We had decided to keep it lowkey. We didn't advertise on any of our social media platforms that we would be in Goa for a few weeks.

Only when we landed in GOI airport did people notice us. That too, not too many. There was heavy security and we had rushed quickly to our car.

After an hour of driving, we reached Panaji, our home.

It was around six in the evening when we finally reached our doors. I felt suddenly nostalgic coming back to my country, to my roots.

The smell of the sea and the wet soil overpowered my nostrils when I took a deep breath, taking in my surroundings. The sun was still setting, and the sky had taken up a beautiful blue hue. We had stopped in front of Andrew's house. Mine was just a few houses down.

The Silva bungalow was honestly a sight to see. I admired it everytime I came here, and I couldn't help but admire it once more as I looked up at the brick house with it's stunning colonial structures. The cross was implanted above the door, and there was a hammock hanging in the garden. Tendrils of climbers hung over the wrought iron fence of the verandah. It was so aesthetic, I loved it.

After taking our suitcases and bags, we walked up the cobbled entrance and Andrew buzzed the doorbell. Distantly, I heard the call of a bulbul, and smiled fondly.

It wasn't a common sound to be heard in America.

The door opened, and Ben emerged.

"Andrew, my boy!" He exclaimed and hugged Andrew. "How was the flight?"

"It was good, papa," Andrew replied, grinning, and hugged his father back, tightly.

"Hey!" I laughed as Ben hugged me next.

"Come on in, you two!" He said zealously, beckoning us inside.

We walked into his house. My mother was already there, waiting for me. When she noticed me, she came running towards me.

Well, as much as a fifty year old can run.

"Koko!" She exclaimed, and another round of tight hugging and cheek kissing ensued.

After all that was over, Ben announced, "go freshen up, you two. And Keighlah, do have dinner before you go."

"Yes, sir," I replied, and he gave me a blank expression.

"Oh! I mean, Ben. Sorry, force of habit," I said, hitting my head once. Ben laughed and patted my back.

Me and my mother went into the guest room.

"Where's dad?" I asked her.

"Oh, he- uh, he's at home. He was feeling a little under the weather," my mother replied.

"Under the weather, my ass," I murmured, rolling my eyes, and walked into the washroom for a bath while mom opened my suitcase, taking out a garment.

After scrubbing myself clean off the stale smell of the airport, I walked out of the bathroom, leaving behind a cloud of steam. Quickly, I put on the clothes mother had displayed on the bed, and slipped out of the room.

I noticed the photographs framed on the wall beside the door.

Besides being the phenomenal musician he is, Ben was also an enthusiastic photographer. He clicked some beautiful pictures of nature. They were all framed on the wall. I gazed at them as I walked past the wall slowly. There were a few photographs of the Silva family too.

I was surprised to find a photo of Andrew and me on the wall.

I smiled at it. I remembered when it was clicked. I was seventeen and he was nineteen. He was hugging me from behind, and we had huge smiles on our faces, our mouths open from laughter. I was trying to get out of his hold but he had me pressed against him. And at that moment, Ben had clicked the photo. It was cute. I decided to ask him later of I could take it with me back to LA.

I moved on to the next photos. This was some exquisite bird photography, half of them I didn't know the name of. They were some beautiful photos of the beach too.

I wasn't looking where I was going apparently, because in that exact moment, Andrew stepped out of his room, which was at the end of the wall, and I bumped into him, our heads knocking together.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

I rubbed my head as I looked up at him. "Sorry, I wasn't really looking."

"That's alright but, our heads knocked only once. We need to knock it once more or else we won't get married," he said.

I looked at him, puzzled. "Wha- Andrew! Ouch!"

He had knocked our heads together once more, and then looked at me, smiling in a satisfied manner. I was staring at him, completely confused.

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

"Since my childhood, ma said that if we didn't hit our heads twice then we don't get married," he shrugged.

"When will you get rid of these superstitions?"

"Eh."

"Keighlah!"

I looked away from Andrew towards the source of the sound and a flurry of brown hair and pink kurta jumped on top of me.

"Maya!" I laughed as I tried to keep my balance. Hugging her back, I let out a merry guffaw.

But then she drew away and hit me hard on my upper arm, her expression suddenly changing to mock anger. "You never call me."

I tsked, rubbing the spot that had started to turn a little red. "Sorry. . .hehe."

"Well, in your defence, I never call you too," she shrugged. I shook my head at her in amusement.

"Well, I missed you!" Maya said, and hugging me once more.

"I missed you too!" I cooed. "I have so many things to tell you."

"Me too, me too!"

Andrew looked mildly offended. "And what about me?" He asked, putting his hands on his waist.

Maya looked at him and narrowed his eyes. "Hmm."

Then she turned around, grabbed my hand, and pulled me away to the living room, completely ignoring Andrew. I looked at him with surprised eyes, laughing.

He gasped loudly and followed us, whining. "Maya, how could you do this to me!"

She continued to ignore him and marched straight ahead. Andrew whined a bit more and then suddenly grabbed Maya, tackling her to the floor.

"You dare ignore me?" He bellowed.

"Ah! Leave me! Dickhead!" Maya screamed through the laughter that bubbled out of her chest.

I placed a hand on my mouth, grinning widely as I looked at the two very grown up adults behaving like kids on the floor.

"Hey, guys- oop," Sid walked in just at the moment and stopped when he saw the wrestling duo on the floor. He looked at me, puzzled. "What the hell is happening?"

"Keighlah, save me! Your friend has claws," Andrew said, struggling under Maya and grabbed my ankle, suddenly pulling me down on top of him. I squealed and collided with Maya, both of us falling down on the floor with a thump, and at that exact moment, Sid jumped on all three of us, letting out a loud 'yay!'

"What the fuck?"

All four of us looked up to find Anton with the most appalled expression, and to my embarrassment, Anita was standing beside him too. We quickly got off the floor, brushing our clothes and stood up in front of her, eyes down as if caught red handed doing something notorious. I bit my lip as I looked at her.

"What were you all doing?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowed in amusement. She walked up to her son and hit him on his head softly.

"Mummy!" Andrew groaned, rubbing the spot on his head with an irritated expression.

"Always doing something naughty. When will you grow up?" She chided him and quietly walked.

I looked at the others in amusement. We were all quiet for a few seconds before Anton burst out laughing, clapping along with it. "Apni ma se peet gaya?"

We all fell apart in laughter after that dialogue.

"Oh, fuck you guys," Andrew said in annoyance, but I could see the tiny smile creeping up on his face.

Anton, Andrew and Sid shared a hug with each other before we proceeded towards the dining room. I looked and Andrew, shaking my head at him, and he gave me a boyish grin, winking at me.

•••

Author's note:

Translation (hindi > english)

Apni ma se peet gaya? - got beaten by your own mother?