Bidding bye to her colleagues who were sitting in the resident's lounge just beside her cabin, Arohi made her way back home.

It had been a long shift. All Arohi wanted was to go home, change into pajamas, eat unhealthy food while she binge watched some show. In all honesty, she could also watch some random Hindi soap opera. If you don't take them seriously, they are hilarious. Sometimes, Arohi wondered that all melodramatic shows are supposed to be satirical comedies, because why would anyone make such bad shows which make no sense?

Birla hospital to Birla house was hardly a ten minutes drive. Udaipur didn't really have traffic, which was obviously a good thing.

Humming to her new favourite song, 'running up the hill' by Kate Bush which recently became popular due to Stranger Things season 4, Arohi parked her car and entered her house.

Arohi inspected the pantry and found four bottles of Pringles. Now we're talking.

🍁

"Good afternoon and thank you ma'am" Class VII B wished in a lazy, sing-song voice and Akshara smiled.

"Thank you class"

Exiting the school, Akshara got on her bike. It was an afternoon in Udaipur without a single breeze. All Akshara wanted was to go home and sit under a fan.

School to home was a fifteen minutes bike ride. With her key, Akshara opened the door, to find the 'living room' of the house, empty. As usual.

The plain white, tall walls of Birla mansion looked lonely, as usual.

Akshara hated loneliness. She despised it. Moreover, she was afraid of it.

Loneliness reminded her of pain. Of anguish. Her begging her parents to just hold her, coo sweet nothings and tell her it was going to be okay. Loneliness reminded her of her family's pain and distraught faces. Of her baby sister's uncountable questions and tears. Of her Kairav bhaiyya's lost teenage.

🍁

Pausing the movie, Arohi descended the stairs for a bottle of coke, which she hoped she would see in the fridge. But what Arohi saw was something she never wanted to see.

Akshara, clinging on the railing of the stairs, gasping for air.

She's having a panic attack!

Arohi's heart was racing, but her mind had stopped working. Arohi felt like she had no medical knowledge. taking small steps, she held her sister, helping her to sit on a step.

"Focus on your breathing, Akshu" Arohi whispered softly "Count backwards"

Akshara gasped for air, and Arohi held her hand tightly.

"Ten" Arohi started, noticing how her breathing had slowed down.

"Nine"

"Eight"

"Seven"

"Six" Akshara whispered and Arohi smiled, feeling victorious.

"Five"

"Four"

"Three"

"Two"

"One" The two sisters completed the countdown, and Arohi thanked the God.

"Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out" Arohi instructed in whispers.

Akshara stayed quiet, and flashed a soft smile and Arohi smiled back at her. Getting up,she forwarded her hand to Akshara who took it and got up.

"Thanks Aaru"

"Don't worry about it"

"You hungry?" she questioned.

"Actually, yes" Akshara's voice was low, as she was still recovering from the panic attack.

"How about songs and food?"

Akshara nodded, the slight smile not leaving her lips.

Arohi served the food made by the cooks, and played Akshara's favourite song.

lag ja gale,
ki phir yeh haseen raat ho na ho,
shayad phir iss janam mein,
mulaqat ho na ho..