After Life: Sara & Padma's Journey After Departure

You make things really hard for me, Sara

SARA:

I made breakfast and woke up Padma by myself without calling Dev. He eventually came and sat in the chair beside Padma. After breakfast, I showered and put Padma back to sleep. I didn't even look at him, and he didn't initiate a conversation. I opened up my laptop to work and sat in the study room.

 My phone rang, and it was Pradeep, a self-employed software developer. I had offered him a position, but he preferred freelance work. "Hello," I answered his call. 

 "How are you?" he asked. 

 "Tell me what it is? You're not the type to call just to ask about my well-being," I laughed. 

 "Yeah, you know me well, Sara. I have a small project. Can you do it for me?" he asked. 

 "What kind of project?" I inquired. 

 "It's a web application, an e-commerce site for a private company," he explained. 

 "Well, do you want me to do it for free?" I teased. 

 "No, not at all. I will pay," he assured. 

 "Okay, I will do it. Send the details to my team," I agreed. 

 "Thank you so much. I've been busy, not able to handle this," he said. 

 "That's okay. We'll see," I replied. 

 "Okay, bye," he ended the call. I informed Samantha about it on WhatsApp. Arjun messaged me about a gift for Rahul's birthday. I thought about his interest in software development, and an idea struck me. What if I gave him this small project? It could be an opportunity for him to venture into software development and start his own company. I called Arjun. 

"Hey, I got an idea. He mentioned his interest in starting a software services company and being a software developer. Maybe I can give him a project as a gift that also pays him," I suggested.

 "Will it work?" Arjun inquired. 

 "Let's put it this way—if you aspire to be a hacker but have no opportunities, wouldn't you appreciate someone giving you that chance?" I asked. 

 "Yes, I would, but what if he already has those opportunities?" Arjun questioned.

 "You're right, but someone deeply interested in development won't easily ignore such an opportunity. Plus, it will show Claura's care and attention toward him. We want to impress him—a gift and a chance to meet him again," I explained. 

 "Well then, okay, it seems like a good idea," Arjun agreed.

 "Okay, then. If there's anything, call me," I said, ending the call. I didn't know where Dev was or if he was at home, so I stayed in the study room and focused on my work. 

 After two hours, I went to the room to check on Padma. Dev was not there, nor in the living room. I decided to make lunch for us—rice and gravy. As the gravy boiled, I prepared a pot of water for Padma. While stirring the gravy, I reached for the spatula on the counter and accidentally bumped into the handle of the boiling water pan. The hot water spilled onto my belly, soaking my t-shirt. The burning sensation was immediate, and I screamed in pain.

 "Hey," I heard Dev's voice. 

"Remove your shirt," he said and rushed to my side. Attempting to lift the shirt was painful, and I winced.

 "Wait, wait, I will do it," he said, gently lifting the shirt. However, his expression changed abruptly as he glanced at my burned skin. He stood there, holding the shirt up.