NS Ram woke up blinded by the sunlight. Obviously he could not take enough of it that he pushed aside the translucent drapes and pushed open the windows of his third floor apartment.

The pigeon on the far end window sill could spot his curved smile, and to Ram it's incessant humming reverberated as a jolly tone. He himself was surprised as usually the pigeon(s) blurb disturbed his morn sweeteners (read dreams)

Cheerful, as he was, he conjured the promised evening and for the first time that month made his bed, straightened up his room. Proceeding to the living/dining room whisked up the crumpled past seven day news papers up the loft in the kitchen. Changed the masala stained table cloth, set the table. In the next thirty minutes, his usually unsettled quarters presented a pristine look.

Trotting down the unwinding stairs at 10:30 Am, neighbours and others in the high rise couldn't help but notice his merry whistle, key bunch juggle and springing walk.

His bike too understood his mood and was off in a flash, work seemed too easy at office and there he was two hours early cleaning up his workspace at 6:30 PM.

Racing back home, he perpetually checked his mobile phone. Sliding his bike into the parking slot, Ram looked up to see lights in his apartment and smirked on noticing darkness. Reasoning his parents would be relaxing in the far left bedroom, hopped two steps at a time to reach his door.

Lo behold, the latch was secure, let down he kicked off his shoes, opened the door and flicked on the light still hoping to see his parents baggage. His unsullied apartment seemed to smile mockingly at him and the tube light flickered monotonously before casting a blunted fluorescence.

Down, Ram dragged his listless self to the bedroom, shut out the lights from the other houses by securing the curtains and climbed onto his wrinkle free bed and buried his face into the pillow clamouring for more darkness. The pigeons renewed their rumble, "Scat" Ram screamed and threw the heap of soiled blankets at the window.

Amidst the flutter of wings, he faintly heard the ringtone, assigned to his parents home number. Letting it ring, NS Ram tried to unwind the six months of Solitude.