle gourd near his face before diverting it to her mouth.

"Ummmm... Divine!" she moaned in pleasure as she relished the taste.

"Rrr... Stop annoying me, Sana. I'm famished, and I can't eat your favorite food. When are you planning to share your lunchbox with me? After recess?" he asked, snatching her bag.

"Oh! I almost forgot..." she giggled.

"What's in it?" he asked excitedly, pulling out her lunchbox from the bag.

"Bottle gourd curry," she replied nonchalantly.

"What?" he exclaimed, looking at her in shock and dismay. He had lost his appetite before even opening the lunchbox.