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I heard the blurred voice of my phone ringing, and I tried to open my eyes only to shut them again.
A throbbing pain pulsed through my head.
"Ugh, it's hurting like hell," I muttered, grabbing my head and massaging it.
I lay there for a while before finally waking up.
My phone was still blaring, and I scanned the unfamiliar living room to find it below the table beside me.
Answering the call without checking the caller ID, I lazily said,
"Hello."
"Hello bhai!" a familiar voice exclaimed.
I looked at the caller ID and realized it was Arush, my brother.
"Helloooo bhaii, are you there?" he continued from the other side.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. What made you call me all of a sudden?" I asked, acknowledging the rarity of our calls, considering his finals and my involvement in a new project.
"Oh, actually, I have a surprise for you," he said, grinning.
I frowned. "What?" I asked, confused.
"I'm in INDIA!!" he exclaimed.
"WHAT!" I yelled, excitement surging through me.
"Where are you right now?" I questioned eagerly.
"I'm at the airport, taking a taxi to your place," he replied.
Glancing at the time, I realized it was almost afternoon.
"Wait, how much time will it take you to reach?" I asked.
"Almost an hour, because the airport is in the outskirts," he answered.
"Okk, I'll be home till you reach," I said.
"Okay," he replied, and we bid goodbye, ending the call.
Sighing, I leaned my head on the couch, palming my face and messing up my hair.
The throbbing pain persisted, and then the thought struck me.
"Wait, first of all, where am I?" I mumbled, looking around and taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Several photo frames on the side table caught my eye, and one particular photo of Siya, Veer, and Shreesha when they were young drew my attention.
Lost in thought, I heard the door opening and looked up to see Siya emerging from one of the rooms, holding her head and groaning in pain.
She walked towards the living room, not noticing me at first.
