A stick of incense burns beneath the photo frame hung on the wall. Inside it, a mustached man in his early forties looks out with a steady, proud expression, his arm curved protectively around a woman in pink. Her eyes are alive with light. A garland hangs over them both.

A faint hum of the song Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi, Shikwa drifts through the air, interspersed with the soft trickle of water falling onto plants. The two BHK apartment spills with stuff too old to function, serving no purpose other than holding memories and collecting dust.

A whistle from the pressure cooker goes off in the kitchen, splashing dal onto the backsplash. Mint-green socked feet rush across the marble floor to tamp it down and lower the flame—but it's too late. The whistle sits back automatically, faintly bobbing after doing the damage.

A sigh escapes Maya's lips, followed by an almost too-rigorous wiping of the aftermath.

Ping. A notification echoes, momentarily halting the hands on the tile.

Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping.

'What the—'

Upon inspection, it is revealed that Maya's follower count has gone up by one. The profile page of Stones_By_Maya now boasts 502 followers.

Ak._.shay98 started following you. 40s

Ak._.shay98 liked your reel. 30s

Ak._.shay98 liked your post. 25s

Ak._.shay98 liked your post. 18s

Ak._.shay98 liked your photo. 12s

'Who is Akshay?'

The cat's eye taps on the profile of the said Ak._.shay98.

0 posts. 0 followers. 12 following.

A cat stares very cat-like out of the DP.

'Is it a bot?'

But the question is soon answered.

A notification comes.

Ak._.shay98 has reacted to your story.

Upon opening the chat, Maya finds it's just a LOL reaction to the Nana Patekar meme Maya posted in the morning.

Out of habit, she closes the chat box without replying—but then, biting her lip, she opens it again.

The cat's eye drifts over the emoji keyboard and taps on the LOL one.

'Nice. Not rude. Not inviting. Perfect.'

A/N

If you're enjoying the story, go ahead and turn that star button saffron! A small gesture that means the world to me.

Happy reading! ✨

XOXO

Shailey