Scene 2: The Tea (Chains of Habit!)

Prologue: The Two shades 

Scene 2: The Tea Chains of Habit!

The scooter rattled to a halt in the dusty parking lot of the theater. The air here was even thicker, smelling of dry earth and burnt fuel. As they walked toward the ticket counter, a small crowd had gathered around a tea stall nearby, while someone’s phone blared the local news in the background.

The man behind the counter, wiping sweat from his brow with a grimy towel, didn't even look up. "Show’s still running. Twenty minutes left for the next one. Sit over there and wait."

Veera sighed, looking at the plastic chairs baking in the sun. "See? I told you we were coming at the wrong time, Bava. Now we have to sit in this furnace."

Ranganatha shrugged, unfazed. "What else would we do at home? At least here, we’re closer to the movie. Besides, twenty minutes is nothing."

They found a spot under a flickering ceiling fan that did more to move the heat than cool it. The news reporter's voice on the nearby phone was frantic: "Severe heatwave alert! Citizens are advised to stay indoors and keep hydrated. Avoid hot beverages..."

"It's brutal this year, isn't it?" Veera asked, wiping his forehead. "Even the news is screaming about it."

Ranganatha looked at the news-bearing phone, then at the crowded tea stall, and then back at Veera. A mischievous glint sparked in his eyes. "Bava, what do you say we grab a piping hot tea?"

Veera’s face contorted instantly—looking exactly like a crow that had just been hit by an electric shock. "Are you out of your mind? It’s nearly 45 degrees out here, the sun is literally trying to melt us, and you want to drink hot tea?"

Ranganatha let out a sharp, knowing laugh. "Is it my fault? Look over there, Veera." He pointed at the queue of people at the stall, their faces glistening with sweat as they waited for their boiling cups.

"The news is shouting itself hoarse, telling people to stay cool, yet look at them. They’re lining up to burn their throats in this heat. Can you call them all fools? No. Because the human world is driven by habits it refuses to break. Sleep when tired, and tea or coffee the moment you wake—some don't even bother washing their faces first. If everyone is doing it, how can you say I'm wrong?"

Veera stared at him, incredulous. "But Bava, we don't even have the habit of drinking tea or coffee! Why start now, especially during a heatwave?"

Ranganatha stood up, his posture straight and confident. "Exactly because everyone is doing it! I want to see what it feels like. To do something so illogical just for the sake of the experience... wouldn't that be a thrill, Ra? Let's see if our logic holds up against a cup of boiling tea."

Without waiting for an answer, Ranganatha started walking toward the tea stall. Veera watched him for a moment, shook his head in half-frustration, half-admiration, and followed his brother into the heat.

End of scene 2