I sighed, the chlorine tang of the water park still clinging to my hair. The day had been...complicated. Rajesh, my friend, had peeled off at the beach for his bus. Reena, usually bubbly and chatty, had offered a terse, "Bye," and sped off towards her own house, avoiding my eyes. A strange undercurrent had permeated the day, leaving me unsettled.

As I stepped through the doorway of my modest home, the sight of my father sprawled on his cot in the courtyard stopped me short. "Hey, father, why are you sleeping outside? Go sleep in your room," I chided gently.