Page 67 of Right Where I Belong

“Cricket!” the boy answered without hesitation, his eyes lighting up.

“Mine too,” Aditya chuckled. “Dhoni, Kohli, or Bumrah? Who’s your favorite?”

“Kohli all the way!” Ahaan sang. “Who’s yours?”

“Dhoni.”

“I like him too. But I like Kohli more. I wish they would make a film on Kohli like they made for Dhoni. I’d love to watch it.”

Aditya laughed. “Perhaps someday they will.”

“Ahaan’s a good player,” Sabrina said proudly as she placed a bowl of rice on the table. Ahaan leapt off his chair to go help his mother. Aditya trailed behind him, lifting the pot of curry.

Sabrina gave him a warm smile as he carried it outside and set it on the table. This was exactly like their times in Singaporewhen she used to cook for him. He’d help her set the table, clear it later and then load the dishes into the dishwasher.

“I’m a part of a cricket club,” Ahaan began as he set the plates and cutlery on the place mats. “We have classes thrice a week, and I’m in the junior team. We have tournaments every few months where we play against other clubs.”

“That sounds like fun,” Aditya said.

“It is,” Ahaan placed the water jug on the table. “Mom comes for all my matches. Aish and Uncle Rithwik come too, when they can.”

“Maybe next time I can come too, if your mom and you don’t mind.”

Sabrina smiled at him. “You’re welcome to join us next time. It’s in a few months, though.”

Ahaan alternated his gaze between his mom and him, and Aditya could see the tiny wheels in his brain turning.

It was too early for such a little boy to join the dots, but it seemed Sabrina’s son was way too intelligent and mature for his age.

“What about school?” Aditya asked, distracting him. “What’s your favorite subject?”

“Science,” Ahaan said quickly. “I like doing experiments. But I don’t like math.” He made a face.

“He’s so good at all his subjects…” Sabrina took a seat at the table,

“but when it comes to math, he just gives up. I hate that he doesn’t even want to try.”

“Mom!” Ahaan groaned, his cheeks turning pink. He shot Aditya an embarrassed glance.

Aditya chuckled, leaning in slightly. “Hey, don’t worry, I used to hate math too. But let me tell you a secret. It’s one of the most important things you’ll ever learn. Especially if you want to do big things one day, like start your own business.”

Ahaan’s frown softened, his curiosity piquing. “Really? My own business. Like Mom’s?”

“Yes, like your mom’s,” Aditya said with a smile.

“I can have my own business someday?” He looked so innocent asking that, his eyes wide and full of dreams. Aditya felt another unexpected tug in his chest.

“You can do whatever you set your mind to,” Aditya replied. “But math is your foundation. It helps you understand money, strategy, and even the way the world works. Think of it as… the rules of the game. You can’t win without knowing them.”

Ahaan watched him for a moment before a huge smile lit his face. “Thank you. I guess I’ll try harder at math then.”

From across the table, Sabrina mouthed a thank you to him. When he looked back at Ahaan, he found the little boy’s eyes on him, not just looking at him, but lookingupto him. The boy’s openness, his innocence, his quiet willingness to listen were stirring something deep in him. It made Aditya want to be worthy of that gaze, to earn that trust. To become someone who truly mattered in this boy’s life. Perhaps, someday, he would.

21

From her place at the table, Sabrina let herself linger for a moment, watching Aditya with Ahaan. He sat across from her son, leaning forward with genuine interest as Ahaan animatedly described his experience of studying and playing cricket in London. The easy warmth between them made her chest tighten in a way she hadn’t expected.

Ajay had never been like this. They had lost him when Ahaan had been four. Even then, he had been firm and decisive with Ahaan. Ajay had always seen things in stark shades of black and white. If Ahaan had admitted to him that he didn’t like math, she knew without a doubt that Ajay would have scolded him, pressed him to do better, perhaps even compared him to others. There had never been room for softness or coaxing in Ajay’s world, much like with his mother. But Aditya… he had handled it differently. Gently. Patiently. He'd encouraged Ahaan, explained things in a way that had helped him understand. It was such a simple thing, yet it spoke volumes.