Chapter 13 – New Guests in the Night
Krish feels sorry for those children who ran away in fear of their own father. But when even their own parents don't seem to care about them, what can he really do? Thinking this, Krish goes back to his room. It's already half past ten. That's when he realizes he hasn't eaten dinner yet. Between checking the garden and meeting that unknown girl, Vanshika, he completely forgot about food. He's exhausted, so he doesn't feel like cooking anything for himself, and there's nothing at home even for a light snack.
Krish decides to sleep on an empty stomach. Once again, his thoughts drift toward Vanshika.
Who was she?
What kind of girl was she?
Will I ever meet her again?
Will I find her in that garden, or somewhere else?
Was she a good girl?
Did I make a mistake by letting her go without even trying to befriend her?
At the very least, I should have asked for her number. I wasted a good opportunity. She looked nice, spoke well, and her character seemed completely pure. I shouldn't have let her go so easily. Maybe I'll never find a girl better than her.
It was my mistake—I didn't even ask her to be my friend.
A storm of such questions and thoughts keeps swirling in Krish's mind.
Because of Vanshika, Krish knows he won't be able to sleep tonight. He sits on his bed, lost in thought. Suddenly, he begins to feel suffocated inside the house—perhaps because he's thinking too much. He steps out of his flat. Outside, there is complete silence. The night has grown colder. Maybe even that drunk man has finally fallen asleep.
Krish looks down from the balcony. There's no one around. Just then, he hears faint whispering sounds coming from near the staircase.
Following the sound, Krish walks toward the stairs. When he peeks, he sees the three children of that drunk, abusive man sitting on the steps—the same children who had run away earlier in fear. They are shivering in the cold, but they can't go back home.
From behind, Krish says softly, "Hello."
Startled by the sudden voice, the children flinch in fear.
Krish gently says,
"Don't be scared. My name is Krish. I'm your new neighbor. Can I help you in any way?"
Among them, one boy is about ten years old, the other around eleven. The girl looks quite grown up.
The elder boy asks,
"How can you help us?"
Krish asks,
"Where is your mother?"
The boy replies,
"I don't know. She went somewhere and hasn't come back."
Krish asks again,
"Will your father be sober by morning?"
The boy says,
"Yes, but his anger will probably be the same."
Krish says,
"Alright then. You can stay at my place for tonight."
The boy looks at his elder sister. She too feels it's safer to go with Krish.
Krish adds,
"It's very cold outside. You can't stay here in the open. Come with me."
Krish walks toward his room, and all three follow him. He brings them inside his flat and closes the door. Both boys are wearing sweaters, but the girl doesn't have one. To protect them from the cold, Krish gives them two warm blankets and spreads a large mattress in the small hall. They sit there, and Krish pulls up a chair in front of them.
Krish says,
"I only have two blankets, so you'll have to adjust a bit."
The elder boy replies,
"That's okay."
The girl says,
"Thank you for helping us."
Krish responds,
"It's okay. This was necessary. Tell me your names and which class you're studying in."
The elder boy says,
"My name is Deepak. I study in 6th grade."
The younger boy says,
"My name is Pawan. I'm in 5th grade."
The girl says,
"My name is Saloni. I've completed 12th."
Krish says,
"That's good. Have you all eaten anything today?"
Deepak replies,
"No. We didn't eat anything. They were fighting for a long time."
Krish says,
"No problem. I also couldn't eat today because of some urgent work. I'll quickly make something to eat."
Saloni says,
"It's okay, we can manage without it."
Krish replies,
"Don't worry, it won't take long."
Krish goes into the kitchen. Since he wants to prepare something fast and easy, he decides to make poha. Outside, the new guests begin whispering among themselves. Within a short time, Krish finishes cooking. He serves poha on plates, gives it to everyone, and starts eating himself.
Krish asks,
"Did you like the poha?"
Deepak replies,
"It's very good."
Saloni says,
"Thank you for this."
Krish smiles,
"It's my favorite snack."
It's now half past eleven at night. After finishing the food, Krish asks them if they want juice, but the children ask only for water.
Krish then asks,
"So tell me, do your parents fight like this every day?"
Deepak replies,
"No."
Saloni adds,
"It's only been happening for a few days."
Krish asks,
"Then what were they fighting about?"
Deepak says,
"Dad drinks a lot and wastes all the money."
Saloni says,
"My father thinks my mother went to meet another man."
Krish says,
"That's how most family conflicts begin. Is it true? Does your mother really do that?"
Saloni replies softly,
"No… she's a very good woman."
Krish says,
"Yes, I noticed. Your mother was giving your father a pretty tough fight in the alley."
Deepak says,
"She doesn't behave like that every time. I saw her act that way for the first time."
Saloni asks,
"So you heard all that?"
Krish replies,
"They were shouting so loudly that it was impossible not to hear."
Deepak asks,
"Then why didn't you come to help us?"
Krish answers calmly,
"An outsider can't directly interfere in family disputes."
Deepak says,
"An outsider? But you're our neighbor."
Krish replies,
"A neighbor is not a member of the family."
Deepak says,
"I understand."
Krish says,
"I hope everything will be fine by morning. It's quite late now. You all should sleep. Good night."
Krish goes to his room. The youngest boy, Pawan, has already fallen asleep. Soon after, Deepak and Saloni also lie down. Krish comes back to the hall to get his phone, and he notices that Saloni isn't fully covered because her brother Deepak is using most of the blanket.
Krish goes back to his room, brings his own blanket, and walks over to Saloni.
Krish says softly,
"Hey, it's very cold. This warm blanket is for you."
Saloni asks,
"Do you have another blanket to use?"
Krish replies,
"Don't worry. I don't have a blanket, but I have something that will help me get through the night."
Krish goes back to his room. He finds the fabric he had bought for new curtains. Wrapping himself in that cloth, he lies down to sleep.
Next Chapter…