“So you’re telling me—” Shruti sat up on Aarushi’s bed, eyes wide, bun messy, looking like she’d just been personally betrayed., “—you went with him, had a bicycle ride which is quite cute I guess, you had ice cream, … and you didn’t even confess? What did you even do? Talk about the weather?!”

Aarushi, seated on her bed, calmly reached for the silver jhumkas lying next to the bangles. With practiced ease, she clipped one into place, tilting her head just slightly toward the mirror.