Chapter 6: The Morning After

Sush wakes to her phone buzzing.

Ma: sush call me

Ma: i want to hear your voice

She checks the time. 11:23 AM.

She's slept through breakfast again.

Her body aches. Between her legs, there's a dull soreness — a reminder of last night.

She sits up. The dorm room is empty. Sunlight streams through the window.

She calls her mother.

"Sush! Finally. I was getting worried."

"Sorry, Ma. The workshop schedule is really packed."

"How is it? Are you learning a lot?"

Sush closes her eyes. The lie tastes bitter. "Yeah. It's good."

"Are you eating properly? You sound tired."

"I'm fine, Ma. Just busy."

They talk for ten more minutes. Her mother tells her about Thumki (he's been sleeping in Sush's room, waiting for her), about her sisters (still fighting), about work (the same).

When Sush hangs up, she feels hollow.

She gets dressed. Goes downstairs.

Liam is in the common area, eating toast and scrolling through his phone.

He looks up when he sees her. Grins. "Hey."

"Hey."

"Sleep okay?"

"Yeah."

There's an awkward pause.

She doesn't know what the protocol is here. Do they talk about last night? Do they pretend it didn't happen? Do they do it again?

"I'm heading to Amsterdam tomorrow," Liam says. "You?"

"I'm staying in Paris for another day. Then Amsterdam."

"Cool. Maybe I'll see you there."

"Maybe."

He goes back to his phone.

That's it. No big conversation. No feelings. Just a guy she had sex with, moving on to the next city.

She should feel used.

But she doesn't.

She feels... free.

---

Sush spends the day walking again.

She goes to the Eiffel Tower. Stands in line for an hour (€17 for the elevator to the second floor). The view is stunning — Paris spread out below her, the Seine winding through the city, the rooftops and spires and endless gray-blue sky.

She takes a selfie. Doesn't post it. Just saves it to her phone.

She walks through the Latin Quarter. Buys a book from a street vendor (a used copy of The Alchemist in English, €3). Sits in a café and drinks overpriced coffee (€4.50) and watches people.

Everyone here looks like they belong.

She wonders if she'll ever feel that way.

Her phone buzzes.

Rahul: you've been quiet

Rahul: everything ok?

Sush: yeah. just busy.

Rahul: busy doing what

She hesitates.

She wants to tell him. She wants to tell someone.

But she can't.

Not yet.

Sush: just exploring. ill tell you everything when i get back.

Rahul: ok. be safe.

Sush: i will.

She puts her phone away.

That night, she goes to another bar. This one is near the hostel, smaller, quieter.

She sits at the bar and orders a glass of wine (€7). The bartender is French, maybe thirty, with dark hair and tired eyes.

"First time in Paris?" he asks.

She nods.

"You like it?"

"I don't know yet."

He laughs. "Honest. I like that."

They talk for a while. He tells her about the city — the best places to eat, the places tourists don't know about, the way Paris changes depending on the season.

She tells him she's from India. That she's traveling alone. That she's trying to figure out what she wants.

"That's a big thing to figure out," he says.

"I know."

He pours her another glass of wine. Doesn't charge her for it.

When the bar closes, he walks her back to the hostel.

At the door, he kisses her.

It's softer than Liam's kiss. Less urgent. Just a goodnight kiss.

"Maybe I'll see you again," he says.

"Maybe."

But she knows she won't.

She's leaving for Amsterdam tomorrow.

---