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SITUATIONSHIP

The two best friends sat beneath a sprawling banyan tree, lost in memories of the days when laughter came easily. Above them, an eagle soared, wings stretched motionless against the wind. Once they would have marveled at its effortless grace. Now it stirred nothing. The world has changed, or perhaps it has only revealed its true face. People around them had played their part, slowly, cruelly pushing them to the margins. Their only crime..... 'falling in love.' Terrified of being torn apart, they married twin sisters, an arrangement that let them stay close, even if at a cost. The years rolled on. And in those years, they learned a truth more profound than any love they had known: no one cared for them the way they cared for each other. They had called it friendship. They had believed it too until they could no longer lie to themselves. They were two halves of a single soul. And yet they understood the weight of what they felt. With loving wives at home, this was not a path they...

Boarding friendship

  I was all set for the second flight of my life. After waving goodbye to my friends, I showed my ticket and passport to the official at the entrance and stepped into the airport, the cool air messing up my well-combed hair. Even though I had the ticket on my phone, I also brought a hard copy—just in case my fully charged phone decided to shut down. I was leaving for Dubai on a visitor visa, hoping to find a job in the next three months. As I entered, I looked around the airport and felt oddly lonely amidst the crowd. I had all my documents in place yet I had a feeling like I was sneaking into the airport, afraid of getting caught. The last time I flew, my friend Asif had been with me, guiding me through the process up until the departure section. This time I was on my own, looking for someone whose actions I could mirror until I boarded the plane. That’s when I noticed her—the curly-haired girl wearing violet pants, a violet top, and a violet cap. She walked with the confidenc...