CHAPTER-4

                                    

                                          
In Mumbai,
At Anokhi's House,
As Anokhi and Sushmita arrived home, an uncomfortable silence filled the air. Anokhi, still was unable to face Sushmita directly, knowing that she wouldn't let their earlier conversation slip from her mind. 
Anokhi, still hesitant to meet Sushmita's gaze,"Let's freshen up in our rooms first." she suggested, struggling to hide the turmoil in her heart. "I'll then prepare dinner. After dinner, we should get some rest. As Tomorrow is a big day with the fest starting."
"But Maa, what about our coffee time? And why do we need to sleep so early? It's only 8 o'clock," Sushmita protested
"Sushi, aaj mai bahut jyada thak gayi hu, and I'm sure tum bhi thak gayi hongi. Hum aaj subah se busy the fest preparation ke liye aur kal toh sabse important day hai ,'fest starting day'.So,We need to wake up early to double-check all the preparations. That's why I think we should sleep early tonight. "Anokhi explained.
Sushmita reluctantly agreed, but she knew that why Anokhi was giving these excuses otherwise she never let either of them to miss their coffee time. "Okay, but pehle aap promise karo ki hum kal apna coffee time extend karenge"
"Absolutely, we'll have a longer coffee time tomorrow. For now, let's freshen up quickly." Anokhi assured her.
Both Anokhi and Sushmita head to their respective rooms. The dim light of the hallway cast long shadows as they moved towards their respective rooms. Anokhi's footsteps echoed softly against the tiled floor, each step a reminder of the tension lingering between them.
Reaching in her room, taking out her night clothes from almirah, she moved to the bathroom.  Changing her clothes, Anokhi quickly freshened up, splashed some cold water on her face too to hide the evidence of her tears. 
After that, she moved to the kitchen, her hands methodically chopping vegetables, each slice was reflecting her inner turmoil. 
After a while, she called out from the kitchen, her voice echoing slightly in the empty hallway.
"Sushi dinner is ready"
Joining Anokhi swiftly, Sushmita and Anokhi settled into a comfy silence while eating. Throughout the dinner, Sushmita keep staring at Anokhi, who noticed but chose not to react.
After they finished dinner and cleared the table, they moved to the sink to wash the dishes together. When the silence became unbearable. Finally, Sushmita spoke up, unable to contain her feelings any longer.
"Maa, just because maine aapse afternoon mein aapke rone ka kaaran puch liye, you're ignoring me? Kya mujhe aapse koi question puchne ka right nahi hai" her voice trembled slightly.
Anokhi rinsed her hands and wiped them with a towel before turning to face Sushmita. "Sushi, yeh tum kya kaha rahi ho"
Softly, but with a hint of hurt in her voice, Sushmita continued, her words careful yet loaded with emotion,"Sahi toh kaha rahi hu mai maa,maine jabse aapse college me washroom ke bahar baat kari hai tabse aap mujhe avoid kar rahe ho .You haven't talked to me once since afternoon. Why?"
Anokhi, looking away, knowing that Sushmita caught her, her voice barely above a whisper, says, "Aisa kuch nahi hai, Sushi. Tum galat samajh rahi ho"