Kindred

It was almost midnight when she heard a knock on the door. She tiptoed towards the door and opened it a bit when he just barged in.

"How long does it take to open a door, Payel?”

“I didn’t know 2 minutes is equal to infinity dad, what is it that you want at this time?”

“Came down to check up on you.”

“Well, I’d appreciate you coming down to check up on me, during any time of the day, but the thing with you is, you always choose the times when I'm about to doze off!”

Anirban sighed.

“So today I read about a new unearthed place in South Africa, which has a lot of discoveries to be made, and there you slept off again.”

Anirban slightly pulled the blanket over his daughter who dozed off to sleep and left the room.

Payel woke up late the next morning. As she descended the stairs towards the living room she heard mom shout because of her sleep schedule.

Without any sort of argument, Payel took a seat beside her dad. He was slurping his special milk tea.

“Why is it that I am the one to be scolded always and you're safe from her?”

“Again, you’ve started talking to yourself! Have you skipped your meditation?”

“I haven't, mom. It’s just… leave you won't understand.”

Little did her mother know how Payel’s dad would come to talk to her about archeology every night. Little did her mother know that Payel could see Anirban, her dad, who has been dead for the past 2 years. Little did Payel know, she’s way too comfortable living in the infinite envelope of delusions.