I love movies. I used to watch them all the time before I devoted my life to medical school and not dying there. Back when Manish was still around, we used to watch any movie we could get our hands on.

The reactions were mixed. Sometimes it would be good, like me holding Manish as he bawled his eyes out at the ending of October.

Seriously, the amount of water used to make those tears could've irrigated a small California town.

Other times, the reactions weren't as pleasant, as I think back to the time Manish had to turn off Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon after 30 minutes. We watched it just for shits and giggles anyways, but I was cursing so much at the characters that Manish thought it would be better to do something else.

    Thankfully, Anwar, his brother Salim, and Jen have better ideas of what I like. After all, Jen's been stuck with me for over half my life at this point. She knows what I like and what will cause me to punch a wall. And I'm grateful for that, because nobody wants to deal with all the reconstruction fees after I'm done with a bad movie.

Movie days or nights at Jen and Anwar's place reminds my mom of her young adult days. Way back yee haw in Delhi, Anwar's dad and my maternal uncle were the best of friends, and they'd go out for a movie and food every first Friday of the month when they both started earning their own salary.

For my mom, it's like seeing her young adult years play out right here in her childrens' lives, and it's something I personally am grateful for. And I'm even more fortunate that I get to do it with my best friend of over a decade and a half, as well as her fiance, whom I don't consider any less than another brother. Plus, he's a million times less annoying than my own brother.

    With one hand in my pocket and another clutching the string of my crossbody bag, I half jog half walk my way over to Anwar and Jen's place. Excitement is buzzing inside of me like a hive of bees. What better way is there for me to spend my day off than to chill at my best friends' house?

After I make my way to the door, with my breathing a little jagged because this is probably the most exercise I've gotten in the last 5 years, I almost slam my finger against the doorbell. It doesn't take long for the door to swing open and for Anwar to greet me with his signature jolly smile.

His ravenous hair is slicked back, with the recent grooming of his slightly thick beard adding to the sharpness of his aura. "Come in, Jaya," he greets, as he steps aside for me to enter. I enter the house and immediately start to bask in the familiar elements.

The sleek tiles that are mostly cold to the touch gently caress my feet with the heat they've grasped from the heater running in the house. In the corner of my eye, I see a head concealed by the refrigerator door. Immediately, I know that's Salim, Anwar's brother, with whom I bicker with like we're both 5 years old. The fact that he's neck deep into the fridge trying to look for something good to eat is almost a dead giveaway.

"Yo, Salim!" I call, and he pulls his head out of the fridge at the call of his name. With the slamming of the fridge door, the confused look he throws at me confirms my suspicions to a t.

His strong jaw, forest of ravenous hair, and pointed nose tell me that he's Anwar's brother without using words. The only differences are his slightly gentler eyes, slimmer eyebrows, and the fact that Anwar doesn't have the appetite of a blue whale. "Oh, it's you again. I thought someone worthwhile had walked through the door."

My scoff afterwards is accompanied by a slight chuckle, as Salim gives me his big goofy smile that lets you know that he's 115% joking. "Now, Anwar, the only way that this could be more complete is if Sakina were here," I say, as Anwar chuckles a little bit.

"She'll be here soon enough, don't worry!"

Sakina is the sister that completes the Fakhry sibling trio amongst Anwar and Salim. Right now, she's chilling in Boston and simultaneously rolling around in cash due to her job in a financial technology startup. The oldest amongst the three, she's the only one who bullies Salim more than I do, which we both will be doing during Anwar and Jen's wedding.

As I snicker a little bit thinking about how much fun that will be, Jen strolls out of a room wearing the most signature outfit that she has. Anwar's old flannel is draped over her body effortlessly while a large knot in the front prevents it from slipping off. Loose lounge pants sag over her legs, as she flops back on the couch like she's absolutely done with life. "Anwar, you got the snacks?" she calls, as Anwar prances out of the kitchen with several bowls and bags in his hands.

"Yes, baby!" he replies back, as I see a little twinkle illuminate in his eyes at the sight of Jen's smile. On the coffee table, Anwar sets down several large bowls filled with snacks that look like they're meant to serve a party of at least 15.

But all of us know that Salim will eat half of it in the blink of an eye.

In addition, Anwar sets down some bottles of water, and then looks at me with a slightly disgusted look filling his eyes. "Buttered popcorn is here, Jaya, but here's your weirdo popcorn," he announces, while handing me a bag of freshly popped kettle corn.

My jaw drops open in slight offense, but then pops back shut with slight gratitude because Anwar actually went out and got me a bag of kettle corn to enjoy. "Thank you, but why can't I like kettle corn without people calling it weird?"

Anwar frowns a little bit in slight disappointment. "You're weird for liking that combo. They overdo it with the sweetness. It's nauseating."

I roll my eyes, because trying to reason with Anwar over food is like trying to talk some sense into a dead fish. But with that, I flop back down and examine the food that's in front of me on the table.

"There's some Doritos, more popcorn, water, and chocolate chip cookies. Try to enjoy it before Salim eats it all," Anwar snaps, as Jen and I both giggle because we know it's the truth. Considering how fast he inhales my mom's dosas, these snacks will disappear within 5 seconds if we're not fast enough.

"Rude," Salim grumbles, as he begins munching on a Dorito. I don't hold back in enjoying my popcorn and chips, as I see in the corner of my eye that Jen is melting into Anwar's arms. A little excited smile curls at Anwar's lips, as his arms wrap around Jen and he plants a little kiss on her forehead. She snuggles more into his arms, as Anwar scrolls through the movie options.

"Deadpool?"

"No."

"1917?"

"No."

"Fifty Shades of-"

"NO!" Jen, Salim, and I scream together in unison.

Anwar looks at all of us with a slightly terrified look shocking his eyes. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I won't ask again." We go back to scrolling through an endless list of movies, with at least one of us shooting each of them down with a hard "No," before Anwar finally says, "Alright, how about Furious 6? Everyone loves a good 'leave-all-brain-cells-at-home' kind of action film, right?"

I think about it for two seconds, then give an affirmative nod. "Sure," as Jen and Salim also nod along.

"Cool," Anwar replies as he starts the movie and throws the remote off to the side. In the corner of my eye, I see Jen snuggle even deeper into Anwar's arms, as Anwar tucks her head underneath his chin. Throughout the movie, amongst the car crashes, the fights, and all the impossible looking stunts, I can't help but envy how affectionate Jen and Anwar are.

They both look so comfortable in each other's arms and like there's nothing stopping the world from being like this. It's something that I've always craved, but it never lasted.

For a split second, the thought of Manish and I being like this flashes through my mind. I blink it away just as quickly and shake my head at the thought. I just reconnected with him, I think, as I look back at the movie. But in all honesty, there's a little sliver embedded in the depths of me that is sending a giant block of a message.

That I kind of wouldn't mind that kind of relationship with him.

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I thought some insight on Anwar's family would've been nice. What do you guys think about Ashwini debating her feelings about Manish and the future of their relationship? Let me know.

Hope you guys liked this chapter! As always, please vote/comment/share/follow/message if you like my work and follow me on Instagram (svts.writes) for more updates and announcements regarding my works! See you in the next chapter!

Love you guys,

Shree