Morning in the apartment announced itself through smell before sound.
Mustard seeds crackled in oil. Curry leaves snapped sharply as they hit the pan. The rich aroma of dosa batter spreading across hot iron filled the narrow space, wrapping the home in warmth.
Rudra stepped out of the bathroom, hair still damp.
His mother stood at the stove, movements fluid and familiar, the end of her saree tucked securely at her waist. She didn't look rushed. She never did.
"Sit, sit," she said. "Dosa is ready."
He sat.
Two dosas landed on his plate, golden and crisp. Coconut chutney followed. Then sambar, steaming gently.
Rudra picked up a piece.
The first bite grounded him.
Not because it was extraordinary—but because it wasn't.
This was the food he had grown up with. The food he had once taken for granted. The food that had disappeared quietly in his other life.
He chewed slowly.
Somewhere, without sound—
Emotional Control
Lv 05 (61 / 100 EXP) → (63 / 100 EXP)
He didn't react.
He understood.
Gratitude counted as effort.
"Is it good?" his mother asked, watching his face.
He nodded. "Very."
Her smile was immediate.
Emotional Control
Lv 05 (63 / 100 EXP) → (64 / 100 EXP)
Connection mattered.
She placed another dosa on his plate. "Eat properly. You're growing."
He ate.
Not hurried. Not distracted.
Fuel mattered.
Stamina
Lv 03 (42 / 100 EXP) → (45 / 100 EXP)
His father joined them, newspaper tucked under his arm. He sat, adjusted his glasses, and began eating.
"School today?" he asked.
"Yes."
"And the running?"
"I'll keep it slow."
His father nodded once. "Good. Consistency matters."
Rudra absorbed the words without arguing, without pride.
Focus
Lv 06 (27 / 100 EXP) → (29 / 100 EXP)
Listening counted.
Across the table, his mother frowned. "Don't overdo it. You'll fall sick."
"I'll be careful, Ma."
She didn't argue. She simply added more chutney to his plate.
"Food is strength," she said.
He smiled.
Emotional Control
Lv 05 (64 / 100 EXP) → (66 / 100 EXP)
They ate in shared silence.
Steel plates. Soft clinks. Ordinary conversation about neighbors and prices and school notices.
Rudra listened to every word.
This ends if I'm careless, he thought. Not today. But someday.
The promise settled deep.
Decision Speed
Lv 04 (33 / 100 EXP) → (35 / 100 EXP)
Awareness sharpened choice.
When he finished, his mother handed him a banana. "For later."
"Thank you."
He meant it.
Emotional Control
Lv 05 (66 / 100 EXP) → (68 / 100 EXP)
As Rudra stepped out for school, the taste of breakfast still warm on his tongue, he understood something clearly:
Training built the body.
Discipline built the future.
But love—quiet, consistent, unrecorded by the world—
Still left numbers behind.
And this time, he was paying attention.
If you want next, I can:
Show school-time micro gains
Show first cricket practice EXP
Introduce fatigue vs effort balance
Or continue with Chapter 7: First Day on the School Ground
Just say the word.