Next Morning

UP (Banaras)

It was earlier morning... bright and beautiful with Ganga Aarti, temple bells were ringing that could calm your soul...

People moving here to there... children going to their schools...while inside the Sharma house everything was still same like any other day...

But surprisingly Vai who always wake up late and got scolding each day was already up and was in the Kashi Vishwanath temple sitting in a corner admiring the God...

The temple stood tall with gold plated around it some were missing and everyone know why, the British people have stolen a long time ago in wars...

Even it was all chaos everywhere she just sit and listen to the Aarti going on...where everyone typing to get an glimpse of Shiv ji...

She knew she can get to see it close and can do puja in VIP section but she didn't...she wanted to stay like she belong to the normal people only not some fancy, luxury place

Yes, she is rich but...her heart was the richest she know the value of every single thing, maybe she belongs to a rich family but her behaviour it's not like some rich brats...

Her soul was calming listening to be Aarti and fragrance of sandalwood... She stood up and went outside after sitting for almost an hr there...

Sharma Nivas...

Meanwhile, Sharma Nivas was unusually quiet.

Too quiet.

There were no arguments.

No shouting.

No footsteps running around the house.

No— Vaidehi.

It felt as if the usual light of the house had disappeared.

Gayatri Sharma looked around the living room, growing increasingly worried.

“Vai kaha hai? Subah se dikhi nahi.”

Her husband, Anand Kumar Sharma, looked up.

“Vo apne room mein nahi hai?”

“Nahi.”

Anand frowned.

“Tabhi main soch raha tha itni shanti kyun hai aaj ghar mein.”

Just then, Vivaan came out of his room, his hair still wet from his shower.

He looked around the silent house.

“Kya hua? Sab itne serious kyun ho?”

Gayatri immediately glared at him.

“Pata nahi kaha gayi hai. Mujhe bina bataye vo kahin nahi jaati.”

Vivaan raised an eyebrow.

“Arey Maa, tension kyun le rahi ho? Bacchi thodi na hai.”

Gayatri turned toward him.

“Aapko kuch nahi pata toh aap chup raho. Vo aise bina bataye kahin nahi jaati hai.”

Vivaan sighed dramatically.

“Kya Maa… jab aap uske bina reh nahi sakti, usko bina daante aapka din shuru nahi hota… toh phir aap uski shaadi ke peeche kyun padi thi?”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Gayatri stared at him.

Anand slowly looked away.

Vivaan immediately realized he might have said too much.

“Main bas keh raha tha—”

“Vivaan.”

One word from his mother.

He stopped.

Then—

Footsteps.

Everyone turned toward the entrance.

A familiar figure walked inside.

Vaidehi.

Her hair was slightly messy from the morning breeze, and a small red tika rested beautifully on her forehead.

She stepped into the living room and immediately noticed the strange silence.

She looked at everyone.

Her mother

Then at her father

Then at Vivaan,

“Kya hua aap sabko?”

Vivaan's expression instantly changed.

“Arey behen! Tu kaha thi? Tere bina toh Maa ki aadhi saansein atak gayi thi!”

He laughed.

“Chup reh tu.” Vaidehi rolled her eyes.

Then she looked at her parents.

“Maa? Papa? Kya hua?”

Anand sighed.

“Kuch nahi beta. Teri Maa tension mein thi ki tu kahan chali gayi bina bataye.”

Vaidehi's expression softened.

“I'm sorry, Maa. Main mandir chali gayi thi subah-subah.”

Vivaan immediately interrupted.

“Itni subah-subah? Tu uth kaise gayi?”

Vaidehi slowly turned toward him.

“Tu apna muh band rakhega ya main apni chappal nikalun?”

Vivaan raised both hands.

“Okay! Okay! Main chup.”

Gayatri shook her head.

“Tum dono chup raho.”

Then she looked at Vaidehi.

“Aur tu… bata nahi sakti thi ki mandir ja rahi hai?”

“Maa, aap sab so rahe the. Aur main aap sabki neend kharab nahi karna chahti thi.”

Anand nodded, though he still looked concerned.

“We know that, beta. Lekin bina bataye kahin jaana… vo bhi itni subah…”

Vaidehi lowered her eyes.

“I'm really sorry, Maa. Sorry, papa.”

Gayatri's expression finally softened.

“Ye ladki mujhe ek din pagal kar degi. Chal, ja. Jaakar nashta kar. Maine table par sab laga diya hai.”

Vaidehi's face instantly brightened.

“Okkieee Maa!”

She walked over, kissed her mother's cheek and hurried toward the dining table.

Vivaan followed her.

“Mujhe bhi nashta karna hai!”

Vaidehi looked back.

“Tumhe kisne bulaya?”

“Main ghar ka beta hoon.”

“Unfortunately.”

“VAIDEHI!”

Her laughter echoed through the house.

And just like that…

The silence of Sharma Nivas disappeared.

The house was alive again.

Other side...

In Kerala

Here, in Kerala…

Nothing had changed.

Everything was the same.

The same calmness.

The same silence.

The same soft murmurs of the staff, as if even speaking a little louder might disturb the peace of the house.

The Varman house was quiet.

Too quiet.

But no one questioned it.

Because everyone knew the reason.

Adithyan.

He was in his room, sitting quietly in the far corner.

His room was exactly like him—neat, clean, organized, and almost painfully perfect.

Books were arranged properly on the shelves. His study table was spotless, with only a few notebooks and a laptop placed on it.

At the far end of the room was a large wardrobe attached to the wall.

And beside it, Adithyan sat on the floor.

Someone was in his hands.

A portrait.

A woman was smiling in it, holding a little boy in her arms.

The little boy was none other than Adithyan.

And the woman…

Was his mother.

His fingers gently traced the edge of the frame.

“Amma…”

His voice was barely above a whisper.

A small smile appeared on his lips.

“Aapko yaad hai na… aap hamesha kehti thi ki main ek din bahut bada doctor banunga?”

He looked at her photograph.

“Main abhi bhi koshish kar raha hoon.”

His thumb slowly brushed over the glass.

Carefully.

As if even touching the frame too hard might somehow hurt her.

“Aap hoti na… toh shayad sabse pehle aapko hi batata.”

His voice cracked slightly.

He quickly looked down.

For a few moments, he simply sat there.

Talking to the person who could no longer answer him.

The room remained silent.

Only his voice filled the empty space.

Then—

Ping.

A notification.

Adithyan stopped.

He looked toward his phone.

For a moment, he didn't move.

Then he carefully placed the portrait on the side table.

“Sorry, Amma.”

He stood up and walked toward his study table.

His phone screen lit up.

He picked it up.

One notification.

One message.

His eyes fell on the sender.

Oxford University.

He froze.

His fingers tightened around the phone.

He had filled out the admission form weeks ago.

He had tried not to think about it too much.

Tried not to expect anything.

But now…

The answer was finally here.

He opened the message.

And—

His hands began to tremble.

A strange heaviness settled in his chest.

His breathing became uneven.

A thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

And his eyes slowly filled with tears.

He read the message once.

Then again.

As if his mind refused to believe what he was seeing.

The email read:

“Dear Adithyan Varman,

We are pleased to inform you that your application to the University of Oxford has been successful.

Congratulations. You have been offered admission to the University of Oxford.”

Adithyan stopped breathing for a second.

His eyes remained fixed on the screen.

Oxford.

The dream.

His mother's dream.

The dream he had carried silently for years.

His lips parted slightly.

“Amma…”

A tear finally escaped his eye.

He wiped it away immediately.

But another followed.

He looked toward the portrait lying on the side table.

For the first time that morning, the calm boy who rarely allowed his emotions to show had completely lost his composure.

He walked back toward the portrait.

Picked it up carefully.

And held it close to his chest.

“Ho gaya, Amma…”

His voice broke.

“Aapka Adi… Oxford jaa raha hai.”

He smiled through his tears.

“Aapka sapna pura karne.”

For a few seconds, he simply stood there.

Holding the portrait.

Holding onto the only person who had ever made him feel like he belonged somewhere.

Then his eyes fell back on the email.

There was another line at the bottom.

“Your enrollment process will begin shortly. Students are expected to report for the upcoming academic session.”

Adithyan slowly read it.

His smile disappeared.

Because suddenly…

Oxford didn't feel like just a dream anymore.

It was real.

It meant leaving Kerala.

Leaving this house.

Leaving everything familiar.

And perhaps most importantly…

Leaving the place where his mother's memories lived in every corner.

He looked at her photograph again.

“Main jaaun na, Amma?”

Silence.

No answer.

But somewhere inside his heart…

He already knew hers.

Adithyan placed the portrait back on the table.

Then he straightened up

Wiped his tears and looked at his phone again.

Once.

Twice.

Again.

Adithyan looked at the screen.

A tiny smile appeared on his face.

The silence of the Varman house…

Was about to change...