Chapter 6: Denial and a Taste of Guilt

Kabir hardly stayed at his apartment these days—he moved back home.

Mum, of course, called it a blessing, but I could sense the tension in the air every time he was around. I guessed he must have fought with his girlfriend.

After all, cheating is a big deal. It’s hard not to notice.

I chewed on my pen and sighed.

I don’t know who my bhabhi is, but I’m sorry.

I really didn’t mean for any of this to happen.

So frustrating.

I glanced at my unfinished assignment.

I’m already a final-year student. Maybe I should just go abroad.

Living under the same roof, Kabir and I see each other all the time.

If I were his girlfriend, I wouldn’t be able to stand it.

Although Kabir doesn’t know anything yet.

I started looking up foreign universities and applied for graduate school.

The thought of leaving Delhi, of escaping the heavy air and the weight of our shared secret, became my only hope. I imagined waking up to the sound of snow, far from the prying eyes of our colony.