Seshadri Apartments was situated in the serene locality of Thiruvanmiyur. It boasted of 20 deluxe flats with excellent amenities for its residents. Adhitya's flat was located on the 1st floor. It was a 2 BHK one, consisting of a hall, two bedrooms, a kitchen, balcony, and a washroom. It was painted in a cream shade, similar to most of the apartments in Chennai. The furniture was minimal which made the flat appear simple. Adhitya was keenly reading a news article on the hike in the prices of onions, when he heard the doorbell ring. He sprang into action and opened the door, flashing a wide smile at the woman standing in front of him.

"Aishu!" He bawled.

"Adhi! How old you look!" She exclaimed, while entering the house.

"Come, sit here!" He gestured towards the maroon coloured velvety cushion.

"Your house is good." She said appreciatively.

"Thank you, Aishu. Why didn't you bring Arjun along with you?"

"He has gone to work, da. I will bring him the next time I visit you. Well, where is Trisha?"

Just then, Trisha came out from her bedroom. She was dressed in a casual body hugging t-shirt and track pants. She looked at Aishwarya and furrowed her eyebrows together.

"Trisha, this is Aishwarya. My best friend 34 years ago. She and I interned in Unity Insurance Company."

"Woaaaa, dad! You had a girl best friend during those days. It's surprising," said Trisha, while extending her hand for a shake. She had a genuine look of surprise on her face. And there was something else too, hidden beyond the complex layers of her expression.

"Hi, Trisha. Glad to meet you. By the way, have we met before? Your face seems familiar to me."

"Huh? Is it? No, aunty, I haven't seen you anywhere," replied the doe-eyed girl. She had an ivory skin tone with fawn colored lips. The most striking feature of her face was the cleft on her chin which made her look naturally beautiful. Her hair had a light tint of brown in it, though it wasn't coloured. She had a bijou mole on the left corner of her forehead.

"Oh! Maybe I am confusing you with some other girl."

Trisha flashed an uneasy smile at her. She then chatted with her for a little while and retired to the kitchen to make coffee.

"So, how is my daughter?" asked Adhitya. He was seated beside Aishwarya on the same cushion. They did not feel the reluctance which they had felt during the 80s. They were rather comfortable in sitting close to each other. There was only an arm's distance between them.

"She is remarkable. I think I will bond well with her. And she is showering extra care on me. It's kind of mysterious."

"Ha ha ha. It is very much like Trisha. If she likes someone instantly, she will befriend them, care for them and support them. I think she has derived that trait from me."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Yes. I liked you instantly when we had met in the office. And you very well know how much I cared for you."

For a moment, they exchanged glances that spoke volumes of affection for each other.

Trisha arrived with coffee and the trio chatted amicably about general issues.

"Where is Suganya? I need to see her," stated Aishwarya.

"Come, aunty. I'll take you to mom. She might be sleeping. But she ought to meet you. She would feel happy that her husband's best friend has visited after these many years." Trisha led her to where Suganya was sleeping. Gently, she tapped on her mom's shoulder. Suganya opened her eyes slowly and took a few moments to register the surroundings. She then turned and faced her daughter.

"Ma! Aishwarya aunty wants to see you."

Suganya got up from the bed and straightened herself against a pillow. She was lean, pale and wrinkled. There was only meager hair on her head. It was sorrowful to see her in such a state.

"Who is this, Trisha?" she asked in a whispery tone.

"Ma, have you forgotten her? She is dad's best friend. She interned along with him in the insurance company. She had also met you during your wedding."

"Oh! Yeah, I remember now. How are you, Aishwarya? Please take a seat." She pointed towards a chair.

Aishwarya plopped down on the chair and dragged it near to the bed. She held Suganya's trembling hands. Immediately it had a soothing effect on the latter.

"I am fine, Suganya. How are you?"

"I am good."

"Don't worry. You'll be all right soon. Please always think positively. Don't let Adhitya or Trisha to speak anything negatively around you. Don't allow them to get angry at each other. If they are proper in their behaviour, you'll feel pepped up always."

"Thank you, Aishwarya. You're so caring. Though I've never spoken with you much, I seem to feel comfortable with you."

"That's because I genuinely care for your health."

A flood of emotions gushed through Adhitya. He marvelled at Aishwarya's selfless affection for his wife, even though she had once despised at her for being too clingy on him.

"I really like you, aunty. You're warm to speak to," declared Trisha. She began warming up to her.

"Do you have office today?"

"Yes, aunty. I have to get ready."

Aishwarya looked at Adhitya triumphantly. There was a lot to catch up. And that wouldn't be possible if Trisha was around. Suganya too would doze off, providing them their much needed space.

An hour later, the duo sat in the balcony, taking in the fresh morning breeze.

"Thanks for visiting me, Aishu." He looked at her with a piercing glance.

"Cha! What is this, Adhi? I have told you that there are no thank yous and sorries between best friends."

"Best friends?"

"Yeah, we were best friends, right?" She intentionally stressed on the word 'best'.

"Yeah, true. So, how was your life with Manohar?" Though it was a casual question, Aishwarya felt a tinge of sarcasm in it.

"My years spent with Manohar were the happiest ones of my life. I was soooo much in love with him. And he loved me more than that. We lived a complete life, actually."

"Glad to hear that. You remember, I had said about not wanting to marry Suganya. Yes, even during my marriage, I wasn't completely willing. But then, she changed my life completely. Her pure devotion for me could not be compared with anything else in this world. Gradually, I fell for her. And I still love her madly."

"Hmmm." That was all she could reply.

"Hey! Just now I noticed. You're wearing the watch which I presented. How did you preserve it? I thought that you might've thrown it away."

"How can you even think like this, Adhi? We were like blood and skin. And we shared such sweet moments. This watch was the only memory I had of you. I didn't want to throw it away. But I had tucked it safely in a cupboard and never cared about it. A few days ago, I discovered it when I was cleaning Manisha's room along with Arjun. And that's when something hit me hard. I realized how badly I missed you. I pined to meet you. And then I sent you a friend request."

"But that isn't case with me, Aishwarya. You dwelt in my thoughts almost daily. Don't ask me why. But your memories kept recurring to me, even though I had a loving family to take care of."

Aishwarya fell silent in response. She was aware that Adhitya had secretly loved her, though he never confessed about it. He had dropped hints for her. But she blinded herself to those. Even though she too had loved him, her conscience reminded her about her commitment to Manohar. She was actually in love with two people at the same time. She couldn't break her promise to Manohar, as she cared for him a lot. And she couldn't stop loving Adhitya, too. Hence, she had categorized her relationship with Adhitya as an unnamable one and moved on with her life. Even now, he was dropping hints to her about his feelings for her in the past.

"Speak something, Aishu." Adhitya prodded.

"I don't know what to reply. I am overwhelmed, Adhi."

Slowly, Adhitya placed his right hand on her left and held it firmly. Aishwarya felt a chill passing down her spine. Immediately he pulled away and said, "I need to check on Suganya. I must make sure that she has taken her medicines." He abruptly stood up and moved away from her.

At that moment, Aishwarya felt guilty for making a comeback into Adhitya's life.

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