The moment the front door swung open, Samrath knew he had made a mistake. 

He had expected something calm—maybe his mother fussing over his injury, his father giving a long stare, some quiet emotional words. 

Instead, he was ambushed. 

His mother rushed forward gripping his face like she was checking if he was still in one piece.

"Arre Devaa! Kya tension mein daal diya re tu?! Mera toh heart attack hone wala tha!" she wailed, dramatically touching his bandage, his exhausted face, everything. "Beta ghar aa gaya, lekin yeh dekho! Tu patla ho gaya! Wahaan khaane ko milta nahi kya

Samrath sighed. "Ma, I'm literally fine—" 

His father huffed from the doorway, shaking his head. "This boy is reckless. Engineer hota toh abi AC office mein baitha hota!" 

Samrath groaned. "Baba, me desh ke liye fight karta —" 

"Kya fight?! Apni jaan ka business chalu kiya hai kya?!" his mother scolded, pulling him inside with enough force to make him reconsider all his life choices. "Tu bhook se mar raha tha kya? Wahan toh tum log full hostel me maze karte honge, yahan pe hum tension me! Samajta hai tu yeh?!" 

Just as Samrath opened his mouth to respond, Ananya his sister looked up from her phone.

She stared at him for exactly two seconds, then sighed loudly, shaking her head. 

"Waah," she said in a flat tone. "Toh tu sach mein bach gaya? Kya baat hai. Maine toh paisa laga diye the ki tujhe wahaan medical experiments ke liye rakh lenge."

Samrath glared at her. "Nice to know you missed me." 

Ananya smirked, stretching lazily. "Miss? Nah. I was just hoping for some peace in this house. But I guess the universe is against me." 

Before Samrath could throw back a retort, his mother shoved a plate of food in front of him. 

"Kha! Wahan kuch nahi milta tha na?!" she demanded, placing an extra roti on his plate before he could even protest.

Samrath stared at the mountain of food. "Ma, this is enough for an entire army battalion." 

His mother ignored him, already piling on more rice, more dal, more everything. 

And then—Madav his bestfriend casually walked in.

Samrath groaned out loud, dropping his spoon. 

Madav grinned, sitting beside him like he belonged to this house now.

"Wah, wah," Madav said, grabbing a samosa off the table before even greeting anyone. "Big hero returns. How’s life in the danger zone?" 

Samrath rolled his eyes. "Quieter than this." 

Madav nodded thoughtfully. "Honestly bro, next time take me with you. Looks more peaceful than being around your mom in crisis mode."  He looked at his mother and said "Tujhi aai tar puri army la order dete aata!"

His mother spun around, dramatic finger pointed at Madav "Madav! Tu pun hushar raha!"

Madav held up his hands innocently, still chewing. "Relax, Mausi. I am just here for free food." 

Ananya snickered, stealing a piece of naan from Samrath’s plate. "Oh no, Ma. Let Madav stay. His nonsense is highly entertaining." 

Samrath sighed, taking a bite of his meal. His mother still fussing and Madav shamelessly looting food.

⭐

The chaos had finally settled.

His mother had stopped fussing (after force-feeding him enough food to last liftime). His father had gotten in his final lecture about better career choices, and Ananya had disappeared—most likely texting about how she was robbed of peace now that Samrath was back.

Even Madav had vanished, most likely raiding the kitchen before heading home.

Only one person was still moving around.

Raghav.

Samrath could hear the distant rustle of his brother arranging things, the soft click of his phone as he checked something, the quiet shuffle of footsteps in the hallway.

Samrath sighed, stretching out on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The soft hum of the ceiling fan filled the silence, and the distant sounds of Mumbai’s streets reminded him—he was truly home.

But his mind wasn’t here.

It was back there.

Back in the chaos of his last mission.

His fingers instinctively traced the edge of his bandage, the ghost of pain still lingering. He could still hear the echo of gunfire, the tense radio transmissions, the sharp orders being yelled across the field.

The thought lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.

He had spent years on the field, shifting between bases, moving from one mission to another. No roots, no attachments, no promises. It was easier that way—less to lose.

Yet here, surrounded by the chaos of home, he felt the cracks in that mindset.

His mother worried about him endlessly, his father hid his concern behind lectures, Ananya masked hers behind sarcasm, and Madav—well, Madav was just shameless, but he was still one of his closest friends.

And then there was something deeper.

The thought of relationships—the ones he had kept at arm’s length, the ones he had never fully allowed himself to consider.

Could he ever have something stable? Something lasting?

What kind of person would be able to handle the life he led? Could they understand the uncertainty, the risks, the days spent waiting for a call that could send him somewhere dangerous?

Would he ever let himself take that chance?

Samrath sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

Maybe it was foolish. Maybe it was better to stay detached.

But tonight, the thought lingered.