2. The beginning

One year back

The front door of the flat opened and a man came from inside wearing only his sweat pants and rubbing his head while yawning a little. It seems he just woke up.

A huge eagle tattoo allover his alluring right shoulder and some if his right chest reaching far to his right wrist was covering his body. His abdomen muscles were clenched showcasing his perfect body and his abs seems like they were carved elegantly. His perfect tall figure with his handsome face made the background blur.

He bent down just outside his door to pick up the newspaper and milk carton that was placed in front of him. He picked up the newspaper and started reading the front page of it while tearing the corner of the milk carton with his mouth.

He leaned towards his door, took support from the walls behind him and kept reading and drinking. Just then a sound came from his left.

'Meow, Meow' a cat approaced him. His eyes fall on the cat. He bent down to pick her up and fed the milk to cat from the cartridge. In front of him was the staircase to go up or down and in the wall right to him was the lift. Just then he heard voice from the floor above his and looked up towards the stairs in front.

'Ommmm...' the chanting and prayer to god was going on in the next floor.

A girl with skin white as milk and loosely tied braids her hair was messy. She was wearing a loose orange suit*. She was sitting down in front of the her door with a bowl of Abeer (powdered colour)that was beside her. She kept looking down making a Rangoli* with Abeer. A flower pattern Rangoli just in front of the main gate of the house.

The main door was decorated with a row of flowers and leaves. The leaves were little dried as they have been hanging above the door since yesterday. In front of her was the same staircase going more up.

She was so indulge in her work that she failed to notice the Abeer on her face which she got when she was fixing her spectacles with back of her fist before. She kept making the Rangoli.

Then a pair of feet reached her from inside the house and stopped in front of the house behind her.

'suru, you're still here?' a woman's voice came from behind her. The woman asked looking down at the girl surprisingly. The lady was wearing a greyish white saree with line pattern on the border.

Suru looked up in surprise and saw the woman who was wearing a red bindi and red bangles in her hands .

' Hurry up, dear they will be here any minute' her mother urges her to get up from the floor.

Suru rubbed her nose and got up she walked inside the house while removing colour from her hands.

'Wait' just then her mother stopped her.

Taking a part of her Sari that the mother was wearing she wiped some colour from suru's face.

'Mom' Suru said while moving her head sideways to remove the mother's face acting a little spoiled. She was cautious not to touch her with her coloured hands.

'Go' her mother gestures her to go inside.

'go now' her mother then send her in fast and went out to pick up the newspaper just outside the gate.

Suru reached the hall of her house. A simple elegantly decorated house. She passed through the cleaned red couch and white drawer shelves on the left. Her father was praying in front of the little house temple. He move the incense stick in his right hand while ringing the bell in his left.

Suru joined her hand in front of the temple standing behind her father to pay respect and then enters the room on her right where her sister was combing her hair. She closed the room's door to get dressed.

'The paper has come?' the father asked as he turn back holding some fresh banana leaves after finishing his prayers.

He sorted out the leaves and walked towards the front door where mother was.

'The boy's family are coming from the US' she said while passing him the paper.

'What if they don't like the home made food' she said looking down with a worried look on her face while the father was busy sorting out the leaves besides her.

'So? What?' the father turned his face towards her asking with a stern face which made the mother a little intimidated.

'So.... should we order some diet coke?' she said suggesting him timidly.

Father kept his stern face and turn back to look at the leaves.

'You can bring instant food in this house, When I am dead!' the father said in a dead serious voice while keeping the stern face as he kept checking the house around with his eyes.

The man downstairs was listening to the conversation between the married couple upstairs and was surprised a little by the man's reply. He looked up towards the floor above him though he couldn't see them he was imagining all sorts of figure that could fit the man.

'understand?' the father said

'okay...leave it...sorry' the mother apologized

Then he passed the bundle of banana leaves to her in the front gate where they were standing.

'Serve the house guests on fresh banana leaves*' he said while passing the leaves to her then

He started putting out those dried leaves decoration from the door

'like we do at home'

'they will appreciate it' he said

Note:- *In southern part of India it's an old tradition to serve food on big Banana leaves on special occasions.

Note:-

*Suit - It's an Indian Ethnic clothing for women with a long tunic. Suit comes in many styles and designs.

*Rangoli- It's an art pattern drawn on the floor with colours from a simple flower design to whatever you want.

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