The whistling of trains filled her ears as Aditi rushed through the towering arch, only to be greeted by the overwhelming sight of strangers everywhere. The intercom above blared suddenly, “The Chennai Express is arriving on Platform Number 7 in ten minutes.” Letting out a small huff, she continued to push forward by slipping through the maze of humans, waltzing to the tune of ‘Kyon’ by Pritam, as her suitcase followed her around like an enthusiastic puppy. She stopped for a brief second as she smelled the tempting chai, reminded of those cold winter mornings with her mother or the cool summer evenings with her brother. Aditi smiled at the thought of her brother, her eyes glazing as nostalgia overcame her.

~cue flashback~

“Knight d6,” whispered her brother, perfectly posed as if imitating the wisdom of Socrates and Plato. Aditi let out a small laugh as she captured the undefended knight, waggling the piece in front of his scowling eyes. This had been another one of their weekly chess games, accompanied by a steaming cup of chai and a plate of delicious...