Riddhi's POV :
I and Adarsh walked inside. What I saw shattered my heart.
Although I expected it, the current state of the house that once stood in its glory was devastating. It looked like nobody ever lived here. The abandoned garden in the front with dried trees, dead plants in the earthen pots, a broken wooden bench, and some wooden logs.
It was my grandparent's abode.
They both loved gardening.
In the morning, my Aajoba would be in the kitchen making tea for my Aaji, while my Aaji would be busy watering the plants and talking to them like her kids. Sometimes, she would share her childhood memories with them, sometimes she would tell them about her plans for the day, like what she was going to make for lunch, where she would go for an evening walk, etc etc.
I always wondered,
if she ever told them about me?
If she did, what did she tell them?
About the pranks that I pulled on her?
About my dislike for plain milk? Or
About her love for me?
These questions will remain unanswered. But the glimpse of her appears in my habits.
In my rented place in Mumbai, I had filled my balcony with a variety of plants. I would talk to them and tell them about my day. I felt heartbroken leaving my plants there but thinking about how they would be there to welcome new tenants and make them feel at home, has put me at ease.
As I stood near the wooden bench, flashbacks hit me.
Aajoba and Aaji would sit on this bench and savor their tea while talking to each other and I would gulp down the glass of milk in one go because I hated it and run to play with my friends- Khushi and Anjali. Sometimes, Adarsh and his friends would also join us.
I walked further towards the main door of the house, it was still intact, and the wood still looked new. On the right side of the verandah, there was a jhula, where my Aaji, after finishing her chores, would sit on it, waiting for me to arrive from school.
The boys were in different school but our schools wound up at the same time. All of us would race inside the house and hug Aaji. It was the most heavenly feeling. The scent of the incense stick in the air combined with the aroma of the food after a long tiring day at school would feel so soothing.
After hugging Grandma, we all would rush towards the tap in the corner of the garden to wash our hands and come inside and eat our lunch together in the hall. The tap is a witness to many water attacks that involved all of us.
Now this place was adorned with dust and dead insects, it stinked. It didn't feel like home at all. I covered my nose and tried to open the door, but it was jammed. I looked around trying to find Adarsh to ask him to help me. He was standing near the mango tree in the garden. He was gazing at the tree. He looked lost.
ADARSH's POV:
I love mango pickles. Looking at the mango tree, I was reminded of a time when I would not eat lunch without the pickle made by Aaji. Once, the pickle jar got empty and I climbed the tree to pluck the raw mangoes and when I was climbing down I saw Aaji staring at me with angry eyes. As a punishment, she didn't serve me pickle for 10 days.
"Adarsh... Adarsh!" Riddhi's voice brought me back from the memory lane.
I looked at her in confusion.
YOU ARE READING
Sunflowers & Sunsets.(Unedited)
Romance"Sometimes, what you need is right beside you and many a time it is within you." This is the story of two young people, Aadarsh and Riddhi who live in contrasting worlds in the same city. They are different yet similar. One is overtly ambitious whil...
