Siri's POV :
By the time the sun dipped behind the skyline and the fluorescent lights hummed to life, I was done pretending to be okay. I packed my things with robotic movements, looped my bag around my shoulder, and headed down to the parking area.
The air was damp and slightly cool, as if the day had been holding its breath all along. I slipped the key into the ignition of my scooter, turned it, and—
Cough. Click. Silence.
I frowned and tried again.
Nothing.
Once more.
Still nothing.
"You have got to be kidding me," I muttered, slapping the handlebar gently. "Come on, not today."
I tried kicking the stand, jiggling the keys, checking the fuel indicator even though I already knew it was fine. The scooter remained stubborn, unmoved.
Defeated, I let out a breath and took out my phone.
Cab. Yes. That was the obvious solution. Just get a cab and go home.
I opened the app. My thumb hovered over the confirm button.
But for some reason, I didn't tap it.
My screen dimmed slightly. My thumb still didn't move.
The thought came uninvited, softly but firmly.
I could call Bhargav.
It felt strange how naturally the idea appeared. Not like an emergency plan, but like a… reflex.
I stared at his name in my contacts list. The last call still sat at the top—just yesterday.
Would it be weird? Would I seem needy? Was I overstepping?
My pride and vulnerability stood on opposite sides of a scale.
But this wasn't just anyone. This was Bhargav. The boy who sat next to me in silence as I fell apart. Who didn't flinch when I cried, didn't pity me, didn't try to fix me. Just stayed.
I tapped the green button before I could change my mind.
He picked up after two rings.
"Hey," I said, softer than I intended.
"Hey," he replied, steady and calm.
There was a pause. Not awkward—just open.
"My scooter's not starting," I admitted. "I've tried three times. I think something's wrong with it."
"Where are you?" he asked instantly.
"Office parking lot."
"Do you want me to come?"
I hesitated. He didn't wait.
"I'll be there in 20 minutes."
I closed my eyes, swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me, Siri," he said gently. "I'm on my way."
As I hung up, I sat down on the scooter seat, the metal cool under me, the sky above now painted in dusky blue and purple. The breeze had picked up, ruffling the loose strands of my hair.
I can't believe I'm doing this.
I wasn't the type to ask for help. I didn't like being seen as someone who needed anything.
But somehow, with Bhargav, I didn't feel small for asking.
I just felt… safe.
And maybe, just maybe, that was something I needed more than I admitted.
---
Bhargav's POV
I was lying on the couch, eyes closed, one arm draped over my forehead. The images from last night kept returning—Siri crying, clinging to me like she had no one else, her voice breaking with every confession she had buried deep inside.
It haunted me. It just… wouldn't leave me. I had no choice but to say that.
I heard Amma walk in, muttering something about groceries.
"Bhargav, will you go to the store? We're out of rice and vegetables."
I didn't move.
"Ask Indu," I mumbled. "I don't feel like stepping out."
She gave a dramatic sigh and walked away, grumbling under her breath. I could hear her calling Indu from the kitchen. Probably complaining about how I was getting lazier by the day.
Gimme some rest!
I'm fucked up more than enough already.
And then, my phone rang.
Siri.
I shot up straight, heart skipping a beat.
"Hey," she said, sounding a little unsure.
"Hey," I replied, my voice softening without me realizing it.
"My scooter isn't starting. Can you… pick me up?"
I didn't need time to think. "Of course."
The keys were in my hand before the call even ended.
Bhargav's POV
I was lying on the couch, one arm thrown over my forehead like a half-hearted shield against the world. My other hand rested limply over my chest, rising and falling in rhythm with the exhaustion that had seeped into my bones. The ceiling fan spun above, creaking with every turn, but the breeze it pushed down did nothing to ease the heaviness wrapped around me.
Last night kept playing over and over in my head, like some cruel loop I couldn't hit pause on.
Siri's voice—cracking and trembling—echoed in every corner of my mind.
Her tears.
Her body curled into mine like I was the only thing keeping her from breaking.
Her confessions, so raw they left splinters in my heart.
I had told her things I didn't plan to. Said what I had to, because silence would've been worse. But the weight of it all lingered like smoke in my lungs.
I shut my eyes tighter, trying to block it all out, but it was no use.
The front door creaked open, followed by the rustling sound of shopping bags. Amma's footsteps shuffled inside, accompanied by the tired muttering that had become her signature soundtrack whenever she returned from the market.
She entered the hall and paused when she saw me sprawled on the couch like a collapsed building.
"Bhargav, will you go to the store? We're out of rice and vegetables."
I didn't even lift my head.
"Ask Indu," I mumbled, my voice dry and low. "I don't feel like stepping out."
I heard her exhale sharply—one of those over-the-top sighs she saved for when she wanted to be both annoyed and theatrical. There was a clatter as she dumped the bags onto the table.
"You don't feel like stepping out," she repeated under her breath, her tone laced with mockery. "I'm getting old running around, and this boy can't lift himself off the sofa."
I didn't argue. I didn't have the energy.
She walked off, still grumbling. Her voice grew distant as she reached the kitchen.
"Induuu! Come here! Your brother has become a log of wood. Won't even move unless a crane lifts him!"
I heard Indu's faint reply and Amma's gripes continuing like background music. Something about how she had raised two children only to end up doing everything herself.
I wanted to yell back—Gimme some rest! I'm fucked up more than enough already.
But I didn't.
What was the point?
I just lay there, eyes still closed, my mind tangled in a storm I couldn't quiet.
And then…
My phone buzzed sharply against the cushion beside me.
I blinked. Reached for it slowly, without much hope. My eyes flicked to the screen—
Siri.
My heart kicked against my ribs. I sat up so fast the room spun for a second.
I pressed the phone to my ear.
"Hey," she said, her voice tentative, like she wasn't sure if she should've called.
"Hey," I replied, and just like that, my tone softened. Without thought, without effort.
"My scooter isn't starting. Can you… pick me up?"
No hesitation. None.
"Of course."
My hand was already reaching for the keys, fingers curling around the familiar metal ring before the call even dropped.
To be continued...