This story will be updated every Saturday.

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I couldn't bring myself to calm down after that. I'd tried everything to lower my anxiety, but it just kept increasing with every passing minute.

"Just why would you say not to ask my father so vehemently?" I asked my friend Shruthi, over the phone.

"Girl, haven't you considered how bad that would make him feel? Everyone one knows what a good person uncle is, and considering the events till now..." She trailed off, biting off her words, but it was not difficult to understand the meaning of her words. Considering how much my mother had suffered before she'd died, and how devotedly my father had taken care of her till the last breath.

"Umm. Yes." I said, feeling a little bugged. My father was my father, my family. We weren't supposed to secrets between us. But Shruthi made it seem like I was making a big deal over nothing, and that I was the one being insensitive. But, if the situation were reversed, and if she'd come saying the same thing, I'd have probably said, 'Just ask him. He's your father.'

I chose not to talk about the topic anymore. I decided to leave it at that.

"Hey, why don't we go to Domino's? It's been a while since we've had pizza. It'll help you cool your head. My treat." She said, in a thinly veiled attempt to change the topic.

"Yes." I said.

Later, when we'd met in front of the shop, I realised that it wasn't exactly 'her' treat, more so her boyfriend Arjun's, whom she'd been dating for almost an year now. He rarely spoke to me. Usually guys always become friends with their girlfriend's best friend, but he was different. He always acknowledged my presence with a nod, and that was about it. Nor did I ever make an attempt to know him, I was caught up in my own woes to care about other people. A few times, I'd asked her as to why she was dating someone very aggravatingly silent, but she'd just responded saying he was simply an introvert, but a very nice and kind person.

To each, their own.

As usual, he gave me an acknowledging nod while Shruthi hugged the life out me. "I say we takeout and eat at the beach or something." She said. Beach was definitely a much better place than the crowded restaurant, and I had no complaints with the suggestion.

"So, what should we be ordering?"

"Any small and a choco lava cake for me." I said. Arjun ordered a garden delight.

With a great enthusiasm, she went ahead and stood in the serpentine queue, leaving me alone with her boyfriend.

"How do you do?" He asked, which quite surprised me, for, as I said before, he never spoke to me usually.

"Fine. You?"

"Good. Are you really?" He asked back.

"Really what?"

"Fine?"

I felt my chest tighten at that. "Why would you presume I am not fine?"

"Just because." He answered.

Just because. Because you've been a mess ever since your mom died, and yesterday you randomly found a photograph and assumed your father to be having an affair. The unspoken words were as clear to me as the gong of the bell in the nearby temple. And, for the first time I understood how other people probably perceived me. Mentally disturbed. What these people didn't know that not everyone was strong, and life wasn't magic to simply block away all the bad memories. But it was an eye opener. I'd at least make an attempt to be strong now.

"Thank you for your concern. I am quite fine now." I said, quite coolly, camouflaging my anxiety quite well.

"Are you tired because of the chaos of the house shifting?" He asked.

"How do you know about that?" I asked, though I quite knew the answer immediately. Shruthi must have told him, how silly.

He glanced at me as I scratched my eyebrows out of habit during awkward situations. "Please visit us sometime." I said.

"I live there too. On 7th avenue."

That was news for me. I realised two different things. Firstly, that I was a horrible friend to Shruthi, and I didn't know anything about her boyfriend. Most bff held the entire bio data of their best friend's boyfriend at the palm of their hand, but here was I, knowing nothing about him except his name and a few other things. Secondly, it was clear that he'd suggested the new house to Shruthi, who'd suggested it to me.

When I had casually mentioned looking for a new house to her, she'd gotten me the contact details of the owner the very next day, and when I asked about it, she'd told me not to worry about ninny things like that. So I hadn't quite asked.

"Oh, we're neighbours then." I said.

"In a way, yes."

I fidgeted with my hands as I didn't know what to do after that, and he too went back to his silent phase. I began fanning my face, as it was quite hot.

"Do you want to wait in my car while Shruthi arrives?" He volunteered, and I nodded. He was a better person than I thought he was. I hadn't expected him to be a gentleman. He led me towards his car which was parked in front of the gate of the restaurant overlooking the road. No sooner he'd opened the door, the wiff of the fruity air freshener almost made me retch. The remembrance of the prolonged days at the hospital room with its distinct citrusy aroma air freshener had made me nauseous and I still abhorred them.

"Let me open the windows for you." He said, and pressed a button next to the steering which made the windows open instantaneously. I smiled as a sign of thanks. I rested my head on the spongy leather seat which he adjusted the height of.

"Wait here." He said, and went away. I remained seated for a few minutes, texting Shruthi that I was in the car, and he suddenly came back, holding a bunch of what I assumed were coconut candies.

"Coconut candies may make you feel better." He explained, and I took a few of them from his hands. True to his words, I really did feel a lot better.

He was a good guy. I felt guilty for not liking him.

Shruthi came running towards us holding stacks of pizza boxes. "Lets proceed to the beach!" She declared, and seated herself in the front seat next to Arjun, who was driving.

"What is this? Why are the windows open? It's already quite hot." She said, and went on to close the windows and turn on the AC. But Arjun simply opened them again.

"Huh?" She looked confused.

"It's quite humid. Let that stay open for some time." He said.

"Oh is that so? I don't feel that way. Is it because both of you have roman noses? Apparently noses can detect humidity, I've read that  somewhere. Apparently noses have a lot more functions than sniffing and breathing." She rattled.

I waited for Arjun to give some of the candy to her. But he never did.

It was then I realised that he treated me better than he treated her.˹