“What’s for tomorrow, Ma?” Priya asked, already half-asleep.

“Just a classmate, Papa. Chill.”

By 7:30 PM, the television blared a daily soap where a long-lost twin was about to reveal herself at a family wedding. Ramesh pretended to hate it but knew every character’s name. Savita ironed school uniforms while watching, never missing a dialogue. Dinner was late, as always. Simple: khichdi , yogurt, papad, and a spoonful of ghee. They sat on the floor of the dining room tonight—no reason, just because. The air was cooler. Somewhere, a temple bell rang.

The evening snack was a ritual. Hot samosa with mint chutney. More chai . This time, they talked. Priya confessed she had a crush on a boy in the debating club. Akash shared that his team lead had yelled at him for pushing code without testing. Ramesh said nothing, just patted Akash’s back. Savita said, “Crush? Does he eat cucumbers?” Priya groaned.

“That was… emotional eating. The server crashed.”