Felix stepped off the bike and adjusted the strap of his bag.
"Are you-
Before he could say anything, Nikhil had already parked the bike properly, locking it onto the stand with exaggerated care, as if showing off its existence to the street itself. Then, without waiting, he walked inside the house
Felix laughs, "Of course, you are coming," and he also goes toward the house.
Radha noticed them the moment they entered.
She was in the living room, arranging a few things here and there, when her eyes fell on Felix—and then Nikhil just behind him. Her expression brightened instantly.
"Oh," she said, surprised and pleased at the same time. "Welcome home, Felix, Nikhil. How was the practice."
Felix smiled. "The practice was very tiring."
Radha's gaze moved between the two boys, lingering for a moment longer than usual, as if confirming something silently. "You both must be hungry. Did you eat lunch?"
Felix opened his mouth—
And then stopped.
He glanced at Nikhil.
Nikhil blinked once, realizing the same thing at the exact same moment.
They had forgotten to mention it.
Felix had left home in the morning without saying they'd be eating out.
Radha noticed the pause.
"You didn't tell me you were going to eat outside," she said, not accusing—just observant.
Felix rubbed the back of his neck. "No… No, we didn't eat anything. We came back straight after the practice."
Radha sighed, then shook her head with a faint smile. "You boys." She turned toward the kitchen. "Good thing, since it's a half-day, I made a proper lunch today."
Nikhil froze mid-step.
"Proper?" he asked carefully.
Radha glanced back. "Yes. Full lunch."
Nikhil looked at Felix as if he had made a mistake by entering the house.
Felix hid his smile.
Nikhil's parents were usually away for business, often traveling, sometimes gone for weeks. He was used to quick meals, takeouts, and whatever he could find in the fridge. A home-cooked lunch—especially one made deliberately because it was a half-day—felt rare.
They washed up quickly and sat at the dining table.
The food was simple, warm, and filling. Radha moved between the kitchen and table, serving quietly, occasionally reminding them to eat properly.
Although they had already eaten at a restaurant, the smell still brought hunger.
Nikhil didn't talk much at first.
Then, halfway through the meal, he leaned back slightly and said, "Aunty… this is really good."
Radha smiled. "Eat more then."
Felix watched the exchange quietly.
He knew how his friend loved to spend time with his family, maybe because his parents are closer to Nikhil than his real parents.
After lunch, the house grew quieter.
At around 2:00 p.m., Felix stood up and checked the time.
"I need to go to the shop," he said.
Nikhil looked up sharply. "Shop?"
Felix nodded. "Dad will be there. I told him I'd help."
Nikhil blinked. "Since when?"
Felix hesitated for a second, then answered honestly. "Recently."
"Recently as in today-recently, or recently as in you've been hiding this from me?"
Felix exhaled. "Part-time. After school."
Nikhil stared at him. "You? Working at the shop?"
Felix shrugged. "Not everyone has their pockets filled with money."
Radha looked between them but said nothing—just nodded slightly, as if used to their banter without interfering.
"I'll come with you," Nikhil said suddenly.
Felix frowned. "You don't have to."
"I want to," Nikhil replied. "It's not like I have anything better to do."
"Okay."
They walked together.
The shop was not very busy in the afternoon compared to late morning and evening. When they arrived, Krishna was already there, sorting items behind the counter.
He looked up as they entered.
"Felix," he said, then noticed Nikhil. "You brought company."
Nikhil straightened instinctively. "Hello, Uncle."
Krishna nodded once. "Hello Nikhil, how are you?"
"I am fine, uncle. As always." Nikhil replied, taking a seat near the counter.
The afternoon passed slowly. As expected, there weren't many customers—most people didn't shop much during this hour.
Krishna stepped out briefly to handle something important nearby, leaving Felix to manage the shop for a short while.
Just after a moment. Krishna left the store, the bell above the shop door rang.
Clink.
Nikhil straightened instantly.
"Oh," he said, pushing himself off the shelf. "Customer."
Felix glanced up from the counter. "I've got it."
"No, no," Nikhil said quickly, stepping forward. "Let me try. How hard can it be?"
Felix raised an eyebrow but said nothing, stepping aside.
An elderly woman stood at the counter, peering through her glasses at the shelves.
"Yes, aunty?" Nikhil said confidently. "What can I get you?"
The woman frowned. "I need half a kilo of rice."
Nikhil nodded like this was obvious. "Sure."
He turned around and stared at the right shelves.
Then stared some more.
Felix watched silently as Nikhil scanned the shop like it had suddenly rearranged itself.
"Which one?" Nikhil asked, turning back.
The woman blinked. "Rice."
"Yes," Nikhil said. "But… which rice?"
She looked mildly offended. "the regular one."
Nikhil nodded again, deeply serious. "Of course."
He picked up the nearest packet.
Felix cleared his throat.
"That's a different variety."
Nikhil froze.
The woman adjusted her glasses and looked at the packet in his hand. "Child, is Mr. Vedman not at the shop? He knows clearly which variety of rice I want."
Felix bit back a smile.
Nikhil laughed awkwardly. "Right. My mistake."
He grabbed another packet—this time flour.
Felix stepped forward gently. "I'll handle it."
Nikhil surrendered the space immediately. "Please."
Felix weighed the rice smoothly, tied the packet, and handed it over with practiced ease.
"That'll be forty credits," he said.
The woman smiled at him. "At least one of you knows what he's doing."
She left with a satisfied nod.
Nikhil exhaled. "That was harder than scoring a goal."
Felix smirked. "It's not that hard."
"Yeah."
They shared a quiet laugh.
After some time, the bell rang again.
Clink.
Felix looked up instinctively.
The moment his eyes met the person standing at the entrance—
He froze.
The world narrowed to the sound of his own heartbeat, loud and sudden in his ears.
Nikhil noticed the change immediately. "Felix?"