When Adwita arrived home, it was already 5 pm, and her brother Aryan was the only one present in the house, engrossed in watching TV. Dropping her bag on the dining chair, she made her way to the kitchen to quench her thirst, setting a carry bag on the counter.
"Where are Mom and Dad?" she asked her brother from the kitchen, unscrewing the bottle lid.
"They went to the market and then to meet the priest to discuss the date for our housewarming ceremony and other things," Aryan replied. Adwita nodded, understanding their absence, and then headed to her room, picking up her backpack to change.
"Aryan," she called, pausing on the stairs.
"Yeah?" he replied, turning his attention away from the TV.
"How engrossed are you in TV? Don't you smell something good?" She raised her eyebrows teasingly.
"Smell... good?" Her brother looked at her confused, then realization dawned as she smirked at him. "You brought something for me!" he exclaimed, rushing towards the kitchen counter and pulling out a pizza box from the carry bag.
"Oh God, Aadu Di, thank you!" he yelled from the kitchen. Adwita left for her room, smiling at his excitement.
Adwita changed her clothes and lay down on her bed to take a nap for an hour but ended up sleeping for two hours. When she woke up, she washed her face and then went downstairs. She realized her parents were still not back and found her brother playing games with his friends outside.
"Aryan, chalo ab homework wagerah nahin karna hai kya?" she called him from the entrance door.
"Bas, abhi aaya," Aryan said.
"Nahin, 7 baj rahe hain. Maa Papa bhi aa rahe honge. Daant khaani hai to bolo," Adwita said. He stopped playing and came home.
"Ab jaake homework karo," Adwita said, and he left to their room.
It was already late, so Adwita thought of cooking dinner to give her mother some rest. She went to the kitchen and started preparing dinner for everyone.
Aarav home at 8 pm
Aarav was in his room, reflecting on the day's events. He heard the unlocking of the door and knew that his sister had come back from work.
"Aarav, I am back. Come downstairs for dinner," his sister yelled from downstairs.
"Okay," he replied.
This was a daily routine in Aarav and Disha's life. Aarav heads to college, while Disha goes to work, managing her father's event management company "starevents" well known in Mumbai. They each have their own keys to the house, and when Disha returns home, she always announces, "I am back," to assure Aarav it's her. Disha is a loving and caring sister, a strong and independent woman who does everything for her brother. Despite her efforts, she often feels guilty for not spending more time with him due to her demanding job.
Both Aarav and Disha feel the void left by their parents. Aarav feels lonely, and though Disha feels the same, she hides her emotions to stay strong for her brother. She doesn't want him to worry about her. Disha has even avoided relationships and marriage because she fears it would take time away from Aarav and might mean leaving him, which she simply cannot do.
In the beginning, Disha cooked dinner herself, but as work became more demanding, Aarav suggested they hire a house helper to manage the chores. However, Disha refused, fearing for her brother's safety. Aarav is blind, and Disha worries that a house helper might not be trustworthy. She doesn't want to take any risks with Aarav's safety. So, she handles all the chores herself before leaving for work and late at night. Eventually, she decided to use a tiffin service for their dinners, which she picks up on her way home.
